I just miss you mom.

I think about you everyday. I dream about you all the time. This it makes hard to wake up. I wish we could back in time. I wish you were here. I love you and I miss you so.

Some time has passed....

I know it's been some time since I last posted, but it's been really difficult trying to adjust to life without my mom. My family has had a hard time coming together. We are all very much apart right now and grieving in our own way. I currently am seeing a counselor to help. Life has been so lonely and it's been really trying.

I do have a new phone number but anyone can reach me through this email.

Thank you and God bless!

Mom honored by Texas Senate

Mom has been presented with Senate Proclamation 609 which Senator Jeff Wentworth sponsored in memory of Cindy Sue Derby Hudson.

With this proclamation, the Texas Senate officially recognizes Cindy's civic and professional leadership. She will be remembered as an exemplary citizen whose contributions to her community positively affected the lives of many people. This proclamation will remain in the permanent records of the Texas Senate in her honor.

A special note from Senator Wentworth: "I grieve with you in the loss of your mother. May her noteworthy contributions to family, friends and neighbors be remembered with praise and gratitude."

Viewing and Last Respects

Viewing and last respects:
Family viewing is from 4-5pm, public viewing is 5-7pm

Friday, May 4, 2012
5pm to 7pm
Mission Park Funeral Chapels
3401 Cherry Ridge
San Antonio, TX 78230

Funeral Service:

Saturday, May 5, 2012
12:00pm
Mission Park Funeral Chapels
3401 Cherry Ridge
San Antonio, TX 78230

Mom has passed...

Mom, please be at peace. I hope that tomorrows viewing and saturdays is service is how you wanted it. My brothers and I are trying really hard. I still cant believe all of this. I keep waiting and praying. I understand, but I don't. I know life isn't fair, but this just seems too much. I love you mom. Everyone loves you. You have been an amazing inspiration and angel and saviour to so many people. Please be at peace and know that you have raised 3 strong, resilient children. Our love is with you and we know you are always with us and watching over us.
-Vanessa

Thank you everyone so much for the thoughts and prayers regarding the passing of our mother, Cindy Sue Hudson. She was a great mother and incredibly strong woman. She is at peace now and will be deeply missed.
-Hudson family
Funeral arrangements are below:

Viewing and last respects:

Friday, May 4, 2012
5pm to 7pm
Mission Park Funeral Chapels
3401 Cherry Ridge
San Antonio, TX 78230

Funeral Service:

Saturday, May 5, 2012
12:00pm
Mission Park Funeral Chapels
3401 Cherry Ridge
San Antonio, TX 78230

Still here and resting peacefully

It has been a really rough month. Mom has really declined so fast and now that we are at the end time seems so slow. I think in the family we are all exhausted and emotionally drained. I know I feel like a bit of a zombie. My brothers are here and one is in the living room resting on the couch and the other upstairs trying to get a little rest too. I am in the room with mom and the hospice nurse. My brothers and I are helping each other and are beginning to tell stories together and share in laughter.

Today has been the most peaceful. She has been so restless, but today she has been calm. Her breathing is stable, slowed but steady at about 15 breaths per minute. Her heart is slowed and she is sleeping but does wake a little and hears us talk to her and pray with her.

She wanted to make to today, wednesday May 2. She has officially made it a year since she was told it was cancer. Even though her official diagnosis of cancer wasn't till friday the 13th of May last year, she was told it was most probably cancer before then and that they just needed to figure out what type. So she has now made it one year.

I think May 2nd holds another meaning for her, but I'm not sure what. Throughout her battle with cancer each change in treatment or condition has coincided with some form of a holiday. I'd be curious to know if anyone knows if May 2nd has another special meaning to her that maybe we as the children don't know.

If she does pass on tonight, my older brother has let me know that the memorial will be friday and the service on saturday. There's still a lot of work to do, but my brothers have done a really great job trying to organize her affairs.

Anyway, I will write more tomorrow.

God bless! And thank you for your continued prayers.

-Vanessa

Transitioning

My brothers and I are with mom at her side. She has begun to transition again and is passed the stage of terminal restlessness. She is now calm and her breathing has slowed as well as her heartbeat. We are together with her and she knows she is loved by everyone. Thank you all.

She is ready to let go, no more visitors...

She is in so much pain and has verbalized that it is torture. She is asking for help to pass on. All we can do is give her more drugs to try to take the pain away so that she can let go. Her body is in a state of terminal restlessness. My brothers and I are with her and even though her mind is ready, her body is not. Hopefully she will relax enough and go home peacefully. Thank you for prayers and God bless.

