Feeling blessed

This past week has been so wonderful it doesn't seem real.  Paul and I have been joking about whether I got the real chemo or just a placebo.   Yesterday was the perfect day.   Paul's two uncles, Chris and Mike, and their lovely wives flew in from Florida for the weekend.  This weekend would have been our family reunion at St. Augustine Beach, Fl.  Since we were unable to go this year, they brought sand, shells, photos, home movies and lots of stories to reminisce about. We spent most of the day poolside floating.

I want to take this time again to say how very blessed I am to have so many wonderful people on my team.
I feel GODS Grace with every hug, flower, card, text, post, kiss, meal, visit, and all other acts of compassion I have received over the past few weeks.    My sweet friend, Caroline, said,  "get ready for the avalanche" and she was right.   Thank you for keeping me in your  prayers.  Many have been and continue to be answered.

Nothing this week but some labs tomorrow. :)

Hugs all around,
Cindy

Feeling Good

Today was an unexpected surprise.  Thought I'd feel a bit yucky by this afternoon, but instead I've had a very normal day.
Started off with a hungry tummy.  Had to have a bowl of cheerios!  Then continued to eat throughout the day with cravings for chicken tenders, pasta, fresh watermelon and anything else that just sounded good.  No nausea yet.
Still no extra pain meds, just the patch which I switch out tonight.   No  clammy, sweaty symptoms all day today either.  YAY ! That is so annoying.   We think the decrease in pain meds has made a big difference.
Turned McChemy in about 1:00.  We got a long better this time around too.

My sisters, Jeanne and Darla, left  around 10:00 this morning.   They were my guardian angels, personal shoppers, chemo buddies, chef, and all around amazing care givers.  My meds are now all organized and ready each morning to check off.  Most will taper down after this week.
There are no words to express the amount of appreciation and love I have for these two amazing women.
Their time here also enabled Paul to work and  take care of himself by getting the rest he needed to continue this fight.   After all,it's a marathon not a sprint.  

Should be a tired  icky day tomorrow, but who knows.  Maybe another surprise.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SUPPORTING THE CARE CALENDAR!  Be sure to check it again as some dates have changed.
hugs all around,
Cindy

Happy Birthday To Me

     Successful appointment with Dr. H as she listened and adjusted meds.  As of now the new dose patch is doing the trick. No extra boost needed. She said  pain meds should reduce daily. Prayers for no more BIG surprises.
      Paul and sisters stayed with me a couple hours as the chemo routine began.  Got a few princess ribbons to decorate the area, Stacy came with two huge balloons, Alex and flowers and a big thank you to Jen for my lunch/sub.Really hit the spot.
 The day went fast. McChemy ( my chemo pump) is back and ready to fight another couple of days.
      Looking forward to seeing more family this weekend flying in from Florida.  Our reunion was cancelled when all this started.  One day they called and asked if they could bring their part of  reunion to me.   Will enjoy watching family videos of past beach reunions.  :)
      Ordering Thai with one of our Eat In, Eat Out, gift cards.  Thank you Mimi and Goody.

Prayers are being answered daily.  Thank you all again more than I can say.
Hugs all around,
Cindy

Great Weekend

I was so glad to get home from the hospital on Friday.   Relaxed and enjoyed being with Paul, my kids and of course, pups watching movies.
     On Saturday, Darla and Jeanne Marie arrived.  We had some time pool side to catch up on family news.
Since Tuesday, my birthday, is chemo day, we decided to choose Sunday to celebrate,  Such a lovely day with some of my favorite girls.  We started with mani and pedi time where we all ended up with the same color...cajun shrimp.  I call it poppy.  :)    Then to Tony C's our new favorite pizza place.   Back at the house we had presents and lots of treats.   Thank you Jill  for bringing your wonderful salad for dinner.  It was just what we needed after a big lunch. :) We watched the World Cup.  Too bad how that turned out.  :(
Thank you Caroline , Lisa , Karen, Darla, and Jeanne Marie and Stacy for a fabulous birthday celebration.
LOVE you girls more than words can ever say.
The last two days were close to pain free!!   Ready for fight again.  Tuesday, we meet with my oncologist at 8:00 to go over labs and meds.   Then start chemo as planned.

