Update on our sister Sheila

[DonnaD]

I visited Sheila today in the hospital and have her permission to post this message. Notes from her are in my hand. Please remember she is the nurse not me! Sheila went in for treatment (Avastin and Herceptin) on Tuesday, 5/18. She told the onc. she was feeling the worst she had felt since diagnosed with no energy, shortness of breath and pain. The Onc. decided to move forward quickly. She was admitted to the hospital that afternoon. On Wednesday, 5/19; she had an Arterd Pulmonary window done with a chest tube inserted to relieve the fluid. They drained 1000 cc of fluid from around her heart. She is hoping the chest tube will be removed tomorrow, Sunday 5/23, and will be allowed to go home.

She is off Avastin, and will be doing Cytoxin and Methodroxsate along with Herceptin once she recovers from the surgery.

Sheila is an inspiration to us all. In spite of all her issues she is positive, calm and courageous with a sense of humor that won't quit. We have all gained from her knowledge and positive attitude. She is loved and I am honored to call her my girl friend.

Your thoughts and prayers would be appreciated at this time. As she improves she will be checking the site. Let's surround her with well wishes. She would love to hear from all her Her2 sisters.

This disease sucks, really sucks, but it has brought us all together. I will be forever grateful to Christine and Joe for having the foresight and knowledge to establish this unique family. We rejoice and sympathize with each other on our journeys and have hope that a cure will happen. May it happen soon.

Blessings to all,
Donna

[Yorkiegirl]

Donna thanks for the update on Sheila, prayers will continue for her.

[Lori R]

To our dear sisters, Sheila and Donna....

Sheila so glad to receive an update from your executive assistant. I would presume that draining such a large amount of fluid from around your heart will dramatically impact your energy levels. Your heart must have been working overtime!! What sweet words...going home...bustin out of the hospital has to feel good.

I am so glad that Donna was able to stop by to visit and provide us with an update. Agreed on all fronts....Sheila is funny and wonderful and I'll be anxious to see more posts. This site is wonderful, priceless and it is because of the caring people such as Donna that makes it special.

Thank you both for the update. Wishing you continued strength.

Love...Lori

[chrisy]

donna,
thanks for the update on sheila. i got a message from her that she was out of icu - which scared me because i didn't know she was IN! She is an unbelievable warrior and I too am honored to call her my friend. Adding her to my most fervent prayers.

you're right, this disease sucks, sucks sucks.

[Mary Anne in TX]

Sheila is one of our "Wonder Women" for sure and Donna, you're an angel for keeping us current. She's amazing and always an inspiration.

Sheila, I hope the new stuff works it's magic and gives you some good relief quickly. I send my love and prayers to you. ma

[krisvell]

Sheila,
I wish you returned good health. I am praying for you.
Kris...

[AlaskaAngel]

Sheila, I know you are a "patient" here, but to me you have the truest qualities of a nurse to the core... thanks for making sure we know what is happening, as we do care so much about you....

A.A.

[TriciaK]

Thank you, Donna, for keeping us posted! Sheila is truly a warrior woman! I will add my love and prayers and good wishes to all the others on this board. We will be watching for updates, and looking forward to Sheila's next post with the good news that she is back to recovery.She is truly loved and admired. Hugs, Tricia

[michka]

Oh Sheila not you in the hospital. I hope they let you go home and that you are feeling better. I also hope you are not suffering. I just can't stand that idea. You are such a wonderful women. Sheila, we need you back in the group, fighting with us. I can just send you Love and tell you I am with you.
Donna, thank you so much for your post. I hope we will have good news soon.
Michka

[Midwest Alice]

Thanks for the up date. Shela is a blessing to us all with her strength and fight she has. We are a family with the care and loving that goes with it.Shela we are sending hugs and blessings as you win again!!

Taks care, Alice

[karen z]

Donna,
Thank you for this update. Please let Sheila know that she has my constant thoughts and prayers. She is truly admired by many here and I hope she knows just how much she is loved. We are in awe of her.
Best,
Karen

[Faith in Him]

Donna, thanks for the update on Shelia. I am holding her close in prayer.

Tonya

[sassy]

Thank you Donna, for keeping us posted.

Sheila, you are and always have been an inspiration and source of solid, grounded advice and support. Your strength will carry you and our thoughts and prayers will bouy you as you rebound once again.

My prayers are with you,

[Rich66]

Sorry to hear this. Do they figure the Avastin was causing/contributing to the fluid buildup?

