Monday Update

"Home Sweet Home" is the text I got from Missy on Saturday evening as they arrived in Atlanta. I'm sure it felt good to be home, to see the dogs, to unpack and no longer live out of a suitcase, and most importantly to have Brent's surgery behind them.

Brent had his appointment today with his doctor from Emory. He will start chemo on Sunday, July 3rd. The chemo for the type of tumor he had is in pill form. He'll take several pills every night for one week out of every month. Then he'll feel pretty crappy for awhile. A quote from a friend, "Chemo is chemo in any form. It all sucks and makes you feel like crap.". Well said. Brent's chemo will continue on this schedule for no less than 24 months. Ugh.

Please continue to keep Brent, Missy, Zack,and Luke in your prayers. Your messages, prayers, and support mean more than you probably know!

Meg

Friday Update

Hi everyone,
Just talked with Missy. They arrived in Pensacola at about 9:30 last night. The boys played in Bill & Lynn's pool and now ALL the boys are watching the College World Series. They will be heading home tomorrow and expect to arrive in the late afternoon. Saturday night and Sunday will be spent loving on the dogs, unpacking, and getting ready for Brent's Monday appointment. I'll update after that.

Happy Friday!
Meg

Heading home...

Hi everyone,

Brent got his stitches out yesterday and has the green light to go home! Per the surgeon, he has some restrictions over the next 6-8 weeks (does not include any chemo restrictions).

The VPs will leave Houston today to head to Pensacola. They will be back in Atlanta on Saturday and can't wait to see Maverick and Max! They are sad to leave Hugh, Anna, and Duncan, but they have to face the "real world" again. For the VPs last night in Houston, the Ronalds took them to an authentic Italian restaurant (Anna is Italian)...it was amazing! Lots of garlic! Per Missy, it is bittersweet to be leaving...they are happy to get home to see their puppies, family, and friends and to sleep in their own beds, but they are sad to leave their newly found family and the living environment which has allowed them to not face reality quite yet.

Yesterday, they were able to have lunch with a long time high school friend of Brent's...Mary Claire Blackshaw. She lives in Atlanta and her son plays baseball with Zack. She also has a doctor at MDAnderson and was in town for a doctor's visit (which gave her great news)!! They enjoyed having lunch at the Rotary House with Mary Claire, her mom (Mrs. Arant) and her friend Suzanne. Another bittersweet experience...great to see a long time friend, but a bummer about where they were and why they were there. Nonetheless, it was a nice opportunity to "share" their experience and provide support to one another. Per Missy, it was inspiring to be in the presence of such great and positive people. Mary Claire and Brent are both amazing miracles (see picture)!

Brent has his next appointment on Monday and will know more about his treatment plan then.

Safe travels VPs! Thank you for all the prayers, messages, and support! Keep them coming...

Meg

Tuesday Update

Hi all. Just talked to Missy. They were at the Galleria Mall indoor ice skating! Yesterday, they went to Kemah which is amusement park with rides and games. Brent is still struggling with headaches and fatigue, but managing to get out with the fam some. Tomorrow is hopefully Brent's last appointment at MD Anderson for this visit. He will be getting his stitches removed. The VPs will be leaving Houston on Thursday to head to Pensacola. They should be back in Atlanta on Saturday. They are looking forward to getting back home to their dogs, family, and friends. Brent has an appointment with his doctor at Emory on Monday so they should know next steps then.

Meg

Call for Action - Journey 4 a Cure!

Friends...please consider joining us in supporting Journey 4 a Cure which is a non-profit organization inspired by Declan Carmical. Brent and Missy met Declan last summer when both he and Brent were at MD Anderson at the same time. Shortly after that meeting, Declan lost his 5 month battle with a rare form of a brain tumor (just 8 days shy of his first birthday). Brent and Declan had a connection that none of the rest of us will ever know.

Journey 4 a Cure is trying to raise money for research for pediatric cancer through a contest supported by Vivint. You can vote daily for Journey 4 a Cure if you are on Facebook. Will you help?

Please go to www.journey4acure.com and read more about this organization. You will also find instructions on how to vote and it only takes 5 seconds a day. Please also encourage any of your friends to do the same.

Thank you!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there! Brent is enjoying his day hanging with his family and watching the U.S. Open. They are all just happy to be together.

Hope you are spending the day with those you love too!

Meg

Friday update

Hi everyone! Happy Friday! There's not a lot of news to share. Brent is still tired and dealing with annoying headaches, as you can imagine. However, he was able to get out for an afternoon of baseball yesterday. Even though it was an afternoon in Houston, the stadium is air conditioned which it what enabled him to go. Thank you Minute Maid Park! It was a good game to watch, but unfortunately the Astros lost to the Pirates 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th with a full count. (Luke provided me with the baseball lingo - I don't actually know what it means).

A special thank you to Jessica, Kate, and Peyton Powers. They sent a lovely care package which included all the Peachtree Presbyterian VBS crafts, projects, and t-shirts. It has kept the boys busy the past couple of days. They were thrilled because they had been looking forward to VBS and this made them feel a little bit like they were there.

The VPs are looking forward to chilling out this weekend...their last one in Houston. Don't be alarmed if there's not an update until Monday. I'll be sure to fill you in on their weekend activities then.

Have a nice weekend!

Meg