Hugs all around,
Cindy

Home

     I was discharged today around noon.  Pain meds have been adjusted to a time release patch which lasts 72 hours.  I have a prescription for these so we can replace them ourselves.   It is already such a relief not to check the clock and worry about to much or not enough.  So far the patch seems to be enough along with morphine tab 2X a day but have backup in case of a swing. 

    Looking forward to seeing my two sister -laws who are coming tomorrow from Houston and Jacksonville,Fl..  Need me some "sista"  time.  :)

     Thank you to the families who brought meals and treats this week.  I know Alex especially appreciated it since he was home alone a lot.     Home made sugar cookies and a delivery from  up state New York   of Shari's Berries were definite highlights.

Hugs and Kisses

Cindy

 

   

Horrible Recovery Day

Unfortunately we learned a lot about hospitals yesterday. It is important to ask how many patients your nurse is covering and stand up for what you need.
Cindy's pain care was mismanaged all day, she stayed in terrible pain between a level 8-10. I am angry at myself for not being stronger and demanding better care. Never again!
We worked at it all day but did not get her meds changed until the evening, I was so exhausted and tagged out with our dear friend Lisa, who stayed with her until she could get some much needed sleep. Thank you Lisa!
Today is a new day, and we are hoping to leave the hospital as soon as possible. Could be as soon as today.
We have a new plan for pain management.
We are still on track for chemo on Tuesday at Texas Oncology in Round Rock.
My sister Darla and sister in law Jeanne Marie will come today to help during the coming week.
Thank you everyone for helping us work through Cindy's cancer fight!
You have all been so supportive, thank you, thank you, thank you!
-Paul

Procedure Success!

Dr. Srygley successfully replaced stints in both the pancreas and gallbladder. The procedure went well but infection is still an issue. Cindy will spend the night again at St. David's in Rm. 249. They want to keep her on antibiotics, manage her pain, and test for pancreatitis.
Dr. Hellerstadt just called and we will remain on track for chemo next Tuesday, pending a positive recovery today. Cindy is resting comfortably in recovery will return to her room at 10:15a
Thank you for lifting her up with your prayers!

EMRCT Day

I slept good last night. The morphine gave me a rash so we had to switch pain regime at 2 am. The Benadryl for the rash sure made me sleepy! My nursing staff has been wonderful as always. They said I was their favorite patient. Awww so sweet! I just met Peggy, my navigator. She will be in the procedure with me holding my hand. Love her! My fever has broke and antibiotics are working! Pain level is down to a 4 and manageable. My procedure to replace stint is a go!

Getting prepped now and waiting for transport to surgical room. Another beautiful day at St. David's!

Romeo and Juliet playing at the Round Rock amphitheater tonight. Wishing I could go with my pauli!

Pain Update

Cindy is being admitted to St. David's South this morning after meeting with Dr. Srygley. She is running a fever. Procedure for stint replacement will be moved to Thursday to allow for more testing and antibiotics to break the fever. Cindy's pain will be managed and she is most comfortable at the hospital. The goal is to replace the stint with a coated stint that will last until removed during the whipple surgery at the end of chemo and radiation treatment. We will know more later today what is causing the pain once lab results are back. She is feeling good today and visitors are welcome later today once she is checked in.

Phew! We made it

We made it through the night! We set alarms for every two hours so Cindy could take her pain meds. They worked very well and we were able to get some much needed rest.
On our way now to meet with Dr. Srygley and hopefully have procedure this afternoon that will replace the stint. We hope this will help to reduce the pain, the antibiotics have also been helping.
Thank you all for your continued support and lifting us up during these very challenging times. It is a much brighter day today!
Love,
Paul and Cindy

Going South

Cindy had a break through after fighting it for 6 hours at a level 10 or higher. The pharmacist increased her frequency of taking pain meds to 2 hours from 4 hours and what a difference.  Cindy is at a 6 now which allows her to walk and talk and even took a shower.  We are praying this pattern holds and we can maintain a 6.
   We meet Dr. Srygley tomorrow morning at 9:30 at St. David's South and will have a procedure with his team in the afternoon. We will be at the St David's South hospital for a a couple days. The plan is to replace a stint and put eyes on the situation.

