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Dr. Cavalcant

Shellster — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:59:08 GMT

At the end of this month Dr. Cavalcant will retire. He's been my oncologist since I started my journey with cancer in April of 2009. Today I got to say goodbye. I took him a box of oranges from my trees and a thank you card. He is a vegetarian so i'm sure he can appreciate oranges. He said he has been in medicine for 30 years and he really loves coming to work. His wife told him its not going to get any easier. He has 4 sons all living in the area and i know he likes to hike. So Dr. C will leave Desert Oncology Associates at the end of next week. He is not completely retiring, one of the chemo nurses today said he will teach. He did tell me I was one of his favorites. He said the chemo nurses love me. He said alot of nice things about me, he got choked up, gave me a big hug and walked out of the patient room.

Good luck and Farewell Dr.Cavalcant.

Dr C. me and my little brother Dan

CyberKnife/TrueBeam

Shellster — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:43:34 GMT

Monday (11-28th-2011) i went in for my 1st TrueBeam therapy. It only takes about 20 minutes. I lay on a table and they bolt my head down to the table and this scanner goes around my head. This radiosurgery uses high-intensity beams of radiation with great precision (within 2 mm) to destroy cancer cells. TrueBeam damages cancerous cells while minimizing exposure to nearby healthy cells. When the cancerous cells are directly hit by the precise beams, their ability to reproduce is compromised and they eventually die, causing the to tumor to shrink. I went everyday this week, today was my last day for this round. My parents came down and my Mom went with me up to N. Scottsdale everyday. She is a trooper!!

Dr. Kresl is one of the top ten Oncologists in America. I saw him today and my Mom asked him today if he thinks this will work and he said "oh ya, I've been doing this a long time". We both like him, he's very down to earth. He is a nationally recognized expert in Stereostatic radiosurgery and is a frequently invited lecturer throughout the world. He told us today that these therapies I had this week will continue working for the next 3 months.

Shelly and Dr. Kresl (Dec. 2nd, 2011) Kill that cancer!!!
And thats the story from Spring Circle!!

Thanksgiving and 50th Wedding Anniversary

Shellster — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 23:59:58 GMT

Lauren flew in from California and we headed up to Payson to spend with my parents and also celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary. When we got there my brother Dan opened the door! He drove in and shocked my parents and us by showing up. He told us he couldn't make it. Him and Amy (his 3 legged yellow lab) made the Thanksgiving/ Anniversary very special. We ate like Kings and Queens like we always do and we had ALOT of laughs!!! Dan looks great and him and Amy are coming back for Christmas so we are really looking forward to it.

I signed up for Holiday lights map. You pay $5 to get your house on the map for lights and the money goes towards local charities. I've never put up this many lights and it looks great--if you live local drive by and check it out. Most of the the lights, cut outs and blow ups ( Grinch and Bear) came from my parents. The more they brought down from Payson the more we put up in the front yard.

I hope everyones Thanksgiving was as awesome as mine was!
Shelly

Good News (11-21-11)

Shellster — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:37:09 GMT

Valley OBGYN called and the Polyp they biopsied came back normal! About time we start getting some good news!

Monday the 28th is my 1st Cyberknife and I'm really excited to get started. Dr. Kresl is one of the top 10 radiologists in America. Lets get in there and blast out some cancer tumors!

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you all for your positive thoughts and prayers!!

Shelly

Updates

Shellster — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:14:22 GMT

On Tuesday Nov. 15th i went up to N. Scottsdale to get my brain mapped out (MRI) and they fitted me for my head mask. I start my 1st Cyber Knife therapy on Nov. 28th and i cant wait to get going. Dr. Kresl thinks it will take between 1 and 5 sessions to get the bigger tumors at the base of the skull. He said after that we will attack the 2 smaller tumors in the hypothalamus. He said they should be no problem to get rid of. I'm glad we are changing things up and it sounds like its going to to be a positive change!

On the other hand,Wednesday the 16th i had an endometrial biopsy and it was the most painful thing i've been through in my life. They took a snip of polyp out of my uterus to see if its cancerous. I get the results of that procedure next week.

