Signing Off

Rachel passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family and friends at 5:57 pm yesterday, May 16. It is with great sadness and loss that those of us left behind attempt to fill the void she will leave in all our lives. Finally, peace without pain has made its way to Rachel as she has achieved her ultimate goal to be with Jesus. Thanks to all of you for following Rachel on her journey. What a special daughter, sister, niece, cousin, and friend she has been. Arrangements for Rachel's funeral may be found here.

Love you guys and we will leave you with this:

Written and Recorded by Rachel Breland

Copyright Rachel Breland 2012

Last Day of Rad and Chemo

Last Day of Rad and Chemo!
Look how cool I am, got to bring my mask home.

Very Cool

Rad/Chemo Combo

Well ladies and gents...

this is happening right now in my life.

Oh well, I am thankful for everything.

Thanks for being so awesome!

Oncoloradiologist (It's a word, promise)...

This morning we met with the Radiologist for Oncology. He suggested that we do the radiation thing once again...

Anyways, that's the word for today. Hope everyone is having a lovely day!

Bubba!

Bubba surprised me yesterday.

'Twas so much fun.

MRI Update

MRI Tumor Update

This is my tumor right now.

It was very much smaller just two weeks ago.

At a loss... they are talking about a 3rd surgery/radiation again.

I love Jesus but I drink a little...

Oh the News...

Please follow the link, please.

CLICK HERE!

(http://kfor.com/2013/03/12/video-undercover-jeff-gordon-takes-car-salesman-on-test-drive/)

Love everyone.

This morning...

This morning, on the way to the doctor, I had another seizure.

It sucked. That's all.

Video

Well, last week Boots and I went to Grandmother's house.

I am back now and Em showed me this cool video. I hope you all can learn something from this...

Back to life...

Back to life (and reality).

New chemo (which made me very ill). It's called CCNU.

Me and my two Tynas! Love you both!

Please don't tell Tyna, but I'm gonna steal this one. Don't worry, she never reads my blog. She will never know! Wahahahaha.

Post Cruise

Boots and I had so much fun on the cruise. I held a freaking sting ray in the middle of the ocean. Yep. It happened.

Our dinner family.

Ow owww!

This is an elephant. It looks more like an elephant from the side but this is the only picture I have of it.
Elephants are cool because sister Emily LOVES them.

Cruise

You have reached Rachel Breland. I am on a cruise right now but please leave me a message after the beep and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

(Beep).

Cactus Cuties

MRI Update

Yet another MRI report after my MRI this morning:

So the old tumor is still shrinking (which is great).

But there is a new growth area (which is NOT great).

Next MRI is scheduled for mid March. Change of chemotherapy because of the new growth area... I will stop taking the CPT-11 and switch to CCNU along with Avastin.

Love to all. Thank you for your prayers.

Time for bread now...

Is it time to go to bread yet?

(I have already posted this... it's just too funny to not post again.)

Denver and Hair

I went to Denver last week. It was fun!

This sign was on Callie's door...

Best friends!

This afternoon I told my mom, "Hey mom, my bangs keep falling on my forehead." She replied with, "Well Rae, you have a short line of hair on your scar that hasn't quite grown out yet. I think it's pushing your bangs down on your forehead."

The end.

MRI Update #34,789

MRI Update:

There is some fluid (causing the spongy, cone head swelling) between my skull and brain lining but that isn't super uncommon after brain surgery. No problems with wound healing, bleeding, no pressure areas (swelling), no new growth areas. The old tumor seems to be doing something weird. It is still too soon to see what the Avastin/CPT-11 will do to this tumor. Another MRI in one month and Avastin/CPT-11 every two weeks. I was at the hospital for 10 hours today. It was miserable.

So, all in all, it was a gad (good/bad) report.

Happy 2013!

Funny Commercial

I saw this commercial not too long ago and loved how dramatic it was...

I think it's hilarious.

Bubba came in town for Christmas. :)

And Yeargs is here now. :)

Snotting in Dallas

Merry Christmas!
It's snotting here in Dallas!
Snotting = Snowing/Sleeting

I'm bored.

