Our Christmas miracle came in the form of an MRI! The results show no sign of disease! What does this mean? We don't know, and neither do the doctors, except to say that Jeff is doing much better than ever expected at this point. The Avastin continues to buy him time, and no one can say with any certainty how long this "remission" will continue. But then who really ever knows what their future holds. We are grateful for every day, and trying our best not to second guess anything. I think the biggest blessing we've been given is the ability to truly live one day at a time, be TRULY grateful for friends and family, and to "lighten up, it's Christmas!"

With Jeff continuing to do pretty well, and our 25th anniversary coming up in December, we took an imprompto trip to Caifornia. It was WONDERFUL! We started in San Francisco, toured the wine country, and spent time on the Northern coast. The weather was cool, the food and drink was outstanding, and the company wasn't bad either! What a blessing to have been given that time together. Still friends after all these years!

I'm just cuttin' to the chase. Jeff had an MRI on Friday that revealed regression of his tumor! In otherwords, it's shrinking!!! The Avastin seems to be doing it's thing! We were stunned with the news! Jeff gets the treatments every other week. It's not a walk in the park, but.......... it could certainly be worse. We are grateful and encouraged by these results. His battle is far from over, but what a blessing for today! Keep the faith and keep those prayers coming! Thanks to you all.

Jeff had his second treatment yesterday and he continues to do quite well. His Dr. was amazed at the difference from the last time he saw Jeff 2 weeks ago. He is driving, working, hunting, and following the San Marcos Lady Rattler Volleyball Team. It has been wonderful! Every day that he feels well is a blessing!

Not that I'm surprised by anything Jeff does, but today he drove himself to work! This is his first solo flight since March! I bet there were a few looks of shock and dismay when that beg red truck pulled up out in front of Breed & Co. His first treatment of Avastin was Tuesday last week. Not only did it NOT make him sick, he feels better right now than he has in months! Though his battle continues, we are so grateful for the good days.

I guess it's time for an update, as it's been quite sometime since my last post. Much has taken place since the surgery. Long story short, that stupid tumor was showing signs of regrowth just a couple of weeks after surgery. However, at our 2 week post op visit to MDA, I couldn't get the Drs. to listen to me and do another MRI. They assured me that Jeff's headaches were caused by the surgery itself, not the tumor. They may be the experts, but I have become one! I knew where the signs were pointing, and I think Jeff did too. But we followed their lead, which suggested that Jeff might enroll in a trial that was about to close. As it turned out, his bloodwork excluded him from the trial. As the expert I've become, I didn't want him to participate in that trial. I didn't think it would benefit Jeff.

At my insistance, and with the help of Dr. Julie, our dear friend and wonderful physician, Jeff got another MRI, and guess what the results showed. Regrowth! Jeff started a new treatment plan yesterday combining Avastin with another chemotherapy. Avastin has shown some good results for slowing the growth of these tumors. Now, one day after the first treatment, Jeff is planning to go to the golf course with his buddies and hopes to feel well enough to make another trip to the ranch in South Texas with the guys. He is definitely making hay while the sun's shining!

He says he's "chosing" his attitude. If he can do it, so can you and I! He is a wonderful example to his family and friends!

Thanks for the continued prayers.

Jeff endured yet another 7 hour surgery today. He will be in ICU tonight and hopes to move to a private room tomorrow. More tumor was removed. We hope the surgery will provide good health so that Jeff can enjoy dove and deer season this Fall.

Again, I can't say enough how proud I am of my husband and his strength of character.

It's been a while since my last post. That's because things have been going pretty well. However, once again Jeff is facing yet another brain surgery! He is scheduled for Thursday, September 3rd at MD Anderson. That stinkin' tumor just won't give up the fight! But neither will Jeff. I'm telling you now, he is absolutely the strongest, bravest person I've ever met! John Wayne has nothing on Jeff Breed!

We aren't sure yet what will be next. Probably Avastin when the thing starts growning again. None-the-less, we are all working to stay positive, accepting our world as we know it, and praying for strength. Please continue your prayers as well.

