Damn You, Cancer | Owning Pink

Damn You, Cancer | Owning Pink

I found this website tonight and I wanted to share it. It is another blog and it discusses a lot of different things not just cancer. Some of you may know of it already. It has been noted in the media (Oprah show and others).

I especially like this blog topic- http://www.owningpink.com/blogs/owning-pink/understand-why-you-may-be-sick-suffering . This blog explains that the reason we are here and exist is to continue God's work, the reason we encounter pain is to better understand ourselves, our needs, and the needs of others. It is because we as a society don't know how to appreciate perfection, the world we live in, we have to keep learning and working to create the world we are hoping for- a world of understanding, love, tolerance, and kindness.

Anyway, I have enjoyed it and I hope you do too.

-Vanessa Hudson Reyes

Exhausted.

It has been a long week and mom is wiped out. We started with a 13hour doctor visit monday, and a half day tuesday of scans and bad news of the tumors growing, and then wednesday we saw the doctor to discuss the next step of treatment. It was wednesday when mom was approached by Darlene Dorsey of WOAI at the courthouse and she was just amazed that after hearing bad news, and being stage 4 that mom went back to work after. Thursday she followed mom around in the morning and then we just talked about the journey we've had so far dealing with this. We were pleasantly surprised for the exposure and we are truly grateful to everyone who is supportive, encouraging, and compassionate. Today was a long day and mom was downtown again and running through the court house. She got home around 6:30 and has fallen asleep. She will get a good nights sleep and be able to relax.

Thank you again and we will have a good weekend enjoying our time together.

-Vanessa

Attorney fights for clients as she battles cancer

Attorney fights for clients as she battles cancer

WOAI Channel 4 news recognizes Cindy Hudson's plight of cancer.

4th line treatment.... We have a great doctor.

We saw Dr. Tolcher today and he is continuously optimistic and encouraging. He is so wonderful and uplifting. Yesterday was really hard and we were bummed out about the news of the medicine not working. I think I knew it wasn't, but I/we were still so hopeful. When we left the dr's yesterday we felt so downtrodden. Its been one treatment after another ending in failure. Even still, mom has her head up and is ready to take the next step. I know she feels better having the stronger pain medicine and it is not affecting her in woozy way at all. When she explained that the pain medicine wasn't having any affect on her, the doctor explained how pain medicine works (he explains Everything!!! He's amazing!). Pain medicine works by counteracting the pain-nerve receptors. So if someone is in pain the pain meds essentially turn off the pain receptor and so the person is their normal alert self (unless they take too much or mix). If someone is not in pain and takes pain medicine, well then the medicine doesn't have anything its working against and so the woozy/weird side effects become present (that's my understanding/layman's guide of it).

Anyway, last night's stormy weather was refreshing in its own. It was as if the hard rain was washing away any feelings of hopelessness or defeat. This morning the sun was out and it was beautiful. My mom, older brother, and I met at the doctors office and waited to hear his words of encouragement. His demeanor is jovial and he enlightens us with his knowledge and compassion. He explains the next clinical trial (I'll write more on it in a separate post) and how its supposed to work. Mom, my brother and I are ready to move on in this direction and mom is ready to head back downtown for a Mediation hearing (still working). I stuck around to get the final copies. After getting the copies of we needed to keep I went back to Dr. Tolcher and his nurse to say thank you. I wanted to thank him for being our doctor and being the amazing doctor that he is. We are so grateful to be at the START center finally and have such a compassionate medical team working with us. He said to me that he really does care about my mom and loves working with her. I started to cry and he immediately brought me a tissue and gave me a big, comforting hug! He truly is a gift from God and Canada!!  ; )    -He's from Canada.

So we go back next week and mom will start the new trial on Valentine's Day.

-Vanessa

Cindy Sue Hudson's Cancer Fighters

You can find us on facebook for more updates. I put updates on both the blog and on facebook. Facebook is a very useful tool of communication and expression. If you prefer facebook you can find us by using the link below and the facebook page title is "Cindy Sue Hudson's Cancer Fighters", when at the page Click "Like" and you can see our updates, thoughts, and words of encouragement.

