BRAYDEN UPDATE: please keep the prayers coming, we got through last night 
even went for a walk this morning (GREAT ENERGY), he hasnt been complaining about pain as much and def. not excruciating like last night. He’s really flushing his system out with lots of fluid (already changed 4 diapers TODAY)–thanks for prayers
I will be posting some new videos today too
PLEASE pray for Brayden, he is in a LOT of pain (legs). WE may be heading to hospital soon, please pray the pain goes away ASAP–thanks
Just heard back from Doctors and will try to ride it out at home, trying to nap with mommy now 
As many of you know we are currently in Delayed Intensification (DI), we have been warned that this is the hardest phase, and to expect to be hospitalized a few times etc. Well here we are getting ready for day 19 tomorrow (one third of the way through this 56 day phase) and are pumped to praise God for the great first third.
He has had some rough patches: a little nausea, spit up, meds were a PAIN that first week (but tonight went down great with my newest coffee concoction )… but overall we are so thankful for how well he is doing, as are the doctors. We know it could be so much worse. He is doing well enough that we are even planning/dreaming of going up to Redding for a little Vaca at the end of the phase–assuming he is doing alright.
Please keep praying for the Chemo to kick the you know what out of any cancer left in his body and that at the end of this phase he will be officially classified as being in remission!!!!!! Pray also for meds for the rest of this week and that his body gets ready for the next dosage coming the following week; as it is all new stuff to his system (both in the hospital chemo as well as at home chemo). Please also pray for God to guard our hearts and minds. It seems like the hair (which has held on so well) may soon be coming out–all along they said it would go (actually it was supposed to be gone by the second week). We’ve only seen a few pieces come out, and this happened once before, so who knows what will actually happen. But we continue to pray for health over hair–but hair sure has been a WONDERFUL blessing to this point. It has allowed us to not have that constant physical reminder of what Brayden is going through. So if God grants our prayer for hair–GLORY be to him, and if not–GLORY be to him. We know the hardest part is still yet to come but for now we are SO THANKFUL and appreciate all the prayers and manifestations of help.
Finally I wanted to share our schedule from the past 2 1/2 weeks as we have been trying to do fun things with little man as we are in lock down mode. So everyday we try something fun, it is amazing the little things we so often take for granted.
Here are a few of Brayden’s notes…
7/31: counts were high, so we went to the park (Happy Anniversary mom and dad)
8/1: counts still high friends/family visited (Carson and I were in bed by 815, mommy and daddy got to play cards:) )
8/2: got to go to CHURCH, but daddy doesn’t seem to pay attention to me there its otay I still love him
8/3: Bamma (grandma) Kathy came to play for the day–it was SOOOO FUN
8/4: I know this may sound weird in a few years, but daddy and I took a shower
8/5: Mommy and I got to plsy in our pool and then I “had” to mow the lawn (dad says its why he had kids
8/6: We called Chuck E Cheese and they let us in because no one goes in the morning (although I’d eat pizza in the morning if mommy wasn’t so mean–maybe that’s the steroids talking) IT WAS AWESOME!!
8/7: Bath time with Daddy… too many owies outside so we stayed in and played in the tub.
8/8: Our friends told us about this forest of redwoods hidden in YL, we didn’t believe them–but are SO glad we checked it out anyway. It was so fun and daddy kept saying how it reminded him of home, I think he got choked up
8/9: I got to go out to LUNCH today after daddy was done with church… it was rad
8/10: Today we rented movies… my favorite was James Bond. There was a boat chase, plane chase and of course a car chase… hahaha–just kidding–my parents wouldn’t let me watch that movie. They are too old fashioned.
8/11: Today I suprised daddy at the office!!! I love Church, sometimes I wish we could live there–but daddy would go crazy I think
8/12: I went with dad to Trader Joes today, it was fun–but what a downer. I couldn’t touch anything or be by anyone–can you say par-a-noid
8/13: We had coffee and played cards inside mommy’s BIG car at the Sbucks parking lot tonight (I know its how they give me yucky medicine, but I play along because they make it taste good )
8/14: Chemo day–YUCK, but on the bright side I had french fries for breakfast, french fries after chemo, and mommy made me french fries for dinner….mommy said that today was a special day and it wouldn’t happen ever again:)
8/15: Sbucks twice for mommy and daddy!!! And I got to watch a lot of cars and trains
8/16: Took a drive to church, helped daddy make dinner–always an adventure
8/17: Sbucks and cards again… also had some friends come over and clean the house for mommy and daddy it was so good for them… they are becoming crazy clean freaks
FINAL THOUGHT: Have you ever tried to get stuck at a light with a train? Normally if I see a train coming I rush to get through before the gaurd rails come down–NOW I slow down because it is fun to watch trains (expecially when you cant do anything else)!
Well today is day 12 of this 2 month phase and so far Brayden is doing AWESOME!!!! So well that yesterday I am sitting at the office meeting with the Big Boss and here’s this little knock on the window and little man came for a visit. They do expect his numbers to plummet fast but we are thankful for the initial great response.
This week we are on a reprieve from at home oral meds. (they start back up Friday ) and have been a real struggle so please continue to pray that he takes them well and doesn’t lead to vomiting etc. But seriously LOTS to praise God about so far not just in this phase but the entire treatment. We cant believe that it was 133 days ago that He was diagnosed (but whose keeping count). And although the road at times ahead looks intimidating (at least in length) we know we can rest surrounded by His presence as well as yours.
We have lots of pics to post, especially of the new baby and Brayden, and I will try try try to get them up in the next couple of days. If I forget, just keep sending me those nasty hate emails, until I get the picture(s) –pun intended–
Until then, we enjoy the week, and wait till Friday for more Hospital Chemo. I am taking a week of vacation spread over 5 of the next 6 Thursdays which will allow me to be home and help a little more–so we are thankful for that.
Thanks for the continual prayers and support!!!
Sodestroms
So far we are surviving :) Friday went great and he seemed to be doing alright through the weekend. Meds have been tough, but yet again JEN IS AMAZING and continues to find ways to get them down. Please keep praying for us that this is not a burden as there are nights where it literally takes 2 hours to get 1 medication in him.
Another way to pray for us is this afternoon at 11:30 (guess just a few hours) we will be going back to CHOC for another big round of chemo… they call this PEG. It is a couple of shots of chemo into his legs, which last time was pretty rough on him. We will stay in the hopsital for at least a few hours as he recovers, but hope to get home in the afternoon assuming he does well. After today the next chemo doesnt come till TR labs and then FR chemo again, to couple with all the at home medication he is already on.
So far so good though, 4 days into the tough part and we are kicking strong.
Thanks for prayers and support