Well... my life is currently pretty boring. I got my port installed last Monday and I get my second drip this Wednesday. This drip is called Avastin, the last one was CPT-11. Sometimes when I say the name of chemotherapy drugs, I feel like I'm in a spy type CIA show or something. "Langley, I lost the CPT-11, but I found the Avastin, over and out."

I woke up one morning and found her like this...
Just kidding. She put bags in her shirt.

Best song ever.

It's by Bastille and it's called "Oblivion."

I got a port.

I got a port "installation" today. It felt more like I was run over by a truck.
The end.
Oh, I love you guys.

Brain Surgery - Yuck.

My 2nd resection was successful.

Dr. Mickey removed all of the enhancing tumor.

Right after surgery.

This was yesterday. I had my staples removed. Goodbye 2nd crown of thorns.

AND I still have the cutest puppy in the world.

Joy Ride

So they told me not to drive. But did I listen?

Ya, I did. But me and Mr. Pratt went VERY fast in his Porsche....

Post-Op

I had my surgery Thursday, November 15th. So far, worse recovery than last resection.

Until next time...

Love to all.

Brain Surgery #2

Dr. Bruce Mickey will be preforming my brain surgery this coming Thursday, November the 15th.

Surgery should take between 3 and 4 hours and will begin between 11:00 and noon.

I met with Dr. Mickey yesterday afternoon and felt very comfortable with him, so I thought I would let him borrow my brain for a few hours... why not?

Tumor Growth Update

Tumor Growth Update:

I have had 3 seizures in the past 2 weeks. Two clonic tonic seizures and one complex partial seizure.

I went to the oncologist today and my tumor, in just 2 1/2 weeks, has grown tremendously.

For me, I think there is really only one option. It would be to have another brain surgery on Nov. 20th.

They have already scheduled me for it. Following the brain surgery, I would start Avastin and possibly a combination of CPT-11 and CCNU (both drip chemotherapy drugs). These would start 4 weeks post-operation.

Please keep me and my family in your prayers.

Love to all.

Complex Partial Seizure

Last Monday, Oct. 15th, I suffered a complex partial seizure.

During a complex partial seizure, a person cannot interact normally with other people, is not in control of his or her movements, speech or actions; doesn't know what he or she is doing; and cannot remember afterwards what happened during the seizure.

And it's true! Don't remember a thing.

Sometimes I like to look at pictures of my bald self and show off how much hair I have now.
I have baby pig tails. True story. It makes my bald head so so so jealous.

We Are Family... I got my Dad, Mom, Brother and Sista with me!

Apparently I didn't get the memo that you
were supposed to laugh and look AT the camera.

The only way our reunion could be better is if... well, it couldn't be better.
Thankful.

Arrested Development and Tiny Bikes

As some of you know, Arrested Development is my favorite show of all time.

This is my favorite scene from Arrested Development. Tobias is doing something simliar to Mrs. Doubtfire meets Mary Poppins, but he named himself "Mrs. Featherbottom."

We went to the Chihuly blown glass exhibit yesterday. 

This doesn't seem like a safe job.

Boots and Me.

I look like I'm having fun... I'm not.

Watch the whole thing... you won't regret it!

More Projects and Less Parents!

So my parents left for Hawaii. Now I can finally throw a HUGE party and they will never know about it! Unless, of course they read my blog in Hawaii. Uh, forget what I said, Dad.

Mom, you don't care because you would probably be partying with us.

Aloha Boots and Jimbo! And no, I'm not throwing a party because I'm a grandma. It's 3:03pm in Dallas, but around the world it's 3:03am. Holy smokes, I better go to bed. Night guys.

This is my great grandmother's chair. It was very wobbly so I took the whole thing apart and put it back together in a very sturdy way. The only was this chair could be more sturdy would be if God himself came down and built it. But he told me to do it myself. I also stained it and recovered the seat (in the background).

Because of this... 

... I was forced to build this to keep Ecco out of the garden. Apparently Ecco like-a the jap-a-leenos. Sound it out. It's correct how I spelled it. Google told me I was right.

