Update Nov. 10th

 Hello all,

Team Chill here with Chuck doing the update.  We have not posted in a while and have had some requests for an update.  We are honored and humbled that y’all are holding us in your thoughts and prayers.  We draw inspiration and strength knowing this.

I want to make up for an unacceptable non-acknowledgement from our last post.  We shouted out the names of folks that helped us with the move.  Formal thank you notes will be going out soon.  Shortly after we posted we realized that we did not recognize Langley Heating and Air.  On the day of our move (The hottest day of the year by the way), wouldn’t you know that the A/C went out at our new house.  Jill called Langley and Kaleb personally came out and got us up and running on a Saturday.  That was above and beyond the call of duty and we were and are so appreciative of Kaleb and his crew.  They are awesome!!

Now for the update…First off…we are doing well.  We have some health things going on that I will get in to but let’s start with the fun stuff first.  We took a long overdue vacation!!  We flew into Providence Rhode Island, rented a car and did a self-guided tour up the coast of Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine.  The highlights were a night in Newport Rhode Island, 2 nights in Nantucket and 2 nights in Kennebunkport along with visiting several towns and attractions along the way.  What a beautiful area of the country and the people were so friendly.  We toured at our own pace and thoroughly enjoyed our time together.  We highly recommend any of the locations mentioned earlier.  Fantastic!!!

Now for our health update.  Jill is feeling good although she is still having some pulmonary issues resulting from one of her medications (Specifically Ibrance).  Ibrance is a pill that is part of the hormone therapy that Jill started not long after the initial diagnosis.  Ibrance combined with Anastrozole is designed to block estrogen production (Jill’s cancer feeds off of estrogen) and stop or delay the further spread of the disease.  Jill tolerates the anastrozole pretty well.  She has bone pain, fatigue and hot flashes that are all side effects from this drug.  The initial symptoms were significant, but they have lessened as her system has gotten used to it.  She still has the symptoms, but they are manageable.  Unfortunately, she has not been able to tolerate Ibrance.  She has become very sick every time she has started that medication.  Currently she is not on Ibrance and is feeling good.  We are trying to figure out what to do with that situation.  I’ll touch more on that later.

As for me….I’m just getting old fast.- haha!  Obviously, this is secondary to the issues Jill is facing but I have been dealing with some painful pinched nerve issues for over a year.  The initial symptoms started 5 years ago but really manifested themselves in the summer of 2024.  Physical Therapy, Medication, and Shots all provided temporary relief but just weren’t getting it done.  After consulting with a Neurologist…We made the decision to move forward with surgery.  The procedure is called ACDF  (Neck Fusion).  I am recovering and the nerve pain is gone.  We are very please with my progress.  I still have some recovery to complete but I am doing well.  Thanks to all who have reached out and the many who have helped us while I was down.  I also want to thank Jill for taking care of me….not an easy task with everything she is dealing with.

Back to Jill and the medication called Ibrance.  As mentioned earlier….she just doesn’t tolerate it well at all.  We have gone back and forth with the medical team on whether she should even be on it and what the benefit is.  Our last answer regarding it’s benefit was that in clinical trials it has shown to add an extra year to life expectancy.  That is great and worthwhile, but we are struggling with this.  We don’t have a clear picture of what Jill’s prognosis really is.  We know this is a terminal illness and there is a 99% chance this will be her cause of death.  I struggle talking about this much less writing about it.  What we can’t get a grip on is what kind of time are we looking at.  2 years, 5 years, 10 years?  We haven’t received a clear answer on this.  In any of these scenarios would we rather have 2 to 10 years of feeling pretty well while just on Anastrozole or add the Ibrance and not feel good at all for one more year of life.  These are the questions that we have and unfortunately, we don’t feel like we have the answers at this point.  We also understand that only God knows truly what that timeline is and we absolutely trust that he will guide us through whatever scenario we are facing.  We also feel like there is enough data out there that we should be able to get a reasonable, fact-based opinion based on all of the testing that Jill has been through.  I say all of this to let y’all know that we have an appointment with Sloan Kettering to try get some of these answers.  Sloan Kettering is the # 1 or 2 cancer center in the world depending on what publication you are reading.  We do have confidence in the oncology team here, but we also have access to this amazing resource so why not take advantage of it?  Our appointment is on 11/18 in NYC.  Please keep us in your prayers as we continue this journey. Right now we have plans to fly up and are keeping our fingers crossed that we can get there OK and the flights all get back to normal. 

Jill is continuing to work – she loves real estate and it makes her happy!! She has also been doing some amazing design art projects. Really cool with what she can do with painted papers! 

So there it is…our latest update.  Again. We are humbled, thankful and so appreciative for all that has been done for us.  The cards, calls, messages, meals and -prayers sustain and strengthen us.  Y’all are the best and we love you.

Love, 

Chill