Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Briley in the NEWS on KFDX
Briley Hostas Takes Next Step , is the latest news coverage on Briley's progress. All coverage stories are located on the right of the blog.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Walking is slowly getting better
Briley is walking a little more each day, but it's still not what I anticipated her doing. We've have so much much going on in the next few weeks and I guess I'm just wanting things to go faster than what they are. I have to remind myself, patience!
She wants to walk! So that's a good thing! We don't have to force her to get up and walk. The more she walks, the faster she will get back into the swing of things. Her legs tire out quickly. By the afternoon, her legs are really sore and she doesn't walk. We try to give her as little pain meds as possible, but we may need to step it up a little just to get her back on her feet a little more.
We are going to Alicia's uncle Johnny's house tomorrow to let the kids swim in his pool. It will be great exercise for those little legs! And fun too!
There are noticeable differences in both of the kids since the wreck. Briley is now scared of the dark. Never has been before, but it's bad now. She also keeps asking why Nanna didn't see the truck coming and why they pulled over. Bryson doesn't want to be separated from Alicia or I. He always loved going out to my mom & dads, but he no longer wants to. He asked Alicia last night if he could go to Nanna's house when she got home from Heaven. I hope things improve eventually, and they will.
I'm just about ready for things to get back to normal.
She wants to walk! So that's a good thing! We don't have to force her to get up and walk. The more she walks, the faster she will get back into the swing of things. Her legs tire out quickly. By the afternoon, her legs are really sore and she doesn't walk. We try to give her as little pain meds as possible, but we may need to step it up a little just to get her back on her feet a little more.
We are going to Alicia's uncle Johnny's house tomorrow to let the kids swim in his pool. It will be great exercise for those little legs! And fun too!
There are noticeable differences in both of the kids since the wreck. Briley is now scared of the dark. Never has been before, but it's bad now. She also keeps asking why Nanna didn't see the truck coming and why they pulled over. Bryson doesn't want to be separated from Alicia or I. He always loved going out to my mom & dads, but he no longer wants to. He asked Alicia last night if he could go to Nanna's house when she got home from Heaven. I hope things improve eventually, and they will.
I'm just about ready for things to get back to normal.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Info Needed
Someone sent Briley a barbie. You had written on there that you had a broken leg when younger, but just one and Briley must special.
If you are this person, we need your address!
Thanks
If you are this person, we need your address!
Thanks
Saturday, June 23, 2012
A new News story
Here is a link to the news story that was done today. I can't figure out how to post the link with the others, but Audra will when she gets back to town! Anyway, I hope this works for now. I will try to update more tomorrow on Briley's progress. Once again, thank you KFDX!
Briley Hostas Takes Next Step texomashomepage.comBriley Hostas has been fighting leukemia for the last few years. Then last month, she was in a horrible car wreck, but Briley is moving forward.
Briley Hostas Takes Next Step texomashomepage.comBriley Hostas has been fighting leukemia for the last few years. Then last month, she was in a horrible car wreck, but Briley is moving forward.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Post Appointment Update
We left out this morning, tired, or at least I was. Only 4 hours of sleep last night. grrr
Anyway, a miracle happened this morning. We made to Cooks right on time! That never happens!
First stop at ortho. Briley had x-rays of both femurs. Her surgeon came in and said that the bones were healing nicely and the rods are were they are suppose to be. Soooooooo, she doesn't have to wear the braces anymore. And the big news is, she is allowed to start putting weight on her legs!!! Time for her to start walking again!!!! (more on that later).
All four incisions looks good. The bump on the side of her left knee is actually one of the rods. And it's swollen more than the other because of that rod irritating the surrounding tissue, but it's nothing to worry about.
They called over to Cooks home health for a walker and we were done there. Alicia and I were very excited to hear the wonderful news!
After ortho, up to the oncology floor we went. We first got to meet a parent who Alicia has been talking to on Facebook through a cancer page. Her 3 year old daughter has neuroblastoma and still has some tumor left on her spine. She's a precious little girl named Maddie. Please say an extra prayer for Maddie that she will win the fight against cancer.
