Happy Thursday – First of all thank you all to those who participated in the “Pole Dancing” cheer! So fun! Laina thank you for leading from Philly, and Kathryn Anderson you win the prize for the best pole dance!

Hilary and I went to chemo this past Monday, pushed back a bit due to Hilary’s time at the Deepak Chopra center in CA, which she and her sister-in-law Clia attended a 4 day workshop. I was particularly excited because since Wells was born I have not been able to sit with Hilary and I lined up a sitter for Wells and arranged for Henley to stay late at “school” so I could just hang with my sis. As we waited for Katharine, Dr. Fain’s PA, who we adore, we shared some tears over this crazy journey. Hilary has been so incredibly positive and strong and like we all do at times, she was having a moment of doubt and fear and feeling rattled and thrown off course. Katharine was really helpful in reminding us that Hilary is an “outliner” the rule book has not been written about her, she is writing her own story and she has a lot to be hopeful for. She has already beaten so many odds. She ended up not getting chemo on Monday, her neutrophils were too low which happens after a lot of chemo, and just as we were about to head out to perhaps a foot massage or some fun sister time, Henley’s school called to say he was sick and needed to be picked up. It wasn’t the day either of us had planned but in some weird way it was a good day and I’m so glad that I get to spend these moments with my sister. That I’m just able to be here and part of her daily life and she part of mine, it truly is a gift.

So next chemo is Aug 1 and Sara Jane (age 7) and her mom, Ashley Ellison are leading. The theme is “Jokes” and Sara Jane is making a book of Jokes up for Hilary. If you have a good joke you want to add please email to Ashley. But what Ashley really would like is a picture of your child or pet or someone dear to you laughing. Because jokes after all are to make us laugh! Ashley will make up a book of the jokes and “laughs” and present to Hilary at chemo on Aug. 1st

As always, thank you for being part of Hilary’s chemo cheer – xo becca

As always thank you! xo becca (writing from Chestnut Hill Farm in  Aspers, PA at Charles’ parents house)

Thank you to Ruth Klann and Co for leading this week’s cheer. Not sure if any of the pictures made it to Facebook but Jason Klann raised the bar for Chemo Cheer! Jason you truly have a calling! Thank you to all who participated in “My Favorite Things.”

Next week Jenny Nichols Reed is leading the cheer from Vermont. Her theme is called  “Crayon-tastic!” She writes.. “Please get artsy and fun and get out your crayons to make Hills some love on paper. Please get your kids to join in too. Perhaps you can draw or attempt to draw a place Hills loves or something fun you have done together or just make her something from your heart.

I will leave a paper box out front on the porch or drop in the mailbox. You can mail as well but needs to get to me by Thurs at the latest. Probably the easiest is if you create something scan and make a PDF or jpeg and I can print out.

As always thank you! xo becca

Sorry for not getting this out sooner! Henley was home sick and it seems one day just throws me off! Hilary has been doing great and hopefully she will post soon about her “handstand” 🙂 Thank you Robyn and all those who participated last chemo cheer!

The next chemo cheer will be lead by Ruth Klann. The theme is “Favorite Things” and Ruth and friends are really looking forward to putting together a cheer basket for Hilary. The theme came from the Sound of Music song with the same name. The lyrics refer to things that you can think about that bring comfort in hard times “Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittens….”.  She’d love for everyone to send some favorite things or email her about their favorite things to share with Hilary to brighten her day.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!!!

xo becca

Hi Everyone,

There’s been so much activity in all aspects of my world these days with a new nephew, the kids out of school for the summer and various treatment options floating around. I feel a little off balance and I’m not sure if it’s excitement or fear, probably a combination of both. I went to Houston last Tuesday to meet with a surgeon at Baylor, Dr. Curley, whom my MD Anderson doctor recommended. My friend Ellen Halper met me there and took copious notes and asked great questions, thank you Ellen for getting a sitter so you could be with me!What amazing friends I have.

