Back to the Blogosphere

Good Morning Everyone! It has been a week since I have posted to the blog, and many of you may no longer be checking in, but I wanted to update you on our last visit to Charlotte.
We have had a busy week, and some computer issues, which account for some of the delay in posting. Cindy had a CT scan on Friday, and we had appointments with the radiation oncologist and the medical oncologist. The focus for the late spring and summer has been on the disease site in Cindy's spinal area, and this scan and visit was primarily to check on the previously identified areas elsewhere. A "wet" read of the CT scan on Friday indicated that the pelvic mass has decreased in size, while the abdominal muscle nodule has increased in size as have the lung nodules. A new, as-yet-unidentified mass appears to be located in her left breast. Cindy has not had a mammogram in 2 years with everything else that has been going on, but we will have to schedule and get that procedure this week. If in fact, there is something there we will need to get a biopsy. Cindy will be getting those necessary procedures this week as well as 3 physical therapy appointments. Future treatment options may depend on what we find out this week, but it is likely that Cindy will begin an oral chemotherapy within the next two weeks.
Cindy's Arizona cousin, Susan has been such a blessing the last two weeks. She has been staying with us and attending to Cindy's every need. Alas, many good things must come to an end, and Susan will have to go back to Arizona on Wednesday so a new transitional adjustment is on our horizon. Cindy continues to use a walker for getting around the house, and a wheel chair when she goes out. Of course she is not able to drive yet. She is coming off of the steroid that has been used to decrease inflammation, and continues to experience some weakness in her legs and numbness in her feet.
We have been so blessed by folks calling, visiting, providing food, sending cards, walking the dog, and sending/bringing flowers among other things. It is evident that we have some more distance to travel along this road. As we continue on this journey, we continue to solicit your prayers, as we know that they are vital to our spiritual health as well as physical health. We hope you have a blessed day!

Homecoming

Good Morning Everyone! We made it! Cindy is home! Luci is home! Dan is home! And Cindy's cousin from Arizona, Susan is here with us! The greeting Cindy got from Luci when we got to Raleigh was dramatic. She could hardly wait for Poppi Mac to put her down so she could jump up in Cindy's lap and practically lick the skin off her face. That was one happy puppy....and one happy Cindy too. We have been back at 204 since late Thursday afternoon. We still aren't completely unpacked, but are much closer than we were. Susan has been like a Mother Hen trying to keep all the chicks taken care of. She is such a blessing! Cindy is adjusting to life without Dave and Deb, and working on remaking the nest here at home. She is moving rather slow, and it takes more time to do things when one has to incorporate a walker and a wheel chair into the mix, but she is making the most of it. Susan took Cindy to her physical therapy assessment at the Wellness Center on Friday, so I could go to work. Cindy is scheduled for physical therapy on Monday, and hopefully will be able to get back into a regimen, and building her strength. The recovery process is moving slow, but I think we are all happy with the fact that progress is forward. We were able to get some rest yesterday (Saturday), and we also had some visitors. Our neighbors, Ronnie and Shelva came over. Rebecca came to see us and update Cindy on the Bible Study. Our friends from Myrtle Beach, Trevor and Maria also spent some time with us yesterday. Cindy's sister, Anne is coming this morning for a Sunday visit. As a matter of fact, she just walked in the door so I will need to close. Hope to resume posting later in the day. Have a great afternoon!

Hump Day...Really!

Hey Everybody! As of this writing I am in Charlotte with Cindy at Dave and Deb's house. Cindy had her last radiation treatment today, and is feeling rather tired, but she is glad to be finished with the 15 treatments. Nancy has taken her to her treatments every day for the last week. Cindy's cousin, Susan flew in from Arizona today, and is spending the night with Cindy's mom and dad in Raleigh. We are planning to leave Charlotte in the morning and hopefully will be in Raleigh around lunch time. Sometime tomorrow afternoon we are looking forward to being in Clinton. Even though she has enjoyed her home away from home, Cindy is anxious to be at her home again, and to see her puppy. I know Luci will be glad to see her too. Cindy has an appointment with the physical therapy folks at the Wellness Center in Clinton on Friday morning.
We can't say enough about what a blessing Dave and Debbie have been to us. As trying as this whole ordeal has been, the difficulty factor would have been ramped up exponentially without the oasis they have provided, as well as all the assistance they have given in every way imaginable. We are within sight of turning the page on this leg of the journey, but there are miles to be traveled yet. We want to thank our many prayer partners for your company along the way, and for the many times you have lifted us up in prayer. We don't want to be a burden, but we do continue to solicit your prayers for safe travel on Thursday, for Cindy's continued improvement in the days ahead, and for renewed strength for the physical therapy that is to come. May each of you enjoy God's blessings, and know His peace!

