Monday, December 22, 2008

Please pray for Melana!!!!!!!!

Hi Friends & Family,

I know that it has been a while since I sent out an update on Nick, Melana and my family, but to be honest it's because we didn't have any new news to share with you all. I do have an update that I'd like to share with all of you and ask you for your prayers. Last Wed, Dec 17th Melana had an appointment to see her oncologist to get the results from her PET scan, that she had completed a week prior. Melana had three (two in her neck and one in her chest) tumors, and based on the results on the scan the two tumors in her neck are gone (Praise God) but the one in her chest is still there. The oncologist can measure a tumor to see if it's cancerous by looking at the cells SUV (not sure what it stands for) but the higher the SUV number the higher likelihood that the tumor is cancer. Unfortunately, the tumor in her chest has increased in SUV's, therefore her oncologist is concerned and is going to complete a biopsy on the tumor on December 31st. Please pray that the mass is just scar tissue or nodules and the it is NOT cancer. We know that our God is the mighty healer and Melana is in God's hands, and we have seen God answer prayers, so please join with us and pray that she is cancer free. Pray that He totally and completely healed Melana and Nick and that they will never have to endure another bout of cancer. As far as Nick's cancer, we still are not positive that the cancer is gone. The oncologists think it's gone, but he has not gotten the official scan to ensure the results of the chemo. Nick will go in for his scan in January and as soon as I get results for both Melana and Nick, I will be sure to forward it to you too!

Thank you so much for your continued prayers, love and support. May you all be richly blessed this holiday season. Enjoy your time with family and friends and keep Jesus at the center of your celebration. When your family goes through a year like my family has in 2008, it makes me realize how amazing our God really is and how thankful I am that He has given our family hope, joy, peace, and love.

May God bless you all and keep you wrapped in His arms!

Living by God's Grace,

The Bresnyans

Sunday, September 28, 2008

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS FUNDRAISER!!!!!!

Harbor Freight Tools is very generously hosting a Siblings In Cancer fundraiser on October 12th! Please join us on Sunday, October 12th from 8am-2pm, for another silent auction and amazing fundraiser!!! Located in Rocklin at 6860 Five Star Blvd

Amazing cool cars (HOT ROD SHOW!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Live music
Jump house
Yummy food
Silent auction
Fun surprises!!
Much, much more!!!!!!!!

Sponsored by Harbor Freight, American Furniture Galleries, Scandinavian Designs, Roseville Toyota, Roamin Angels Street Rods and Classic cars, and many more!

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Help Melana get a college scholarship

Melana is actually applying for a $3,000 college scholarship and has made a 3 minute video talking about her experience with cancer and why she should get the scholarship. Please go onto the web-site www.whyideserveascholarship.com and vote for Melana to get the scholarship. The more votes she receives, the better chance she has to win. You can vote 1x per day...it is very easy, all you need to do is register (they will e-mail you a confirmation stating that you have registered, it’s titled WIDAS and it could take up to 12 hours to go thru) then you can go on that site and vote until your little heart is content. PLEASE VOTE ASAP AND OFTEN...ALSO PLEASE TELL FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO VOTE TOO!! As you know college can be expensive, and this is an amazing way for her to get a scholarship…and I promise you will be blessed by the video. :0)

August Update

Hi all,

Just wanted to send out an update on Nick and Melana as I have some exciting news to share with you!!

Nick has been feeling well for the most part and he has been very busy making more jewelry and handing it out to all the ladies that he meets. As always he is continuing to bless everyone that he comes in contact with. Please continue to pray for him as he has an appointment with his Oncologist on Thursday and with his Endocrinologist next month and we are waiting to get status on the results of his chemo treatments. Also, we are praying that he will be able to go back to work soon; doing some sort of light duty….he has an appointment to talk to his employer on Wednesday in regards to returning back to work.

As far as Melana goes, I am soooooo very excited to tell you that she just finished her last round of chemo on Friday, Aug 15th!! We are so very happy that she is done and we wanted you know how blessed we are for all of your prayers and support. As of this weekend though, Melana actually has Shingles! Please be praying for her quick healing!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

FUNDRAISING FESTIVITES at the FAIRGROUNDS!!!

SAVE THE DATE SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13TH ON YOUR CALANDERS!!! FROM 11AM TO 1PM, WE ARE HOSTING A HUGE FUNDRAISING EVENT AT THE PLACER COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN ROSEVILLE. THERE WILL BE A SILENT AUCTION, COMEDIAN GARY KING, LOCAL MUSICIANS, AND MORE ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE KIDS!!! PLEASE HELP US SUPPORT THIS FAMILY BY COMING OUT FOR THIS EVENT AND HAVE FUN WHILE BROWSING THROUGH THE SILENT AUCTION! IT WILL BE AN AMAZING DAY!

WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO DONATE ITEMS FOR THE SILENT AUCTION, AND ALSO TO SPONSOR THE EVENT BY UNDERWRITING SOME OF THE COST. PLEASE CONTACT SUZI BAXTER AT 916-625-1457

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

SHOP FROM HOME FOR FUNDRAISING!!!!!!

