Raised:
 USD $30,231
Campaign funds will be received by Kelli Glover
I am launching this campaign to provide both spiritual and financial support to the Glover family as Bryan faces the most significant challenge of his life.
Recently, Bryan received a diagnosis of a very rare cancer, and he is just beginning the process of tests, appointments and treatment. Currently, Bryan and Kelli are in Houston, Texas at MD Anderson, receiving top- notch care.
At the end of the last school year, unaware of the tough battles ahead, Kelli made the decision to resign from teaching to dedicate more time to her family.
Bryan has been forced to take an unpaid medical leave from work while being the sole income and insurance provider. Considering the journey that lies ahead, I have initiated this “Give Send Go” campaign to raise funds for this remarkable family. The funds will assist with medical expenses, lost wages, meals, and additional support for Bryan and Kelli and their three children. Please pray for Bryan’s complete healing and for Kelli and family to find the strength needed to navigate the challenges ahead.
Thank you for your generosity towards this wonderful family.
Thinking of you guys, keep up the good fight.
Continuing to pray for all of you.
Praying for you all.
Thinking and praying for you guys. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas 🎄!
Thinking of the Glover family and wishing everybody a Merry Christmas.
Praying for y’all.
January 8th, 2025
Tomorrow morning, we will get up early and head back north! It's hard to believe how quickly, yet simultaneously slowly, the past seven weeks have gone by.
Today, Bryan had his follow-up with the radiation oncologist. He told us everything looks “fantastic” and as it should; his mouth is nice and blistered, his face chapped and cracking. Thank goodness for lidocaine – otherwise, eating or drinking would be a hard no. The redness/burn on Bryan's face has started healing quickly, but the pain from the tissue inside that was radiated is intense. He will go from being almost pain-free to a six-eight out of ten in a matter of seconds. This has made sleeping a little more difficult too. Now we just need the blisters and tissue inside to do their thing and heal up! They say that it may be almost another two weeks before the interior areas will peak.
Even though this big part of treatment is over, we won't know if it has worked for a while. Unfortunately, due to all the damage done by radiation, a scan isn't performed for almost three months. So, we will have to wait twelve weeks for the next scans to see if the treatment was successful.
Today is also the first of the remaining six immunotherapy infusions. These infusions will continue to be given at six-week intervals, just as they have since the beginning.
We are so excited to be heading home, even though it will still be a while before things are truly back to normal. Bryan is so ready to be back in the air flying. While he is itching to go back to work, it's not that simple. As I've mentioned before, while undergoing any cancer treatment, Bryan is unable to fly per FAA regulations. For the next six weeks, it's a good thing because he will still be doing so much healing from radiation. The remaining time, we will just try to really focus on having fun with the kids and soaking up the extra time together while on unpaid medical leave. We have some memory-making to catch up on after the last five months.
Thank you all for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support! It has all been invaluable. The only way we can even begin to imagine paying any of that back is to pay it forward eventually. When that opportunity arises we will be ready.
We have seen God's hands at work time and time again throughout this process. Our God is so, so good! I know He has been hand in hand with us through every step of this journey.
January 8th, 2025
Tomorrow morning, we will get up early and head back north! It's hard to believe how quickly, yet simultaneously slowly, the past seven weeks have gone by.
Today, Bryan had his follow-up with the radiation oncologist. He told us everything looks “fantastic” and as it should; his mouth is nice and blistered, his face chapped and cracking. Thank goodness for lidocaine – otherwise, eating or drinking would be a hard no. The redness/burn on Bryan's face has started healing quickly, but the pain from the tissue inside that was radiated is intense. He will go from being almost pain-free to a six-eight out of ten in a matter of seconds. This has made sleeping a little more difficult too. Now we just need the blisters and tissue inside to do their thing and heal up! They say that it may be almost another two weeks before the interior areas will peak.
Even though this big part of treatment is over, we won't know if it has worked for a while. Unfortunately, due to all the damage done by radiation, a scan isn't performed for almost three months. So, we will have to wait twelve weeks for the next scans to see if the treatment was successful.
Today is also the first of the remaining six immunotherapy infusions. These infusions will continue to be given at six-week intervals, just as they have since the beginning.