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cindy-Sue-Hudsons-Cancer-Fighters/218024158215301

Thank you.

-Vanessa

Help Cindy S. Hudson Fight Cancer!

We often ask Why?

"Why". Such a small word with an endless thought process and a neverending road to more questions than answers. I ask why has this happened to my mom every day and I ask hasn't she dealt with enough in life? I can only come to one answer and my answer is that if we were not dealt anything else in life than we wouldn't be living. Yes, my mom has had a constant barrage of things to deal with and overcome in life thus far. The most difficult being the drowning of my brother 30 years ago. My mom has been through a lot. She is a single mother of 3, a teacher, a nurse, a geologist, a lawyer, an avid church goer, and a giver. She is an amazing woman and is always there for everyone else. So I can only think that God ran out of difficult things to put in her path because she overcame every obstacle that has been put in her way. The only thing left is cancer. Cancer. How do we deal with cancer? I look to my mom and she gets up every morning and continues to work and help others. We just don't give up and we keep on living and building on our relationships and finding new things to appreciate and enjoy every day.

-Vanessa

Today was tough, but mom is hanging in there and waiting for a cure

I will edit and write more tomorrow, but for now I will just give a little update. Mom was in some really excruciating pain yesterday and that made the oncall doctor very nervous as to whether or not the medicine was working so he ordered unscheduled CT scans. She had the scans this  morning and unfortunately it showed that the tumors have continued to grow and a moderate pace. So, she did not take her dose for today and is starting the wash out period before we can move on to trying something else. She is positive and hopeful and determined to get better. On the bright side the tumors are not imposing on any arteries or major organs so that is something that we have to keep in mind as good news. Also, the cancer has stayed in the chest cavity and has not shown up anywhere else in the body. That is extremely important and really great news. The bad thing is that the tumor mass in her right lung is brushing up on the rib cage and possibly attaching itself there. As long as it does not get in the bone is what we have watch for. Of course this brushing up on it is excruciatingly painful and it was really hard to see her in that much pain. The doctor did prescribe a stronger pain medicine and I filled it today so she has it and it seems to work well. We go back tomorrow to see her doctor and discuss all of this and our next steps.

Keep praying, keep your faith, and smile because she is here and being so strong and encouraging.

Thank you.

-Vanessa Hudson Reyes

Long day today and still here at the START center.

I first just want to say how much I appreciate the nurses and staff here at the START center. They really are so wonderful, kind, and caring. I also am so grateful for our doctor. Dr. Tolcher is so personable and kind. He has a wonderful and enlightening sense of love about him. I am very pleased that he is my mom's doctor and is helping us.

So anyway, today is a long day for mom and she was here at the START center about 7:45am and was given her medicine around 9am. The nurses took blood at 30mins, 1 hour, 2 hour, 3 hour, 4 hour, 8 hour, and last 12 hour. We have one more to go.

She has been doing well in the mornings and feels okay, but as the day drags on she has pain in her back (where the lung is). This has been getting worse over the last week that I know of. I know she's been uncomfortable, but more recently its turned into excruciating pain. She has pain medicine for it, but may need something else to manage it better. We will ask the doctor tomorrow.

Today I brought lunch and we hung out together and played on the computer for a bit, but then the pain was becoming unbearable and she took some medicine and wanted to try and nap. I asked her on a scale of 1-10 how painful it was and she answered 11. She has a high pain tolerance, so when she says she's in pain its serious. I left a little before 4pm and went to the house. I came back over around 7:00pm and the nurse let me know that they had given her dilaudid after I left. Dilaudid (hydromorphone) belongs to a group of drugs called narcotic pain relievers, also called opioids. It is similar to morphine, but is synthetic. She is allergic to morphine and so can't take that. She was in a lot of pain. Anyway, I've been sitting here with her while she has slept peacefully. She just woke about 20 minutes ago and the nurse is finishing up with her last EKG and blood draw. She is feeling better and will be alright. She's a tough cookie!

