Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Tuesday Evening

First of all, Cy's parents want everyone to know how much they appreciate the well wishes, calls, gifts, and love that they have been receiving over the last few days. It means a great deal to them and Cy. They are so grateful! I think they are really surprised at how many people have poured out to see Cy. Keep it coming!

Cy's mom also suspects that Cy has no health insurance. She was not completely sure, though. I told her that people had been asking me about that, and she was very open with saying that she thinks Cy let his health insurance lapse. They are going to be applying for Medicaid for Cy this week. I do not want to be responsible for coordinating anything on that front, but when I said that I thought there were some people who wanted to help out and the likelihood of some benefit events, they were very pleased by the idea. So if you are interested in taking on that sort of organizing responsibility, let me know and I'll gladly make you a poster to this blog.

James Hepler will be posting soon about an idea for buying Cy a portable DVD player and some DVDs, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

When I went out after work today, I dropped off a couple of metal magazines. Cy has plenty of magazines to read at this point! He had a big stack of them as well as 4 stuffed animals. From all accounts, the reading material is very welcome as Cy is getting a little bored of sitting in one place. He looked good, but he is a bit groggier than last night. I understand he's had a LOT of visitors today and is on two anti-seizure meds to keep things in check. I have no idea what else he is taking.

Cy got to have his first meal today since Saturday. The feeding tube was removed earlier today, so when I got there, he was trying to push down some fish sticks and mashed potatoes. He was almost too tired to eat, and it didn't look all that appetizing anyhow. I heard there had been a cookie earlier that had made him pretty happy.

I also dropped off a printout of the comments that folks have left for him so far on this site. I reformatted them in Word and reduced the margins. It was still 13 pages long! I asked Cy if he had heard about the site and he nodded mid-fish stick that he had, but he was clearly a little skeptical about it... until he saw the packet of comments. He was really pleased and surprised about that! He looked exhausted, but he was still requesting that people keep on coming in. In the hour that I was there, there must have been at least 20 people there to see Cy. His parents were thrilled. There were so many of us that the receptionist just kept the two guest badges on the counter.

I asked about the outlook for Cy. His folks said they were waiting on the oncology report to know what the tumor is for sure. They had been mistaken about the location of the tumor. It is further back toward the middle of the head on the right. When his parents showed a bit of nervousness about the surgery, someone in the department said, "Oh, it will be fine; we did 15 of these surgeries last week." That really made Cy's mom feel more at ease. The main doctor is out of town today and tomorrow; he will be back on Thursday to set a firm plan for Cy's treatment. So his future is in a bit of a holding pattern right now. I'll certainly provide an update when I know one.

I don't think I will be able to go by tomorrow, so if anyone else does, please let us all know if there is any new news.

13 comments:

Barry said...

Thanks for keeping Cy's far-flung fans informed, Kerry -- your updates mean a great deal.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the updates and the blog. Cy and I aren't tight or anything, but I would like to send him best wishes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery.

Anonymous said...

Hey Cy,

I just found out today from Kelly.

It is good that the news of you is constantly positive and improving. I hope Jay or Mike can give you a running (and jumping) high five at Walnut Creek pretty soon for me. More importantly, get this tumor thing licked asap so you can get to Glastonbury.

Good vibes from me too, man.

Thanks for the updates, Kerry, I really wish I could visit, but am way too far away, so i am thankful for the news.

-Ben Heinl

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the updates, Kerry. Hope you and Dave are doing well. Cy - I just heard from Dave B. that you were in the hospital. I hope your surgery goes well. The Alzo crew will be pulling for you.

-Amber Dunleavy

Anonymous said...

If you think some tasty pops from Locopop's would be enjoyable, let us know. I would be more than happy to bring Cy his favorite flavors!

christie

Jeff said...

Cy..
I'm sending my best wishes to you for a "smooth" recovery. Maybe you could get some Michael MacDonald & Steely Dan on that Ipod. Hope it reminds of the trip to Charlotte with Viva, Stingy, & Myerson to see that show (when was that? 2 years ago?)...You know Michael has healing power.. I mean he did have a gospel choir and all..

Really man... All the best to you!

-Hercules Europe (AKA Jeff Herrick)

The Shirt said...

Cy - Glad that things are positive. Please keep up the good work. We need you on the court raining three's in all our faces!

Thanks to Kerry for letting everyone know the progress. I really apprecaite it.

Frank w/the Wednesday Ballin' Crew

Unknown said...

Hey Cy,
So glad to hear you are feeling better! It's always a shock when these extreme things happen, but you're well cared for. Now we can be ex-brain tumor buddies! I hope the surgery goes smoothly, and your recovery is quick.
Your docs may have you on a form of steroids for a bit after the surgery. It should boost your hunger by 2x or 3x, so start making a list of your favorite eats now.

Best,
Forrest

Anonymous said...

bendte emailed us today and told us to check out this site. thank you all for keeping us posted. we love you cy and wish you all the best. we'd be by if we lived anywhere near you! xo sherry, bob, and ava

Anonymous said...

Thanks a ton for these updates. Tell Cy that the Wed afternoon basketball crew is pulling hard for him. We need him back on the court for some sweet looking 3's!

Jason Walter

rossi said...

Fish sticks? We can do better than that. Somebody find out what Cy wants to eat and I'll make it. --rossi

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the updates Kerry. On the insurance front, if it turns out that Cy didn't have any, Duke has social workers on staff who are dedicated to finding assistance for people in Cy's position, and can also assist with things like a health care power of attorney in the event that's needed. Since I don't know whether Cy's parents are in touch with these people or reading this blog, it might be a good idea for anyone who is in contact with Mr. & Mrs. Rawls to suggest this. Generally the sooner this process is set in motion the better it is for the patient's financial outlook.

Unknown said...

cyrus!

ben parris here - i just got updated on your situation from claire jarvis. i'm in berlin all summer but will be back in NC in august and will try to make it down for a visit.

in the meantime be sure to stay vigilant against possible covert operations by dookies in the area. sending heavy riffs and seriously positive vibes!

ben