We are so excited to be heading home, even though it will still be a while before things are truly back to normal. Bryan is so ready to be back in the air flying. While he is itching to go back to work, it's not that simple. As I've mentioned before, while undergoing any cancer treatment, Bryan is unable to fly per FAA regulations. For the next six weeks, it's a good thing because he will still be doing so much healing from radiation. The remaining time, we will just try to really focus on having fun with the kids and soaking up the extra time together while on unpaid medical leave. We have some memory-making to catch up on after the last five months.
Thank you all for your continued prayers, encouragement, and support! It has all been invaluable. The only way we can even begin to imagine paying any of that back is to pay it forward eventually. When that opportunity arises we will be ready.
We have seen God's hands at work time and time again throughout this process. Our God is so, so good! I know He has been hand in hand with us through every step of this journey.
December 23rd, 2024
Not only did our kiddos arrive today, but today was, Lord willing, Bryan's last chemo! He has had a total of 9 infusions, but 12 bags of chemo in total. I shed some unexpected tears with thia one. While chemo is done and we are just about in the home stretch for proton therapy radiation, there are still seven more months of immunotherapy treatments and quite a few scans between us and the finish line. The definitive “did we beat it” scans are set for late March (12 weeks post- radiation).
Today, Bryan humored me and wore a festive hat for his last chemo infusion. He also opted not to bring any mints that normally mask his developed aversion to the taste of IV saline and chemo to - in his words - “make this as hard as possible because this is what I'm going to use for the rest of my life when I think things are getting hard.” I have to say, this man has amazed me time and time again through this trial. As an endurance athlete, Bryan has trained mentally to push his mind and body through dark places. I truly think his hard head, determination, and training as an athlete have helped significantly as we have powered through the last 4 months. Wow. Four months. It feels both like an eternity and a time warp at the same time. I have been incredibly honored to be by his side, take care of him, and watch him endure all of his treatments like a champ. I am not saying this because I'm his wife, although I'm pretty lucky to be that too! I am in awe of this man and his determination, strength, mostly cheerful attitude, and bravery as he has gone through all of this. I don't know if we traded places that I would have had such a good attitude or mental state. The kids and I are so lucky that God blessed us with him.
For the next two weeks, we will enjoy our time with the kiddos while simultaneously going for daily radiation and doctor appointments. It is such a blessing to be able to spend some much-needed time together as a family.
Thanks to some little helper elves, it will be a normal Christmas for our kiddos aside from not being home. We are so incredibly thankful for their generosity!
It's amazing the way things line up sometimes. The transition from short-term to long-term disability coverage has been a nightmare. We have gone a month without any income, but thanks to the generosity of so many wonderful people, it hasn't been nearly as stressful as it could be. January also starts new medical deductibles and insurance premiums along with a transition to the crazy expensive COBRA. Thank you SO MUCH for your continued prayers and help in easing some of this weight. God has always provided for us and always will. That we know.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Truly, I could say it a thousand times and it would still not demonstrate how incredibly grateful we are.
We pray that God blesses you all. We hope you all have a safe and amazing time with your families over the next couple of weeks. We love you all!
December 9th, 2024
We have been in Texas for almost three weeks, not quite halfway through our long stint in Houston. The kiddos made it down to spend some time with us over Thanksgiving break. It was a good reset for the time apart, even though it had only been a couple of days at that point. We did some Christmas decorating at the house we are in with the kids. While it's not our home, it has helped us feel in the holiday spirit.
I feel like the last three-ish weeks have honestly flown by. The schedule has been packed and feels like it's ever-changing. Bryan has dealt with everything like a champ. Some days are harder than others due to fatigue, nausea, and the major mouth sores and inflammation from radiation. The doctor told us he expects the pain to increase quite a bit over the next week. Right now, Bryan is toughing it out because he doesn't want to be on any pain medicine. It was nice, though, that the doctor was quick to clarify for us that it won't be the cancer pain he had before; rather, it will be pain from the cancer treatment. Since the pain is in the same places it was present pretreatment, at times it is hard to accept that it is treatment pain and not worry that it is the cancer coming back.