[ElaineM]

Donna,
Thanks for letting us know about Shelia. I am sorry to hear she is hospitalized and having so many problems.
I have my fingers crossed for Sheila. I am also sending a get well hug to Sheila. I hope the rest and then the new drug plan will help alot. We will welcome Sheila back when she is ready to drop by and visit us. Both of you take good care of yourselves.

[Barbara H.]

Hi Shelia,
I hope that this procedure helps you feel better soon. My thoughts continue to be with you. I hope that you will have the opportunity to use T-DM1 soon. It is very tolerable, and it just might clear up those nodes for you.
Best wishes,
Barbara H.

[tricia keegan]

Thanks Donna, Sheila is a lady very close to my heart and I am sorry to read she had to be admitted and have treatment.
I'm hoping by the time she reads this she'll back at home recovering and feeling a lot better.
Hurry back Sheila!!!! :)xx

[Unregistered]

StephN checking in from deep in the heart of Texas.

What a wallop when I opened the site to see this news. Although she has been complaining and hoping the fluid would resolve on its own.

My prayers adding in with all the others for a successful outcome to follow.

So keep your courage up and wave off the cancer gremlins.

[Pam P]

Thank you for this update on Sheila. I knew this procedure might be likely but was surprised to read it had already happened and maybe she's going home today. I hope this will relieve all the shortness of breath issues to be rid of all that fluid. My prayers for Sheila for a great recovery. As others have said, Sheila, you are truly an inspiration to me and to many. Pam

[Becky]

My thoughts and prayers are with you fine lady.

Get well and get home! My arms surround you.

[Patty F]

Sheila
My prayers are with you.

[Patb]

Adding my prayers and healing thoughts and hope
you get to go home very soon and the treatment
was successful in making you feel much better.
You are truly an inspiration.
patb

[Mary Jo]

Hi Sheila....I join my sisters in praying for you and sending you loving thoughts.

Yes Sheila, you are an inspiration and are loved by us all.

Please God, heal our Sheila......we love her.

Mary Jo

[BonnieR]

Adding my name to the list of well wishers and prayer sayers. Keep the faith.

[Laurel]

My goodness, Sheila! Please rest and get yourself well. We miss you! Donna thank you for the update. Praying for strength to go home. Hope you tolerate the new treatment pain well.

[Gerri]

Shelia,

You are one of my ultimate heroes. Praying for strength to get you through.

Much love to you,

[caya]

Sheila I am so sorry to hear this news, but as others have said - You are a Warrior Woman, and I know you will keep on fighting.

Sending lots of prayers and big hugs from Canada,

all the best
caya

[nitewind]

Thank you so much for keeping us updated.
Sheila, you are in my prayers and in my heart always.

[Sandra in GA]

Shelia,
My thoughts and prayers go out to you. I hope you are feeling much better now and that the new drug plan will keep those HER2 cells at bay.
Lots of hugs,
Sandra

[Paty]

Donna,

Thankii you for taking the time and letting us know about Sheila.

Sheila, you are in my prayers and hope you have a prompt recovery. Keep that spirit up!! All my love.

Paty

[Margerie]

Thank you for the Sheila Update. I hope the tube is out and our wonderwoman is resting comfortably at home.

[ammebarb]

I am also keeping Sheila in my prayers and sending along positive thoughts for her. Hope that the procedure makes a huge difference in her comfort and energy, and that her next chemo does great things!

Barb A.

[schoolteacher]

Shelia and Donna,

Thanks for the update. Shelia, hope you are feeling better today. You are in my prayers.

Amelia

[vlcarr]

Shelia,

I can see your smiling face in my mind as I type this and admire your strength and courage. You are such an inspiration to newbies like myself.

Keeping you in my heart and prayers.

Much love,
Vicky

[Ellie F]

My thoughts and prayers are with you for a speedy recovery and road.Take good care.We miss you

Ellie

[alicem]

Sheila,

I am so hoping that by now you have been released to go home from the hospital. I just hate this disease and what it is doing to a special woman like you. I hate that you have experienced pain and discomfort, you of all people don't deserve it!!

I am sending hugs and prayers to you from Texas. Please know that I am thinking of you and wishing you nothing but the best.

Love, Alice

[belle]

I don't post much here but have been following Sheila as one of the inspiring Warriors here. Adding my prayers and wishes for the quick recovery you deserve so much.

