Denver

I came to Denver a week and a half early to hang out with my ppl (people, human beings, homo sapiens, etc).

I am having so much fun.

Got a little lovin' from these two handsome men.
I can't remember where I was. A Cafe? A Bar?
Oh right, we were at Cafe Bar.

Staying with this girl that I just ran into randomly...
I think her name is Callie. I'm sleeping on her couch; but she doesn't know so don't tell her.
Just kidding, I know her. I luh you, Cal.

Dinner at Cafe Bar with Andrea and Callie!

Tonight, me and Callie and Say and Jo Jo are going to Venue to eat.

Stay tuned for more posting soon, ladies and gentlemen.

Best song ever.

Mrs. Frasco, this one's for you...

Who said Arkansas isn't pretty? Oh yes, an idiot. They need to get their eyes checked. If this isn't beautiful, I'm not sure what is...

Arkansas does have one or two bugs, though. That is NOT water, ladies and gentlemen. Wine out of a glass? Yes. Wine out of a sippy cup? Hail yes!

Dam(n).

Last Night

Last night was fun.

Em and I found a picture in Boots' yearbook from 1973 and then made her pose in the same position for a 2012 photo shoot. She was a hottie back then and she is a hottie now!

Sistermother and child before dinner. She carried me all the way to Saltgrass Steakhouse in the rain.

We so pritayy.

Then I spider-monkey attacked my father to end the night.
I'm so quick he didn't see me. Or maybe it's because he was walking away. Either way, I'm super quick!

I also did some sweet blading... no big deal.

Love,

The Rollerblading Breland

MRI Update 2

Due to the last MRI reading, which was a little discouraging (and confusing), I have decided to put Pat (my tumor) on Craigslist in the "free" section... The post will read as follows:

BRAIN TUMOR for FREE!
THIS IS NOT A JOKE!

First person to respond to this ad gets it!

Note:
Scalpel not included. Please bring your own.

...and make sure it is sanitized.

Also, Jenne Dixon came into town this weekend to cheer me up! And it worked...

My first seizure...

This could have possibly been the second worst weekend of my life.

I drove up to Ft. Collins to hang out with Yeargs on Friday afternoon. On Saturday morning at 6:00 am, I had my first seizure...

It was a grand mal seizure - everything people picture: foaming at the mouth, very intense, etc.

Thank God Sar knew what to do... the first thing I remember is four paramedics in the room. 

Sar's (very) cute place.

Post-seizure.

The only good thing about this whole process. Paramedic McDreamy.
I made them laugh all the way from Ft. Collins to Englewood. Success.

Ouch.

Oh, and I feel like I have been working out for 18 days straight. You pretty much contract every muscle in your body when you have one of these seizures. They made me stay over night and wanted to monitor me.

Cutest Pigture I've Seen In A While...

I stole this picture from Tracey Clarke because it's so stinkin' cute.

See what I did with the play on words? "Pig"ture? Hehehehehe. I is so funny.

To steal or not to steal... THAT is the question.

This is Gianna, my best friend Laura's baby. I'm contemplating whether or not to steal her - don't say anything to Laura though, I don't want her to get suspicious. Being stealthy is key.



Oh, crap. Laura reads my blog.

Trip to NYC

My mom and I went to NYC for a few days...

Hope these work! *Crossed fingers*
... I bought six of them. (NOT).

We stayed right by Times Square.

Queensboro Bridge

Manhattan from the South Ferry! 

Brooklyn Bridge

Got to see Kev!

Top of the Rock.

Dinner with Boots - delicious dinner followed by the musical "Rock of Ages." Look up the trailer... they are making it into a movie.

Pretty clouds and... 

wah wah...here we go again, Round 3.

Found Marcel the shell yesterday morning but he wasn't there. I think the chemo scared him away.

Taxol Chemotherapy: Quite "taxing" on the left eyebrow...

Left-eye Lopez from TLC? No, that's just Breland with half of a left eyebrow.