Aside from all of the above, we just hit the time where Bryan's FMLA has run out, and he is going on long-term pilot leave. His short-term disability insurance plan has also ended, and they are transitioning to long-term disability insurance. January 1st also marks the start of the outrageously priced COBRA coverage to ensure that Bryan continues to stay covered with health insurance while on inactive status. Truthfully, these have all been stressors. Of course, switching from short-term to long-term disability with the same company isn't seamless. Ensuring there is no lapse in health insurance, especially since it's still smack in the middle of the proton therapy radiation and chemotherapy, was a worry. Finding out that the cost of the insurance is more than half of what will be coming in from long-term disability is painful, but at least the insurance won't lapse. I've spent entirely too much time on the phone trying to follow up and chase down people to get things figured out with all of this.
The next several weeks will be just like the last couple. I am praying that the pain Bryan is feeling won't continue to increase, but I am also realistic with the doctor's warning that it will.
Only about two more weeks until our kiddos are back with us. Hopefully, they will fly by.
I’m going to leave you with some of the things I am most thankful for during this journey so far:
Please know that we are thankful for you, the ones reading this and following along on our journey.
❤️Kelli
**Check out BG's treatment tracker. This has all been since August 22nd. Whew.**
November 9th, 2024
Over the past several weeks since Bryan made it back home to North Carolina, our household has been closer to "normal" than we have been in a good six months.
We have been able to:
Be Mom and Dad — As most of you know, being a parent can be exhausting at times, but these are a few of the things that we've missed and enjoyed returning to: taking kids to and from practices, going to games, doing homework, attending parent-teacher conferences, cooking dinner, bedtime prayers, LOADS of laundry, and mediating kids . Many people stepped in to help us maintain a decently normal life for our kiddos over the last several months. We are incredibly grateful and couldn't have done this without our amazing families and friends.
Workout — Being physically active and riding has always been a huge part of life for Bryan. He has been able to go on a couple of mountain bike rides with friends and has spent quite a bit of time on the trainer. I have been going to the gym and taking classes for the last several weeks too.
Perform Basic "Normal" Tasks — We have been able to do basic tasks such as leaf blowing, vehicle maintenance, household maintenance, mopping, dusting, cooking, and organizing closets for a new season. These are all things that we found ourselves grateful to be able to do.
Make Family Memories — Since we've lived in North Carolina we have gone to the apple orchard every fall. By the time we were all back together they were going to be open for one more day! Bryan rallied after driving 16 hours the day before and we went to enjoy this time together. We were able to do our usual Halloween trick-or-treating. Doing things like attending football games to cheer on your best friend's daughter on homecoming night as a family may seem small, but it sure has been sweet to do it all together.
While things have looked mostly normal for us, there have still been daily struggles. Bryan is still easily exhausted and run down. Things like leaf blowing that would usually not require much energy at all wipe him out for the day. Mentally things like this have been hard knowing what little it used to take from him. Physically, Bryan has struggled with even looking in the mirror for months because it is another reminder that something is wrong. After the second chemo treatment he fully shaved his head because he was losing what little hair he did have at a rapid rate. This has made him incredibly self conscious of his “turtle skin” head. Those are his words, not mine. I'm sure you can understand between the pulled/missing teeth, past tumor swelling, missing hair, and thinning eyebrows why it would be hard to want to see yourself in the mirror. Not recognizing the person looking back at you in the mirror is not easy.
As for me, I have my ups and downs. Some days I feel almost normal, other times I feel like I'm looking from the outside in and am in utter shock that this is my life. It is one of those “I never saw that for my life” kind of feelings. My patience runs shorter than usual and my tone sometimes comes across the wrong way. I have major brain fog and feel like I struggle to do basic tasks because of it. I honestly never expected Bryan's cancer diagnosis to be this much of a struggle for me too. I tend to repress my feelings most of the time because I feel guilty feeling the way I do when I am not the one battling cancer. I feel the need to be strong for Bryan and the kids. When I spend too much time sitting still I start thinking about all the things I have a hard time getting out of my own head and tend to spiral. Even as I am typing this I am struggling to keep it together.
