Update - 7 Days Post Transplant

 Hello all...

Cyndi is now 14 days into her second stay at the hospital.  She is 7 days post her transplant and 3 days post her final doses of chemo.

If you had seen her at this point during her first stay in the hospital you would note that she is doing really well.  

She is still eating, and in good spirits.  Its not all sunshine and rainbows though, she has had quite a bit of nausea and is dealing with mucositis right now.  This will be the hardest part of this process, the next 7 days will probably suck as her levels continue to drop, her energy drops, and her new cells start to engraft.

Keep those happy thoughts coming. 

Personally, I am doing OK and the kids are plowing through.  

Thanks,

- Eric

#DONATE

 Support my wife in her fight with leukemia by donating!

Update

 I updated the site.  Time to get off of Facebook.

July 21, 2021

 I wanted to take a moment to provide you an update on Cyndi Shields-Stary

Today marks two months since she was first hospitalized with an Acute Crisis. She has been home for just over three weeks and we are adjusting to the complexity of her schedule and treatment. Her treatment is typically 2-4 times per week and can take several hours. To be honest, the worst part of it is just having to drive an hour to the hospital and sit in that damn chair for as many as 5 hours getting treatment only to have to drive back another hour.

Generally, I would say she is in good spirits. Certainly, she is in a much better spot emotionally that she was as an "in" patient. Her body is doing its best to recover from chemo. She has started physical therapy to help with her walking as her legs and back have lost strength in this process.

We are very much in a holding pattern with her care right now. Her leukemia is in check, so the goal is to keep it in that state until she can have her transplant, which is still likely several months away.

A question she or I get often is "how are you doing?". Well, that is a complicated answer. So you are just likely to get "OK" out of one of us, but take that knowing if things were worse I would be more communicative.

We don't need money and we don't really need assistance at the moment. School starts in a month and when it starts I may need some help getting the kids on the bus or getting them off the bus if we happen to be at treatment. But beyond that we really are "OK".

Keep the positive thoughts going and we will keep on kicking ass.

Thanks for all of your support thus far.

- Eric

July 6, 2021

 July update...

Cyndi is home.  We got her home a little more than a week ago.  It has been a rough week trying to adjust.  She is having a difficult time walking, and moving from sitting to standing.  She has a biopsy on Wednesday of this week and we should know a lot more about the next phase of her treatment once that is in.  Her team seems to think there is a chance we can treat her with an Oral TKI only and not going back into Chemo until she is ready for her Transplant.  Obviously this would be ideal so let's hope.

I am going to start a new job... I will get into this later but hopefully it is a better fit with my professional life and our family situation.  

Will report more... and communicate more in the coming days and weeks.  

- E

June 14, 2021

 What a difference a few weeks makes.  When I last posted, I was just getting back from Spring Break.  I was tan and happy.  I was contemplating ways to make extra money, leveraging small loans to invest in the market.  I was shopping for a Corvette.  

In May, Cyndi started to feel ill.  It started simple enough, she would be tired, have a low grade fever, or just a little achy.  We thought it might be a bug or maybe even a post-vaccination case of COVID.  But it just kept getting worse.  On May 21 we took her to the hospital and she as been there since.  She has been diagnosed with Acute Leukemia.

The first couple of days in the hospital were awful.  She was in excruciating pain with no way to get relief.  I tried to stay with her as much as possible, but I was little help.  I probably cried more in that week than I have in 40 years.  She started chemo a few days after her admission and now she has to deal with the daily pains of a steady poison diet.  

This has been a tough month so far, but people have been so generous and supportive.  Buying us meals or volunteering to hand out with our kids.  Visit Cyndi or even writing kind words of support.  It has all been appreciated.

The kids have been great.  They watch themselves every morning while I run up to the hospital to check-in and say hi.  They haven't griped or complained one time throughout the entire process.

A brief side note, the drive from my house to the hospital is 35 miles through cicada infested highways.  I have smashed more cicadas with the front of the van that I had imagined possible.  At times it sounds like popping popcorn in the microwave.  Pop... Pop... Pop Pop.

This is going to be a long haul.  We were told the course of her treatment will see her in and out of the hospital for the next year.  I will probably use this space to vent and address any updates that need to be made.  

