AbbyStrong

Help us celebrate our golden girl - she’s 19 today! Happy birthday, Abigail! 🎉🎂🥳🎈🎊🎗️

It’s been a while since we’ve shared an update on our golden girl, and to those that have reached out - thank you. These past few months have been pretty difficult for Abigail - school and health related. She finished up her last semester as a freshman in college, and for that we’re beyond proud of her, but it’s during this semester that she became acutely aware of how much the tumor and the chemo have impacted her.

She recently had an updated MRI of the brain and the spine. Thankfully the spine is clear, and while the tumor hasn’t shrank in the slightest, it hasn’t grown either. The location of her tumor and the parts it has extended through control a lot of what she’s struggling with, and that’s amplified by the lingering side effects of the chemo.

We met with the neuropsychologist at Aflac and Abigail will have updated neuropsych testing next week along with a visit to neurology. Once all that’s done, Dr. Aguilera wants to take all the findings to the tumor board for further review. In the meantime, we’d already eliminated all medications that could have potentially been the issue, and we’ve even tried to ween her off the Lyrica, but her neuropathy is still a major issue. So, for now we wait.

She’s home for the summer, but taking a couple of classes online to stay on track. She won’t be stopped, no matter what. 💛🎗️

A huge thank you to Ola Elementary School for their continued support of our golden girl, Dakota’s Journey, and so many others in our community impacted by cancer. These littles and their amazing educators held their Relay for Life today, and Abigail and Dakota were honored to lead the first lap. Over $3500 was raised by these future world changers.🎗️

The girls were accompanied by some VIPs of the AbbyStrong fanclub - Harper and Mitzi 💛💚

Abigail’s visit with Dr. Aguilera went well. The tumor has not changed, and for that we are grateful. There are still lingering side effects that Abigail continues to deal with, and her memory and balance have declined over the last few weeks/months. Her next MRI is scheduled for June, but Aguilera wants her back in clinic next month to re-evaluate. We’re hoping that these medication changes will do the trick over these next few weeks and she wraps up second semester .🎗️💛

Abigail’s MRI showed no changes. We will see Dr. Aguilera on the 5th.💛🎗️

It’s MRI time. She’s got her coffee, and she’s studying for her upcoming anatomy test while she waits to go into the scanner. Pray with us for a stable tumor, please. 💛🎗️

Abigail and Gracie are pretty in pink for lab today. Nurse Leah would expect nothing less from “her pink girl”. 🩷

Abigail has her next MRI on March 24th.🎗️

“…she is a fire that life can never stomp out because she will be greater than anything that tries…”

Aloha 🤙🌺🎗️

🎗️🌺In less than 24 hours we leave for Hawaii!🌺🎗️

Our golden girl has been granted her “wish” and we will be heading to Honolulu, HI in just under a week. She has already started packing, and she’s studying double time so that she can take one of her exams early that she would otherwise miss. This trip is a huge blessing to our family and we’re looking forward to making some memories of a lifetime.

And for those that have asked, you can send sushi and shopping money to the princess herself: cashapp $atatu2.🎗️💛

Our golden girl starts her second semester of college today! Shes got a much heavier load this semester, but she’s ready! She is still dealing with a lot of neuropathic pain, some days to the point that putting on clothes hurts, but it’s not stopping her. She’s got goals and dreams, and nothing is going to get in her way. Go shine, baby! We’re all so proud of you!🎗️💖

Our golden girl’s MRI is…STABLE!

Dr. Aguilera and her entire team were so happy to see their “pink girl”. They were all so proud to hear about her grades and making the President’s List her first semester of college. I can’t count how many times Dr. Aguilera says “she’s so amazing - I just love her”. All of them have been a huge source of encouragement for Abigail, and they are just as invested in her future goals as we are. What a blessing they have been, and continue to be. Cheers to a three month stretch until the next MRI!

Isaiah 12:2🎗️💛

Our Christmas wish is that her MRI today brings news of a stable tumor.💛🎄🎗️

It’s been a while since we’ve said hello, but our girl is doing well. She’s still battling with some lingering side effects of chemo, but she’s not letting it hold her back. She finished her first semester of college with all As, and she’s starting her new job today (miss independent). Her next scan is at the end of the month, and we’re praying for continued stability. She’s got so much she wants to accomplish, she’s off to an amazing start, and we couldn’t be more proud of her.

Over the past two weeks Abigail has seen her new neurologist (who is actually a neuro-oncologist that specializes in developing targeted chemos for brain tumors *God 😉*), and met with psychiatry. The “spacing out” episodes she was experiencing were initially a slight possibility of focal seizures; however, we’ve learned they are due to the immense anxiety she has been struggling with. She unashamedly and eloquently shared her experience and the impact it has had on her. She advocated for herself and she’s putting in the work. She’s got some new medications on board to help with her overall well-being and restoring her metabolic system, along with some medications to help her as she works through this next battle with her mental health. She is legit my hero!🎗️💜 Mental health is poorly understood in our schools and workforces, severely under or mis- diagnosed, and grossly undertreated. Much like pediatric cancer. We must do better.