We have both been fighting mental battles and voices, knowing that instead of the usual three weeks between his treatments so far, it will be five weeks from the chemo infusion to the start of daily proton therapy radiation and weekly chemo. We know that three weeks between treatments is successful, but will the additional two weeks give it a chance to grow? What happens if it does grow? Will it still respond to the radiation and chemo? What if it doesn't respond? I know—trust me, I do—it's the devil sneaking in. It's the devil trying to create doubt in our minds rather than trusting our mighty God. Time and time again, we have seen God do BIG things in this journey. Now is not the time to doubt His work.
So, for the next week and a half, we will continue to spend time together as a family. We will enjoy doing the everyday normal things parents and families do. We will continue to pray for peace in the process and for full and complete healing.
We have recently had many people ask how they can support us. I don't have a good answer right now other than praying for us. The next two months will be difficult as we will be away from home and our kiddos. For the seven weeks we will be in Houston, we will be able to stay at our friend's home. This has been such an invaluable gift! We will have the three-bedroom home to ourselves during this time. It will be amazing for us to have a place to spend the holidays with our kids. I'm not quite sure how it will feel without all of our normal Christmas decor up, but I am determined to make it look and feel as normal as possible. All of this, while Bryan is undergoing daily radiation and weekly chemo, will lead to a crazy busy schedule, but we can address that another day. The awareness that come January 1st we will not only have to pay for COBRA coverage but deductibles will start back over too. It feels like a lot to process and trust in Him as we head into the most intensive part of treatment. I'm sure you can understand why I am asking for continued prayers. We will need strength, peace, understanding, patience, and grace as we go through these next several months. There is no doubt that we need to continue to rely on God, our families, friends, and communities during this time. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us and allowing us to document the real and raw feelings and emotions we are going through.
October 18th, 2024
This week we went back to Houston for our "hinge point" in the clinical trial. Wednesday evening Bryan had his CT scan to monitor progress.
Thursday was a day full of appointments, starting with our surgical oncologist. While the swelling has become almost non-existent and Bryan has a jawline again, we were still a little bit anxious about the scan results.
As soon as the doctor came in she was excited to let us know that she has a comparison of the scans for us. Knowing what we are looking at now, we were blown away with the size of the tumor pretreatment. We knew based on the swelling, it was big, but holy moly... it was HUGE. **See the photo for context.** When she pulled up the scans side by side she said, "honestly it's simply remarkable." Simply remarkable, those are two words that will forever be ingrained in my mind. It truly is simply remarkable.
So, what does this all mean? There is still a tumor and there is work to be done, it is just about 1/3 of the size it originally was. It means that today we are sitting in the infusion room for the last triple dose of infusions. This means that we will in fact be doing 7 weeks of daily radiation, with chemo and immunotherapy as well. All this means we are that much closer to hopefully completely ridding Bryan's body of the cancer.
We thought we would be heading home for 3-4 weeks tomorrow before the next part of the trial. While we will be headed back home tomorrow, it will be an incredibly quick turn around for Bryan. Next week they have scheduled appointments almost every day, back to back, for the simulation needed to prepare for radiation. Since we had such little notice and the appointments are mostly just for fittings and simulation, I am going to be staying home with the kiddos. Bryan will turn around and drive back Monday, full of chemo fatigue. **Please pray that the side effects are minimal and that the drive is easy for him.** You may be wondering why I don't just fly back, but it is mostly to do with the fact that Bryan desperately wants to bring the bike and trainer back with him so that he can continue to ride as he feels well enough while he is here.
It is such a blessing to be able to share this update. We are on an exciting high and praising God for this progress. The medical oncologist came in to our last appointment yesterday incredibly excited, but still very honest about the fact that the work is not done. There is still a good bit of tumor left, but the fact that it has responded so well to the chemo and immunotherapy tells them that it sohould continue to shrink with radiation. Following the radiation/chemo/immunotherapy regimen, Bryan will continue to be monitored every six weeks and given immunotherapy for the remainder of the year long trial.
Please continue to pray with us as we continue on this journey. The prayers are working and all the support has been amazing. Thank you all!
October 7th, 2024
I feel like it has been forever since we checked in, but in reality it has just been over a week.