We just returned from a much needed "vacation." OK, maybe it was just my 30 year class reunion in beautiful Stratford, TX followed by a couple of days in the high country of Red River, NM with my sister and brother-in-law, but we had a great time! Jeff laughed a lot at the reunion, and really enjoyed the cool mountain air. He even got a little fly fishing in.

Jeff has completed his week of chemo with seemingly no side effects! He has a couple more weeks on the Accutane followed by a week off before starting the routine over again. He is back to work about 1/2 time. He is doing remarkably well, and we haven't killed each other yet over my driving! If all goes well, he will be driving again in September. Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!

We'll keep you posted.

Today we received some wonderful news! The scans show no new tumor growth! Because of the clotting complications, Jeff has not been able to start treatments and has gone 2 months with no treatment! The Dr. was very pleased that no growth appeared during that time. Jeff is now ready to start the next phase of treatment which consists of chemo for five days in a row along with Acutane for 3 weeks, then one week off. This will continue for 2 months at which time we will return to MD Anderson for evaluation. There will be side effects, primarily fatigue, but we all know that he can handle pretty much anything!

We realize there will probably continue to be some bumps in the road, but we are thrilled with the news from today!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYER, AND GOD BLESS!!!!!

Maggie and I returned from Miami yesterday. The tournament and weekend was a lot of fun and very tiring. The girls did well, winning about 1/2 of their games. When we got home, Jeff left for Houston with his brother Greg. I was simply too worn out to go this time. Greg wanted to see the place anyway.

Jeff called and said the meeting with the pulmonary doctor went well. He only has to be on the oxygen when sleeping and when exerting himself. If he's just hanging around he doesn't need it. He also met with the oncologist who said he can't start treatments until his oxygen levels have improved. His follow up visit will be the 21st. We hope to get him started on treatments at that time.

We got home Friday and have enjoyed a peaceful Father's Day weekend with the kids. Side bar: (I just love our kids!)

As has become the norm, our plans aren't exactly what we thought. It turns out that Jeff has to be on oxygen for the next couple of weeks. He is not going to be able to return to work as hoped. We will have a follow up visit with the Pulmonalogist and the Oncologist in 2 weeks to see how things are looking. If all goes well, we will return 2 weeks after that to start treatments again for the tumor.

Maggie and I are headed to Miami on Thursday and returning the following Tuesday. Jeff will be at home or in Austin, depending on what he decides to do. You all know Jeff. He will eventually let me know his plans! I can only imagine his level of frustration with all of this. He is not one to sit around and do nothing! I wish there was something I could do or you could do to make this better, but we can't. He just has to wait patiently. GOD LOVE HIM! He really has been a trooper.

Again, thanks for the prayers. Keep 'em comin'!

Houston Update

Well, our visit to M.D. Anderson has once again been interesting. We have had some good news and some not so good news. Lets start with the good news, the MRI of Jeff's brain looked very good. There seems to be little if any evidence of tumor at this time. This is especially good news given the fact that he has had no treatments for a month. The not as good news is that we are still here. Friday morning Jeff woke up with chest pains and shortness of breath, like all good men he said don't worry about it, like all good women I ignored him. We were admitted to the emergency center where it was determined that he had blood clots in both lungs. He has been admitted and given blood thinners with the hopes of being discharged tomorrow if all goes well.

Here is the game plan as we know it today, once discharged Jeff will receive daily injections of blood thinner for six months and guess who gets to give him the shots? So guess who has the power:) The only draw back is there will be no treatment for a month while he is on blood thinner. However, the Dr. that we respect tremendously, feels very confident that this is an acceptable time frame. The other good news is we are looking forward to a full month of normalcy, Jeff plans to go back to work, back to a routine and out of the house! Jeff will not be joining us in Miami at this time but never count him out.

Thanks for taking this ride with us, keep it positive.

Just an update. We go back to Houston Tuesday the 16th for MRI and bloodwork meet with the Oncologist on Tuesday to determine next treatment method. Right now Jeff and his brother Greg are at the ranch working on a well! This is a huge step from just a few days ago when he could hardly get off the couch. We are still hopeful that his treatment plan can be scheduled around our planned trip to Miami at the end of the month. We really want to watch Maggie play at the National volleyball tournament! We'll keep you posted.

Well, we busted out of MD Anderson yesterday just in time for 5:00 traffic! However, we didn't mind. We just wanted to go home.

