Father and son...

Brotherly Love...

Today, Barry's brothers, Jerry and Dennis came to spend the entire day with Barry.  They reminised about old times and shared stories of their childhood.  It was a very special day for Barry.

Christmas 2011...

May I have your permission...

 

Russell asked for Barry's blessing to marry his precious baby girl, Chelsea today. 

Russell proposed on Christmas Eve 2011, She said YES!

A peaceful weekend...

Barry has enjoyed a peaceful weekend at home.  We were sad to see his Mother leave us for a few days, but look forward to her return closer to Christmas.  As of today, Barry has not had any seizures for over a week and his headaches have been successfully controlled with pain medicine.  He continues to maintain a positive attitude. We were blessed with visits from Rachel and Jude, his brother Dennis and Lexi and Joey.  His friend, Dave, also came by for a visit earlier today.  We want to thank everyone for their continued prayers. 

Pops and Baby Jude...

 Rachel brought Baby Jude over to see us this afternoon.  Pops was so excited to be able to hold him.  It really brightened his day to have his grandson in his arms.  Jude is such a precious baby boy.  Several people had said that Jude looks like both Barry and Brant as a baby. 

Its beginning to look alot like Christmas...

Pops and I meet Baby Jude for the first time on Monday December 5th.  Mommy and baby were so tired after their amazing journey.  We gave him kisses and said goodbye so that they could get some rest.  Rachel and Brad brought Jude back over to our house on Thursday.  He had a big smile for his Pops!  We are both so in love with this precious baby boy.  He is perfect in every way.  Rachel is glowing as a new Mommy and Brad could not be any more attentive to his baby boy.

Heavy heart...

It is with a heavy and saddened heart that I write this entry in Barry's blog.  Barry has fought so hard against this terrible disease and never once complained.  He has fought like a true gentleman.  He has given his all to stay strong, focused and be the best husband, father and friend he can be to all that know him.  Consider yourselves extremely fortunate if you have had the honor of knowing Barry.  He has brought light to so many people and has felt the light of prayer over him during this difficult journey.

Barry's health has deteriorated greatly over the last two weeks.  He has experienced great weakness in his left side and has suffered through very difficult seizures a few days ago. After lengthy consideration by his Neuro-oncologist, she and her colleagues feel that Barry's recent tumor growth has progressed beyond the point of repair.  She has suggested that he be under the watchful and spiritual care of Faith Presbyterian Hospice.  It has been extremely difficult to hear that we are out of options, but have been assured that through Faith, we will have everything we need to make Barry as comfortable as possible throughout the remainder of his life. 

Barry has been surrounded by love throughout this time in his life and will continue to be.  His mother, Vada, has been staying with us and has been an Angel on earth for Barry, Brant and I.  It means so much to Rachel, Chelsea and Lexi to have her here as well.  With the support of his children, his Mother, Father, Sister, Brothers, Family friends and neighbors, Barry will have the best of care.  He is at home in a comfortable, soothing environment blanketed in love and support. 

Thank you to all for everything that you have done for Barry and our family.  We have experienced first-hand the power of your prayers and ask that you continue to BELIEVE for Barry.  It is never to late for a miracle. 

Our Grandbaby Jude is born...

Barry and I are officially POPS and GRANNA!  Rachel gave birth to a 7 lb, 19.5 in beautiful baby boy today at 3:31.  We are so excited and can't wait to see him!

Jude will be here any day...

Natl Brain Tumor Society Walk 2011...

Barry and I are so proud of our precious children and the special people in their lives. Today, Rachel, Chelsea & Russell, Brant & Bree, Penny & Alex walked to show support for Barry in the fight against Brain Cancer. Although Barry could not participate this year he is beaming with pride knowing that his children were there for him. Lexi, Joey and Brad there in spirit.

November has begun...

Barry relaxed relatively well last night.  How comfortable can you be in a hospital bed!  He awoke this morning without feeling the intense pain or extreme weakness.  It was such a positive sign.  He has received an increased dose of steroids every six hours since we arrived last night at 7:00pm.  It was explained to us that the active tumor growth was causing swelling and pressure on the brain, resulting in the weakness and headaches.  Thanks to prayers and advances in modern medicine, Barry awoke without a headache this morning.  We were both THRILLED!  Barry was very tired and napped on and off throughout the day.  Mid-day, while he was talking to his brother Jerry, he seemed to have what I would call a small seizure.  As he talked I could tell that his speech was slurred.  I was shocked that he could tell this also and asked Jerry if he sounded slurred.  The conversation ended rather abruptly and I called the nurses and DR in.  It seemed to pass within 5 minutes.  Then he was just really tired.