More good news...

So... we counted at the oncologist office last Wednesday and instead of having 3 HDC rounds left, I only have 2. Praise Jesus! Last night I started the first dose of my second to last round.

This is how I feel right now:

Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

I do a lot of this:

Blahhhhhhhh.

This is how much energy I have:

000000000000

Me with sweet, sweet Ecco:

Only one more round after this one. I'm done forever the week before I go to Denver on Oct. 29th! Then I have an MRI every 2 months and they monitor my tumor until something happens. Yay.

My dog is a genius.

I also taught her how to C walk, or "crip" walk. She wouldn't do it for the video though.

She's a little camera shy. She doesn't want to show off too much and make other dogs (or people) feel like they are bad dancers.

MRI Update

My MRI today showed that my tumor is still shrinking!

Are you kidding me?

I like it, I don't love it.

NPR

I love music.

And by love, I mean LOVE.

I'll share someone who I recently discovered. If no one has seen the NPR Tiny Desk Concert Series, it's rad. You should check them all out, but for now...

Brandi Carlile - Tiny Desk Concert

(Click link above)

Trust me, I'm a doctor.

Okay, I'm not a doctor, but with the amount of doctors I have been around this past year, I think I'm halfway there.

Also, I would get a rough head count on how many people read my blog. I have a crazy amount of page views. Comment if you can read this (or if you can't read at all).

Just say something simple, like "supercalifragalisticespialadocious" or "hi".

Ecco Breland

Is there an Ecco in here? (Is there an Ecco in here?) There is! (There is!)

Stop! That's annoying! (Stop! That's annoying!)

Her name is "Ecco" not "Echo," because Ecco Domani is me and Boots' favorite wine.

Since SOME PEOPLE (ahem Dad), get upset when I don't blog for a while, I thought I would blog.

How is everyone in my blogworld?

(Whichever answer applies to you. See below.)

Good, I'm glad!

Really? That is awful... I'm sorry.

Wow, you should really get that checked out...

Yikes, THAT many?

Yum!

Sick, you ARE crazy. Just like I thought.

Okay phew. Glad that is over. But seriously, I hope everyone is doing well.

So, we have a new pup in the house. She is sweet and cute and I just want to hug her and eat her because she is a chocolate lab. Then I realized that chocolate labs probably don't taste like real chocolate.

Here are some photos and a video at the bottom:

We were at the cabin and I woke up to this one morning. 

Enjoy! Love you all.

San Francisco and Ecco

Me, Callie and Yeargs went to San Francisco to visit our friend Russ this past weekend.

Yeargs, Callie, Me

Beautiful.

We saw seals at the Wharf. It was no Seal, but baby, I might have been compared to a kiss from a rose on the grey. (Not many people will get that...) 

Trying to impersonate the "Yeargs" smile.

Prom September 2012!

I went to pick out a puppy today. My very cute puppy's name is Ecco, pronounced "echo."
It's Italian, don't worry about it. She won't be ready for 2 weeks... it's going to be hard to wait!

If you're going to San Francisco...

...be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.

(Most people, except for older people, won't get that. See the bottom people of the blogpost.) It's called, wait for it... "San Francisco." Shocking. I would have never guessed that.

So here is the dealio. Tomorrow morning I will be leaving Dallas to go to San Francisco. I am VERY excited to get to be with great friends, have great food, drink great wine and have a good time.

To catch you up on the past few weeks...

Before, when I blinked. 

After, when I didn't.
Em is beautiful, isn't she?

Em came into town for the weekend. One night, we decided to "paint the town." We got dressed up, looked cute, and went out to eat. We had big plans to go to a bar afterwards and DANCE... until we ate. Too much pizza and pasta. Our night ended abruptly with us sitting on the couch eating tums and watching tv.

We had a great time.

I bought boots! (No, not my mom. These below.)

They kick butt. Literally. Although, I have not tried. Don't tempt me!

Well, I bid you farewell until next time.

Love you all.

Don't forget...