I've been thru alot of scans and Md. appointments lately, next week i'm MD free and i'm looking forward to the break!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!! I know I have alot to be thankful for!!!

Shelly

Cyber Knife and Endometrial Biopsy

Shellster — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:17:14 GMT

Tomorrow i go to North Scottsdale for a Cyber Knife evaluation on the brain. Talked to Dr. Taylor my radiation MD yesterday about it. It sounds promising and he said its very effective and there will be no pain. Cyber Knife is an alternative to surgery. It delivers beams of high dose radiation to tumors with extreme accuracy. It involves no cutting. In fact the C. K. System is the worlds 1st and only robotic radiosurgery system designed to treat tumors throughout the body invasively. I'm excited and i hope it kicks some cancer ass!!

Also have an Endometrium Biopsy on Nov. 16th. They are gonna cut into a polyp on my uterus and see if its cancerous. She said that will be painful. So i will keep everyone informed of results.

Hope eveveryone is well! Shelly

New scan results (Oct 17th, 19th)

Shellster — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 01:48:33 GMT

I had a MUGGAscan done on the 17th and an MRI of brain done and also a PETscan done on the 19th. The PETscan shows the bone cancer has not changed. The MRI shows that the brain cancer has progressed. Originally it was between my skull and brain. Now it has permeated the interior of the brain and the tumor size has increased. My equilibrium is off due to the pressure in my brain and have started taking steroids again and its definitely helped my balance. I also had an ultra sound and they found a polyp on my uterus. So i'm waiting for insurance to confirm payment and if they do i will have an endometriosis biopsy. Lotsa stuff goin on. I'm going to ask DR. Cavalcant about clinical trials tomorrow and see what he thinks.

Thats the story from Spring Circle. Hope everyone is well!!

Sept 23rd-27th,11 Cali trip

Shellster — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 19:39:33 GMT

Aunt Linda, me, Grandmere, Ashley, Lauren and Chris.
Flew into Calif. last Friday. Lauren picked me up and we went to the Sagebrush Cantina where we met Sherri and Traci. Saturday we went down to Anaheim and met my relatives at Olive Garden for lunch. After that, Lauren and i went to 2 Angels games. One Saturday night and a day game Sunday. They split the games, won sat, lost on Sunday. We had great seats! I missed Tanner for sure and its good to hang out with him again! Thanks to Mom and Dad for watching him while i went on a mini vacation!

Raynham has left the building

Shellster — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:57:09 GMT

The first time i went to Chemo Raynham i was excited, nervous and scared. Raynham sat with me and calmed me down, Every time i went to chemo she had a hug for me and a kind word. Raynham has moved to Banner Anderson on Higley and the 60. She will be missed by patients and staff at Dr. Cavalcants office. She sent me a card with the sun going down on the ocean and it reads...

Shelly,
Just wanted you to know that God has given me a new opportunity to serve. I will be working at MD Anderson starting next month. You have been such a treat to get to know. I admire your love of life and determination. You have such an amazing support system and the Cheerleader of the Century-Mom. You are unstoppable girl! I wish you the very best and send my love and gratitude that our paths crossed. Give Mom and Dad a hug and keep big one for yourself.

With hope to live on... Raynham Hauber

Family reunion

Shellster — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:09:40 GMT

July 29th thru Aug. 2nd was a success! We stayed at Eagle Lake in Northern California. It was a group spot with plenty of room on the lake. A bit of a walk to get there but the kids and dogs thoroughly enjoyed it. We were a little disappointed more people didn't show, but those who did really enjoyed it. It was good to hang out with some of my cousins, some i haven't seen in years. The weather was awesome and so was the food that my brother Dan cooked and also my cousin Tammy. I hope we all get together soon!

Heres a few pics...

Trip to So. Cal.