Hospice at Home and Care Calender

Hello All. Cindy is home now. She was brought to house yesterday. While a hospice nurse will be there at all times, a friend or family member must be present too. Many people have asked what they can do to help, we have set up a care calendar. We a...sk that you sign up for a amount of time to sit with Cindy. The Link to the website is http://carecalendar.org/logon/111140 The Calendar ID: 111140 and the Security Code is: 4483 All further details are on the care calendar. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. The Hudson KidsSee More

CareCalendar - Filling the needs

carecalendar.org

Web based system to organize meals and other help for families during a time of illness or life changing event, such as the birth of a baby or death of a family member

Hospice and Mom are at the house.

So mom is home and mostly resting. Hospice is here at the house and she is in a hospital bed that they brought in and is receiving oxygen. We are trying to get ahead of the pain, but hospice is slowly increasing the dosages of her pain meds. She still has swelling but it has gone down. We encourage all visitors to come to the house. There is nothing else we can do except be near her and pray. It is a very difficult time and there is tension in the family. Everyone's emotion are raw and it is hard to express ourselves. Anyway, call or come visit. We appreciate all your prayers and support.

God bless.

-Nessa

Advice

Haas Blaag: Advice From Haas: 1. If you love someone make sure they know it 2. Don't take things for granted 3. Live your life to the fullest 4. Enjoy the great da...

Mom is in room 888 on the 8th floor at Methodist hospital.

Still in ICU and trying to get a room, trying to get her home.

Please visit her at Methodist. She is in ICU still but should move to oncology in the morning. 8th floor is oncology. She will be able to have visitors at any time and we appreciate it and accept it. Please show your love. It is one thing to write it, it is another to show it. I know that everyone can't because of travel, distance, personal issues and what not. I know and appreciate your love, but if you want my mom to know please come and let her see your face and feel it herself. Even if it is for a minute. She will then know for herself. The most I can express is my own true love for my mother. I cannot express the love of others. I, my mom, and my family appreciate your love and support. Thank you all and God bless.

-Vanessa L. Hudson

Mom is in ICU and in a lot of pain. Surgery was not able to be performed.

Surgery was unsuccessful. Mom is in ICU at methodist hospital. The doctor had opened her up to see if they could do the procedure and what he saw was that her lung was completely encased by tumors. She is in ICU and trying to heal as much as possible. Our hope is to be able to take her home by end of weekend so that we can all be there together with her and she can be as comfortable as possible at... home. She is in a lot of pain constantly and she is unable to talk most the time. She is on pain meds and antibiotics. It is really hard to see her like this. I just want her wishes to be carried out and if anyone needs to make peace with her please contact to make arrangements. I don't want to lose her. This is so difficult. She is loved and God is with her!

 

Room 787 on 7th floor of Methodist Hospital. Visiting hours are 10-2, 4-7, and 9-11pm. Thank you all.

 

-Vanessa

Decortication

Decortication
In thoracic surgery, decortication refers to a surgical procedure done to free a fibrous capsule that has formed around the lung, secondary to an inflammatory process, such as an infection. Ordinarily there is a potential space between the lung and the inside of the chest wall, with this space "lubricated" by a thin layer of fluid. In some conditions, such as pneumonia, or after an episode of bleeding in the chest, this space can fill with fluid which can eventually solidify and form a capsule around the lung. As the capsule grows, it can entrap the lung and cause problems with breathing. In a decortication operation, the surgeon works to remove this capsule and free the lung so that it can function normally.

The pleural lining surrounding an internal organ is either partially removed with the removal or several layers, or in some cases completely removed, depending on the severity of the condition being treated. The procedure can be performed on many of the major organs, such as the heart, liver, brain, although a majority of the time it’s performed on the lungs. There are a handful of conditions that can be successfully treated with decortication.

How Decortication Can Help With Many Different Conditions

Through decortication excess (infected) fluid that has accumulated in the pleura lining of an organ is removed. This is fluid that when left untouched can build up to cause severe pain and discomfort, and when infected can cause severe illness and possibly death if left untreated. When dealing with fluid that isn’t infected decortication is used for relief rather than a cure. There are many illnesses that can cause fluid buildup in organs and while removing the fluid through decortication likely won’t completely solve the problem it will relieve most of the pain associated with the condition. When dealing with infected fluid decortication is a very effect cure, as the fluid buildup is caused by the infection itself; remove the infection and fluid accumulation will in most cases cease.

Is Decortication Safe and Effective?

Decortication is a procedure that holds a very low mortality rate; only 1-2% of patients die during, or due to decortication (the chances being much lower if you’re being seen by an experience surgeon). About 90% of patients see improvement of their symptoms and the most common side-effect, prolonged air leaks, only occurs in one of ten patients.

The Procedure – A Closer Look

Thanks to modern technology decortication is usually a very simple procedure. The procedure differs very little when done on different organs. Open decortication is not recommended unless absolutely necessary – it can cause significantly more scarring and possible complications.