Thanks, Paul and Cindy

PAIN

I wish we had better news to write about.  Cindy started getting horrible sharp pains yesterday at two in the afternoon.  Our doctors called in oxycodone but it had no effect.  Cindy road the pain out as long as she could.  We checked into the ER around 4:00 am.  They were able to get he pain down to a 4 with dilaudid.
They did more blood test and a CAT scan. It appears she may have an infection causing the pain but our doctors are still working on it.
   We were released and Dr. Hellerstedt prescribed morphine and dilaudid pills.  They have had little effect and Cindy is still in horrible pain over a 10. They also prescribed antibiotics for the infection. I am monitoring her breathing and she finally fell asleep from exhaustion. Hopefully she will feel better when she awakes or we plan to check back into the hospital so they can better manage her pain.

I pray my next post will be much better news.

Thank you for all your support on the care calendar and prayers, Paul

FREEDOM from McChemey

     Restless night about 2:00 as a little nausea started.  Took some meds and was able to control it.  Ate breakfast and didn't have any more trouble the rest of the day.  Just a little fatigue so lots of cat naps.  Tonight I have a better plan and feel confident I will sleep better.

   Today we meet with our Radiologist, Dr. Cohen, who is part of my team.  The team met about me prior to our meeting to discuss a game plan.  It was decided the best coarse of action is to continue to follow the MD Anderson protocol including Radiation in conjunction with Chemotherapy. This won't start till mid July. The Chemo helps to intensify the radiations results just like adding salt to water to increase the boiling rate.  The radiation will be targeted from 9 different points to minimize damage to other organs but deliver a very concentrated dose to the mass. Its the same as a stage highlighting the performer. One huge spot light will blind the performer but 9 points of light from different angles provides the full effect.
I will receive one CT scan in 4D prior to beginning of each week of the 28 days of radiation.  That enables the 9 beams of radiation to focus exactly where they need to be and takes into account my breathing that actually moves your organs slightly.   During this scan I am wrapped in a bean bag type pillow that molds to your body so that I am in the exact same position for every CT scan.   AMAZING TECHNOLOGY!

    I also had an appointment at the oncologist to remove my Chemo pump (McChemey).   Each time I'd hear the pump I'd picture another troop of little super heroes with purple capes going into attack  And then I'd say "thank you",   Why purple?   It happens to be the color for pancreatic cancer and also my favorite color.  Not sure how I feel about that, but I plan to make it positive.
 Thank you Sue and Clark and Chiriboga family for the yummy meals the past two days.  Loved catching up too.
Off now for a nice long pump free shower.  AHHHHHH.

Hugs all around,
Cindy

Chemo Day part 2

Home around 5:00.  Thank you Lisa for the lift home  The pump is bigger and heavier than I thought, but at least its only hanging out for two days. It's looks like a bigger size Walkman, about 6in. long,   It's pumps more chemo into my port.  It's water resistant so it will have to hang outside the shower on a coat hanger.   That will be interesting.

As for sleeping, it can go beside you on the night stand and continue pumping away.  It's quiet most of the time.  Only buzzes a little when it pumps now and then.   The nurse said the pack itself is mine to keep so bling it up if we want.  Any bedazzle talant out there?   LOL   She also said some pumps get names.  Of course I gave that task to Lisa and she didn't let me down. " McChemi", instead of Mc Dreamy...You Grey's Anatomy fans will understand. hahaha

Nurse Kelly said I probably won't feel nauseated for a few days because of the meds given today.  But as soon as I do, and I may not, I have meds to control it.  She also said, like a few others, that I will most likely not loose my hair but it will thin.  I'm thinking a shorter doo may be in my future.  