The gist of the visit was that Dr. Curley does think I am a candidate for surgery and is ready to move ahead whenever I am. Wow. It would be a big surgery, total removal of the right lobe of the liver and ablation to the left to remove all liver tumors as well as removal of the cancerous lymph nodes in the abdomen. This is a lot to consider of course. This is however what I have been hoping for. I will seek the opinion of a few other surgeons who are liver specialists like Dr. Curley in order to get a clearer picture of this option. In the meantime I am in the process of applying to immunotherapy clinical trials led by Dr. Rosenberg in Maryland and it will be a few weeks before I know if there is anything worth considering on that front. My guess is that since I am not failing standard treatment (chemo) and I am not having side effects of standard treatment that warrant its discontinuation, I will not qualify at this time for any trials.

I will continue with chemo as I have been for the past almost 6 months (!) and gather information about options as I go. I feel so fortunate that I am in this position of considering options. I continue to feel well and sometimes really feel like I don’t have cancer at all.

My spirit is soaring and that is in no small part to all of you. I have not written nearly enough about the cheers that take place each time I get chemo. What have I done to deserve all the love that is wrapped in every single cheer effort? Thank you to every person that has volunteered to be a cheerleader as well as each of you that has contributed to the cheers. I know you all have busy lives that stretch you so it is all the more meaningful that you have taken time to reflect on a theme and share a part of you with me. I don’t rightly know how to express how it fills my soul. This past week my friend Wendy Williams chose the most awesome theme “Hilary Moments”, I loved this Wendy – thank you!!  I sat and read as friends recounted moments we’ve shared that were meaningful to them or things about me they valued. What an amazing gift for me. I smiled through tears at the sweetness of those memories and compliments. It made me want to write back to each of you and share right back! I get to sit with friends and talk each time I get infused, and you all know how much I love to talk! In addition to Wendy sitting with me on Friday, my friend Susan Schotz who was in town from Chicago and used to be our neighbor our first year in Austin came to sit too. Thank you Susan for taking time out of your crammed week here in Austin to be with me!  As if that wasn’t enough company my friend Martin who is valiantly waging his own war on pancreatic cancer was at TX Oncology at the same time as I was and he came to sit with me too. I call him the gentle giant (in my head that is) and he has been such a wonderful support for me since the early days of my diagnosis. I look forward to infusion days and the friends I get to share time with and the surprises I get each time from all you who make my life so rich. These cheers are all gifts that I go back and look at, read, listen to and cherish. Thank you for being creative, for carving out time to think and be still, and for giving a part of you to me. Everyone should get to have this experience, minus the cancer and the chemo because it is truly amazing. I guess though, without the cancer and the chemo it would be different wouldn’t it…

One last thank you to my dear friend Adam Carroll. He ran the Heaven can Wait race on Sunday in Bend, OR in my honor. Thank you Adam for your love and support, and to Molly Carroll for the photo!

Nite, nite!

xoxo Hilary

Hi Austin friends – Now that school is officially out for summer break, Hilary is realizing that on the days she has chemo she needs more help with the kids. She has been using sitters but if anyone also has their kids “lying around being bored :)” and a playdate with either Phin or Charlotte would fit easily into your schedule please check the Saltzman Care Calendar.

I am filling in play date needs as I get them from Hilary so at this moment the only I know for sure is this Friday, June 6th she needs help with Charlotte from 8am to 12 noon. Phin is taken care of. I know she will probably need help again on June 20th and June 27th and possibly June 16th for a trip to Houston. So please continue to check the care calendar throughout the summer. 

THANK YOU in advance!

xo becca

Happy Weekend!

Hilary had chemo (Day 1) yesterday and Wendy Nakfoor, who led the theme of “A Hilary Moment”, was there sharing your stories. Thank you Wendy and to all who participated!

Fun is the theme for next week. Whatever that means to you – sweaty run, yoga, beach, time with your kids, red wine – whatever.. Also, might be fun to remember a time when you had fun with Hilary. Share pictures, music, etc. and please email to Robyn Malloy by Wednesday, June 4th.