We left MDA the day after the last infusion. Our goal was to drive home to NC in one day, in part because of the storm and part to save money. Once we lost contact with my mom and Berk Friday morning, it was a little worrisome. As the day went on, we could not verify a route that would be clear for travel. To be safe, we ended up staying northeast of Atlanta for the night and tried to strategize for the next morning. Saturday morning we had a hot lead on a promising route back home. We honestly had no idea what we were going to drive into. All the pictures and videos we had seen of Chimney Rock, Hendersonville, and Biltmore Village were devastating. I could not find any updates for Rosman or Brevard. The drive back up was low visibility and oftentimes only one lane due trees being down and power lines hanging roads. It was a huge relief as we drove into town and passed my mom and the kids driving into town trying to find some cell service. Come to find out, the reason that we had not seen anything about our area specifically was due to the fact that we had no power, no internet, and no cell service in and around our area. People were not even able to call 911 for help. We are incredibly blessed that the only damage we had was a couple of trees that fell and the roof was blown off the kids tree house.
Bryan's hobby of Ham Radio came in handy due to the fact that we had NO to communicate. We were able to get a message out to my dad, Bryan's parents, a buddy of his about his family, letting everyone know we were safe and all was well. Ham radio folks from all around our area were volunteering their time to send out messages to families and friends using the radio. I had never been more thankful for his hobby than I am now. It has been a beautiful thing to listen to all the wonderful humans that selflessly gave up their time and energy to run stations and make contacts for people.
As I sat down to type this, our 12 days without power came to an end!!! Hallelujah!
When we bought our house we immediately went to buy a generator. A friend wired it up for us so we were ready when we needed it. Up to this point, we have only needed it for a couple of hours at the most. Thankfully, this whole time we have been able to have running water, hot water, some light, and a place to charge our devices when the generator was running. I have lost count of how many bottles of propane we have gone through.
Today has been a big day for us. You may be thinking it's due to the fact that we have power again, but that is not why. Over the last couple of days Bryan has decided to spin on the bike a little bit. The first day was 30 minutes, then 60 minutes, and today.... ***DISCLAIMER -- We verified with the doctors that it is okay to workout. He assured us as long as he doesn't fall he is able to do as much as his body was able.*** So, the big deal about today is... Bryan had his first outdoor ride since May 8th! He rode through mid June inside on the trainer before he had to call it quits because he physically couldn't recover anymore. For those of you who know Bryan well, you know how disciplined he is with his riding. I'm telling you, this man would strategically and intensively work out 15-25 hours a week. Not being able to ride was a huge obstacle for him mentally as it has also been a form of therapy over the years. While Bryan is a long way from where he would like to be physically, it is a blessing that he feels well enough to successfully ride for an hour plus and be able to pedal his way back up the mountain!
We are praising God for so many things today! Since we have been home we have been blessed abundantly with support, encouragement, and prayers. I can not express how amazing and powerful it has been to have people pray with and over us. Our God is so very good!
As we go on with the week, I pray that this week brings you many great things. I would also like to challenge you to find someone to pray with or over this week. It will mean more to them than you'll ever know.
Thank you for following along,
Kelli
September 27th, 2024
Welp, buckle up... this post feels like a roller coaster ride, but who am I kidding... that is what this whole experience has felt like so far. I think it is time that I just embrace it and enjoy the ride.
In the last update we felt like things were trending in the right direction. It is funny though how quickly the devil takes any optimisim as an opportunity to creep in on you. While the swelling was going down and pain was waning, fear started creeping in for me. I'm going to be fully transparent, the fear I have of losing Bryan feels absolutely debilitating and suffocating at times and I know full and well that it is the devil at work. I am working remembering to run to the Lord in these moments.
Today started with blood work and was followed by a visit with the oncologist. We are pleased to report that the doctor was very happy to see how well the tumor seems to have responded after the first round of chemo!!! He said the lesion in his mouth is about twenty five percent smaller than it was three weeks ago! WHAT A BLESSING!!!