Our golden girl attended her 5th GHSA State Cheerleading Championship, but this time as a coach. The opportunity to be around her coaches and the team has been a huge blessing, and she’s done a phenomenal job!

Abigail continues to battle, and is slaying college. She’s already registered for a very rigorous load for next semester, but she’s not letting off the gas until she has to.

We met with her new neurologist, who is actually a neuro-oncologist, but his area of focus is in research for developing targeted drugs to treat brain tumors. He was a wealth of knowledge, added a couple of high dose supplements to help with Abigail’s brain fog, and ways to start getting her metabolic system back on track. Her EEG was normal, and we’re all in agreement that the episodes she was experiencing were directly related to her increased anxiety paired with starting college.

We will visit with psychiatry later this week to address the anxiety and her overall mental health. As anyone could imagine, being on treatment can be mentally crippling, and we’ve learned that can sometimes come to the forefront at the end of treatment. Abigail’s been doing well since they added Vistaril, and she’s been putting in the work with her therapist. She’s committed to restrengthening her body, mind, and soul as this break from treatment is true gift.

1 Peter 5:10 💛🎗️

The port is gone! She did great, and now she’s in her bed resting. Thank you, all, for the prayers and support.💛🎗️🫶

September 14, 2022 at 6pm, our golden girl took her first dose of chemotherapy.

Tomorrow morning at 6am, she will have surgery to remove her port.

Pray with us for a safe and successful surgery, minimal side effects from the anesthesia, and for God’s continued blessings on Abigail’s life as she settles back into some normalcy.

💛🎗️🫶

EEG time 🧠⚡️💛🎗️

Update:

We ended up going into clinic sooner than we’d originally planned, and we had a long conversation with Dr. Aguilera. She and the radiologist reviewed the images from the start of treatment until now and there has been no change - no smaller, no bigger. So the obvious questions were about current symptoms, timelines, risks, benefits, and options. Dr. Aguilera explained to Abigail that what she just endured over the past year was beyond difficult and that she has never had a patient complete it without ever needing a transfusion or more than one hospitalization - until Abigail. She also explained the cognitive issues Abigail is battling are very commonly seen as a side effect of chemo along with the location of her tumor. In addition, an increase in anxiety around completion of a protocol is to be expected - especially considering the next steps are essentially to watch and wait. Starting another chemotherapy isn’t advised because she’s yet to recover from the year’s worth she just took, which could take at least six months, not to mention the chemo can have a compounding effect and is still doing it’s job of preventing further growth. Radiation is still something we don’t want to use until we absolutely have to due to the risks of the tumor’s grade changing to a more aggressive grade along with the increased risk of stroke within her early to late twenties. While it almost feels unnatural to “not do anything”, it’s what will allow the safest and what we pray will be the best outcomes for Abigail. She’s getting the hang of college, juggling classes and coaching, and is ready to have a chance at some normalcy.

The GREAT news is that Abigail will be getting her port out on the 27th and our girl is getting a break! For that we are thankful and we pray it’s longer than the last “break”. Abigail will go in monthly to clinic for routine labs and follow up, along with MRIs every 3 months.

Please continue to keep Abigail in your thoughts and prayers. Living scan to scan isn’t easy, and she’s more acutely aware of that now than before; however, she is more than ready to continue conquering college, coaching her Mustangs, and get more involved on campus. She’s got big dreams and we’re here to do whatever it takes to make those dreams come to life. We appreciate you all for the love, support, and prayers. 💛🎗️

We’ve been waiting for the call from Dr. Aguilera to review Abigail’s latest MRI, and at this time we don’t have a clear answer or plan. Dr. Aguilera is requesting the radiologist review the images again and provide comparison measurements from the scan in June 2022 versus last week’s scan. That information will be crucial in helping determine if the tumor is stable enough for Abigail to take a break, or if she’ll need to begin another type of treatment.

I share the highs of this journey, and some of the lows that Abigail is comfortable sharing. Sadly over the last several weeks/months, she’s been experiencing more cognitive issues like memory impairment, mood swings and changes in her personality, insomnia, severe anxiety, and episodes of what we call “spacing out”. We already have a referral out to psychiatry to evaluate and we have therapy sessions in place to start this week. She will also need an EEG to evaluate for seizures and repeat testing with neuropsychology since her last was in 2020. Dr. Aguilera touched on some of the appropriate treatments should we need to choose; one being a newly approved chemotherapy that has proven to delay progression in patients with an IDH mutation, and the other being proton radiation. We will be in clinic on the 13th to discuss and review all the information so that Abigail can be part of the discussion and decision making.

Despite it all, Abigail continues to battle fiercely. She’s beyond resilient and even more determined. She spends hours every day and night studying because it just doesn’t come as easily as it used to, but she’s not going to back down. Which is why it’s no surprise she ACED her first biology test with a 91! That’s our golden girl for ya.

