Sierra Shannon Johnson

Welcome to my CaringBridge Page!!!

My Mommy keeps this page current to share my progress with all of our friends and family. She has also been making a guest book and journal book to share with me when I am older and can understand how much everyone cared!

This is the modified version of how I got a Caring Bridge Page and what has happened since… My original version is on date June 10, 2006 2:30 PM

My name is Sierra my family calls me Missy which is short for “mischief”. On December 26, 2003 I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. I then began treatment and was entered into a research group with 4 different forms of treatment (CCG 1991). It seems like quite a risk, but they explain that everyone will get the “standard” treatment but authorizing the research is just allowing them more treatments and to determine if there are better or more effective ways to treat Leukemia; oral medications vs higher doses by vein, doing 2 Delayed Intensification phases vs only one phase.

In this study I was randomly put into “Regimen OD” “Investigational Treatment 1”. The difference in this one was I had to do two instead of one Delayed Intensification phase which is the most aggressive phase of treatment except from our first 30 days of the initial treatment. Have I lost you yet? Well they lose me every time!!! blah blah blah! I went to sleep on the first blah! It is a good thing Mommy is a nurse, not to mention an anal compulsive, control freak, manager type! We mainly keep this piece in for other families that are looking for similar situations.

2 years and 2 months later I have finished the first step of this journey with various treatment phases, Dr apts., medications, steroids, and many many Johnsonville BRATS! February 23, 2006 was my last day of chemo



Then on March 21, 2006 I had what we all called my “superbutton” removed. The technical name is central line or port-a-cath. This was a huge part of my treatment AND my life. I will keep it forever!


Now we are taking each day at a time. I will continue to go back for checkups for the next 5 years.

*Year 1 - Off Treatment*
For the whole first year I will go in for follow-up testing every 4 weeks. This will consist of blood work and head-to-toe wellness exam with the doctor. We will rotate between Fairmont and Rochester. At least through the summer, we will see how comfortable we feel when school starts, then maybe go to Rochester every 3rd time.

*Year 2 Off Treatment*
I will get follow-up testing every 3 months.

*Year 3 Off Treatment*
I will get follow-up testing every 6 months.

*Year 4 and 5 Off Treatment*
I will get follow-up testing annually.

Now the best news of all… Will I be considered cured after the 5 years? The answer was… They feel pretty confident that if I do not relapse during treatment I should be cured!!!!! Amen!!! They said it is extremely rare to relapse after treatment, not unheard of but very rare!!!

Lastly, after the 5 years I will have intermittent testing in the future to see if there are any long term complications from the treatment.

We would like to thank all of our family, friends and even our new friends for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers! Also for your messages in my guest book of love and support, you give us strength.

God Speed!
Love
Missy Sierra and all the Johnson's



Baby Girl, we all love you so much!! You have to be so strong right now I pray you will continue to fight this and get better. And I know you will be such a strong beautiful person because of it. Amen!!

If tears could heal there would be no illness!


CaringBridge friends are like stars in the sky.
Even though you can’t always see them,
You always know they are there.

We can no longer have lists of CB friends on our pages but if you see the links in the guestbook and you have time to spread some strength I know it will be appreciated!
Thank you so much to all of you who keep checking on us. You are wonderful people and even if we do not get the opportunity to tell you personally, we are grateful for your messages and prayers!!

God Speed! To all of you and your families!!





Rejoice in Memories!!!

When I saw Susie’s update this morning I remembered these words I read just yesterday! How brilliant of her to ask everyone to “Rejoice in Memories” to help comfort us all during this painful time. She is the kind of person who is always thinking of others!!!

I wanted to add some of our memories on Sierra’s page because there are so many people we know that have come to know this wonderful family through Sierra and also to share some of our comfort we feel when we think of these wonderful times!!

This is dedicated to all of the Breuer Family!

For our dearest Bryce who blessed this world on May 18, 1998!!! And also to the wonderful Breuer Family who entered our Family’s life through this terrible world of Leukemia on Monday January 12, 2004 at around 10:00 AM. This is what we consider one of our known blessings that resulted from Sierra getting this cancer.

Susie had greeted us so warmly and I immediately felt strength from her energy!! This bubbly, loving woman who was in one of their appointments with Bryce, Tim and their 2 ½ month old, Ethan!!! We found comfort in her words of encouragement!!

After that it was numerous phone calls and duplicate appointment times that we would run into each other that brought me so close to her. She was always so wise, calm and full of energy and Faith. I admired her so much and used her as a role model in our own journey.

One of my favorite memories that I don’t have pictures of is when we were in Chemo at Mayo, during one of Sierra’s “STEROID” phases. We were waiting and waiting and 2 ½ year old Sierra was ‘WAILING” she was hungry!! Larry rushed off to find something to eat, mind you we were not real familiar with the buildings yet, and I think he fell into a black hole!! Sierra is still ‘WAILING” on this floor that is filled with people trying to nap while they are getting their Chemo treatments!! In come Susie and Bryce Breuer to save the day. Bryce loved to have cheetos with his treatments and Susie had a large bag. Bryce was so kind to let Sierra eat HALF his bag until Larry found his way out of the Black hole!

Then there was our blood drive and benefit for Sierra and the WHOLE Brew Crew came all the way from Goodhue (2 ½ hours) to Sherburn. While the boys hung out in the play room with the cars Tim and Susie donated blood and got on the National Bone Marrow Registry!



When I talk to the kids they all have their own memories too. Sierra of course would say she likes them all the best because she loves everything! But one we can remind Sierra about years from now where she spent the day surrounded by all these boys during our first wonderful visit we had to the Breuer Farm!! And we can’t forget to mention the cherry cobbler because Larry makes Susie’s recipe every chance he gets!



One of Jacob’s favorite memories he shared is the picnic last summer, with the camp fire and Marshmallows! Of course the pictures say it all better than words! I loved the whole time as well but my first taste of buffalo steak was AWESOME!!




Zach loved the campfire and evening at the farm too, he also really enjoyed the carnival and also the ride in the combine but I didn’t get pictures of that. So here is the pictures we had from the carnival.





Then of course there are all the countless memories of when Susie’s journals that shared their experiences good and bad with all of us. These inspired so many people to be better people and Christians on so many levels words can not express!


These last pictures are pictures of Camp Jornada that remind me of one thing I can find comfort in and that is this amazing summer of memories the Breuer’s had together that medical doctors did not think they would. Bryce showed us once again how incredible he is! At 8 years old he has had more “purpose” in his life than most people into adulthood.





When ever my heart aches for the Breuer’s pain that they are going through, I think of this song in my head!! And I can picture Bryce doing all of these things and feeling so free from the cancer and pain. He is smiling onto his family and by their side for a lifetime!

Blessed Be and God Speed to the Breuers!!

With loving “Memories” of Bryce Breuer

E-mail Author: stotzke@chartermi.net

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Note: The foregoing information was authored by the patient, parent or guardian, or other parties who are solely responsible for the content. Such announcements or their content are not necessarily endorsed by CaringBridge, Inc. or any sponsoring agent.  This information does not confirm that anyone is or was actually a patient at any facility.