((Hugs)),
belle

[Emelie B]

Sheila,
Just wanted to send my prayers and hugs to you. Get some rest and check in with us when you can.
We all miss you and are thinking of you.
Emelie

[hutchibk]

Sheila sister ~ please get strong and get home soon! Crap on a crapstick... praying for you and hoping the TDM1 trials find their way to our backyards imminently.

[Julie2]

Sheila,

Thinking about you and wishing you a fast recovery after the procedure. Please let us know how you are doing as soon as you can.

Julie

[mmoons]

Sheila-

You are SO in my thoughts and prayers. Stay strong and please feel all the love coming your way!

Maureen

p.s. Donna, thank you so much for letting us know.

[Joan M]

Donna,

Please tell Sheila that she is well loved, and I hope she's home from the hospital soon and feeling better.

I'm praying for her.

Joan

[Jean]

Sheila,
Sending much healing energy and love.
Want to hear that you are home ....where you belong.
Big hugs....coming your way.
Fondly,
jean

[Ceesun]

Love and prayers to Sheila. Hugs, Ceesun

[jml]

Sending prayers, love & hugs.
Rest easy Sheila & hope you get home soon~

Jessica

[Shobha]

Dear Sheila,

Wishing you speedy recovery. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

hugs,
shobha

[Sheila]

Thank you all for all the thoughts and prayers...finally home, had the chest tube removed Sunday late afternooon ( and by the way not the most fun thing I have done), but my blood pressure is running low so I had to wait and try to get it evened out. Today is the first day I have felt better, did find out that with my chemo hair style, I can easily go 7 days without washing or coming and my hair didnt change or move!

DonnaD surprised me with a visit....the best gift was to have such a dear friend take the time to come and check up on me....I had no idea that last Tuesday when I went for treatment, I would end up in the coronary care unit, then surgery, then ICU with a partion of my breast bone removed and a lovely chest tube draining....the amount of fluid drained was amazing, I could feel the difference immediately! I had a very skilled team of thoracic surgeons, cardiac surgeons, internists and oncologists...super nurses and all of you...I was truly in good hands.

Do wish I could have gotten a picture of me going into surgery with my new warming gown and spaceship saucer silver hat....my husband said I was right out of the movie spies like us.

The new plan is Metronomic Chemo (Rich...i know you can tell me about this) combined with Herceptin startting next week.

The pain pills still have me a bit sleepy, and I cant drive for another week..so time to take a nap or watch yet another game show....

The sad point through all of this is that my brother was home from California and I missed all the family get togethers, which my brothers and sisters know are getting close to the end with Mom....

Love you all!
Sheila

[Adriana Mangus]

Sheila has been an inspiration to me and others on this site.

She was the first member to contact me, something I will never forget.
Sheila was compassionate and provided me with so much information that
I immediately felt at ease and confident I could deal with this disease.

My love, thoughts and prayers are with Sheila and her family.

[lkc Gumby]

I am keeping Sheila in my prayers until she is home and back posting!

[PinkGirl]

Yikes! SheilaGirl ... what an ordeal. I'm so glad you're home now ...
eating M&M's I hope.

[Barbara2]

Wow, Sheila, you are one amazing lady. The procedure you had done on Sunday was quite an undertaking and you're back home today sending a note to your Her2 sisters. Glad to hear you are home where you can relax and rest up. Lots of prayers being said for you.

[SoCalGal]

Wow, Sheila, you have been thru the ringer. You are such a source of strength and inspiration to me. Glad you are back home. Love, Flori

[Rich66]

Good to see you well enough to post. Has there been a discussion as to which metronomic chemo? Might be a good time to remention Metformin to help it.

[Kavy]

Sheila,
Sorry to hear you had to go through surgery, but glad to know you are back home. Sending healing prayers your way, and wishing you a speedy recovery.
So sorry about your mom as well.
Hugs,
KarlaV.

[sherri]

Dear Sheila,
You are such an inspiration. I hope for the best for you and all my sisters. You are in my thoughts and prayer.

Much love,
Sherri

[Pam P]

Sheila - SO glad to see your post, to know you are home and on the mend. You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers, sister. Pam

Rich - what IS metronomic chemo?

[chrisy]

"Thank you all for all the thoughts and prayers...finally home, had the chest tube removed Sunday late afternooon ( and by the way not the most fun thing I have done),"

Oh come on Sheila, what have you done that has been more fun than that??????

Sheils, glad to hear you are back home. Even with the best of care a hospital is no place to get well. Of course you've been in my constant prayers.

I know that one of the actions of metronomic chemo is as an antiangiogenic - so taking the place of the Avastin.