- Eric

April Update

 I almost missed April entirely... 

So...here is the update.

1. My COVID body has not improved much.  I still weigh about 208, which is 16 pounds above my low last summer.  I have some work to do.  I always drop a few pounds over the summer, but I keep telling myself that I won't on my "winter coat".  Maybe this year... maybe.

2. I got ordained.  No real reason.  I saw it on-line, it was free, I filled out the form.  boom... Minister Stary.

3. I filed paperwork be a Notary.  No real reason.  I saw it on-line, it was 10 bucks.  boom... Notary Stary.

4. I got completed Mediation Training to be a Certified Mediator.  No real reason.  I saw it on-line, it was 250 bucks.  boom... Mediator Stary.  I then sat in on a real life divorce mediation and it was the best thing I have ever done professionally.  More on this in a second.

5. I went on family vacation to Florida, took my parents.  It was great.  I will do that again.  We are really looking forward to experiencing life again.  

6. I got vaccinated... Team Pfizer.

7. I continue my Law School studies, currently working through contracts case briefs.  The mediation thing has motivated me to spend the next few years doing this Law School thing and start a mediation practice.  I can technically mediate now, but the state of KY is going to change the rules so court appointed mediation can only be done by an attorney.  I will focus on the school part, and keep this in my back pocket.  This would be a great second career for me.  

8. I am still gainfully employed.  I hope to continue to be in the future.

9. Outside of that we are all right as rain.  Looking forward to the summer, and getting my summer dad bod back.

Thanks...

- Eric

March 8

 Howdy neighbors... here is your monthly update.

1. My financial competition between me, a professional, and AI is going exceedingly bad on all fronts.  All three accounts are negative.  Right now I am beating both the pro and AI but in each case we would be losing to a regular savings account.

2. My "winter body" is unfortunately in full effect.  I am going to have to really pick up the diet.  My exercise has been great, but I am just too care free when it comes to food.  I have to apply some additional discipline.  I am "starting" again... today... Let's see how long my will power holds out.

3. I am making a new investment this month, starting to make what I hope can one day be my full time job.  Investing in others dreams.  I will invest in small businesses and small ventures for a share of equity or a guaranteed return.  Sort of like Shark Tank but instead of millions, we are talking micro loans of hundreds or thousands.

4. Lastly... I am taking a mediation class at Chase Law this month.  Supplementing that with my courses at NWCU.  Should be a busy few weeks between now and spring break. 

- Eric

Feb 8, 2021. The Challenge

 I have a few accounts that use different investing strategies.  Account one is my primary savings, it is managed by a professional money manager.  Account two is my secondary savings vehicle, it is managed by AI.  And account three is my emergency fund and it is managed by yours truly.

I am going to start today and measure the gain/loss in percentages and compare the results quarterly and annually.  So who wins...?

- The Professional

- The AI

- The Amateur

Pick your horse!

January 18

 Hello...

Well.  I feel like I am losing the battle against quarantine.  I am trying to "reboot" my year.  Not just 2021, but really the last few months.  I want to do a lot, and I know the only thing that keeps me from doing it is simply lack of discipline.  So... I have to fix that part.  I thought today was as good a day as any to pick this back up.

As I write this it is 2:30.  I have yet to make a bad decision.  I have eaten a healthy breakfast and lifted heavy weights.  The Wife and I made some yummy and super health protein shakes and I have snacked on some beef jerky.  

I am doing a little bit of writing and worked on a website.  So far, today is pretty good.

I only have to keep this up for another few hundred days and I should be a fit, jacked, vaccinated (hopefully), executive who is looking to make the jump to the big time.

Have a good day.

- Eric

Happy 2021

 We made it.

2020 is over.

I am really excited about this year.  I have a lot that I want to get done and I am excited about getting started on it.  Its going to be a fun year at work.  I have a lot of really interesting projects coming up.

I am taking Law School classes.  I technically started in December, but I start in earnest on Monday.  The program will take the whole year, but is 100% on-line and something I can do off work hours.

I am wrote down my goals for the year.  Basically the same list that I have written down every year for the last 20 years.  That is why I love January.  It is filled with hope.  Hope that this will be my year.  Our year.

Hope you have a great year too.

- E