We got home around 9:00 and were in bed, our own bed, by 9:30 and sound asleep by 9:31! There's no place like home!

Jeff is once again doing very well. After a 6 hour brain surgery, he was home 2 days later. I will tell you that all that surgery has not made hime talk or move any faster than he ever did! He's the same old Jeff. He continues to amaze the doctors and medical staff with his stoic strength and determination. He has surprised me with the way he has stepped in and is telling the doctors what HE wants to do. He is helping determine his own path. Pretty cool.

We have so many people to thank for their prayers, good wishes, and support, and for pitching in where we need it. You may not get a thank you note, but you know how very much we appreciate you all.

We will be home for 2 weeks to recuperate, then back to Houston to determine the next course of action. That's all we really know at this time. Jeff feels like he is in the hands of the best medical professionals available and he is smart enough to follow their lead, so we will know more in two weeks. Until then, he will work to build back his strength and get ready for the next phase.

I will tell you, he did get in a little trouble by the occupational therapist for plowing and planting at the ranch in South Texas last weekend! She told him that "no driving" meant tractors too! There is just so much you can tell a guy to do. At some point he's going to draw the line, and that line was with the tractor!

Hopefully you won't hear from me for 2 weeks, but I promise to let you know whenever we have something new to tell.

Love to all.

Jeff had surgery yesterday to remove more tumor. He was talking and wiggling toes and fingers immediately following the surgery. He stayed in icu until this morning when he was moved to a regular room. He is VERY alert and determined. He was up walking around the unit this afternoon as well. His strength and determination are amazing. As you might expect, he just does what needs to be done in a very unassuming manner. His biggest complaint is that he just can't get any sleep around here!

We hope to be able to visit about treatment options tomorrow and be home by the weekend.

All in all, we are all hanging in pretty well.

Our visit to Houston was productive. Unfortunately, it was determined that another surgery is in order to determine the cause of the swelling. If it's tumor, it will once again be removed. The Drs. at M D Anderson will then determine the next course of action. Surgery is scheduled for Tuesday morning. We will probably be there until the weekend.

I know a lot of you have been very concerned about Jeff and his health. We aren't big on blogging, and if you know Jeff very well, he sees very little need for cluttering the air with a bunch of words! I, on the other hand, am quite willing to use all the words necessary to let you all know what's going on and how we are doing. More importantly, I want all of you to know how very much we appreciate all your prayers and acts of kindness, as well as your respect for our privacy.
I'll try to follow Jeff's lead and use as few words as possible. Here goes:
March 13th Jeff had a seizure at work caused by a grade 4 brain tumor.
Surgery was done at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, followed by several weeks of radiation and chemo. Jeff had virtually no problems for 5 of the 6 weeks of treatment. He went on a couple of hunting trips, a golfing weekend, and watched Maggie's club team knock out the #1 seated team at the Houston Regional volleyball tournament to qualify for Nationals. He also continued to work. Unfortunately, he saved the worst for last.
Following a night of tremendous headaches, I took him to CTMC in San Marcos.
The MRI showed tremendous swelling in the brain. He was admitted to ICU where he was sedated with Morphine and given steroids through iv's to reduce the swelling. It worked. He has no headaches at this time. However, it is unclear what caused the swelling; radiation or the tumor. We are home today and VERY grateful.
Because CT's and MRI's have not been conclusive, we are going to MD Anderson for better diagnostic testing. Jeff's treatment plan will be determined by what is discovered in Houston. Since he had only 4 radiation treatments left, he does not have to complete them, and he is no longer taking the chemo. He has earned a break!
His physical and mental strength have been amazing! We have been so blessed with his good health up to this point. Our family and friends have been around when we needed them and stayed away when we needed our space.
These are the times that determine what you are really made of. I will tell you, our family is made of pretty tough stuff. As strange as it may sound, we have had a lot of laughs. We stick together and move forward. Though we are living moment by moment at this point, I can tell you it's not a bad way to live. Talk about not sweating the small stuff! We see blessings all around us, and all of you are a part of that.
I hope this finds you and your family well. I will try to update more regularly, but for now, just assume that no news is good news.
Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.