We have been given an amazing opportunity for a fundraising event! For the next year, you can go to Carol Ann's Gifts and Collectables online, to shop for gifts for friends and family (or for yourself!) and the shop will donate 30% of the proceeds of the sale directly to the Siblings In Cancer fund! It's easy to do and so handy for those of us who find it easier to shop from home!!!

Go to www.carolanngifts.com, (and bookmark it on your computer for lots of future use!) and shop! During the checkout process, you will be asked for a fundraising code. Type in the word "siblings" and 30% will go to the Bresnyan family.

Thank you so much for your support and happy shopping!
If you have any questions, contact Suzi at (916)622-6282

Friday, July 25, 2008

July Update

Hi there,

Just wanted to send out another quick e-mail to thank you all for joining us at Chevy's Restaurant a few weeks back. It was an amazing turn out and our family was so incredibly blessed to see so many friends there as well as meeting some amazing new people. We are in the process of planning another fund raiser (We are thinking a Pizza Party/Concert/Silent Auction at a local park) as soon as I get details I will forward them on.

As for an update on the family, Melana just found out that she will have two more months of chemo, but does not have to do radiation (because of the future risk of breast cancer and heart problems) which as you can imagine is a huge blessing. Overall, Melana is feeling well, except for the week after chemo she seems to be exhausted and has little to no energy.

Nick is due back for another check up in San Francisco on July 18th with his Endocrinologist to make sure his meds are appropriate, then on August 21st he will meet with his Oncologist and hopefully at that time we will be able to schedule his next CT scan. Please keep Nick in your prayers because he seems to get frustrated at times due to the fact that he is not able to get out a lot and doesn't have a lot of close friends. Nick seems to be in the house 24/7 due to not having an immune system and is highly susceptible to infections, and as you can imagine it is no fun for a 26 year old to stay home and give up his social life in order to ensure he stays healthy.

As far as dad's (Dave) work...he is currently looking for any remodeling jobs (he is a Licensed Contractor) including window replacements, bathroom & kitchen remodels, or any type of major or minor remodeling. If you know of anyone that needs their house remodeled please call him at Bresnyan Construction (916) 847-7937.

Thanks again for everything, we are truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

Living by God's Grace,

The Bresnyan's

Friday, June 13, 2008

June 13, 2008 Update on Nick and Melana

Hi all,

I know that it has been a while so I wanted to let you all know how Nick and Melana are doing. Nick had a follow up visit at UCSF last week and was told that he will not be able to go back to his previous job for about a year because he can not be exposed to all the bacteria and germs that go along with being a high school janitor. Instead the physicians told him that he needs to get a desk job...unfortunately with the loss of job comes a loss of other valuable resources too. For example, his insurance expires August 2008 and he will no longer receive his long-term disability checks any more. As you can imagine this has upset Nick as he would like his life to get back to normal as soon as possible, and with the economy being as bad as it is, he is concerned that he will not be able to get another job in the near future which means no insurance. Please pray that God will give Nick and our family wisdom as to what direction Nick should go, luckily we know God already has a plan in place.

As far as Melana goes, she had an appointment with her Oncologist last Friday, and we have some good news and some frustrating news. As most of you know Melana had two lumps in her neck and one in her chest. Last Friday her oncologist told her that the two lumps in her neck are completely gone (PRAISE GOD) but the one in her chest is still there. Although the lump in her chest is there, it has decreased 70% and is doesn't register as cancerous (AGAIN...WE GIVE ALL THE PRAISE TO OUR FATHER). At this point Melana's oncologist is not sure which treatment they are going to do yet...Dr. Reddy (Mel's Oncologist) is going to take her MRI to a tumor board meeting and discuss the results and future treatment options with other Oncologists. We will know more next week after the tumor board meeting and I will make sure I e-mail you all an update at that time. Best case scenario is that Melana will have 4 more months of chemo...without radiation. Please pray that God will give the oncologists wisdom as to the best treatment to cure Melana of cancer now and forever.

Also, next Tuesday (June 17th) we will be having a fundraiser at Chevy's Mexican Restaurant 1919 Douglas Blvd, Roseville, Ca 95661 from 5pm - 9pm, and 25% of the proceeds will go to help pay medical bills and expenses. So, if you can join us...we'd love to see you there!! :0) But you will need to bring in a flyer, (I have some if you need them) so you can either call me on my cell (916) 207-1287 or e-mail me at laurie_dsj@yahoo.com and I can meet up with you to give them to you or mail some to you....

Thanks again for all of your love, support, prayers and encouragement!

Living by God's Grace,

The Bresnyans

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Update 4/29

Hi all,

Praise God Nick and mom are coming home today from UCSF. Although Nick is still a little weak and worn out from all the treatments, they are releasing him to come home today!! We are so excited to have him home and we are so thankful for all of your thoughts, prayers and support. Although he will be released from UCSF, we still have not received the final outcome of his treatments...they will wait a few weeks to do the final MRI and will let us know at that time if the chemo has killed all the cancer. Please continue to pray for Nick asking our Almighty Father to completely and totally heal him and that he will never have to experience this again.

