More than skin deep

Chemo treatment 7 is completed! Cindy continues to amaze us all. The other night we had a baby shower at our home. Cindy waited until towards the end of the event to come over and there were mainly young, beautiful women left visiting with the mother to be. The rest of us older folks were in the kitchen area starting to clean up. I was standing next to Cindy near the dining room table and a very sharp and attractive young mother in her late 20's or early 30's stepped up to us, looked Cindy in the eyes and said, "May I just tell you how absolutely gorgeous you look." Cindy's head was wrapped in one of her cool scarfs that either Erica or Shauna had given or made for her. She was stunning. I notice that Cindy carries herself more confidently in her scarfs than in other head attire. I told her it empowers her! She glows, so to speak, and it is not the radiation because she hasn't started that yet. Cindy doesn't know how physically beautiful she is. Cori and I often tease her and are amazed that someone so good looking is our friend and how she doesn't mind being seen with out of shape, not so gorgeous but rather jolly us! It is because Cindy gets it. Her soul is even more beautiful than her body.

Final Chemo will be Oct 8, 2009. We cannot wait! I've already warned the Cancer Center that we plan on a P A R T Y!

What a difference a week can make

With the bout of pneumonia and the fact that her hematocrit was very, very low the doctors decided it would be best if Cindy waited an extra week before having her next Taxol chemo treatment. What a good decision that was. In that week's time her body was given the chance to re cooperate. Cindy had come home from the hospital with oxygen tanks but her health improved, she worked her lungs and by mid week was able to breath deeply on her own with her oxygen levels reading in the mid 90's. Yeah! The extra week also gave her body time to build up the red blood cells a little and the antibiotics helped to get her white cells to the levels they should be. Because she had an extra week of no chemo she was able to have a little more energy. So much that she picked, peeled and canned 28 quarts of peaches besides making a lot of peach jam. The provident living instilled in her by her father, mother and older siblings could not even be set aside by cancer. She simply could not stand to see the fruit drop off the tree and rot on the ground. The end result, beautiful jars of beautiful peaches! Every other year that Cindy has canned and then shared her harvest, we call them Cindy's gold for to us her peaches in the middle of the cold winter are more precious than gold. These jars will be even more so!

Friday was treatment 6. She was physically and mentally prepared for the event. When the oncologist asked if she would like to go on a three week instead of a two week regiment she boldly answered, "No. I'm ready for this. Let's move on and get it over with". She is brave and determined.

So far she is doing well. Fatigue will set in soon but she is enjoying every good moment that she has. She is grateful to you all for your fasts and prayers and calls and visits. We are now, dare I say, looking forward to just moving on!

posted by libby

There's no place like home

Cindy is coming home from the hospital. We are very grateful. Her hematocrit levels are still very low but through the night they started building themselves up and the doctors have decided against a transfusion. Her white counts have reached a good level. She is weak and tired and still having trouble breathing deeply, because of the pneumonia. But they are giving her oxygen and she gets to go home.

Thursday was to be treatment 6 of chemo. They will hold off one week and allow a little more time to heal. For those who have been through this it is not unusual. It will be good to allow her body the extra week to recover before going through this again.

Cindy wants all to know that while she cannot talk to each of you, she loves you all and thinks of you daily. It is difficult for her to talk on the phone and often she is downstairs, away from the house remodel noise and does not have a phone in that bedroom. She is not ignoring you, she just can't hear the phone nor is able to really talk much. But she loves you all and knows that you care. I have passed along all the emails and notes I have received. Thank you all.

Let's all keep prayers said that she will continue to heal and be strong for the next treatment.

posted by libby