Briley went back for a CBC & port flush. All of her counts looked great! Her ANC is 1400! Hemoglobin was 11.4 and platelets were 200,000+! All of this is good news! It looks like her counts have stabilized again!
Next month, on the 11th, she is scheduled for a lumbar puncture with chemo injection & vincristine through her port. She has these done once/3 months thanks to the research that she's on. Otherwise it would be once/month.
She usually doesn't feel good after the procedure, but perks up the next day. I really hope that this round doesn't affect her much since we have the kid's fishing tournament the next day! We'll play it by ear and she how she's feeling that morning of the tournament. We'll carry an extra zofran or two on the boat!
Really the only thing that has me a little worried about the tournament is from a sunburn! She takes methotrexate once/week by mouth, and she will get it injected into her spinal fluid the day of her lumbar puncture. One of the side-effects of methotrexate is sensibility to the sun and sunburns can be a big issue. I'm sure Alicia will smoother on the sunscreen!
Ok, back on track. After her appointments, we drove over to Pappadeaux's for lunch. Good stuff! Briley just had to eat some gator!
Then we decided to take the kid's to the Ft. Worth zoo. They enjoyed it very much! Bryson was super excited and was very good. He agitated the gorillas and the big croc wanted him for a snack! It was so humid there today, it was almost miserable, but we didn't care. The kids were having a blast!
Then it was time to come home. Both kids crashed within minutes of leaving the zoo. They were worn smooth out, as is their daddy!
We made our way home without any problems and couldn't wait to get Briley standing up and walking! We adjusted her little walker to fit just right and then it was the moment of truth!
The truth is - it's going to be a long road. It didn't really hurt her much, but her coordination is out of wack and her legs are very weak. She was not able to stand on her own. I stood behind her and supported her as she tried to take some steps, but that didn't work out to great either. Especially that left leg. It's lagging behind a little. The main thing is, she tried. She tried very hard and wanted to do it! And it will come with time. We will work with her as much as we can get by with and get her going again. It amazes me how the simple task of walking that most of us takes for granted can be so hard for others. I'm proud of her and we'll keep moving forward!
Briley was also able to take a real bath tonight! We've been laying her on the kitchen counter and washing her hair in the sink and giving her a sponge bath. So being able to sit in the bathtub again was a big deal!
I think the biggest surprise of the day has been Bryson's reaction to big sister trying to get back to doing normal again. He was rooting her on and hugging her when she was trying to walk. And then he was so excited for her when she was able to take a bath! He's love for her poured out tonight! He was one proud little brother!
All in all, today was a great day! We were blessed in so many ways and I want to thank each of you for praying for Briley. I think many prayers were definitely answered today! Words cannot express the gratefulness that we have from the support that we have received. Thank You!
Anyway, a miracle happened this morning. We made to Cooks right on time! That never happens!
First stop at ortho. Briley had x-rays of both femurs. Her surgeon came in and said that the bones were healing nicely and the rods are were they are suppose to be. Soooooooo, she doesn't have to wear the braces anymore. And the big news is, she is allowed to start putting weight on her legs!!! Time for her to start walking again!!!! (more on that later).
All four incisions looks good. The bump on the side of her left knee is actually one of the rods. And it's swollen more than the other because of that rod irritating the surrounding tissue, but it's nothing to worry about.
They called over to Cooks home health for a walker and we were done there. Alicia and I were very excited to hear the wonderful news!
After ortho, up to the oncology floor we went. We first got to meet a parent who Alicia has been talking to on Facebook through a cancer page. Her 3 year old daughter has neuroblastoma and still has some tumor left on her spine. She's a precious little girl named Maddie. Please say an extra prayer for Maddie that she will win the fight against cancer.
Briley went back for a CBC & port flush. All of her counts looked great! Her ANC is 1400! Hemoglobin was 11.4 and platelets were 200,000+! All of this is good news! It looks like her counts have stabilized again!
