| Brittany Diagnose With Cancer! |
It all started on September 30,2005. I took Brittany to see her Optometrist because we noticed that her right
eye was bulging from the eye socket and wouldn't close. When he saw her, he immediately told me to take
Brittany to see her medical doctor. When Dr. Cockrum came into the examining room and took one look at
Brittany, she said to call Gary and tell him that we needed to be at Children's Hospital in Birmingham tonight!!
Dr. Cockrum made some phone calls and set everything up for us at Children's Hospital. She then told me
that it was really bad and that we needed to see the Ophthalmologist. When we got to Children's Hospital, we
went to the emergency room where they were waiting for us. The E.R. Doctor ordered some CT scans and
returned shortly with the results. What she told us was that the CT scans showed that Brittany had an
abnormal growth behind her right eye. So she was admitted to the 5th floor that night. This was the scariest
and most difficult time of our lives, but we believe that Jesus has the authority to heal Brittany of this disease
and we prayed for that healing touch upon her body. Saturday morning came and we had doctor's coming in
and out of the room to see us and Brittany. The first doctors were the Oncology doctors (cancer doctors). They
told us that more test had been ordered, an MRI and another CT scan and then they would come back to talk
to us. When they returned, they told us something that we never thought that we would hear, that Brittany
possibly had a cancerous tumor behind her right eye. The Oncology doctors said that she would need surgery,
so they were getting in touch with the Ophthalmologist to talk with them. After a meeting of the minds, the
doctors returned to tell us that Brittany would be going into surgery first thing Monday, Oct 3,2005 to take a
biopsy and to remove as much of the tumor as possible. This would tell them what kind of cancer we were
dealing with. They also told us that the tumor appeared to be the size of a baseball and about as long as your
thumb.
The hours that followed were a blur to me and Gary. Dr. Cockrum came up to spend some time with us. My
family came up and Gary's family came to be with us. We just can't believe that this would happen to us and
Brittany, but we know that God knows all, and that he will be there with us to the end. Just like the song says,
God will make this trial a blessing. Monday morning came we said our good byes at the door of the operating
room and that was the hardest thing me and Gary had ever done. But we knew that God would be with the
doctors and Brittany. It took 3 hours because they are going to put in a port for her chemotherapy. The doctor
came to the waiting room to talk to us and our parents after the surgery was over. He said they were only able
to get two thirds of the tumor and had to leave a third because of the nerves that were around the eye. The
rest of the week was just making Brittany comfortable. Brittany had so much pain that they had to give her
pain medicine around the clock. During the week, Dr. Bryan had order more test a Bone Scan, Bone Marrow
and a Spinal Tap. When he got the test results back he had some great news, that everything looked good and
with what they could tell, we caught it in the first stage. Thank you God for this miracle!!
Dr. Bryan (Oncology) came to talk to us about the chemotherapy treatments that Brittany would be getting.
He said that they would like to start on Oct 10,2005 with the chemo treatments. Brittany will have
chemotherapy until she gets done in October 2006. We signed the papers for Dr. Bryan to do the
chemotherapy. It was the hardest thing that me and Gary had to do. Then in November, Dr. Bryan and Dr.
Cooper (Oncology) wanted Brittany to have another MRI and CT Scan done to see how the chemo was
attacking the tumor. The tests showed that the tumor was still there so the doctors decided to allow Dr. Long
(Ophthalmology) to do one more surgery and get the rest of the tumor. So, on December 28,2005, Dr. Long
went in to take the rest of the tumor out, but all he could find was dead tissue!! The Lord removed the third of
the tumor that they had left from the first surgery, we and the doctor's know that the chemo could not have
worked that fast. Praise the Lord!!
Brittany started 28 chemotherapy radiation treatments at U.A.B Hospital in Birmingham on January 25,2006.