Tomorrow we will see the doctor and she will only have to be here for the first part of the day.

Thank you and keep praying!

This week has been okay...

Well, still not much to report on the clinical trial drug. We have to wait for the scans, but mom is doing well enough and isn't suffering from any new symptoms. Her current symptoms have increased in intensity though. She is now losing her hair which I think is really emotionally difficult. We can't be too sure if its the medicine or residual from the chemo medicine before and a combination of stress. We have been pretty stressed out because we are in a state of uncertainty and not knowing if it is working. Of course we are all praying and hopeful that it is. The nose bleeds have increased a bit, but not to a point of dire concern or hospitalization. The fatigue and exhaustion has increased, but she is getting up every morning and getting out of the house. So she is getting exercise which is great. Her appointment this last tuesday went well enough and the doctor told her that he is hopeful that this medicine is working because her lab work has been good and because she looks great!!! She has been there today as well for more blood work and ekg's. We will go back next tuesday and schedule the scans then.

Thank you for your prayers and God bless you all.

-Vanessa

Happy New Year to All from Cindy Hudson

To all this New Year, I send blessings and the wish that you remain healthy and safe.  I so much wanted to be able to say things are doing well and the tumors are shrinking.  But I can't.  I can say, however, that I have not given up and we continue to try another direction.

After going through 6 chemotherapy sessions there was some shrinking, so that was a good sign.  Then the doctors thought this new drug, having been on the market for 2 months would be a positive step.  So at $10,000 a month, I went through 2 months.  I had some pain, but then it went away.  The doctors let me fly to visit my son and grandsons for Thanksgiving.  Great visit, very cute boys.  I was feeling good but my fingernails were getting very brittle.  We did the ct scans on my return, and the tumors had grown.  So no more $10,000 a month drug and we set off to find another path to follow.

My children have been so strong for me, I am so grateful for their love and support.  This is a tenuous fight and anyone who can be supportive for them too, I am most grateful.

As this new year begins, I hope to be in a clinical trial treatment program or on a drug treatment that proves positive in its effect. I want to be able to experience this year and many to come.  To be able to work and continue to do my job.  To be able to receive the hugs of so many and give hugs.

I care about life, I will stay strong and continue to appreciate the gifts God has put in my path.  I thank you all for your prayers and support.  I hope that as this new year begins and continues, that you continue your prayers and good thoughts.  It can be very depressing knowing your life is being tormented by a disease that is unknown.  I find comfort knowing you care, and will continue to draw strength from you.

Please read the blog, Vanessa is so strong in placing information: cindyhudson.blogspot.com.  Any assistance and thoughts to share can be placed through the blog also.

I wish good cheer and lots of love, in God's name.
Love
Cindy

Electrocardiogram use in Cancer research

An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart.

ECG is used to measure the rate and regularity of heartbeats as well as the size and position of the chambers, the presence of any damage to the heart, and the effects of drugs or devices used to regulate the heart.

An ECG is very useful in determining whether a person has heart disease. If a person has chest pain or palpitations, an ECG is helpful in determining if the heart is beating normally. If a person is on medications that may affect the heart or if the patient is on a pacemaker, an ECG can readily determine the immediate effects of changes in activity or medication levels. An ECG may be included as part of a routine examination in patients over 40 years old.

Abnormal ECG results may indicate:

Myocardial (cardiac muscle) defect

Enlargement of the heart

Congenital defects

Heart valve disease

Arrhythmias (abnormal rhythms)

Tachycardia (heart rate too fast) or bradycardia (too slow)

Ectopic heartbeat

Coronary artery disease

Inflammation of the heart (myocarditis)

Changes in the amount of electrolytes (chemicals in the blood)

Past heart attack

Present or impending heart attack

Clinically stable lung cancer patients without cardiac symptoms suggestive of myocardial injury indicates the possibility of myocardial metastasis. Myocardial metastasis is often elusive, thus careful observation of ECG changes is of primary importance for the antemortem diagnosis.

To put it simply, ECG's help to let us know the condition of her heart, changes due to medications, but can also inform us of metastis (cancer spreading) to the heart.