Next month, on the 11th, she is scheduled for a lumbar puncture with chemo injection & vincristine through her port. She has these done once/3 months thanks to the research that she's on. Otherwise it would be once/month.
She usually doesn't feel good after the procedure, but perks up the next day. I really hope that this round doesn't affect her much since we have the kid's fishing tournament the next day! We'll play it by ear and she how she's feeling that morning of the tournament. We'll carry an extra zofran or two on the boat!
Really the only thing that has me a little worried about the tournament is from a sunburn! She takes methotrexate once/week by mouth, and she will get it injected into her spinal fluid the day of her lumbar puncture. One of the side-effects of methotrexate is sensibility to the sun and sunburns can be a big issue. I'm sure Alicia will smoother on the sunscreen!
Ok, back on track. After her appointments, we drove over to Pappadeaux's for lunch. Good stuff! Briley just had to eat some gator!
Then we decided to take the kid's to the Ft. Worth zoo. They enjoyed it very much! Bryson was super excited and was very good. He agitated the gorillas and the big croc wanted him for a snack! It was so humid there today, it was almost miserable, but we didn't care. The kids were having a blast!
Then it was time to come home. Both kids crashed within minutes of leaving the zoo. They were worn smooth out, as is their daddy!
We made our way home without any problems and couldn't wait to get Briley standing up and walking! We adjusted her little walker to fit just right and then it was the moment of truth!
The truth is - it's going to be a long road. It didn't really hurt her much, but her coordination is out of wack and her legs are very weak. She was not able to stand on her own. I stood behind her and supported her as she tried to take some steps, but that didn't work out to great either. Especially that left leg. It's lagging behind a little. The main thing is, she tried. She tried very hard and wanted to do it! And it will come with time. We will work with her as much as we can get by with and get her going again. It amazes me how the simple task of walking that most of us takes for granted can be so hard for others. I'm proud of her and we'll keep moving forward!
Briley was also able to take a real bath tonight! We've been laying her on the kitchen counter and washing her hair in the sink and giving her a sponge bath. So being able to sit in the bathtub again was a big deal!
I think the biggest surprise of the day has been Bryson's reaction to big sister trying to get back to doing normal again. He was rooting her on and hugging her when she was trying to walk. And then he was so excited for her when she was able to take a bath! He's love for her poured out tonight! He was one proud little brother!
All in all, today was a great day! We were blessed in so many ways and I want to thank each of you for praying for Briley. I think many prayers were definitely answered today! Words cannot express the gratefulness that we have from the support that we have received. Thank You!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
June 20th. Anticipation!
We are leaving out at 6:00 in the morning and heading down to Fort Worth for Briley's ortho & oncology appointments. Briley will have x-rays on her legs to see how much of her bones have fused back together. If all looks good, she will be able to start walking with a walker!
She's been moving her right leg around like crazy. She's able to hold it up and move it in circles. Her left leg is the one that has us a little worried. The incisions look great now, but her left knee is still swollen. She doesn't move it around near as much, if at all, as her right leg. She also has some sort of big bump on the side of her knee. So we'll see tomorrow. Lot's of anticipation going on in this household today!
After ortho, she will have just a regular oncology checkup. They'll access her port for a blood count and to give it a flush. We hope and pray that all is normal with her counts.
Not much to report since my last blog. Things are going about the same. We really are thinking about going to counseling, especially for Bryson's sake. Yesterday he was saying that all of his plastic animals are dead. Over & over. Alicia is going to make the call to them tomorrow and ask a few questions.
It's going to be a busy couple of weeks starting next weekend. We'll go to the Rangers game that Cooks is sending us to on the 30th of this month.
July 5th, Briley is going to a camp for Cooks cancer kids. Her age group will be only a day camp. We'll drop her off at Cooks to catch the bus first thing in the morning and then pick her up that afternoon. We're kinda nervous letting her go without one of us, but some of the child life gals will be going, so she'll know someone and will probably have a blast! And she's always wanted to ride in a bus!!
