Aubrey's first visit to NCH...
Today we celebrated two weeks of “normal”. Two weeks of things going according to plan. Two weeks of appointments and labs and everything looking as it should. Two weeks may not sound like a lot, but in a battle like Brady’s, two weeks is a big deal. Today’s labs showed Brady’s levels declining, which was expected with the amount of chemo he is getting. Because his levels are dropping and he has to get another spinal tap chemo on Tuesday next week, he will be going back in on Thursday for transfusions. With his platelets sinking low, his body still hasn’t fully healed from his port placement yet. Any bump to his chest still causes him a lot of pain. Knowing they have to “access” his port on Thursday has him very worried (and quite frankly, pretty upset) because it was so painful last week when they accessed it for the first time. Please pray his body can heal so he doesn’t have as much pain in and around his port. Appointments are getting harder. There are so many of them and they are almost never “in and out”. Today’s simple “check up” was almost four hours. Thankfully, today’s appointment was a little special because Aubrey came. Sis got to meet Dr. Molly, a psychologist, for the first time and see where Brady spends so many of his days. They got to talk about some of the things Brady is having to go through and she got to experience all the waiting Brady has to do first hand. The emotional toll has definitely been setting in for many of us. Chris and I are so drained from holding together the roller coaster everyone has been feeling. Brady just desperately wants to do normal things like play soccer with his buddies and wrestle with his dad. Blake wants to be excited for new things he is doing but doesn’t want to make Brady sad and left out. Aubrey, well, she just started soccer and is over the moon with excitement for that and the start of school. Then there is Cooper, who is trying to have his voice heard to anyone that will listen. We are all laughing one minute and close to tears the next. It’s just the season we are in and I’m trying to fully embrace it. On another note, I want to just take a second to thank you all for the love and support you have shown our family. And I appreciate being able to have a place to digest and process through so much that we are journeying. My prayer will continue to be that someone’s life is impacted for the better by our family’s battle with Brady’s rare diagnosis. This page has become a way for me to not only update on Brady’s progress, but also so much that God is doing in my heart through it. It has become my journal and a way to clear my head. So, thank you for allowing me a space to feel all the things. 🧡 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the things I have spoken to you.” #waytobattlebrady #bravelikebrady #TheBattleIsOn #leukemiawarrior #phillylikemutation