Welcome to Shelby's Blog

Shelby, Vicky, the kids and our whole family want to express our SINCERE gratitude to each and every one of you for your love, concern, support and prayers !! Tremendous strength is being drawn from YOUR love !

We have set up this blog to ensure that you all stay up to date on Shelby's progress, and I'm sure that once he's better, he'll be checking in on here too !

In the meantime, we have included links for you to share these updates with more of Shelby's friends, and we encourage you to please check back often for updates, we promise to keep it as current as we can !!

We've also included a guest book ( just click LEAVE A RESPONSE under the guest book title), which Shelby will read when he's better, so that you can leave him some messages, and you too can share some....Love For Shelby !!!

Lastly, there is also a group page on FACEBOOK....just search LOVE FOR SHELBY in group pages, and you can leave messages, upload a pic of you and Shelby together, share stories, etc. !!!

Know that each of you are loved and appreciated !!!
God bless you !!!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Tonight's update...

Thankfully, everything is still looking good !!! Shelby is feeling a little better and a little stronger !! He's enjoying being able to get up and sit in a chair, and he's happy not to have had any fevers !!! They still haven't moved him to a regular room yet, not really sure why...could be a bed shortage, but it sure is nice to know that he's ready to be moved to one !
If they move him tomorrow, we'll be sure to let you all know !

Again, we thank you all for being there throughout, and for your continued prayers !
We wish you all a happy, safe, healthy and amazingly blessed New Year !!!
May 2010 be as good to you as you have been to us !!

With love,
Shelby's Family !!! ;)

God is sooo good !!!!

PRAISE GOD !!! 10 x's over !! You guys aren't gonna believe this....the doctors told Shelby & Vicky today that there is a POSSIBILITY that they were wrong, and that it isn't cancer after all ! God hears & He answers !!!
They have ruled out the lymphoma, and feel confident in ruling out the sarcoma as well...they still won't give a 'definitive' answer on what it is until the rest of the tests come back, but we're holding out with tremendous hope !!
Shelby is doing much better today, getting stronger !! They are moving him out of CCU at some point later today, and putting him in a regular room !! Once he's there, the visiting hours will be much more relaxed, and it will be easier for you to visit him. They removed a bunch of his "hoses & wires" today...he already feels freer...and they've bumped him up from a clear liquid diet to a full liquid diet including soft foods !!
All VERY good and hopeful news today !!!!
As soon as we have a room number we'll be sure to post it for you, as well as the visiting hours. Please note though, that children under the age of 18 aren't allowed in...hospital policy during flu season !

Again, thank you all soooo much for your continued love & prayers, and whatever you do, don't stop now !!!! ;) Please continue to storm heaven with prayer on Shelby's behalf, and we'll all claim a miracle right now in Jesus' name !!!!

God bless you, you are loved !!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

update 12.30.2009 @ 2000 hrs visitation

Shelb got up for 2-3 hours tonight and done really well. all vitals were good. the nurse made a comment that he's not using his pain medicine very often. but he said he will probably use it tonight since he got back in bed. she listened to his chest before i left and said he had some rales going on and to use his hand held breathing machine more often... he is on clear liquid diet now :) now that they are letting him up maybe the rales will get better soon! :)

This is a short blog. I am heading to bed soon. Thanks again for everything to all!

God Bless,
shelby, vicky, kip, amber, and chase :)

Shelb's phone call 12.30.2009 @ 1830

I just spoke with Shelb and he said an oncologist came in that is in the group with the oncologist that we have been speaking with "goldkline"(don't know if that's spelled right or not) . Anyway, he stated that he has had a patient that had a tumor bigger than shelb's and had it removed at Piedmont/Fayette and said if it turns out to be a particular kind (shelb nor his friend) remembered the particular type that he needs to have it removed along with the gall bladder and followed by the pill (i am assuming the chemo pill) to make sure all of it gets gone! And if it's not that particular kind to have it removed with the gall bladder - regardless if it is sarcoma my understanding is that they need to be removed all together.

He also stated this is a very serious surgery and he needs to choose his doctor carefully. So we will probably get with Dr. Burrowes as soon as we get the results and letting us know the final outcome and what kind of tumor it is. The final report will hopefully be done as early as Thursday and as late as Monday. (if we are lucky) Keep praying... We love you all! I will be going for visiting hours @ 2000 hrs. I will post another blog when I get home. He sounded great on the phone and said he had been sitting up for about 2-2 1/2 hours in a chair. Greatly appreciate each and every one of you. Special appreciation to Gina for setting up the blog site! :) We love you!

Dr. Visit a.m. on 12.30.2009

This morning when I, Vicky, got to the hospital @ approximately 10:15, the internal medicine dr. was in. He explained to me that the preliminary report said it may be what they are calling a spindal cell soft tissue sarcoma. This is not that final pathology report.

My question was what's the difference in this and the lymphoma as far as was it curable or treatable. He never really answered me, other than the treatment depends on what kind of sarcoma it is, if it is sarcoma. He did say that we might would have to go back in (surgery) and remove all if possible or part of verses if it were lymphoma because the lymphoma might have been okay with chemo. But the bottom line is that we have to wait for the final report from the pathologist.

They may have to send off some slides/screens to emory for better or more intensified research/information. This is not a common type of cancer. The internal medicine doctor is supposed to get with the oncologist and surgeon to see what needs to be done at this point. We are just keeping him comfortable and trying to get him healed from surgery right now! The internal medicine dr. said they may end up sending him to emory where they are more familiar with this, but he would get with the oncologist and see what he thought.

