Mother's Day weekend - Friday, May 7

Hi Everybody,

I started getting radiation treatments on Wednesday. We went to the Dupage Onclogy Center and they did a scan and radiation. I have to go there 30 times. It's hard to get up so early cause they do it at 7 oclock in the morning, but I can sleep in the car on the way there and on the way home. The radiation only lasts 15 minutes and we get home at 8 and I get to go back to bed. YAY! Every week I have to go to Childrens Memorial hospital for stuff and every week a nurse comes to our house to see me. Then the social worker comes and a music therapist but the good part is I only have school at home 1-5 hours. Also a psychologist comes and a doctor and if anything else happens there will be other stuff. I get tired all the time and its from the radiation. Sometimes I lose my balance and my waist and legs and feet get numb. Today Mom had to help me buckle my seatbelt because my fingers were numb. It's weird. Now I get to ride in a wheelchair if I'm really tired so I can go shopping or go for a walk without getting to tired. I'm supposed to get exercise too so I don't get to use it all the time.

A lot of the time I like to doodle and draw and write and color. I love gel pens and I drew a picture of the stupid tumor. I put beams of radiation on it and chemo and hope and faith. After everything attacked it I drew it all little and crying and I was laughing and saying Ha Ha You Shrunk! Then I wrote down all the stuff since they found the tumor that is wrong with me. Here is my list.
headaches, nausea, sore knees and ankles, backaches, throat and espohagus trouble, strep throat, ingrown toenails, dry skin, itching, back and shoulder pain, knee weakness, ankle weakness, tiredness, laziness, infected/damaged fingernails, hair loss, weight gain.
But after all that stuff, I wrote really big Pain is overrated! and I'm over pain! Most of the stuff I write about is happy cause I love to be with my family and friends and come up with ideas about fun stuff to do. Like go to Medieval Times or go shopping or see a movie.
Well thats all for now,
Love, Bree

Note from Mom Jennifer:

The list of symptoms is from a child who very, very rarely had anything more than a cold!! She also did not list the numbness/tingling, difficulty sleeping, and some others... 99% of her journal is happy, cheerful drawings and entries.
We are still trying to get Brianna out daily for either a lunch, quick errand, or enjoy family or friends' visits or outings. Brianna is in good spirits and wants nothing more than to enjoy time with family and friends as she brainstorms ideas for outings. She expresses this to me and I noticed it's included in various entries in her journal.

Thank you for your words of encouragement and for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. Especially, since the last update. I am definitely frustrated with how things have been going these past few weeks, but plan on taking a huge step to voice my concerns and be the biggest, loudest advocate for Brianna. "Mother Knows Best," and I will take the lead from now on and will not take no for an answer as my gut has been right on this entire journey. If you mess with or threaten my children (and in this case compromise their health) you will get an earful. I have never had this type of agressive personality, but since dealing with Brianna's illness I no longer believe that doctors have all the answers. Having doctors who have young children themselves make all the difference in the world. Dr. Ellison and Dr. Baker treat Brianna as they would their own children. Please pray for all children fighting cancer and for their doctors to be blessed with compassion and empathy necessary to deal with these children and their families.
Have a very Happy Mother's Day and may God Bless you and your children! May you enjoy this year's holiday with a new perspective and appreciation for the precious children God blessed you with...I know this will be the best Mother's Day ever!!

Brianna's Mom Jennifer