We went into the infusion on somewhat of a high. It is funny though, like I mentioned above, just how quickly the dang devil slithers his way in. Bryan was just about finished with the fluids and premeds they administer when he convinced me to head downstairs to find some medicine for my headache and grab a coffee. *One thing I just love and adore about my husband is that despite how he is feeling, he is always more worried about making sure that I am taken care of.* I was in the process of getting the coffee when I received two back to back messages that sent me into a spiral of emotions -- "I'm reacting to the drug" -- "Please come back" -- It was in this moment that time stood still. The elevator stopped on every.single.floor. on the way back up. I couldn't get back to the room fast enough. Thankfully, the reaction was addressed quick and they are so well prepared here that it was under control before I was even back in the room. So what happened? Well, within a minute of the first chemo drug being adminstered, Bryan experienced a quick onset of labored breathing and a feeling of a twenty pound weight on his chest. After benadryl, steroids, and some more fluids they started him back up on half the dose to ensure he didn't react again. He was able to finish the full dose, receive the second chemo drug, and is now as I type this getting the last of the fluids before we head out! *Praise, God! Praise, God!!!*
While we are in Texas, my mom is with our kiddos in NC. For those of you who are not local to WNC, please, please, please pray for our community. Right now, hurricane Helene is making its way inland to Florida. Our community specifically is predicted to get catastrophic rains and winds up to sixty miles per hour. Three years ago we had a major flood that destroyed a bit of our little town. One of the precious families that had their house destroyed then just moved back into their house THIS past week. The fall out of this hurricane has the potential to be significantly worse with predicted rainfall and devastating winds.
Please requests:
Please pray for reduced rains and winds, safety of our family and friends, and for the first responders and line men working the storm.
We will leaving Houston first thing tomorrow morning and head back home. Pray for a safe drive home and favoring weather and road conditions.
Please pray as the next week goes by that Bryan will have minimal side effects and pain. We know there is no way around it all, but we will still pray for ease and comfort through it. Pray that the tumor continues to repsond to the chemo and shrinks.
Please pray that as we continue through this battle that we will run to God with our worries and fears rather than letting the devil wreak havoc in our mind.
Thank you for following along with us, for your continued prayers, and support. We love you all!!
September 18th, 2024
The picture for this update is of a gift Bryan received in the mail from a friend. I initially thought someone was sending him a bunch of flash cards. It was upon a closer look that I noticed what it actually was. It was a stack of prayer cards from a friend's school and community. All these people, praying for Bryan, for us. What a blessing it is to be loved and cared about in such a beautiful way.
Before I go into an update, I want to thank everyone that has taken time to pray, encourage, support, check-in, and lift us up. Despite the heartache, pain, and hardships this diagnosis has brought us, I have found myself closer to God than ever. I am so thankful for family and friends that have encouraged us spiritually during this time as well. What a blessing it is to have friends that send you scripture, songs of encouragement from God, and messages asking how you saw God this week. When I look back on the day, week, weeks, and months, I SEE what God has done. I SEE how He has shown up for and with us. I FEEL His presence and a comfort that only He can give. I know He is in control. So, thank you for be a part of this all with us.
UPDATE!
For the first two days post infusion, Bryan feared that he had been given a placebo. I’m certain it was all of the steroids he was on, especially because it explicitly stated in the clinical trial documents that NO ONE would be getting the placebo.
Clearly, this was our first dance with chemo and we quickly learned what to expect next time….
We made it back home in time to surprise the kiddos Friday night before bed! We purposely chose not to tell the kids when we were going to be back home due to the fact that things were changing so quickly. The joy it brought all of our hearts being back together is inexplainable. Friday night involved a big conversation with the kids explaining what is going on, what will be going on, safety precautions we are going to take as a family, and answering ALL the questions. Their little hearts and minds have been so heavy and uncertain with all of the unknown.
Saturday morning we made it to Sadie’s game, grabbed lunch, and then Bryan had a swift arrival of side effects that continued to last for over a week. Thankfully, says the care giver, the symptoms ramped up over a couple of days instead of getting terrible all at once. Over the weekend there was pain, fatigue, flu like symptoms, and nausea. Mid day Monday the pain meds stopped working and Bryan was in the worst pain I have ever seen anyone experience. For the next 36 hours I went back and forth with his medical team and we were able to get him a medicine that would help control the pain. It was absolutely gut wrenching to watch someone you love in so much pain and be unable to do anything to help. Bryan tried so hard to rally and go to Berklee’s XC meet on Tuesday, but only had enough energy to prop out the chair to watch her stride by once and then had to go back to the car. Unfortunately the medicine that they gave him meant that the next 5 or so days he was in a complete daze. For the last 9 days Bryan has experience increased and unbearable pain, more nausea, increased swelling, flu like symptoms, inability to regulate his body temperature, and fatigue to name a few things.