Dr. Reyes came in not long after..... He ask Shelb is he had been up, which he got up for a bit last night (shelb said it was kind of painful - but not to bad). Then the dr. ask if he had ate anything. Shelb said, "I don't want anything to eat, just water to drink." He told Shelb and the nurse he could have clear liquids. Shelb was so happy! They may take the cathedar out today, along with his drain tube. They changed his dressin today...it was awesome. He's got about a 12 inch cut and only about 2 inches of that is closed... they left him open with only 4 x 4's covering it for about an hour. He was afraid to drink anything for a bit,(he's thinking he didn't want to get sick and hurt anything n there! The nurse thought we were afraid of liquids coming out the incisions that were open. Denise had to explain to them, he don't want to get sick and have the incisions opened and nothing holding them together nor covering them, cause the 4 X 4's kept coming off.

Anyway, overall, he's in pretty good spirits about things..ready for the cathedar to come out, ready for liquids, ready for some of the wires or tubes to come out and off. But, other than that He's pretty good.... still got good vitals and good color.
Keep praying and thanks again for all the prayers, thoughts, and love!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

12.29.2009 8:00 visiting hours

I, Vicky, just got home. It's about 9:40pm. Just wanted to give an update. Shelb was sleeping good when I went in and it took over half the visiting time to wake him. I finally got him awake. His nurse tonight said he would be getting Shelb up to sit in the chair. All vitals were good! :) He's starting the breathing thing inhaling to keep his lungs from collapsing (the practice breathing hand held machine) Shelb is trying to move his legs a little more (to wake his bowels up) SO HE CAN HAVE SOME WATER.... hehehehe poor baby still wants water. BLESS HIS HEART that's all he wants. he's not requesting food...just water.

I backed in the driveway and I noticed Dr. Burrowes had called. So, I returned his call. He was asking how things went. After explaining what I had been told, he didn't understand why he had to open him up. But, I couldn't explain it. So, he had me text him the surgeon's (dr. reyes) number. Dr. Burrowes is gonna call him and find out what he found out and seen.

I told him that Dr. Reyes said the type of lymphoma he thinks it is, responds well to chemo. Dr. Burrowes was glad to hear that. What we don't know is what kind of lymphoma it is and what stage it is in. Please Keep us ALL in your prayers. We love all of ya and know that God has a plan! :)

We are not sure how long he will be in CCU. We will keep updates posted!!!

For those of ya that needs the visitation hours for CCU they are as follows:
8:30-11:30 am
3-5 pm
8-8:30 pm
** notice the last visiting hours are only 30 minutes. if there are several that want to visit he can have only 2 at a time in his room, so u will have very limited time so everyone can visit. Thanks for everyones thoughts and prayers.

Doctor Visit (round 2)

Shelby's dr. came in that done his surgery before I, Vicky, got to the hospital this morning. He told Shelby a few things....
1- it may be 2-3 days before he can have a drink (water included). His bowels have to start functioning before he can have a drink.
2- if this is lymphoma (which they are talking as if it is-which i am sure they know, they just need confirmation from the pathology report), it will be 5-6 weeks before they can do treatment (he has to have time to heal from surgery-the biopsy).
3- his fevers are probaby coming from the "dead" lymphnodes. the inside of the lymphnodes are "dead" which they have puss on the inside of them, so the dr. inserted a drain tube which he still has in him, draining off the puss/infection from the "dead" lymphnodes.
4- he also told Shelb he cut out a wedge from the mass, so we are awaiting the results of the biopsy, to confirm if it's the lymphnoma or not. it may take up to a week or so for the results of the biopsy.

please just keep praying for all of us! and know that God has a plan and he already knows What's going on and what is going to happen. Thanks for all the prayers, concerns, and love that you all have shown! God Bless, Shelby, Vicky, Kip, Amber, and Chase. :)

A Message from Shelby (dictated)

I want to thank all of my family and friends for all of your love, support, concern & prayers. I am both grateful and humbled by your love for me and my family.
Please know that you are all in my prayers, and I thank you so much for your continued prayers for me.
I want you to know that I feel your love, and it gives me peace.
God is in control !

May God bless each one of you.... you are loved !
With love,
Shelby

Dr. Visit (Round 1)

The internal medicine dr. just checked in on Shelby....says he looks good & vitals are good, although he's gonna stay in CCU for a bit, and he's still not allowed any food/drink. He said that Shelby's regular dr., Dr. Reyes, would be in shortly, and would do a further assessment and have more info for us. Shelby is resting comfortably, and is grateful for each of you !

Will post again when Dr. Reyes comes in to visit !!

God bless !

Good Morning !

Well, Shelby had an "ok" night last night...he got a little rest, and they kept a watchful eye on him. He's still in CCU, and not allowed anything to eat or drink yet, but true to Shelby, his spirits are pretty good ! He's continuing to rest, and the Dr. is expected to come in shortly, hopefully with more news !
We'll let you know as soon as the Dr. has come in !
Thanks again for your contiued love and prayers !
God bless !

Shelby's Surgery

As most of you already know, Shelby had his biopsy done last night. He was in surgery for a couple of hours, and the Dr. found it necessary to do a little more than originally planned. Throughout the procedure, Shelby lost a good bit of blood. I think we were all pretty "blind sided" when the Dr. announced that he felt it was lymphoma, but he was sure to mention that the type he believes Shelby has, usually responds well to treatments. After surgery, they moved Shelby to CCU, so that he could receive some blood ( appx. 3 L.),they said that his vitals & coloring were good, and that he was stable. We're not sure how long it will take for the biopsy to come back, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as it does !

Please help us get out the word about this site, so that everyone stays informed...Shelby wouldn't want anyone's love to be missed !

God bless, and thanks so much for your continued prayers !