Today makes Four or a Week

Even though today is only the fourth day in the intense chemo regimen I'm on, it makes a full seven days that I've spent at Emory University Hospital. Already I'm getting antsy and fidgety. I still have at least another three weeks here and I'm not really sure how I'm going to fill my time. This blog has proved to be very helpful indeed. Yesterday I was kind of in a funk and that funk hasn't really lifted yet. Today I had several visitors. Liz, Ashley, Tim, and Bo were all here checking out the invalid making sure that I hadn't jumped ship yet. Also, I had a very pleasant surprise when an old high school buddy, George. It is nice to have visitors but at about 4 pm and everyone had cleared out (with the exception of Bo) I passed out. I couldn't believe how tired I was. It was so nice just to sleep for an entire hour without interruption. See, I don't think most people realize how hard it is to actually sleep in a hospital. Between being hooked up to fluids that make you pee every 15 mins., getting your vitals checked, and having doctors and nurses looking down your ears, nose, and throat it is impossible to rest. Well, I'm really tired. So I think that will be all for tonight.

Another day turns to Three

After spending all day doing nothing I've realized something my mom has been telling me forever. I don't know how to be alone. This time alone has been really good for me. Most of my prayer life has consisted of me just talking to God. Today I spent about 45 mins. just sitting and listening or trying to listen. I know 45 mins. doesn't seem like a long time, but for someone like me who is always going, doing, and then going some more it was. I also spent some time with a minister who works here at the hospital. It is always so cool to me how you can not know some one but if you are both Christians you have this automatic connection, then of course I've never met a stranger. LoL. I didn't have anything on the schedule for today except take an obscene number of pills. So I navigated over to Yahoo!Music. I love music. I'm sure that some one got a great show today. I had my blinds up and I was breakin' it down in my hospital room. Snap Yo Finger feat. E40 and Sean Paul by Lil' John, Umbrella by Rihanna, Pop Lock and Drop it by Huey, A Bay Bay by Hurricane Chris just to name a few. I think that when I get out of the hospital I'm going to take a dance class. :) Today was a little rough though. I had quite a bit of nausea. I can tell this is going to be hard. Please keep me in your prayers. I really appreciate all the response I've been getting. I love and miss all of ya'll. I am so excited though about how this story is going to end. As many of you know me well, you know that it is just like me to go all out. I don't ever do something half ass (woops :). I thank God for all of ya'll. Good Night!

Day Two Comes to an End

It is about 5 pm and still no chemo. Since the main drug in my chemo is a steroid and it is so late in the day, I'll most likely be up most of the night. (I hope somewhere there is a Will and Grace marathon). Today has been pretty uneventful which has been wonderful. The pharmacist was up here talking with me this afternoon about all the drugs I will be on, the side effects, and then all the drugs all be on to counter act the side effects of the other drugs. I can't wait for my body to become a human chemistry project. :) I did get pretty bored today. It is hard sometimes being here because my room looks so much like a hospital room. My mom and my brother Christopher bought me two posters, one of David Beckham and one of a boat on some beautiful water with a neat quote. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away." I do however have a great view. When I look out my window I can see all these beautiful trees and the skyline of Atlanta. It is really pretty. There is also a soccer field right outside my window, it's nice. Well, I'm getting sleepy. There will be more tomorrow.

Today was the first

Today was the first day of chemo, though tomorrow it really becomes hard core. I started my fight with a L.P. (Lumbar Puncture) and then the doctor inserted a shot of chemo into my spine. One of the most painful things I've ever had to go through (almost as bad as a bone marrow biopsy). I'm kind of at a loss as what to tell everyone. I've been so caught up in going and taking action that my emotions have taken a back seat. It seems that everyday I have some new procedure to do. One day it is an e.k.g and then getting two units of whole blood and then the next it is getting platelets and chemo. Everyday is different and tiring. The one thing that seems to remain constant is that I have a very hard time sleeping. I don't know if it is the stress of all the sudden changes, or the new environment, but something is keeping me awake at night. I have been able to use this time though to connect with God. I find myself tossing and turning as if my physical body is imitating the struggle I'm going through with God. All of the age old questions are there; why this, why now, why me? I have a firm belief that God has a plan for everything. I hold tight to that every time I doubt His divine purpose. I don't want to sound preachy or cliche', but truth is steadfast. My brother gave me this example which really helped me out. See, life is like a quilt. While we are on earth we see what's underneath, the criss-crosses, the back-stitches, and the mistakes. But when we get to Heaven, we see what God sees- a beautiful complete work of art. And right now this disease may look to me like a double-cross-back-stitch, but I can't wait to see what design God has just brought me into. I've spent the last ten months cleaning up, growing up, and moving closer to God. I thought that life would be peaches after I had a year clean. I would be "a mature adult." More now then ever before have I been able to see God preparing me for this battle. I have the hope to persevere, I have the wisdom to cry out for help, and I have the faith that Christ has not brought me this far to simply let me go. I have good days and bad days, but the beautiful thing about that is that my friends and my family love me through it all. I will fight. "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me."