Halloween, talk about scary...

Today was a very scary day in the Williamson household.  Barry has been experiencing excrutiating headaches for the last two to three days.  Although he has pain medication, it only lasts about two to two and a half hours.  He has been on his new chemo treatment (Thalomid) for five days.  Barry woke today with another excrutiating headache.  Later, after resting most of the morning, Barry decided to clean up for the day.  During this time, he was very weak and found that the majority of the weakness was on his left side.  After struggling with what are usually routine tasks for Barry, he agreed that we needed to talk to the doctor and see what our next step should be.  After talking to Dr. Maher, it was off to the ER at St. Paul Hospital - part of the UT Southwestern Campus.  Thankfully, they were waiting for us to arrive.  They were fairly quick to get Barry back to a room to be examined.  He was still in pain when we arrived, so they gave him an injection of pain medicine that they described as 10X stronger than Morphene.  I was SHOCKED that he could even talk after receiving that type of medication, but he was still coherent enough to talk to me.  After a short stay in the ER, he was admitted to a room following a CAT scan.  Thankfully, the CAT scan did not reveal any bleeding as a result of the new tumor growth.  (The new tumor is growing in the same place where the original tumor was removed.)  Once in the new room, Barry decided that he was starving and had a nice "hospital" meal.  We settled in for the evening knowing that our son, Brant was being well taken care of by our dear friends the Chaney's. 

Barry recently had an MRI and the result were not what we were hoping and praying for.  Dr. Maher, Barry's Neuro-oncologist, said that the MRI that he had on Wednesday showed that the tumor (the same one that was initially removed during surgery) has started to grow again. She said that there was some bleeding around the tumor which is causing the pressure that he has been experiencing, resulting in the return of his headaches. The headaches are not as frequent as the last time he had new tumor growth and he is only taking one pain pill a day, sometime two. Overall, he feels really good and is mentally clearer than Brant and I have seen him in a long time.
The news hit him hard on Wednesday. We both thought that it would be more of the same news, slight shrinkage, but he has accepted the news as "part of it" in his words. He has promised me that he is not going to let this get him down and will continue to fight and maintain a positive attitude. Yesterday, he talked to Dennis on the phone for a while and conveyed a very positive attitude about moving in a different direction with the new treatment. He is an AMAZING man with such great courage and determination to beat this. In fact, he and I went to our friends gym yesterday and had a great workout. It lifted his spirits tremendously to be back in a gym setting.

The new treatment consists of three new drugs (listed below with information on each). The only really negative side effect for Barry will be in the first two weeks of taking Thalidomide. Dr. Maher said that it would make him extremely tired, so tired in fact, that we may have to wake him just to get him to eat during that time. After that, the intense fatigue wears off and he is better able to tolerate the medication. (30% of patients on this drug saw the tumor completely shrink, 60% of patients, the tumor stays the same and does not continue to grow, the remaining patients did not respond)

We love you all so much and thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Love you all,

Kari





Thalidomide was used widely outside of the United States as a hypnotic/sedative agent in the late 1950s and the early 1960s, but was withdrawn from the market because of the high incidence of severe birth defects attributed to this drug. Thalidomide was never approved in the US until recently, when it was approved for use in the treatment of leprosy-related conditions. However, there has been renewed interest in thalidomide over the past several years, particularly in the treatment of AIDS-related conditions, cancer and HIV-induced wasting, complications of leprosy, and bone-marrow transplant related graft-versus-host disease. These effects were attributed mostly to specific inhibitory activity on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production.

Observations that thalidomide is also an inhibitor of angiogenesis (prevents formation of new blood vessels in tumors) has prompted investigations of its use in the treatment of cancer. In order for a rapidly growing tumor to maintain its growth, a tumor "signals" already existing blood vessels to sprout new branches to feed it. Without a supply of oxygen and other nutrients, tumor growth would be impaired. As a tumor continues to grow, additional blood vessels would need to be formed to sustain new areas of tumor growth.

Clinical trials of thalidomide as a single agent in malignant gliomas that have recurred following radiation therapy have shown evidence of that this drug is active and can produce responses. Thalidomide is currently being tested in combination with a chemotheraputic agent active in malignant gliomas (carboplatin), and single-agent clinical trials are being initiated in the treatment of recurrent brain metastases and in the treatment of recurrent atypical or malignant meningiomas.