-Vanessa

Appointment was good today and went well.

Mom has an appointment every tuesday and friday where she first has blood drawn to check the levels of the medicine in her system and check her blood counts among other things. On tuesday's she visits with Dr. Tolcher to go over any symptoms, check her lungs, breathing, ask her questions, answer questions, do a general check up, and see how she is doing. After seeing the Dr. she has an ECG (electrocardiogram-test to measure the electrical activity of the heart-will post more on this later). After a while, she gets the medication for the week until friday's visit. Friday is about the same only she doesn't see the Dr. (unless its necessary).

Today's visit was good. There's not a whole lot new. Mom isn't experiencing any of the normal side effects (luckily theres not really any bad or crazy side effects noted with this drug). Mostly she is experiencing extreme fatigue and she has noted that her hair has been thinning, but now comes out when she runs her fingers through. Though she is still working, she is not working much. The days are exhausting, but she is doing so well and still wearing high heels!  : )

I asked the Dr. if we could get scans early, but he explained that although we could it probably wouldn't show much because the medicine is still just building up and we really should give it the alloted time. Its only been 2 weeks and although I'm anxious, I do understand. We would have to do it again later anyway and so it would be an unnecessary expense to do it, plus it just wouldn't show enough information this early. So, we will wait 2 more weeks to get scans and in the meantime we will all keep praying.

Mom is feeling well enough and we are having good days together hanging out. We had a great day today just sitting and chatting together and then mom and I had dinner at Willies Grill and Icehouse (great place) -food was alright and I had a coupon, but the best was just being with mom and talking.

Tomorrow she will work some and then in the afternoon we will do some light grocery shopping together.

-Vanessa

A new diagnostic technique. It’s called EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound)

A fairly new diagnostic technique is allowing lung cancer to be staged more accurately than a few years ago. What this means is you have better information to begin with the best plan of action and, ultimately, get best possible outcomes. It’s called EBUS (endobronchial ultrasound), and what brings it up a level from previous procedures is it enables visualization of lymph nodes beyond the airways. Not only can doctors visualize your lung and surrounding tissues, but they can do it without invasive surgical procedures they have had to rely on before.
Exactly what is EBUS and how is it done?
It’s a quick, relatively pain-free outpatient procedure performed during a bronchoscopy. This involves inserting a tube through your mouth or nose into the large airways leading to the lungs. Then an ultrasound probe (part of the bronchoscope) is used to visualize surrounding areas, including the lungs and mediastinum (chest area between the lungs). If something is seen warranting a closer look, your doctor will take a sample of tissue with a small needle guided by the ultrasound and send it to a lab for further evaluation.
“Because we can get to previously hard-to-reach places, and with minimal intervention, we can better understand the stage of lung cancer, if, and where it has spread. We can often avoid unnecessary interventions that require recovery time before moving to the next step,” says David Finley, MD, a thoracic surgical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
“What we can do with EBUS is significant because PET scans can produce false positives, as inflammation in the lymph nodes that is not cancer will light up on the scan. Conversely, up to 15 percent of PET scans and 30 percent of CT scans produce false negatives for lymph node involvement in the mediastinum and hilum,” says Dr. Finley.
Benefits
Beyond that it yields more accurate information, patients may be spared unnecessary surgeries, and there is less risk than with exploratory procedures. Less tissue is taken; there are no incisions and no scars.
What does EBUS mean for patients moving forward?
“We know exactly what treatments are indicated and which are not. It is not uncommon for patients who have been told they have no or very limited options because the disease is advanced to learn their cancer is only stage 1 or 2. We find out they are actually candidates for surgery. For people who are not surgical candidates, if we discover there is no node involvement we might be able to use radiation therapy to treat the tumor in the lungs.”
EBUS has something to offer late-stage patients too.
“Patients who are stage 4 will not have to endure treatments that won’t help. We do not say there are no options, but we have the knowledge to move on to the most appropriate individual plan, whether that be palliative radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination to alleviate pain, improve survival and quality of life,” says Dr. Finley.
Just what will EBUS tell my doctor?