How It All Began

A synopsis of the last weeks events written by Mom.

Greetings All (in more ways than one as you will see), I wanted to provide some details of how this whole thing started and update our dear friends and family. Brianne has been living and working in our old home place, Sylva, NC for the past year. She began attending my Alma mater Western Carolina University in the Fall of 06. Beez hit a bump in her academic road, put school aside for the time being and began working full time for Wal-Mart in December where she is now a customer service manager. In the meantime she has been developing new relationships and deepening old ones with some church family/friends. Faithful as always, God placed some beautiful people in her life to show His unfailing love for her.

The past 10 months have been an incredible journey for her of grace, faith, love, truth, anger, pain, struggle, acceptance, joy, more love, and more grace. I am beginning to see how God was not only healing but strengthening and (unbenownst to us) preparing her foundationally for a new experience in Faith and Trust. This new path will be filled with a wide range of experiences, emotions and physical changes.

On Sunday September 9th Brianne experienced very sharp pains in her abdomen. They were so severe that a trip to the ER was needed. The ER doctor ran the usual labs, gave her pain medicine and ruled out appendicitis. She was told her platelets were very low and she needed to follow up with her family doctor that week. The next day Brianne was driving down to Macon Georgia as the pain continued. She saw her doctor on Tuesday morning and they performed an ultrasound which revealed and enlarged spleen and she was sent to the hospital for a CT scan. Beez came home and awaited results from the doctor. The call came saying her spleen was very enlarged and her platelet count had dropped critically low. She had to be admitted immediately for a transfusion and further testing. Tuesday evening Beez was in the hospital for what the doctor thought was a very severe case of mono. On Wednesday, the results were negative for mono and other disorders so the next plan was to test for Leukemia. Needless to say we were all shocked to hear of the possibility of Leukemia and we focused our thoughts and prayers on staying positive until we knew for sure. Brianne had a bone marrow biopsy in which they were not able to aspirate any fluid and that was not a good sign. Late Friday afternoon the oncologist told us that my Beez had Leukemia. We did not yet know the type but were told that she needed to be transferred right away to a specialized cancer treatment center. We chose Emory and thankfully Emory had a bed and a physician to accept her right away. She was transferred late that night and that's where she is now.

It has been a real whirlwind of events and quite a shocking discovery for us all. On Saturday, the doctor told us that another bone marrow biopsy needed to be done to determine the type. They knew it was acute and not chronic but whether it was ALL or AML had yet to be determined. They explained that she displayed markers for both. So again we waited and hoped for the best. On Tuesday afternoon we were given a definitive diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL. So now, let the treatment begin. We have gathered information, asked numerous questions and searched out the search engines to find all that we can about ALL. There are links attached to this site for additional information. Some very positive things can be said for the treatment and recovery rate of people diagnosed with ALL. Brianne will be getting a very aggressive treatment regime. Once again, and much to Brianne's dismay, even though she is an adult, she will be treated as a child. The pediatric treatment plan is the best and most successful course of action to take. We are very pleased with the medical staff here and specifically her doctors.

Brianne and the rest of us will be posting information from time to time to keep everyone updated on her progress and plan of care. There are few things I need to mention about visitation and such. She cannot receive flowers or fresh fruit/vegetables. No visitors under the age of six and no perfumes or strong colonges on her visitors. This is due to immuno risks and nausea/vomitting related to strong smells. More information will be provided later regarding details of treatment but she will be in-patient here at Emory for a minimum of three weeks.



The number to call at her bedside is 404-712-3615. Her mailing address is Brianne Tsavatewa room 615E c/o Emory Hospital 1364 Clifton Rd. NE Atlanta, Ga 30322.



Thank You for all your love, prayers and support. We are very blessed that you are a part of our lives.