This past weekend, Briley received an invitation from Cooks to a kid's fishing tournament on Eagle Mountain Lake July 12th. I can say that I'm one happy and excited daddy. If anyone knows me, they know I love to fish and do a lot of tournament fishing. I've taken the kids fishing quite a few times and they love it also! So the fishing trip will be super cool, especially considering that we'll be going out in a boat will pro-fishermen! The same ones that I watch on TV! That may not be a big deal to Briley, but it's awesome for me! Bryson will be in fish heaven also! He's taken after his daddy when it comes to fishing. I think both kids will impress the pros. They've never fished with anything but a plastic worm and can cast & reel like a little pro! We are really looking forward to the trip.
We are hoping and praying that Briley's bones have healed enough to allow her to start walking and that her blood counts are normal with no signs of relapse. We appreciate if y'all would say a quick prayer for her also.
Thanks!
She's been moving her right leg around like crazy. She's able to hold it up and move it in circles. Her left leg is the one that has us a little worried. The incisions look great now, but her left knee is still swollen. She doesn't move it around near as much, if at all, as her right leg. She also has some sort of big bump on the side of her knee. So we'll see tomorrow. Lot's of anticipation going on in this household today!
After ortho, she will have just a regular oncology checkup. They'll access her port for a blood count and to give it a flush. We hope and pray that all is normal with her counts.
Not much to report since my last blog. Things are going about the same. We really are thinking about going to counseling, especially for Bryson's sake. Yesterday he was saying that all of his plastic animals are dead. Over & over. Alicia is going to make the call to them tomorrow and ask a few questions.
It's going to be a busy couple of weeks starting next weekend. We'll go to the Rangers game that Cooks is sending us to on the 30th of this month.
July 5th, Briley is going to a camp for Cooks cancer kids. Her age group will be only a day camp. We'll drop her off at Cooks to catch the bus first thing in the morning and then pick her up that afternoon. We're kinda nervous letting her go without one of us, but some of the child life gals will be going, so she'll know someone and will probably have a blast! And she's always wanted to ride in a bus!!
This past weekend, Briley received an invitation from Cooks to a kid's fishing tournament on Eagle Mountain Lake July 12th. I can say that I'm one happy and excited daddy. If anyone knows me, they know I love to fish and do a lot of tournament fishing. I've taken the kids fishing quite a few times and they love it also! So the fishing trip will be super cool, especially considering that we'll be going out in a boat will pro-fishermen! The same ones that I watch on TV! That may not be a big deal to Briley, but it's awesome for me! Bryson will be in fish heaven also! He's taken after his daddy when it comes to fishing. I think both kids will impress the pros. They've never fished with anything but a plastic worm and can cast & reel like a little pro! We are really looking forward to the trip.
We are hoping and praying that Briley's bones have healed enough to allow her to start walking and that her blood counts are normal with no signs of relapse. We appreciate if y'all would say a quick prayer for her also.
Thanks!
Friday, June 15, 2012
June 15th Update
Things are still going well, at least when talking about Briley's healing. But now, after a little more than a month since the accident, the reality of the situation is becoming more & more difficult to deal with.
Briley is tired of being in the wheelchair. At first, it was new, but the new has since worn off. Here and there she's said that she wishes that she could start running & playing again. Even Bryson started crying last night. When Alicia asked why he was crying, he said, "I want Briley to start walking"! But she's been doing great with the wheelchair and doesn't complain too much. A couple of days ago, she started having a bad cough and running a fever. The cough is getting better and the fever is now gone. Also, the one incision that was getting infected is looking a lot better and the swelling in that knee is less.
Bryson has been missing Nanna like crazy. He's been talking about her a lot and he told Alicia that he wanted to go to Nanna's house to see her after she's gets home from visiting heaven. Clearly, he doesn't quite understand the meaning of heaven yet.
As for me, I've been reflecting more and more on the night of the accident. I was able to zone it out for the most part up until now for whatever reason. Maybe because Mark and I were working together a couple of days ago. That's been the first time that we've worked together since the accident. But whatever the case, the images burned into my brain from that night has been bothering me.