Shellster — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 17:59:05 GMT

I Finally got to see my cousin play in his band at the House of Blues in Anaheim. Me Lauren and my Aunt Linda went and I was very impressed. Several bands played prior to Chris's band (Franki Doll and the Broken Toys) but Chris's band was far superior to the other bands. Everyone in the band plays well and Franki has a hell of a voice for as small as she is. Then on Saturday we went out for lunch with Grandmere, Aunt Linda, Chris and Ashley and Lauren. We went to the Olive Garden and everyone sang me Happy Birthday. Linda took us by my Grandparents old house and i got some pictures. I don't remember it, as i was only 2 at the time. But i disappeared after dinner one night and everyone thought i might be at the bottom of the pool. They turned the lights on and i wasn't, i was in the bathroom. A relief i'm sure! We also went by Hoag hospital where i was born and took some pics. Sunday we went out to Catalina Island and had a great time. I would definitely do that again! It was quaint and very relaxing. Then back to AZ on Monday (7-18-11)

Today Vals throwing me a little BDay/ Pool party here at my house. Should be a good time!

Chris and Ashley

Me and Lauren at Catalina

Grandmere,me and my Aunt Linda

Blake Shelton

Shellster — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:34:25 GMT

Last night (7-3-11) i took my friend Judy, her daughter Stacie and Stacies son 12 year old Brandon to the Blake Shelton Concert at the Talking Stick baseball fields in Scottsdale. None of it would have been possible without my good friend Nancy H. She provided 4 tickets that were awesome seats! When we got there a monsoon was coming in fast. Lighting all around the stadium, a dust storm and the wind was howling. By the time we got in it started raining. Everyone was huddled under what limited shelter they had at the stadium. Luckily the rain ceased after 5 minutes and we were in our seats in no time. They were awesome seats. Right behind the 1st base dugout, 1st row. The stage was in center field a little ways from where we were but they had a jumbo tron so we didn't miss a lick. Blake was actually better than i thought he would be. He mixed it up with some rock and roll songs and did other country songs from other artists. But what topped Blake was the fireworks show after. That was the most spectacular fireworks show i've ever seen! It was like a "grand finale" for 45 minutes. We all had a really good time!! Happy Independence Day!!

Me, Brandon, Stacie and Judy

Me and Judy

PTscan results (6-15-2011)

Shellster — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 01:38:46 GMT

I had a PTscan done on Wednesday and found out today that the cancer is back in my bones. Pelvic, spine and ribcage. But he said he is very pleased that the cancer has not spread to my vital organs. Radiation for the brain is not an option i've had too much radiation. Personally i'm glad its not an option. It was ineffective and made me sick and fatigued for months. My hair is finally growing back after 2 years!! I asked Dr C if i am running out of options and he adamantly said NO! I have alot of options left. Thats exactly what i needed to hear. So we are going to continue Chemo every 3 weeks and Tykerb pills. He prescribed a new pill to fight the bone cancer and block hormones. Hopefully its strong, swift and kicks some cancer ASS!!

Flag day was Tanners 2nd Birthday and he got some vanilla ice cream to celebrate.

Hope everyone is well!!

Shelly

Test results

Shellster — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 17:06:06 GMT

On May 29th i took Tanner for a walk, and by the time we got back to our street my right hand was numb and i had blurred vision in my right eye and i could not remember my dogs name. Dr. C ordered MRI right away. So June 1st I had an MRI of the brain done and also a MUGAscan of the heart. Yesterday i got the results back (6-3-11). My heart looks great but my brain cancer is progressing and the tumors are larger. Also they found new cancer seeds between skull and brain. Dr. C recommends radiation again. But i was told i cant have any more radiation. He said its possible they didn't radiate that portion of the brain so he is going to talk to DR Taylor and we will find out on the 9th how they want to progress. He said the tumors are pressing on my equilibrium.

Meanwhile Friday was my last day with the Town of Gilbert and of course i have mixed emotions about it. Fear what the future holds and sadness. I will miss those people especially working with Clint. I am officially disabled, but i would prefer to call it retired, as i dont feel disabled.