Thalidomide is an oral agent. In the ongoing clinical trials for gliomas, meningiomas, and brain metastases, it is taken as a single dose at night. The dose administered is dependent on the trial and is based on body surface area. Toxicities are usually dose-dependent and include drowsiness and constipation (most common) as well as rash and neuropathy (nerve damage) in the arms and legs. The most serious toxicity is the damage that thalidomide can produce in a developing fetus. All women receiving this drug require monthly pregnancy tests (unless not medically necessary). All men and women receiving thalidomide are required to use at least two forms (barrier and hormonal) of contraception.

Dexamethasone Brain tumor-associated cerebral edema arises because tumor capillaries lack normal blood-brain barrier function; vascular permeability factor (VPF, also known as vascular endothelial growth factor, VEGF) is a likely mediator of this phenomenon. Clinically, dexamethasone reduces brain tumor-associated vascular permeability through poorly understood mechanisms

BCNU is an anti-cancer ("antineoplastic" or "cytotoxic") chemotherapy drug. BCNU is classified as an "alkylating agent." (For more detail, see "How this drug works" section below).

What BCNU is used for:

Used to treat certain types of brain tumors; glioblastoma, brainstem glioma, medulloblastoma, astrocytoma, ependymoma and metastatic brain tumors.

Other cancers treated with BCNU include multiple myeloma, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, melanoma, lung cancer, colon cancer.

How BCNU is given:

BCNU is usually given by an infusion into a vein (intravenous, IV).

There is no pill form of this medication.

There is a form of this medication (Gliadel® wafer) that can be placed and left in the cavity after surgical removal of a brain tumor. The carmustine wafer allows for delivery of the drug directly to the site of the brain tumor. (See separate listing "carmustine wafer" for more details regarding this formulation).

The amount of BCNU that you will receive depends on many factors, including your height and weight, your general health or other health problems, and the type of cancer or condition being treated. Your doctor will determine your dose and schedule.

Barry's Bunch of Believers in the DFW Brain Tumor Walk

Family and Friends,

It is time to begin planning for the Dallas Ft. Worth Brain Tumor walk sponsored by the National Brain Tumor Society. This will be our second year participating in efforts to support Barry in his battle against brain cancer, and also an opportunity to raise funds for research. Research is vitally important; It will enable health care professionals to learn more about brain tumors and hopefully find a treatment that will be 100% effective.

How can you help? Join our team! Last year we had a FANTASTIC turnout and we hope to have even more people this year. This is a time to gather with Barry and show our dedication to helping him in his fight against cancer.

Click here and select"Join Us" so that you can be apart of our team.


Don't think you can make it to the walk? No problem! Support Barry in the race by donating to the NBTS here

This year the race is on Saturday November 5, 2011. The race will again be held at Trinity Park, Ft. Worth Texas. Here is the exact address to type into your GPS:

2100 River Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76107.

Here are some fun facts from last years walk:


•Barry's Bunch of Believer's came in 22nd place... out of 139 teams!!
•We raised $2,550.00 as a team
•Total raised was $325,421.69

Awesome huh?

We are getting a late start, but I am POSITIVE we can meet or exceed our stats from last year!

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions please feel free to email me, call me, or get in touch with me on facebook. I am looking forward to seeing you all at the walk in support of my dad. Thank you all!!

Love,
Chelsea

Father/Son bonding over fire...

We decided that we were desperate for a steak.  It has been SO long and I was finally able to find some that did not break the bank.  We started out on the gas grill and just as Brant put the steaks on the grill, the propane tank went out... time for FIRE.  The pics say it all.  Men... Fire... BONDING!

Happiness is Lubbock, TX...

Actually, the song says... Happiness is Lubbock, TX in my rearview mirror; however, for us happiness is arriving in Lubbock, TX.  Barry's Mom and Dad, my Dad and his wife, all live in Lubbock, as well as many of our other family members and life long friends.  We just enjoyed a great weekend at "home".  It was so great to see family.  We went to the beautiful wedding of Barry's cousin, Keith to his new bride Amie.  The new Pentico's.  Thank you both so much for inviting us to join you.  It was absolutely beautiful and we wish you both the best.  At the wedding we were able to see a picture of Barry's grandparents as a young couple. 

 

August MRI..

Barry received good news concerning his August MRI.  There are no negative changes over the results he received 6 weeks ago.  In fact, the images looked a little better... yea!