Hoping this new one is easy to take for you, hard for the cancer.

Hang in there,
chris

[Ruth]

Sheila ~
So glad you are back home and hopefully start feeling much better. This was a big shock to see this post about you! We love you and wish you well.
Hugs ~ Ruth

[schoolteacher]

Shelia,

Glad to hear from you. Hope you are feeling better today.

Amelia

[hutchibk]

So glad you are home, Sheila! And I know that having clean hair helps, too. ha.

So what caused all that nasty fluid build-up? A side effect of Avastin?

[v-ness]

dear sheila- i haven't been on much because of my mother's pulmonary embolism and rehab and just read all this today. i can't believe all you have just been through and relieved to hear you are home. i truly hope this never happens again and that your rocky road is at an end. rich has talked a lot about the metronomic chemo. may it work for you! valerie

[janieR]

Sheila,

So very, very glad you are home.

Thinking of you so much. You are an inspiration to me.

Janie

[Lani]

Best wishes for a swift recovery. Metronomic chemo should be gentle from what I read--and gentle is something you probably wouldn't mind right now!

Take care of yourself!

[alicem]

I'm so glad that you are back home. Thank you for that good news. Sounds like the treatment for you is a good one. Keep getting stronger and feistier, OK?

Now, to more important issues which do you like better, The Price is Right or Wheel of Fortune? Myself, I'm a wheel girl!!!

[chicagoetc]

Hi Sheila,

Glad they were able to help. Sad to hear it had to happen. Glad that Donna was able to track you down!

As I recall there is possibly more treatment to come? [Re nodes?]

Regardless, you are amazing, a role model for me and obviously for many others.

With love,
Melanie

[Catherine]

Dear Sheila,

What a journey in your space suit. So sorry you had to go through this, but so happy you are home now. Keep on getting better. Your team is with you!

Hugs, Catherine

[rinaina]

Oh my goodness. I haven't been on in a few weeks and last I was on I asked if anyone had heard from Sheila because I was worried. I am so sorry to hear this horrible update. I am sorry to hear the latest challenges Sheila is dealing with. Enough is enough already. If anyone is strong enough to beat this it is her. My thoughts and prayers are many and constant for this beautiful her2 sister. I hope to hear some better news soon. Until then we are all pulling for you Sheila. I will never forget how you reached out to me early on and always found a way to make me feel better. Now you get better because last we talked we were going to make plans for lunch. So you owe me a lunch so get better.

[Soccermom]

Prayers continue for you dear Sheila.Glad you arehome in your own bed recovering...many gentle hugs,
Marcia

[Jean]

Sheila,
I am thrilled to hear you are home where you belong.
Know you are thought of dear sister and prayers are with you.

Sending a big hug.
Jean

[kklouisiana]

I'm new on this site, but my prayers today (Sunday, May 30) are for Sheila! May God heal you today!

[Jeanette]

Just got back from my vacation in Scotland and was shocked to read about your ordeal. I just know you will be stronger than ever, hugs and Blessings , jeanette

[tricia keegan]

So relieved to hear you're home Sheila:) Our thoughts are with you, feel much better soon!! x

[Chelee]

I haven't been on the board for a while and I have missed so much. Shelia I am so sorry that you had to go through all that. What a nightmare that must of been...how quickly things can change with this darned disease we battle. I am glad you had such a great team of doctors caring for you---and so pleased to hear your feeling so much better.

Shelia you have certainly had more then your share this year. You are one VERY tough cookie and such an inspriation to me and so many others here. After going thru SO MUCH I couldn't help but chuckle when you mentioned you can easily go seven days without washing or combing your chemo hair. You sure didn't lose your sense of humor! lol That's one Tuesday you will never forget...you must not think you have enough going on in your life so wanted to spice it up a bit. Ha! In all seriousness...that really is too much...I am so thankful you are ok. Metronomic Chemo sounds like the way to go right now...much easier on the body, and constant enough to kick cancers butt. I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers as always.

Chelee

[Ellie F]

Glad you are back home and battling on against the damn disease.
At every level you are an inspiration.
Ellie

[Karen Wheel]

Thank you for the update Donna!
I was sad to hear this about Shiela! CRAP! I hate this FLIPPING Cancer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It does suck - royally sucks!

I will send some great healing energy out there across the sea and then the big Atlantic ocean back to you awesome girls in the US!!!!!!

Karen

[sassy]

So glad you are back home Sheila. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.