Vals 50th Surprise

Shellster — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 21:35:00 GMT

Birthday party was a huge success. Altho Val doesn't turn 50 until May 15th the early party helped with pulling it off. Vals Dad made it from Ca, Christine and Rolly and brother Billy from the great north west. Jay came from Austin and Amy made it from DC. Vals Aunt and cousins from Tucson made the trip. If i had to guess i would say there were at least 80 people that showed. Vals Mom barb gave a rousing tribute and MK sang a ditty that left people giggling. Vals cousin Mike sang a song to Val that was definitely a classic. There was lots of food and booze, of course. The band "Dirty Lingo" played for a few hours. They were awesome and i definitely want to see them again. MK, Rhonda and everyone else that worked on putting that party together did a hell of a job!! Happy Birthday Buddy!

California road trip

Shellster — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 20:49:00 GMT

Took a long trip to California and had a really good time. I couldn't have planned it any better. I camped out at Leo Carrillo Beach for 4 days with Lauren, her daughter Meg and Megs friend Melissa. We tented it and introduced Tanner to his 1st experience at the beach. He loves water so i thought he would take right to it, but he was a little spooked by the waves. He got his paws wet but never went in fully. After that i went up to Santa Maria to visit my Grandmother and her boyfriend Dale. It was good to see them both, its been quite a few years since i've seen them. After that i went to Lompoc which is where i was raised, graduated high school there and worked for Johns-Manville/Celite for 18 years. Mike and Penny Taylor were gracious enough to let me stay in their brand new 5th wheel out at River Park. Penny told a bunch of Celiters that i was in town and at least 40 people came out to the park to visit, including Tina Reyes a gal i grew up with and played ball with for years. We had a big potluck and tossed back a few cold ones and reminisced about work and Lompoc. After that i went down to Thousand Oaks and stayed with Sherri and her boyfriend Scott. They have been seeing each other for a while now and i finally got to meet him. What a character, i think she's got herself a winner. Saturday nite we all went out to Corrigans steak house and met Lauren, my brother Dan and his new girlfriend Mary Rose. After dinner we went out dancing and all had a great time. Sunday morning i met up with Ron Grote one of my favorite people! He brought along his son Jack who's the cutest little boy. Ron is a L.A. firefighter and brought me a couple of t-shirts from his station. It was nice to meet new people and hang out with old friends. Now its time to reload and head out for Utah. I'm meeting Dan at Zion Nat'l Park for a weeks worth of camping. I'll take plenty of pictures and blog when i get back!

Peace!

1st pitch and heros

Shellster — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:13:00 GMT

On Friday Jodie came in from California. On saturday March 26th Jodie and I headed up to Prescott and i stopped in Dewey and picked up Sherri and Marlene who were visiting their Dad Satch. We went to Yavapai College and i had the honor of throwing out the 1st pitch of the womens softball game. Mesa Community College lined up on the 1st base chalk line and YC lined up on the 3rd base chalk line. Jodie caught for me and it went off with out a hitch. The announcer said some nice things about us and that we played for YC 30 years ago. Jodie pitched and i caught, we were also roommates in the dorms. We had a great time and YC swept MCC.

Meanwhile back at my house my parents were there to watch Tanner. My Mom went to the grocery store and when she got home she heard Tanner barking in the backyard. My Dad was napping when she got home. She went out back to see what Tanner was barking at and saw a little boy 5-6 years old sitting on my 6 foot block wall. He stood up and almost fell. My Mom said he was wearing diapers and he was speaking gibberish so she new something was wrong. She went in and woke my Dad up and when they got to the back didn't see him at first. He went running by and was chasing Tanner and fell in the pool and went straight to the bottom. My Mom called 911 and my Dad jumped in and fished the little boy outta of the pool. The police got there immediately. Turns out he lives to the south of me and is autistic. If my Mom hadn't have come home when she did and Tanner hadn't been making a ruckus, and Dad didn't jump in, that little boy would have been floating in the pool when i got home on Sunday. It was very scary for my parents. The officers told my Dad he is a hero. I think all three of them are heros. Tanner, my Mom and my Dad. That little boy had angels watching over him on Saturday! I will get some pics of the heros and post them ASAP. Peace!