Barry has been spending lots of time at home indoors due to the exhausting Texas heat.  He can't wait to get back out and do some fishing.  He has been extremely tired lately and experiencing some balance issues.  Other than that, he is doing pretty good.  Just getting a little stir crazy around the house.   It drives him crazy to see Brant and I working on household projects and not be able to jump in and take over.  His fine motor skills are challenged not only by the initial surgery, but also by the medication that he takes daily.  His short term memory also seems to have decreased a bit lately.  His spirits remain high and his beliefs strong.  

A message from Barry...

By now I am sure that everyone knows what has happened to me this last year. That I have diagnosed with Brain Cancer. To me, a very big shock. At that point in my life, I thought I was in the best shape of my life. I felt 20 years old. I was working out every other day, I was lifting weights, I was training for a 5K which is the equivalent of 3.3 miles. I was doing this every other day.


The next day at work, I had a seizure and did not know what hit me. Thank God that Texas Instruments had a great response team and I was taken to Medical City Dallas where they performed an emergency craniotomy. I found out about the Brain Cancer Diagnosis soon after I was released form the hospital.

Thank s to my wife and children, they have been there by my side the entire time. I have pulled through this. The last MRI has shown very positive results and hopefully will continue.

Thank you Mom for raising me as a Christian and for being by my side, supporting me mentally and sometimes financially when times were tough. I could not ask for a better Mother and Father. Chris, I thank you for your strength, knowledge and the perseverance that you taught me throughout the years. I am blessed to have you in my life.

Christy, I thank you for leading me to an amazing medical staff at UT Southwestern. Dr. Maher has been a Godsend to me and that is all thanks to you and your knowledge of the medical field and the great people in it. Christy, you are always there providing comfort to me and my family and we thank you so much for everything you have done.

Dennis, thank you brother for being there for Kari and I. It meant so much to me that you came to see me every day that I was in the hospital and have since made sure that me and my family are ok. Even though you couldn’t fix my garage door.

Jerry, what can I say, I can’t believe that you and Jake broke the speed barriers making your way to Dallas to be by my side during my surgery, wait, that was how you usually drive… ha ha. To see you standing there when I woke up was so meaning ful. I knew that you had driven all night and were exhausted, but you were there for me. Thank you brother. I thank you seventy five times a week.

I never imagined that I would have people from all parts of the world praying for me throughout this last year. I have received hundreds of cards, emails, texts and phone calls. Thank you all so much.

Don’t take anything for granted. Eat right and stay in shape.

The Lord has blessed us all. Do not take the Lord for granted. He has blessed us all.

Get back in touch with your Savior. Without GOD I would not have survived any of this. If you have lost touch with Jesus, now is the time, surrounded by family that love you, gather together and ask for forgiveness. I have experienced the Lords healing powers first hand. I feel that the Lord is working through me to bring more people into his kingdom.

Family Gathering...

 

Friday, July 22nd, we all gathered at Lake Texoma for a wonderful family weekend. Kellie found us a six bedroom cabin near the lake for us to share with the immediate family and our additional family members found lodging in the same campground. It was the perfect place. There were wall to wall people, but it worked out perfect.

Barry was very tired during our stay. He had a chemo infusion the day before we left for Texoma. The cabin was set up so that we had our own room and he was able to relax throughout the day and evening. Thanks so much to everyone for bringing all the food and snacks. We had tons of food throughout the vacation. Special thanks to Mom for the hard work she put into making sure everyone had plenty of breakfast and for making her amazing sausage casserole. Thanks Norma and Guy for the great home-grown tomatoes, goodies and the cute t-shirt aprons! Thanks Ron and Christy for all that you brought and special thanks to Ron for braving the additional heat from the grill! Everything (burgers, sausages, ect.) were great. We all appreciate you so much. I know everyone brought something to eat and contributed in some way and for that a big THANK YOU to all.

One of the highlights was watching all the children swim in he lake. Watching the older kids take care of the younger kids. It was awesome to see how well they got along. Seeing family everywhere we looked was wonderful. Kids playing volleyball, adults playing washers, kids tossing the frisbe, fun was shared by all.
The next day, Barry venured out on a jet ski with Dennis. That meant the world to him. He really enjoyed getting out on the water, even if Dennis did dunk him in, hahaha. Jerry did his best to throw everyone off the tube being pulled behind the boat. To all that helped pay for the boat and Jet skis... THANK YOU so much! I know that my children had so much fun on both. That was such a wonderful addition to our trip.
Jerry and Kellie - thanks for the amazing shrip boil on Saturday evening. Everyone enjoyed it so much. I know it was so much work and just wanted you to know how wonderful it was. m.