Thursday, the 12th, I will go get the pump removed and also meet our Radiologist, Dr. Cohen.   Next treatment scheduled for Tues., June 24.  Yep, my birthday.   If somethings opens up on Monday, I'll take it instead.  

I'll get the July Care Calendar going this week.  

Hugs,

Cindy

Going in for the Kill

     We had a wonderful evening with my team last night at Perlas. Chef Michael took very good care of us and the food was amazing. We ate just about everything fabulous that comes from the sea. What a nice treat to keep my mind off of today.
    Lab results came in and all my numbers are fantastic (Normal).  That means I get to fight the battle today with a full dose of chemo.  We arrived at 7:45 this morning to meet with Dr. Hellerstadt and discuss my Pet scan and lab work in great detail.
   We are now in the infusion wing fighting the fight in my Longhorn attire. My nurse, Kelley is wonderful and
very cheerful. My medical team has been fantastic.  We have met a few characters on my wing and we are looking forward to following their progress.  Its like a day at the spa except the wine is given intravenously and its call larazopan.   hahaha   I just had a wonderful foot massage,homemade snicker-doodle cookies delivered by a volunteer, lunch from Panera and am ready for a big nap. Anti nausea meds make you sleepy.
    What a great nap!!!  Stacy and Paul helped me this morning, Alex is on his way from class and Lisa will bring me home around five.  A friend from my wonderful support group is bringing us a yummy Chicken Pecatta dinner tonight.

Thank you so much to my family,friends and love ones. It is with your support and my faith that we will all
beat this thing by 2015!!

By the way, Pancreatic Cancer has a color too and it's PURPLE!  Which happens to be my favorite color for years.  Last night Paul insisted I go into the Kendra Scott store next to the restaurant to choose a pair of earrings in purple.  I resisted for a while, but he wore me down,  :)   Also, thanks to my sweet niece Lindsay Cathcart, I will have a "stay calm and sing soft kitty" shirt in PURPLE! :)   My next treatment day, probably June 24, my birthday, we will all wear our purple.  Come guys, you know you can do it.  Be secure.
Love, Cindy

PET scan results

Got an early phone call from our nurse.  The PET scan I had on Friday showed the mass is still localized.  :)  Prayers answered, and tears of relief. 

Have had a nice weekend.  Got to go to dinner with friends, and even a little dancing on Saturday night.  

Moving forward tomorrow morning starting at 7:45.  Got my bag packed with comfy things, entertainment and snacks.  

Thank you all again for your continued prayers  and support.  
Hugs,
Cindy

Friday- PET  Scan  Day

Went to Texas Oncology on Mopac for the PET scan my oncologist ordered to have as a baseline before starting treatment Tuesday.  Have to say, I was a bit uncomfortable as the tech lead me to a trailer /travel clinic out back where we stepped into a platform that took us up a level to enter.  Paul could not go with me on account of the lack of space inside.  It didn't take long before I felt comfortable and things got under way.  First an injection of a radioactive fluid that has to do it's thing for about 45 minutes. Apparently it makes your insides glow.   Then the scanner slides you in and out for about 25 minutes.  Total time was a couple of hours.  Future PET scans will he at the Round Rock location where I have everything else. :)   I was starving at this point since I couldn't have anything to eat all day.  Paul suggested Chuy's and I thought, sure,why not.  Nobody said my favorite Tex Mex was off limits.  It was yummy.

    I'd like to give a huge shout out to my Fern Bluff family, especially my team and to my son, Alex for getting my classroom moved to my new location on Wednesday.   Thanks guys, you ROCK!    No worries,  still going to teach First grade, just from a different classroom.

    Thanks to those who already signed up on the care calendar.  Looking forward to not just the yummy meals, but visiting with some of my favorite peeps.

No appointments for 3 days!:)  TGIF!

