Oct. 2nd Update

It's October and things have settled down and things are routine now.  We love routine!   Briley wakes each morning ready to go to school.  She loves school!  Bryson also, although it's hard to get him out of bed in the mornings!  My schooling is going good, can't complain.  I'm gone 3 nights out of the week, so by the time I get home, the kids are already in bed.  I miss seeing them and it's been a little tough on Alicia getting both of them ready for bed by herself.  We'll get through it and it will be worth it in the end!
I'm at home with Bryson today.  He is sick.  He has puss pockets on his tonsils, but he's tested negative for strep.  Just a viral thing that's got to run it's course.  
Briley has her every third month procedure scheduled for this Thursday, 10/4.  She will get a LP (spinal tap), chemo infusion through her port, blood work, and start 5 days of dexamethasone (steroids). It's scheduled first thing in the morning, so we always stay in Fort Worth the night before.  Unfortunately, Bryson will not be able to make the trip this time since he has been running a fever.  Kids that are sick are basically banned from the oncology floor, which is a good thing.  If they are oncology patients with fever, then they will be put into isolation.  Anyway, I will have to keep Bryson home with me while Alicia & Briley go to Fort Worth.  I'm a little nervous sending the girls down there by themselves to spend the night.
A couple of people have ask me recently about the LP's and the purpose of them.  I'll do my best to explain.   Leukemia cells love to hide in the spinal fluid.  Although NO leukemia cells have ever been seen in her spinal fluid, that doesn't mean that they were not there.  It's just impossible to look at every last drop of spinal fluid, as it is impossible to look at every last drop of bone marrow.  Anyway, the nurses will conscious sedate her and the doc will insert a big needle inside a space in her spinal cord.  The spinal fluid leaks out of the needle and into a tube.  I believe they take out about 10cc's of fluid.  The fluid is then replaced with the same amount of chemo.  The chemo will then work itself up the spinal column into the fluid around the brain and hopefully kill any leukemia that it encounters along the way.  
Briley does great during the procedure.  She has been sedated with versed/fentanyl.  This time we are going to try Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas).  The reason for this is that it should work the same as the other, but she will be able to eat/drink before the procedure.  
During the procedure, the child life gals keep her entertained playing games on the iPad.  Thanks to the meds, she doesn't remember anything about the procedure.  She does feel some pain during the insertion of the needle, but it's mostly just mild discomfort the rest of the time.  
We appreciate it if you say an extra prayer for Briley and Alicia for safe travel and that the procedure will go according to plan.  Also say a prayer for Kelly Livingston as she is in acute liver failure for unknown reasons.  She's in ICU at a Dallas hospital right now as the doctors are trying to figure out what is going on.  
Thank you for taking the time to read the updates!  I will do another update after the procedure.