P. S. - I don't know if Roger and Royce read the blog, but I would like to wish them a Happy Birthday today!

Weekend

Good Day All! Friday has arrived, and I am sure there are many of us who are grateful that the weekend is upon us with the opportunity for football games, and a bit of extra-curricular. Well, count me in that number too, but for another reason. Hopefully, this is the last weekend that Cindy will have to spend away from home for a while. She has been away for 41 days now, and although we love our friends Dave and Debbie, and they love us, it is near time for them to have their home back, and for our home to have some people in it in addition to Shirley and Denise who have been looking after it in our absences. There is another somebody who is ready to come home also.

This pose is called "Sittin' Purty", and although Luci has been enjoying her Mom Mom Grace and Poppi Mac, doesn't it look like she is ready to come home too and see her Momma. Well, we are all hoping that the homecoming will be this coming Thursday. September 17th. Cindy has 3 more radiation treatments next week, and assuming all goes well she will be ready to hit the trail Thursday morning. Her cousin, Susan is coming all the way from Sun City, Arizona to spend some time with us, and help with the transition back to the "home 20".

Cindy has had a pretty good week overall. David and Debbie continue to be wonderful hosts. Rebecca C's daughter, Nancy took Cindy to her radiation treatments yesterday and today, which was such a help. Cindy did have a spill in the kitchen this afternoon. She had walked to the kitchen with her walker, was attempting to get something out of the refrigerator, got off balance, and hit the floor. She didn't break anything, but after all of the day's activities she could not get up by herself and had to call Debbie at work to come and help her. I talked with her this evening, and she said she was feeling better. Needless to say, she is going to have to be careful.

I have been back in Clinton since Wednesday evening, and am planning to stay in Clinton this weekend, with maybe a short trip to Goldsboro to check on things at the farm. I have gotten quite a ways behind at work, and have a couple of work opportunities in the next two weeks that need additional preparation, so much of my weekend will be geared toward that. I had a chance to visit with my Mom this evening, and she was in good spirits. Cindy called while I was there and she had a chance to talk with Mom also. I've had several conversations with Adam this week, and he is staying busy, and doing well.

I want to get in a couple of shout-outs. To Maria...Thanks for all the comments and encouragement, and you are only one of two who have mentioned the possibilites of song titles in places in the blog. The first one was Nelson. Kudos to both of you. To Al, Beverly, Grace, and Miriam...the doll is beautiful, and the cause is personal, thanks for your thoughtfulness, and Miriam you shouldn't have, but it is much appreciated! And to DKH, I hope you're not reading the blog at 3:00 a.m. anymore, but you have been an encouragement in your own inimitable way!

You may get tired of hearing it, but I never tire of repeating my appreciation to all of you for your thoughts, prayers, emails, phone calls, cards, and other acts of kindness. Though there may be times of difficulty, yet does God's grace abound, and some of His blessings are revealed in and through His children. May your day be blessed!

Taking Care of Business

Good Afternoon Everyone! We are still in Charlotte. Cindy completed her 9th radiation treatment of 15 today, and we also had some discussion with the radiation oncologist. He is pleased with the way things are going so far. Cindy has been experiencing some major reflux symptoms, which the oncologist said were symptomatic of the radiation treatment, and that it will likely get worse before it gets better. He did prescribe some medication to help alleviate the symptoms. I had not planned to stay up here this long, but we were able to get some doctor appointments rescheduled so this time will bear some additional fruit. Cindy has a follow-up appointment with her surgeon tomorrow morning along with the 10th radiation treatment later in the morning. She is moving around fairly well, but gingerly with the walker, and has quite a ways to go yet. Her wheel chair also provides additional mobility. David and Debbie have opened their house up to us as usual. Cindy has made her a very comfortable nest in their family room, which has ready access to restroom facilities and the kitchen. They continue to go out of their way to make our time here in Charlotte as comfortable as possible. Cindy's parents, Mac and Grace are still looking after Luci, and Shirley is taking care of things back in Clinton including keeping my mom's clothes washed. Shirley is visiting her this afternoon. The nursing home folks found mom out of bed this morning, and she had a skin tear on her elbow, which required a precautionary emergency room visit, but there appeared to be no other damage or problems. If all goes according to plan (they are constantly changing), I hope to be able to return to Clinton tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for your continued prayers, and as you pray for Cindy, please also include my mom.