As for Melana, she is doing good. About a week ago we had a "Shaving Mel's Head" party at my house. Although it is not a fun thing to think about, Melana was very positive and had a lot of support from her family & some close friends...as she went from her beautiful hair cut, then transitioning to a mohawk, and then completely shaving her hair off. Also, she received her fourth round of chemo on Friday and has not gotten sick from the chemo this time around...Praise God!! However, she has been very tired and likes to sleep a lot. Please continue to pray that God gives her strength and energy to get through the next couple months of chemo.

With all that being said I am so excited to tell you about an AMAZING web-site that Cheryl Sandberg and Suzi Baxter (from church) have put together for the family. It includes our story, current news, pictures, how to help, Q&C, etc... Please take a look, the web-site is:siblingsincancer.org . We are so thank for for all that Cheryl and Suzi have done for the family and as you will notice there are sponsors on the site too. Suzi has been talking to local venues and asking for support to raise money to help cover expenses that have came up because of Nick & Melana's illnesses.

With that being said...if you live in the Roseville area, Chick-Fil-A has donated Meal Certificates good for any combo meal, a signature salad & beverage or a Kid's Meal with Ice Cream, we are selling them and all the proceeds go toward paying hospital expenses. Please call me (916) 207-1287, or the family (916) 630-9114 if you would like to purchase some of the Chick-Fil-A meal Certificates....but hurry, they are only good through May 10th! Sounds like a great family meal after church on Sunday...wouldn't you agree? :0)

I know that I said a lot in this e-mail but most importantly I wanted to say THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING SUCH A HUGE PART OF OUR FAMILIES LIFE! WE ARE TRULY BLESSED BY YOU AND APPRECIATE ALL YOUR PRAYERS AS WE KNOW THAT GOD IS THE ONE THAT IS HEALING NICK AND MELANA AND THE PHYSICIANS ARE JUST HIS TOOLS. MAY YOU BE BLESSED IN CHRIST.

Living by God's Grace,
The Bresnyan's

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Update 4/17/08

Hi everyone,

Don't forget ladies! Wear a hat on Sunday to support Melena!

After talking to Jan, I have a huge answer to prayer to share.

Nick is doing much better this time around! He hasn't gotten sick with this round of chemo!! Praise the Lord! He and Jan are so encouraged, and can definitely feel your prayers. He doesn't feel like eating very much at all, but this time around, he has been able to force himself to do it anyway, and it is staying down! They changed 2 of the drugs in the chemo regimen this time around, so that might have something to do with the way this has gone so much better, but I am choosing to believe that it is just the Lord working!!

They replaced his stem cells yesterday, and he didn't get sick with that either!! He has been able to walk around and is ministering to the people in the hospital by reaching out to nurses, patients, and family and friends of patients by giving them his necklaces and earrings. He is definitely being salt and light at UCSF!

The prayer request now for Nick is for the time when the stem cells are going to start fighting their way into his marrow. This is a very painful process, as the stem cells are multiplying and swimming around to get into his marrow and joints, which causes A LOT of very severe aching.

Melana's chemo treatment was last Friday, and she has done better this time around too! She has been able to keep the nausea down to a minimum by catching it before it gets bad and taking some medicine. Praise the Lord for the wisdom He has given doctors!

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. The family is really seeing the Lord's hand in the midst of this hard time. In the near future you'll be hearing more about ways we can be used to bless them and take care of them, so stay tuned!!

Update 4/5/08

I wanted to share with you the update that I got.

Nick and Jan are back in San Fransisco again. Chemo was supposed to begin Monday, but because they were changing and messing around with some of the medications, it didn't actually end up starting until yesterday. He hasn't felt the huge side effects yet, but is feeling tired and very overwhelmed and anxious at the thought of what is to come. Please pray for his appetite, hydration, along with the stomach flu symptons that are expected to hit soon.

Melana will begin her third round of chemo tomorrow at 1:30. Please pray for anxiousness on her part also, along with relief from side effects. The second chemo was a bit less miserable than the first one, since they were able to get the medications figured out. Now she won't be on the medication that she is allergic to. That always helps!

Dave and Jan are both having to be far apart from eachother, and from one of their children that are going through such a hard scary time. Please keep them in your prayers, that God will sustain and comfort them with His grace.

Melana is losing her hair now, which we expected. She and Laurie picked out a beautiful wig, but a few of us put our heads together and decided to still go forward with our efforts to show support to her by wearing hats on Sunday. So ladies, for this coming Sunday, pull out your "Sunday-go-to-meetin'-bonnets," and let's show Melana our heart for her and what she is going through.

Our care package box is still behind the welcome desk, and if anyone is willing to provide meals, we have a few families these days that would be most blessed to be loved in that way. (Bresnyans, Faglianos, and now the new Lee parents!) Give me a call or email if you would like to help in that way. 625-1457

Thank you all for your love, support and care for the Bresnyans. As hard as this time is for them, when the church becomes the Lord's hands and feet to come around and help them, God is glorified and the Bresnyans are encouraged! YAY!
Suzi Baxter