Update

Brody got some tylenol this morning about 9 and felt fine til about noon when he suddenly got real tired and then got the chills (shivering real bad). His fever spiked back up to about 102 for a while and he took a nap for about an hour. When he woke up he felt alot better and his fever is gone (at least for now). He was due to get tylenol again at 3 but his temperature was normal so they held it. He has ate a little bit today-- some mac n cheese, peanut butter crackers, and a couple of popsicles, and his grandpa is bringing him an arby's roast beef (should be here in a few minutes).

We just finished watching Madagascar and are now watching Madagascar 2-- we've seen before but it has been a while. I suspect we will be watching Madagascar 3 next.

Brody is feeling a little bit of discomfort from the stint in his right ureter-- so far just when he goes potty.

Sorry for the lack of updates lately-- we have been busy but having fun.  Brody had a great time at his Birthday party last Friday-- Everyone that he invited to his party was able to make it and the kids looked to have a real fun time-- bowling followed by pizza then cake and presents.

On Sunday we went to the Boy's cubscout Blue & Gold banquet-- They had fun seeing their friends but it wasn't really a proper environment for playing. The boys all entered cakes into a contest-- the top 10 cakes were auctioned off to help raise money for the pack-- Geordi's cake tied for 4th place.

We have all been busy with homeschool and working on some cubscout achievements... this surgery really snuck up on me (February has gone by real quick).

Thats about it for now-- please pray that Brody's surgery occurs tomorrow.

Bill

Brody's surgery for today is canceled

Brody is spiking fevers,  having tachycardia,  and his white count is really low.   Surgery was canceled for today.   Brody will get IV antibiotics and we are praying for super speedy recovery so he can have surgery tomorrow.   After tomorrow surgeon is not available for quite a while.   We have been holding Brody's main chemo for 5 weeks and he has to be off it for minimum of 4 weeks before surgery.   We really need him to get better super quick.  

Brody doing ok after surgery today to place "stent" in ureter

Brody had surgery today to place stents in each urterer.    His surgeon that is performing his major surgery tomorrow morning wanted the "stents" placed so he could better feel,  protect,  and distinguish his ureters.   They were only successful with placing the stent on his right side though.    Brody's tumor is occluding the left side too much.   His left kidney is not functioning very well and his left urterer may be no longer functional from the tumor being wrapped around and up against it so long.   So Brody may also have his left kidney removed tomorrow when they are removing the tumor.   His surgery to remove as much of his tumor as possible is scheduled to begin at 7:45am tomorrow morning.

Brody is feeling ok following today's surgery.   He is not complaining of any pain from the stent placed on the right side.   He is urinating without pain also.   However,  his eyes have been hurting him quite a bit since the surgery today.   We are not sure if his eyes are just extremely dry or if he actually managed to scratch his cornea somehow during the surgery today.   Those in the operating room did not notice Brody do anything that would injure his eyes.   They also said that his eyes were lubricated with artificial tears eye ointment, closed,   and taped shut during the procedure.   So we are not sure why his eyes are hurting him so much.   He says they burn.   His eyes are feeling much better late this evening compared to this afternoon.   Brody says they do not hurt if he keeps his eyes shut but when he opens them they still hurt.   So he is refusing to open his eyes.   He will not let any of the docs look at them either.   If they are still bothering him tomorrow they plan to take a closer look at his eyes tomorrow during the surgery too since he will be asleep and not notice anyone checking his eyes.   Brody is asleep now and is not too worried about his surgery tomorrow.   He wants to have the surgery done so he can get rid of the tube in his back (nephrostomy tube)  and be able to get back in water again when he's healed.   His favorite thing in the world to do is play in the water.   And he really wants a regular bath or shower again.   He is not a fan of the sponge baths he has been doing for the last 9 months.   So anyhow,  Brody remains in good spirits despite all of the eye pain simply because he wants the tube out of his back.  

I am,  of course,  very nervous about the surgery tomorrow but I will choose to focus on the positives just like Brody.  

Feb 11

Not alot to report.

Brody is still scheduled for surgery on the 28th. He got his Chemo on Friday minus the Bevacizumab. He is supposed to continue is other chemo drugs until the 22nd to allow his counts to recover a bit before the surgery and I assume he will resume the other chemo soon after. As mentioned before, the Bevacizumab must be held for 4 weeks prior and 4 weeks after surgery. They plan on admitting Brody on the 27th to get his ureter stints put in and since they may be "uncomfortable" they want him overnight so they can manage his pain. Also, his surgery is scheduled for pretty early in the morning (we were looking at waking up at 5 am to get to pre-op by 6:15-- Surgery scheduled for 7L45)

We are planning Brody's 7th birthday party for late next week. His Birthday is actually on March 3rd but he most likely still be in the hospital recovering from surgery (if this surgery is anything like his previous one).

Nothing else going on. Brody continues to feel and act like any other 6 (almost 7) year old. He is excited about his birthday party coming up and is hoping his friends from school last year can make it to his party.... we are having it at a bowling alley.

More later....

Trish & Bill

Watch "Brody Excited Racing Pinewood Derby Car" on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HtXQnz9PaQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Good CT Scan Results Today

Brody had a CT scan today.   We got good news that the tumor has not gotten any larger since his last scan.   YAY!!!  Brody has also been continuing to feel very well and has had loads of energy.  

Geordi and I have been sick with a nasty cough since last Sunday.   We are both keeping our distance from Brody and have been washing,  washing,  and washing our hands and going through a lot of hand sanitizer too.   Geordi and I have both been feeling much better today though so hopefully soon these yuckies will be gone.   

The boys all competed in the Cubscouts Pinewood Derby last weekend.   All three boys won a trophy for 3rd place for speed in their den.    They all had a great time racing their cars and visiting with their Uncle Dan,  Papaw,  and Grandma who had come up to watch the race.   It was so much fun to watch the boys get so excited when they realized they actually had won a trophy.