So, for now we wait. And while we wait, God is already ahead of our plans, our hopes, our fears, and our prayers. Isaiah 12:2 💛🎗️

It’s MRI time!🎗️🧠

This kid blows me away. She checked herself in, signed her consents, walked the nurse through accessing her port, and now she’s studying for Biology while she waits to go back.

Please pray with us for a stable scan.💛🎗️

One year and a day later, our golden girl has completed her last dose of chemotherapy. Abigail Grace, there are no words to adequately describe how amazed we are by your strength and perseverance. You’ve conquered every challenge along the way with a smile on your face, and you’ve maintained your faith even in the darkest moments when you didn’t have the strength to smile. I used to think I wasn’t scared of anything, and that quickly changed when we learned your cancer had returned, but your bravery and courage has been contagious. Walking alongside you has been an honor, and I promise I’ll follow you anywhere this life takes you. You are dad’s, sister’s, and my hero. We love more than anything. Congrats, baby! You did it! 💛🎗️🔔

It’s been an entire year since Abigail started chemotherapy for the second battle against her brain tumor “George”. She has tirelessly and courageously fought with every ounce of her being, and tomorrow she will take her last dose of chemotherapy for this protocol. Our sincerest prayer is that she will complete this last cycle, and have a stable scan on the 27th, allowing her a much needed break.

To all those who have supported our golden girl and our family, whether in person or from afar, we are forever grateful.

Tomorrow, God willing, she will ring the bell signifying the end of chemo. Stay tuned! 💛🎗️🔔

Today our golden girl had her first cheer competition as “Coach Abby”. The opportunity to be around the sport that kept her going, and to be around the coaches, teammates, and families that stood right next to her over this past year (and still do) is truly a godsend. It’s the fuel to her fight, and she’s still got some battling to do.

This Friday she will receive what we hope is her last dose of chemo followed by another scan on the 27th. Join us in praying for stable labs and a stable scan. 💛🎗️💪 🔔

Our golden girl isn’t feeling well today so Taya in on duty for snuggles. Praying she can rebound and push through until what we hope will be her last chemo.💛🎗️

She wasn’t feeling the 4 hour clinic visit today, but she knocked out her second to last chemo of this protocol!! 🎉

Today kicks off Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. It’s not the most palatable thing to talk about considering:

🎗️400,000 children are diagnosed worldwide every single year
🎗️17,000 children (47 each day) are diagnosed with cancer in the US each year
🎗️Nearly 5,000 children will be diagnosed with a brain tumor is 2023
🎗️It’s the number 1 cause of death by disease in children in the US
🎗️10 years old is the average age at diagnosis with childhood cancer
🎗️Current chemotherapy drugs are over 30 years old and were developed for adults
🎗️15% are likely to suffer congestive heart failure later in life
🎗️95% of survivors experience a significant side effect by the time they are 45 years old

These kids deserve more than 4% of federal funding for cancer research. That’s less than $3 per child. Childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded. Please join us in going gold this month in an effort to raise awareness, funds, and support. Our children deserve more.

💛

Our visit today came with a much needed heart hug…

Y’all, meet Journee! This smart, sassy, beautiful five year old princess is battling cancer, too. She came up to Abigail after she’d said to her mom, “That girl looks like my doll. Do you think she will let me comb her hair?” What she didn’t know is that she could have asked Abigail to let her color and cut it and she would have said yes. She finished up with a couple of braids to match her doll “Pinky” and it was then that our cups ran over. Y’all please keep Journee and her mom, Latoya, in your prayers too. 💛🎗️

So, Abigail’s platelets actually went down a little; however, Dr. Aguilera feels certain they aren’t recovering because of the severe tendonitis that her body is trying to heal. Considering it’s Abigail’s last cycle for this protocol, and she’s already getting reduced chemo strengths, we felt confident in letting her start tonight. She got her infusions for the nausea, and as we walked out she gave me a high five and said “last aloxi and emend done - let’s go!” Y’all heard her - LET’S GO! 💪🎗️

We’re overly and abundantly grateful for the heart hugs and the God winks that are so perfectly timed. Join us in thanking God for all the beauty we get to see in the midst of this ugly storm. Join us, too, in praying for our girl and that she sails through the next 42 days with zero complications. She’s ready to ring the bell! 🔔🎗️

Abigail had labs drawn yesterday, and unfortunately her platelets are only up to 82. We’re going into clinic Friday morning to recheck and make plans accordingly. 🤞🎗️

She’s got a bad case of tendonitis with bruising from her inner ankle up her shin and calf - hence the fashionable boot - so she’s staying off of it as much as she can in between trekking the campus.🚶‍♀️🏫

Our golden girl officially started college classes today, and she even sent us an obligatory “first day of school” pic! While it might not look exactly how she envisioned her first day, we are reminded that she gets to have this first day - and for that we are so thankful and blessed. 💛🎗️