This is an awesome email from my Aunt Carole

Shellster — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:21:00 GMT

Mom told me about Shelly's visit to the doctor. I want to share with you what the doctors told Willy's dad after his stomach surgery. He had cancer of the stomach and the doctors removed 5/8 ths of his stomach. After the surgery he asked the doctors what they thought and they told him that they could not remove all the cancer and that he only had from 6-9 months at the most. Willy's dad lived for over 6 YEARS.

Our friend Theresa Achkar was diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. It disappeared... she has no sign of cancer now. The doctors don't know how it happened.

I have always believed that the day we are born, it is written the how and when we will die. There is not a doctor on earth that has a copy of that book!!

Will should have been killed twice in Vietnam. But he wasn't..

We have all heard the hundreds of stories of how this one would never walk, or talk or... But they did!

Shelly has been remarkably strong and resilient throughout her cancer ordeal. Her body has fought this hard and done remarkably well with her treatment... Others may not have done 1/2 as well. We have all been amazed at Shelly. The body is a remarkable thing... from the minute we are conceived it does miraculous things. I doubt any doctor would argue with that!

So stay strong in faith and spirit because NO ONE knows how our journey through life goes.. Or what's waiting around the next corner.

I love you all very much!

Take care, Carole

Aunt Carole and Uncle Will

Anniversary 3-9-2009

Shellster — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 16:21:00 GMT

Two years ago today i got a phone call that changed my life forever. It was about 1 in the afternoon and we were working on our last job of the day when Valley OBGYN called and told me I had cancer. My immediate thought was what a way to learn you have cancer, over the phone. I hung up and told my partner Clint "I HAVE CANCER" !!!! I radioed my boss Richard and asked if I could go home early and he said sure. All the way home i thought i have to call my Mom and let her know and she's gonna lose it and then i will as well. I called her and couldn't get the words out. I started crying and she asked me very sternly what was wrong. I blurted it out and she never wavered. She said very strongly "Well what do we do next"? And she has been by my side like a rock ever since. It has been a roller coaster for my family, but it has definitely brought us closer. Dan flew out last Saturday and is here until this Saturday. Its always a pleasure having him around.

My brother and i are going to Zion national Park for a week in May. In July we have a family reunion on my Moms side planned for Eagle Lake that should be alot fun. We haven't seen alot of those relatives in years. Alot of new kids and babies to meet. Then in November my parents will celebrate their 5oth Anniversary and we will definitely do something special for that occasion.

My last visit with Dr. Cavalcant went well. He said the Tykerb pills combined with the Herceptin drip is very effective towards the brain cancer. The last brain MRI i had showed actual shrinkage of the tumors in my brain. That is great news and i hope it continues to shrink those little bastards to non-existence! I have been feeling pretty healthy for the most part. Hopefully that doesn't change.

I wish you all good health and prosperity!

Peace out, Shelly

Cathedral City Softball Tourney

Shellster — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 01:00:00 GMT

Last weekend i went to Ca. to watch my Alma Matter play ball. I played catcher for Yavapai College in 80-81. My roommate at the time was Jody Pilketon and she pitched and i played catcher. It was one of the most memorable times of my life. Most of us had full ride scholarships and lived in the dorms. We ate out of the cafeteria and the only money we had to come up with was for laundry and the little gas we needed to putt around Prescott if we knew someone lucky enough with a car. My Mom would send me a $25 check every month and that was plenty. I met a variety of great people there and i'm still friends with quite a few of them.

Jody started emailing coach Iveson to let her know we were coming to the tourney and also about my cancer. The Coach read the email to her team and they decided they wanted to wear their pink commo baseball hats. They only wear those in October, but coach gave them the choice and they wore them the entire tournament. So we got to meet the team before game one and they gave me one of those pink cammo hats and i LOVE it!!! I wore it all weekend. The girls were all very inquisitive and very respectful. After the last game the 3rd baseman handed me the homerun ball she had hit out during the game and signed it. I left feeling very proud.

Jody came in from Lompoc and Sherri came from Thousand Oaks. It was an awesome weekend, and the Roughriders played very well. They are rated #2. I hope to catch some more games closer to home before the season is over.