And Alicia has been having trouble with the loss of her mom. Her and Jess have been talking a lot everyday about her. And Alicia has her moments when she breaks down.
So with all of that being said, Alicia and I have talked about all of us going to the trauma support services that were offered while we were at Cooks. I understand their way of counseling kids through play is great. I always kinda looked at counseling as a gimmick-type stunt. I am probably ignorant about it, but it's time to swallow some pride and go. I need to do what's best for Alicia & the kids (and myself), so it might be worth a try.
So, now that we got all of the depressive stuff out of the way, there has been some excitement! One of Briley's friends, Gracie, that she met at Cooks stopped by the house on Monday. We fed her, and her family! Gracie was undergoing treatments for Neuroblastoma when Briley was diagnosed. They are an awesome family and we were fortune enough to go up to Tulsa's curesearch walk and be a part of Team Gracie!
Gracie had scans at Cooks this past Monday (and they were clear)!!!!!!!!!! Since her & her family are about to move to Idaho, they made the drive to Seymour to visit. It was good seeing all of them again and we might just have to visit them in Idaho sometime in the future. Below is a picture of Gracie & Briley!
Alicia has been busy this past week planning for Briley's big birthday bash tomorrow! Briley is super excited to see and play with many of her friends!
We will go back to Cooks next Thursday, the 21st. She will have x-rays to see if her bones have grown enough back together to be able to walk! She will also have a routine check-up at oncology. Her ANC this past Wednesday was 2400! Which is great, but probably elevated due to the infection. At least it's high & not low!
Briley is tired of being in the wheelchair. At first, it was new, but the new has since worn off. Here and there she's said that she wishes that she could start running & playing again. Even Bryson started crying last night. When Alicia asked why he was crying, he said, "I want Briley to start walking"! But she's been doing great with the wheelchair and doesn't complain too much. A couple of days ago, she started having a bad cough and running a fever. The cough is getting better and the fever is now gone. Also, the one incision that was getting infected is looking a lot better and the swelling in that knee is less.
Bryson has been missing Nanna like crazy. He's been talking about her a lot and he told Alicia that he wanted to go to Nanna's house to see her after she's gets home from visiting heaven. Clearly, he doesn't quite understand the meaning of heaven yet.
As for me, I've been reflecting more and more on the night of the accident. I was able to zone it out for the most part up until now for whatever reason. Maybe because Mark and I were working together a couple of days ago. That's been the first time that we've worked together since the accident. But whatever the case, the images burned into my brain from that night has been bothering me.
And Alicia has been having trouble with the loss of her mom. Her and Jess have been talking a lot everyday about her. And Alicia has her moments when she breaks down.
So with all of that being said, Alicia and I have talked about all of us going to the trauma support services that were offered while we were at Cooks. I understand their way of counseling kids through play is great. I always kinda looked at counseling as a gimmick-type stunt. I am probably ignorant about it, but it's time to swallow some pride and go. I need to do what's best for Alicia & the kids (and myself), so it might be worth a try.
So, now that we got all of the depressive stuff out of the way, there has been some excitement! One of Briley's friends, Gracie, that she met at Cooks stopped by the house on Monday. We fed her, and her family! Gracie was undergoing treatments for Neuroblastoma when Briley was diagnosed. They are an awesome family and we were fortune enough to go up to Tulsa's curesearch walk and be a part of Team Gracie!
Gracie had scans at Cooks this past Monday (and they were clear)!!!!!!!!!! Since her & her family are about to move to Idaho, they made the drive to Seymour to visit. It was good seeing all of them again and we might just have to visit them in Idaho sometime in the future. Below is a picture of Gracie & Briley!
Alicia has been busy this past week planning for Briley's big birthday bash tomorrow! Briley is super excited to see and play with many of her friends!
We will go back to Cooks next Thursday, the 21st. She will have x-rays to see if her bones have grown enough back together to be able to walk! She will also have a routine check-up at oncology. Her ANC this past Wednesday was 2400! Which is great, but probably elevated due to the infection. At least it's high & not low!
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