Praise God, today we are on the up and up. While he is not completely free of all pain, fatigue, and nausea, there is a substantial change in it all. The early bird is back at it and more himself than I have seen of him in a LONG time.
My prayer for this week is that he continues to regain his strength, store some energy, and stay healthy.
Next Monday night, my mom will arrive and take care of the kids while we are gone. We will leave Tuesday and hopefully be back either late on Friday night or early Saturday. This is all dependent on what time the infusion ends and how BG is feeling afterwards.
Thank you again, for keeping up with us as we go on this journey. We could not do this alone.
❤️Kelli
September 5th, 2024
It is crazy how much has changed day to day over the past two weeks. I apologize for the fact that this is LONG!
A week ago we were given the accurate diagnosis of a sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma. It’s quite a mouthful, but we will take that any day over the diagnosis of NUT. Don’t look it up, take my word for it, the outlook was not promising.
Last Friday, on our TEN year anniversary, we were given the glorious news that the tumor board at MD Anderson unanimously agreed that a clinical trial they are running was the best route for Bryan. Due to the fact that the cancer and location of the cancer are still very rare, we are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the trial.
Clinical Trial Details:
The clinical trial will last a year provided the tumor responds and shrinks throughout the process. Due to the fact that it is a clinical trial, all of the treatments must be administered at MD Anderson. So far, in the three years of the trial, there has been an almost 90% success rate with this treatment. Bryan is the 17th participant.
The first 12 weeks of the trial are chemo and immunotherapy. This will require infusions to be completed at MD Anderson in Houston once every three weeks. We are so thankful that this will provide us some time to be able to go home to be the kids and rest.
After the initial chemo and immunotherapy treatments, Bryan will undergo seven weeks of five days a week radiation treatment. This will require us to be in Houston for the entire seven weeks of this stage. Thankfully, this will coincide with Christmas break and we will be able to spend part of it with the kids! **God is in the details!**
Once the radiation portion is done, the last several cycles will be an immunotherapy infusion once every six weeks for the remainder of the year.
Every 6 weeks Bryan will get scans to monitor the hopeful shrinkage of the tumor. If the tumor is not shrinking at any point in the process, we will be removed from the clinical trial and work on a new action plan. The new action plan will most likely involve a very invasive surgery.
TODAY!
Today, September 5, 2024, was supposed to be our first official appointment at MD Anderson. Due to the constant advocating for Bryan and our sense of urgency to address this aggressive cancer, instead today Bryan is receiving his first infusion! This is a huge blessing and relief. It feels like it has taken forever to get to this point, but we are so thankful for the opportunity and ability to be at MD Anderson and a part of this clinical trial.
We still have an incredibly long journey ahead of us with a lot of traveling and time away from our kiddos. Due to the nature of the cancer and where it is located, we are nervous about flying and how his body will react to the pressure changes in the air. We will be driving 16 hours each way for now when treatment is received.
The prayers, support, and encouragement of our families and community has held us up through this challenging time. Please continue to pray for us as we navigate. We feel and see the prayers working.
If you have made it this far, THANK YOU. We could not imagine doing this on our own.
❤️ Kelli
August 27th, 2024
Today was day four at MD Anderson and we are several blood draws, scans, and appointments in. It is today that will mark a huge day in our journey as we were given treatment options for Bryan. Three options were given to us including a clinical trial. Right now we are facing making a decision about which way to go and the effects of each option on our family. The next couple of days bring us several more appointments, a meeting of the tumor board, and hashing out the final decision of the treatment plan.
We have been so blessed by prayers, our families, our friends, and the generosity of so many people. Thank you for continued prayers and following along on our journey.
Bryan & Kelli
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