• Whether tumors or enlarged nodes seen on CT scan are malignant or benign
• Help diagnose (stage) tumors within the lung or mediastinum or hilum
• Help diagnose (stage) lymph nodes in the mediastinum

“In the last 10 years, imaging has significantly changed our ability to stage. Now the question is to confirm what the imaging tells us. And EBUS has been the next step forward to pathologically confirm what we see,” says Dr. Finley. “Better staging typically means the best possible outcome.”
To learn about clinical trials for EBUS:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01467635

I found this at: http://www.1uponcancer.com/lung/

-I don't know if this would apply for mom or help much, but I will bring it up to Doctor as something interesting.

-Vanessa

Inspire.com an invaluable resource for Cancer patients and their loved ones.

I want to share with you a website that has helped my mom and I through this journey of living with cancer. It is so incredibly helpful to have other around you who understand the new feelings that are experienced when you first find out you or a loved one has cancer. It is an amazing place to raise questions, discuss fears and anxiety, and it is an incredible place of finding hope and strength. It is a discussion board website where people share their stories, and help each other find solutions, encouragement, faith, and again an endless sense of hope. It is a support group and full of information. You can ask any question and there are so many people their to help and give love.

The site is www.inspire.com It is an open discussion forum relating to any illness or problem that you may suffer or want to know about. Of course, we are signed up for th lung cancer support group and more specifically, the Non Small Cell Lung Cancer Stage 4 group. It is truly inspiring and I encourage any one who needs a friend or has questions about something to join the group and talk to others who share your concerns or may help because they have answers (whether through experience or research), knowledge of treatment options and centers, and for encouragement and support.

"Inspiration can be found in the kind word of a stranger or in the story of someone struggling with a common problem."

 The website "Inspire builds online health and wellness communities for patients and caregivers, in partnership with national patient advocacy organizations, and helps life science organizations connect with these highly engaged populations"

Go to www.inspire.com

Go with God.

-Vanessa

Still doing alright.

Mom is doing well. We had lunch together yesterday and went shopping together for her grandson's (my nephews) today. Tomorrow we are going for a 2mile walk and depending on how she feels maybe an early dinner. She is not experiencing any side effects and the doctor says the medicine is still building up in her system. She has had a little cough, but she thinks its from allergies. Cedar is really high right now and it seems like everyone is suffering from it. Her spirits are high and she seems happy and good. She is so strong and amazing. Keep praying and we will find out more in a few weeks.

God bless.

-Vanessa

Dr's appointment today was good. Not much to report on the clinical trial drug

Mom had a Dr's appointment today and there's not really much good or bad to report. She has only been on the new trial drug for a week. She isn't noticing any side effects and Dr. says that is because it is still building up in her system. She doesn't have any new symptoms either. He says it is safe to assume that the cancer has not spread anywhere else, so that is good to hear! Her spirits are up and she seems like she is doing well and feeling good. We won't find out anything about this drug working for 3 more weeks when she gets more scans done.

Anyway, some of what mom has to do as part of the clinical trial is get a vision test, an ekg, lots of blood draws, and a physical check every week. She looks good and is otherwise in good health (minus the having cancer).

 In the meantime we are in a state of uncertainty, but we are hopeful and saying prayers every day! Thank you all!

-Vanessa

Happy New Year!

Mom and I rang in the New Year together by walking the 5k at Fort Sam base, San Antonio, Texas. It was fun and we had a great time. We took Bathsheba with us and watched the fireworks.

We hope everyone had a great New Year!

New Years prayer:
God, thank you for a new year. May everyone in our family be willing to begin anew with a clean slate. We know that you are always ready to forgive us. Help us to be willing to forgive ourselves and to forgive one another.

As we begin a new year, remind us of our truest values and our deepest desires. Help us to live in the goodness that comes from doing what you want us to do. Help us to put aside anxiety about the future and the past, so that we might live in peace with you now, one day at a time.


Thank you and God Bless!


-Vanessa