Brittany sailed through the radiation with flying colors. She did develop redness, swelling around the eye, and
a little discomfort, (burning and itching) and afterwards some slight peeling. See the laser beam of radiation
was sent behind her eye to destroy the cancer cells. Brittany's cornea and lens of her eye was damaged from
the radiation. Dr Long had to remove Brittany's eye. She now has a prosthetic eye.
eye was bulging from the eye socket and wouldn't close. When he saw her, he immediately told me to take
Brittany to see her medical doctor. When Dr. Cockrum came into the examining room and took one look at
Brittany, she said to call Gary and tell him that we needed to be at Children's Hospital in Birmingham tonight!!
Dr. Cockrum made some phone calls and set everything up for us at Children's Hospital. She then told me
that it was really bad and that we needed to see the Ophthalmologist. When we got to Children's Hospital, we
went to the emergency room where they were waiting for us. The E.R. Doctor ordered some CT scans and
returned shortly with the results. What she told us was that the CT scans showed that Brittany had an
abnormal growth behind her right eye. So she was admitted to the 5th floor that night. This was the scariest
and most difficult time of our lives, but we believe that Jesus has the authority to heal Brittany of this disease
and we prayed for that healing touch upon her body. Saturday morning came and we had doctor's coming in
and out of the room to see us and Brittany. The first doctors were the Oncology doctors (cancer doctors). They
told us that more test had been ordered, an MRI and another CT scan and then they would come back to talk
to us. When they returned, they told us something that we never thought that we would hear, that Brittany
possibly had a cancerous tumor behind her right eye. The Oncology doctors said that she would need surgery,
so they were getting in touch with the Ophthalmologist to talk with them. After a meeting of the minds, the
doctors returned to tell us that Brittany would be going into surgery first thing Monday, Oct 3,2005 to take a
biopsy and to remove as much of the tumor as possible. This would tell them what kind of cancer we were
dealing with. They also told us that the tumor appeared to be the size of a baseball and about as long as your
thumb.
The hours that followed were a blur to me and Gary. Dr. Cockrum came up to spend some time with us. My
family came up and Gary's family came to be with us. We just can't believe that this would happen to us and
Brittany, but we know that God knows all, and that he will be there with us to the end. Just like the song says,
God will make this trial a blessing. Monday morning came we said our good byes at the door of the operating
room and that was the hardest thing me and Gary had ever done. But we knew that God would be with the
doctors and Brittany. It took 3 hours because they are going to put in a port for her chemotherapy. The doctor
came to the waiting room to talk to us and our parents after the surgery was over. He said they were only able
to get two thirds of the tumor and had to leave a third because of the nerves that were around the eye. The
rest of the week was just making Brittany comfortable. Brittany had so much pain that they had to give her
pain medicine around the clock. During the week, Dr. Bryan had order more test a Bone Scan, Bone Marrow
and a Spinal Tap. When he got the test results back he had some great news, that everything looked good and
with what they could tell, we caught it in the first stage. Thank you God for this miracle!!
Dr. Bryan (Oncology) came to talk to us about the chemotherapy treatments that Brittany would be getting.
He said that they would like to start on Oct 10,2005 with the chemo treatments. Brittany will have
chemotherapy until she gets done in October 2006. We signed the papers for Dr. Bryan to do the
chemotherapy. It was the hardest thing that me and Gary had to do. Then in November, Dr. Bryan and Dr.
Cooper (Oncology) wanted Brittany to have another MRI and CT Scan done to see how the chemo was
attacking the tumor. The tests showed that the tumor was still there so the doctors decided to allow Dr. Long
(Ophthalmology) to do one more surgery and get the rest of the tumor. So, on December 28,2005, Dr. Long
went in to take the rest of the tumor out, but all he could find was dead tissue!! The Lord removed the third of
the tumor that they had left from the first surgery, we and the doctor's know that the chemo could not have
worked that fast. Praise the Lord!!
Brittany started 28 chemotherapy radiation treatments at U.A.B Hospital in Birmingham on January 25,2006.
Brittany sailed through the radiation with flying colors. She did develop redness, swelling around the eye, and
a little discomfort, (burning and itching) and afterwards some slight peeling. See the laser beam of radiation
was sent behind her eye to destroy the cancer cells. Brittany's cornea and lens of her eye was damaged from
the radiation. Dr Long had to remove Brittany's eye. She now has a prosthetic eye.
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