Lung Decoritcation Surgery

1. The patient is laid out horizontally and sedated through the use of anesthesia. Once the patient is completely unconscious the surgeon makes a small posterolateral thoracotomy incision (incision made on one side of the chest used to enter the chest wall) about 2-4 centimeters long. An index finger is used to enter the incision to fully inspect and asses the severity of the present infection.
2. A Thoracoport is inserted and attached to a camera and TV – this will act as the surgeon’s “eyes” during the surgery, allowing the surgeon to perform the surgery without making any large incisions.
3. Fibrous deposits on the Lung and chest wall are removed through the use of a suction device. A second Thoracoport is inserted to prevent the lung from attaching itself to the chest wall while the suction device is used. Deposits that cannot be removed with the suction device are removed using medical forceps. Completely removing fluid from the costo-phrenic sulcus is stressed to prevent any kind of future immobility. When the lung is fully dethatched from the chest wall the surgeon can proceed to the next step.
4. A third Thoracoport incision is made, which will also serve as a forcep entry. This incision is identical to the first. A dissection planeis created between the lungs and tissue surrounding the lungs – the layer surrounding the lungs is fully dissected and separated from the lung. Forceps are then used to remove the dissected tissue. This process of steps 3 and 4 continue for 1-4 hours as the lung is completely decorticated and the pleural peel is completely removed.
5. When the entire pleural lining is removed two chest tubes are inserted through two of the Thoracoport incisions. The operated cavity is then rinsed with a Salt solution to ensure sterility and the operated lung is inflated to end the surgery.

Post-Decortication Recovery

Most patients can expect to stay in the hospital for several days, up to a week, after surgery to assist in recovery and ensure no serious complications arise. The first few days after surgery the chest wall usually continues to lose a little blood and there’s also the possibility of air leaks occurring during the first week after surgery. After about a week or so patients can safely go home where they’re expected to rest for another 3-4 weeks while the operated areas fully heal; if the decortication was performed on a lung deep breathing exercises are recommended to help strengthen the muscles as well as promote flexibility. It’s very important to avoid physical activities during the first 2 months of recovery. Any kind of blow dealt to the chest area could potentially open partially-healed wounds inside.

In Cancer:

A procedure involving lung decortication is usually recommended when the patient’s lung is not able to fully expand due to the collapsed tissue that encases the lung. This causes breathing problems and often pain. It is also a procedure that is used to clear away malignant tissue, if the disease has set in around the lungs. To reduce the risk of lung damage, this operation has to be performed with extreme care. In addition to clearing away the tissue, the surgeon also has to locate and drain any fluid or pus that has accumulated. A successful decortications of the lung can yield a beneficial sigh of relief for the patient, but not all people are considered good candidates for this procedure. It is up to the surgeon to determine if the operation should be performed on an individual.

Surgery in the morning

So surgery is tomorrow. They will take her in at about 10am and the surgery is at about 11. It will take time and it is a high risk and invasive procedure. It should go well and she will be moved to ICU after. Hopefully this will eleviate her pain and help her to be more comfortable. Thank you all.

Major surgery is scheduled for monday morning... It is a serious concern, but I believe in her strength

okay well mom has been moved to the oncology floor at Methodist hospital (8th floor). She has been having trouble breathing and the fluid in the pleural space has basically congealed in a way to where it is not draining and thus building and pushing on the right lung. The thoracic dr and pulmonologist have conferred and decided to perform a major surgery on the pleural lining. It is called decortication. It is very serious and we all have to keep positive and maintain our faith in the Lord. I will write more tomorrow. God bless and continued prayers.

Moved to oncology floor

Mom is still in hospital. They were going to let her come home last night but then after looking at chest x-ray the doctor saw that there were fluid pockets in the pleural lining that were crushing the right lung and making it difficult to breathe. They discussed repositioning the pleural drain but instead performed another thoracentesis. She will see a pulmonologist this morning. Other than that she is okay and really just wants to come home. They have moved her to the oncology floor because she may wind up staying through next week and receive her chemo treatment there. She may also get another blood transfusion cuz her red blood count is low. Will update more later.

Still recovering, but with some difficulty breathing

Mom will be in hospital through weekend most likely. She is getting oxygen now because it is really difficult to breathe and of course she still has the pleural drain in her back and the infection in her leg is going down, but will take time to heal. She is in a lot of pain and so with IV fluids and IV antibiotics she is now getting IV pain medicine. Continued prayers. Her will is strong and she is antsy to get out of the hospital, but it is good that she is under observation and getting fluids. Thank you all.

Recovery

Mom is healling nicely, but last night they did give her another blood transfusion. Hopefully she will be feeling much better and going home this weekend. It was good that she went to hospital when she did because this infection (tho bad enough) could've been worse. It is still draining and the swelling is gone and looks like it is lessening. She is getting pumped full of antibiotics and though she's uncomfortable, she is doing much better!!! Thank you all!