Hugs,
Cindy

Great chemo training today

We had a very thorough chemo training today, and a tour of the facility. There are four drugs which will be administered throughout each day into Cindy's port. Each have their own side effects that will all be managed.
Nausea medication precedes the chemo treatment, and they encouraged us to bring food, ideally soups and sandwiches. The room can be chilly so layers are a good idea! The room also has a TV and Wifi, as well as microwaves and refrigerators.
The chemo is expected to hit hard after a couple of days and side effects will diminish as the week continues. In addition to the anti-nausea, pain killers will also be necessary to relieve aches and pains.
The chemo pump will stay in for 48 hours after treatment, then labs will be taken, and injections given to increase T-cell production.
We have two nurses and a pharmacy available 24/7 to help manage side effects.
We go in Tuesday morning to start the war.
-Paul

Meal Care Calendar Sign-Up

Below is a care calendar to sign-up to bring meals for my mom for the month of June. More months will be added soon. It contains home address and meal preferences. Thank you Debbie Alayan for setting that up!

Www.carecalendar.org

Login Codes:
183546C
4772

Chemo buddy times will not be on the calendar for now because we will not have exact dates of chemo. It is based on white blood counts that will be tested shortly before each treatment that will determine the day. You can email, call or text me if you are interested. Cindy will also love to have visitors and help throughout the days in between treatment. You can contact her directly for visits! Things like laundry, vacuuming, playing with Paisley would all be helpful. :)

Chemo Treatment Cycle

Day 1-Chemo treatment lasts for 6-8 hours at Texas Oncology Round Rock
Day 2- Hard bed bound, Flu like
Day 3- Couch bound
Day 4- Tired, weak but able to move around
Day 5- Tired but ready to leave the house
Day 6-14 Gaining strength daily 

Everyone reacts differently but this is generally what to expect. 

Stacy Scarborough, Cindy's Daughter 
Stacy@wilcoangels.com
Cell:512-922-8979

Thank you all!!!

Princess Port

Cindy's port was installed this morning and is resting comfortably in recovery! Her appetite is back and she is all smiles. Next stop, Kerby Lane Cafe! She will be able to go home in the next couple of hours.

Thank you all for your continued support!

Tuesday Oncology Appointment

Wow, great meeting with Dr. Beth Hellerstedt.  We have our plan of action and are moving forward. Cindy has her pain pills and nausea medication (Dexamethasone, Promethazine, Ondansetron, Norco). We have been assigned a Nutritionist.

Plan: 8 weeks chemo( 1 time a week every 2 weeks) including a 48 hour chemo pump.  The pump is removed after two days.Then 6 weeks chemo and radiation (Daily M-F), rest two weeks, Surgery in 16 weeks to remove tumor.  Cindy back to normal by Christmas cancer free!!!!  Here that Santa?


6/3 Met with Oncologist, Pharmacologist team, lab work and schedulers.
6/4 Port installed with Dr. McKenzie St Davids South 6:00 am
6/5 Chemo Teach class at 10:30a at Texas Oncology 2410 Round Rock Ave  (Joanna, Nurse Practitioner)
6/6 Pet scan at Texas oncology (Balcones location)
6/10 Chemo Starts at Texas Oncology  Folfirinox, 5fluorouracil, Lrindecan, Oxalipatin
         4 cycles total, once every two weeks for 8 week, then Chemo (5fluaravacil) and  radiation daily m-f 6 weeks
6/12 Dr. Cohen  Radiation Consult
6/12 Pump removal
* Dates are subject to change

More information to come on how people can help, we are working on a care calendar online to coordinate it. Contact Stacy 512-922-8979. Paul, Stacy, and Alex will be her first Chemo buddies during treatment on Tuesday. She looks forward to many hours of entertainment and care to follow from the rest of  TEAM CINDY.:)




 

Big day today

Went to school to pack up for summer. A lot more to do this year since I am moving classrooms, but I have tons of help. It was so great to see my Fern Bluff family again! Love those peeps <3
Meeting my oncologist, Beth Hellerstent at 7:30 Tuesday morning, and am looking forward to getting more answers and a treatment schedule. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about her and her team.
Then on Wednesday I have an outpatient procedure to get a port. It will be on my left side below the collar bone. I'll be sore for about a week and cannot lift things but after that, no restrictions. I can even get in the pool!
Love,
Cindy