Thursday, April 24, 2008


Hi Blogger buddies, All is well on the Brierley front. The picture is of Brigitte at her Davis VS Chico game two weeks ago. My sister Nicky took this great picture of Brigitte's goal. Can you see the ball?? This past weekend we were able to spend the weekend watching her play 3 games during champinships and celebrating Kyle's 21st birthday in Chico. I can't believe Kyle is 21! Yikes!! Anyway we had a very good weekend and God blessed me with my health. This last treatment put me in bed for 2 days, but it was Thursday and Friday so that's why I was good to go by Saturday. It seems to be a pattern that I get sick for two days sometime during the week after treatment. I'm still trying different drugs to try and help with the neasea and bowel problem associated with the chemo. Plus this last treatment dropped my overall white counts down to 2.2 (4-11 is normal) and the Neutrophils or baby whites are down to .8 (1.8-7.8 is normal) so unless my counts go back up by Monday my treatment will be posponed for a week. I will know more tomorrow when I see the doctor. I feel fine right now so it's hard to imagin I won't have treatment. This treatment has been much harder on my system than the past treatments of last year. The good news is I haven't noticed any side effects of the Avastin so far and that is good. So please pray that my counts go up and I go into remission for ever! I know that all is possible with God. I am on His path and I feel at peace knowing that He is with me every step. I have been keeping my focus on Him and His promise and that makes me feel so at peace with everything. His love and presence gives me the strength to fight this battle. So in keeping with this battle, I have join a Relay for Life team called "Hikers for Hope". The relay is July 26th 2008 in Pleasanton. Our team is focusing on colon cancer. Please visit my team page at http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RelayForLifeCaliforniaDivision?px=6076777&pg=personal&fr_id=9814 Any support will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you to everyone for love and support for me and my family. This verse is how I have been feeling about Jesus's promise. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be toubled, neither let it be afraid" John 14:27

Monday, April 07, 2008


Hi Bloggers, the pic is of Linda and me kayaking in Moro Bay over Easter break. My sister Lorette and husband Fritz, mother-in-law Peggy, and girl friend Linda had a great time in Cayucos. Most of us were there for a week of sunshine, relaxing, sitting on the beach and enjoying the beautiful view of the ocean every day. God blessed us with beautiful warm weather and clear blue Sky's each day. For those who know beach weather, you know that is unusual. I really needed the r&r to get ready for my first treatment that took place last Monday. The drip went well, until Tuesday when I experience lots of nausea. It lasted through the week. I also had bad bowel problems that put me in the bathroom all night last night. Today I am doing much better. Next treatment I will be better prepared for what is ahead. I have more anti nausea drugs and other drugs to combat the constipation/diarrhea caused by the chemo drugs. This is definitely not like last time in terms of how my body is handling it. One treatment down and 11 more to go. I know I'll get the hang of it and my body will settle down and get into a routine...I hope. After 4 treatments I will have a PET/CT to determine if it's working. This past treatment was called Folfiri. Next week they will add avastin (http://www.gene.com/gene/products/information/oncology/avastin/) to the mix so I'll be in the chair for about 6 hours instead of the 4.5 last week. There has been great strides in this treatment so please pray that it works for me. As for the emotional side, it's been really hard these past few weeks getting prepared for battle once again. It wasn't what I had expected, but God knew and has been there for me through my ups and downs. I know He is in control of my life and I will continue to trust Him and know He will take care of all aspects of it. In a book "Finding the Light in Cancer's Shadow", the author writes that when your back is to the sun you see your shadow and cancer's shadow. But when you turn and face the sun you don't see your shadow. So I am keeping my focus on the "Son" and not on my shadow. Keeping God in front of me helps me to follow His path. He will direct my steps. Jeremiah 29:11 says,
"For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." My hope is in the Lord and I will pray that you all find hope in the Lord as well. As I go through these treatments please keep me in your prayers that the side effects get better and that the treatments put me in NED (no evidence of disease). God bless you all and thank you for your continued support of love prayers and cards that lift my spirit.