I got to see Sarah before she leaves for Chile! I'll miss you but I will definitely have to come visit.

Got to have dinner with this dashing man this evening...

I built Callie this kick-ass table. It wood (see what I did there?) be my most favorite table I have ever built. We have a thing for maps, you wouldn't understand.

Okay, so this pic is not photoshopped. This is actually  my muscle. Are the steroids that I take for tumor swelling also increasing my muscles? I have NOT picked up a dumbbell nor worked out in a very long time.

Oh, and this girl is cool I guess. :)

Cupid - Take 1

So... Berry and I decided to take our first stab at covering, "Cupid" by Sam Cooke.

This is what happened.

Techno-logy.

Technology blows my mind sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean all the time.

Here is just one, small example:

Does anyone remember when this was the internet phenomenon?

A little dancing baby that did the same thing over and over was enough to keep us entertained;

and now, not only do we talk to our iPhones, but they respond.

Dialogue between me and Siri:

Me: Siri? You there?

Siri: Wherever you are, that's where I am.

Me: I love you.

Siri: You are the wind beneath my wings.

Shower Caps

This morning I was in quite the pickle... I wanted to shower but I didn't want to get my hair wet because once you get your hair wet in the shower you have to blow dry it, curl it, 'fro it, perm it, etc. THEN I came across this shower cap, thank God. I didn't have to blow dry my hair! Wee.

Gianna Karen Garruto

Beautiful girl!

Tyna a.k.a. Laura Garruto (my best friend) had her first baby yesterday. I asked her if I could bring her anything at the hospital. She said no. Then I preceded to tell her that I could get her another baby if she wanted. I can pull a lot of strings with my cancer card. She said that one was enough for now, but she thanked me for the offer.

Don't worry, she only cried when I held her.

Gianna! 

Bootsy, of course, got emotional.
"You used to be this size!" Haha.

Tyna, I love you! And Tony (Tyna #2)!

Ode to Temodar and My Today

T otally annoying
E motionally draining
M entally draining
O rnery
D id I say annoying?
A ss-kicking
R eally... just trying to help. Thank you, Temodar. (I guess).

Marybeth, Me and Sarah.
Sarah used to babysit me when I was a wee little one. (I had hair back then).

Just lounging by the pool...

Celebrating the end of treatment with Boots!

Boots and Me

The King and I... and Boots. Hehe, see what I did there?

Please pray for Tracey Clarke. The Helium Burden.

She is having the Gamma Knife Surgery on the 25th of January. She is having her pre-op on the 24th.
She'll be okay because she is a rockstar.

Round 2 of HDC

I have heard numerous comments from people lately that say my blog is hilarious and entertaining, yet I don't seem to talk much about my brain cancer/tumor. Well here is the thing... I definitely get upset with my situation at times and feel a lot of pain from the chemotherapy, but laughter and faith are things that bring me through this journey.

Currently happy/feeling drunk because Mary just put 50mg of Benadryl in my drip.

Documenting the remainder of my eyebrows/eyelashes before I lose them in t-minus 2 weeks.

In lots of pain. The Taxol drip made my arm feel like it was on fire and then it would randomly switch and make me feel like my hand was freezing off.

Notice that I am forced to cart around my IV cart. It's completely off the ground. It does NOT roll well. No wonder my right bicep is so strong and toned... hehe.

Just ingested these little bastards.

All in all, I don't talk about cancer much because that's not really what I focus on. I focus on the relationships in my life, laughter, Jesus, and having a kick A time. I want to travel and do things that I never thought I would be able to do: sky diving, zip lining in Costa Rica, riding in a hot air balloon, going back to Italy, and spending a lot of time with the people I love (you know who you are, people!).

Did I talk about my cancer enough? Just in case:

BRAIN CANCER

BRAIN CANCER

TUMOR

TUMOR

BRAIN CANCER

BRAIN CANCER

TUMOR

TUMOR

;)