Below is the Story we ran on Cynthia Mehl, While Cynthia
was working on losing weight as required by Duke her Doctor was growing more
concerned and advised her that the lungs are going to fail and frankly he was concerned
she would not make it while waiting for the requirements from Duke.
While researching further her Doctor came across the
Florida Hospital Transplant Center in Orlando Florida http://www.fhtransplant.com/ . This is great news and they have expressed a
desire to take her case on in which she will be going up this coming Tuesday,
December 4th. Double Lung Transplants are not a simple
or easy thing and with the physical and mental toll there is also the financial
burden on the house hold from the travel, room & board, even just making the
everyday living expense has become a burden.
They will find out more next week on what the medical portion they will
have to cover and this also will create additional pressure on our friends and
neighbors.
What was not really brought up before was that Mr. Mehl
(Gordon) when traveling to Duke was supposed to return and have a job to go
back to and that did not happen as planned.
Although he is back to work now, as we all know when you already have
this great burden, losing your only income is a big blow regardless of how
little or long the loss wages maybe.
They have set up an account with Wells Fargo under
Cynthia Mehl, Account 1010241326532 and we are asking anyone that can donate
any amount to please complete a deposit ticket and turn your donation into at
any branch of Wells Fargo. Please see
below the story and more history on what they are going through and if you wish
to contact Cynthia direct please call her at 561-827-5118, Leave a message and
Cynthia will be more than happy to return your call.
Also Prayers are also very much welcomed to ask that this
will be the place that can get the transplant done and that her healing process
without complications. Thank You all for
those who have already shown your support and may this update find all of you
in good health.
Sincerely,
Robert Waples
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Project, Incnhnproject@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 20,
2011Pulmonary Veno Occlusive Disease
We wanted to take a moment to give you
the update on Cynthia! They are getting ready to go up this week for the
procedure and where they are very excited they are also very nervous and
worried about the expense. She will have to stay up north for around 6 months
so they have to pay for a place there as well as maintain their Lake Worth Home
not to mention the expense going back and forth for her family. If you would
like to contribute to their fund please contact us at nhnproject@gmail.com or
rolohlakeworth@gmail.com for the information. Please keep Cynthia and her whole
family in your prayers over the next 6 months and together we will make a
difference in this very tough journey! As I stopped by to visit a neighbor who
had called me yesterday it was quite a shock and a surprise. Cynthia Mehl
answered the door of her very charming home while the trucks outside were
swapping out her Oxygen Tanks. What I expected was to be greeted by someone who would be frail and weak but was surprised to be greeted by a very joyful, upbeat loving individual who immediately invited me into her home. As I walked in the first thing you can't miss is the shear beauty and charm of her home...and then the 5 or 6, 3 feet in diameter, 3 to 4 feet tall canisters of Oxygen. Lined up and ready to be used.
See Cynthia was diagnosed with Terminal Lung Cancer in 2003 and survived. Then was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension in 2004 and kept on going. Then in 2009 she was diagnosed with Pulmonary Veno Occlusive Disease (see below for details or click this article to read more about PVOD.)
Cynthia looks just like you and me and had all the energy and joy of a normal person except for the fact that she has to be on Oxygen 24/7, what will help her? A Double Lung Transplant at Duke Medical Center.
Why do you ask that I want to write about this? One she is my neighbor and now a dear friend, two we in ROLOH as in many of our neighborhoods care about each other and third my own father passed away from Lung Cancer. Cynthia has to go through a very serious procedure, Double Lung Transplant....Recovery will be 4-6 Months if not longer depending on complications...
What is needed to help Cynthia? Prayers, good wishes and happy thoughts and knowing that people care about her and this rare condition. Where Cynthia and her husband Gordon made wise decisions with their health insurance that still does not cover the cost of traveling back and forth, hotel stays, gas cost and many other ancillary expenses that arise in a situation like this. Not to mention they still need to maintain their very lovely home in order for Cynthia to come back and enjoy for many years to come.
Cynthia and Gordon have set up an account at Wells Fargo and donations can be made direct to Cynthia's Wells Fargo Account If you would like to make a donation please email nhnproject@gmail.com and I will forward you the flyer to complete and drop off at a Wells Fargo...She should be heading to Duke Medical in September and then she will have a long road ahead before her from that point. Below is more information on PVOD and remember in Giving in tough times even the smallest of donations are a blessing and lets not discount the power of Prayer!
Sincerely,
Robert Waples
Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease is an extremely rare form of high blood pressure in the lung area.
See also: Primary pulmonary hypertension
Causes:
In most cases, the cause of pulmonary veno-occlusive disease is unknown. The condition may be related to a viral infection. It may occur as a complication of certain diseases such as lupus, or as a complication of leukemia, lymphoma, chemotherapy, or bone marrow transplantation.
The disorder is most common among children and young adults. As the disease gets worse, it causes narrowed pulmonary veins, pulmonary artery hypertension, and congestion and swelling of the lungs.
Symptoms:
•Shortness of breath
•Fatigue on exertion
•Fainting
•Coughing up blood
•Difficulty breathing while lying flat
Exams and Tests:
The doctor will perform a physical exam.
The exam may reveal:
•High blood pressure in the veins of the lungs
•Increased pressure in the neck veins
•Fingernail clubbing
•Bluish coloration of the skin due to lack of oxygen (cyanosis)
•Swelling in the legs
Your doctor may hear abnormal heart sounds when listening to the chest and lungs with a stethoscope.
The following tests may be done:
•Arterial blood gases
•Chest x-ray
•Chest CT
•Cardiac catheterization
•Pulmonary angiogram
•Echocardiogram
•Lung biopsy
Treatment:
There is currently no known effective medical treatment. However, the following medications may be helpful for some patients:
•Vasodilator drugs (drugs that widen the blood vessels)
•Drugs that control immune system's response (such as azathioprine or steroids)
A lung transplant may be needed.
Outlook (Prognosis)
The outcome is often very poor in infants with a survival rate of just a few weeks. Survival may be months to a few years in adults.
Possible Complications
•Progressive difficulty breathing
•Pulmonary hypertension
•Right sided heart failure (cor pulmonale)
•Coughing up blood
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of this disorder.
Alternative Names
Pulmonary vaso-occlusive disease
References
Barst RJ. Pulmonary hypertension. In Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 67.
Channick RN, Rubin LJ. Pulmonary hypertension. In: Mason RJ, Broaddus CV, Martin TR, et al. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:chap 52.
Update Date: 6/2/2010
Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