Sweet Freedom

Good Morning Everyone! After a combined stay of 35 days at the Carolinas Medical Center and the Carolinas Rehabilitation Institute Cindy was able to "fly the coop" so to speak on Saturday. You know it's amazing how much one can accumulate in one spot in over a month's time. Couple that with necessary equipment for out-of-rehab living, and you have the recipe for 6 trips from the room to the car, and if I may be so bold that was one heck of a packing job that I put on that Toyota. TS Hannah did not intrude on our day of liberation, and as we pulled out of the parking lot the sun was shining. Cindy's first taste of freedom was a 2.5 hour trip from Charlotte to Raleigh, but I don't think she has ever been more delighted to be on the road. We made a couple of quick stops along the way, but she was focused on reaching the destination. We arrived in Raleigh around 1:30 p.m. to the waiting arms of her parents, and the happiest puppy dog I think I have ever seen. I coundn't tell who was happier, but one thing is for sure Luci was jumping higher than Cindy.
After all the greetings were over we set about preparing the guest room for wheel chair and walker access. Cindy has learned in the brief time we have been out of the hospital that it is a completely different ball game when one's mobility is limited. Placing items within reach and having space to retrieve them is of paramount importance. But she is facing these new challenges with the same dogged determination that has characterized her battle against this disease. We plan to spend Sunday and Sunday night here in Raleigh, and return to Charlotte on Monday morning. Cindy still has 8 radiation treatments scheduled, which should conclude by the middle of next week (September 17th). Transportation to and from the hospital and getting acclimated to limited mobility will continue to offer some challenges over the next week and a half, but our friends David and Debbie have offered their assistance for lodging and transportation (as usual), and are contacting some of their friends for assistance. Rebecca's daughter, Nancy has also offered her assistance. Throughout this process we are continually made aware of God's provision in so many ways, and of the faithfulness of our family and friends. One day at a time and one step at a time remain the order of things. Your continued prayers for God's guidance and healing touch are most appreciated. May you have a blessed day!

Leaving the Nest

Good Morning Everyone! It's looking like we are going to get a visit from Hannah here in the eastern part of the state tonight and tomorrow. I am planning not to be here to see it. Cindy is being discharged from the Rehab Institute tomorrow! I plan to go to Charlotte this afternoon and visit with her this evening, and tomorrow we will pack her stuff up and drive to Raleigh and spend the weekend with her parents and Luci. Cindy will get a radiation treatment today and have physical therapy and exercise. This will be her 7th radiation treatement of a planned 15. Therefore, she will need to return to Charlotte on Monday to resume her radiation treatments. As far as we know right now she will be staying with our dear friends, David and Debbie. We still have some transportation issues to figure out, but it looks like she will not be engaged in formal physical therapy for the duration of her radiation treatment, but she has at-home exercises to do, and we will get her set up for out-patient physical therapy when she returns to Clinton. That will also save on the trips to and from the hospital.
We really appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers for they are such a blessing and a comfort to us, and we are confident that your prayers and God's grace and mercy continue to move Cindy closer to recovery. In addition to your prayers we have been blessed with emails, phone calls, cards, and so many acts of kindness along the way. Yesterday we received a beautiful card and a wonderful gift from my Clinton Cape Fear Farm Credit co-workers and friends: Amy, David, Gloria, Jay, Joel, Melissa, Nelson, Randy, Sylvia, Tonya, and Vickie. We have so much to be thankful for. Everywhere I go people come up to me and ask how Cindy is doing, and we have no idea how many people are praying for us, but we know that friends and family, and friends of friends and family have been added to a long list of folks that have been with us on this journey. We ask for your continued prayers as Cindy completes her treatment and continues her recovery. May you know God's blessing and feel His presence today.

New Month

Hey Everybody! We hope you all had a good holiday weekend. I came back to Clinton on Monday evening, stopping by Raleigh to visit Cindy's mom and dad, Mac and Grace, and to pick up Luci for a spell. Mac had grilled some pork tenderloin and Grace had fixed some scrumptious vegetables for supper. That sure was good!
Overall, Cindy had what I would consider a good weekend. We enjoyed a good visit with our Clinton friends, Jeff, Sarah, and Luke on Sunday. Our Charlotte friend, Debbie continues to be such a help to Cindy, and was busy Saturday helping get Cindy's room, flowers, cards, and incidentals in order. Debbie and David take turns coming to visit, when they don't come together, and they have really been such a blessing to both of us.
Cindy is still working on the elimination functions, but the physical and occupational therapy seem to be going very well. It has been 26 days since the surgery. Cindy has been diligent in her exercises, and pushing herself to become more mobile. Unless there are changes, it appears that she has progressed well enough physically that she is to be released from the Rehab hospital this coming Saturday (apparently just in time for Hannah). As of today she has had 4 radiation treatments out of a proposed series of 15, which means she will need 11 more. Since she can only get 1 a day, and none on the weekends, that means that she will likely need to remain in Charlotte through next week and into the week after next (probably until September 17th). We have not determined what arrangements we will make, but God's provision has seen us through thus far, and we are convinced that He will continue to provide. We ask that you continue to remember Cindy in prayer. This type of cancer is notoriously tenacious, and has been particularly so since it has moved to her back. We believe that we are doing what is medically appropriate, and with your help we are hopeful that our petitions to the Great Physician will, by His grace, bear healing fruit for Cindy. "Call unto me and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which though knowest not." Jeremiah 33:3 May you all know God's rich blessings today!