Prayer Request - 2 YEAR OLD CANCER PATIENT HAVING SURGERY IN THE MORNING

Prayer request for Sydney Dungan who is having surgery at 8:00 am tomorrow to remove the tumor. Excerpt from Dads Diary today - This page was last updated on 10/21/03 07:08 PM.

Well, I guess my rest and relaxation is over. Sydney's surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow. We have a pre-surgery appointment this afternoon. It appears it is already time to worry but until she takes her nap I am going to enjoy every second of her.

After another very busy day we are finally home. Sydney's surgery is scheduled for 8:30 AM which we are very thankful for. We will be arriving at Cook's at 6:30AM in preparation for her surgery. Having the surgery that early in the morning we won't have to keep food and fluids away from her for too long of a period of time. She loves her milk cup in the morning but that is a battle that we have become used to. The surgery is expected to be fairly simple for that of a neuroblastoma patient. It is not touching any organs or arteries so the theory is that it will be fairly quick. The surgeon suspects that he will only be working on her for a couple of hours. He will remove her tumor, her left adrenal gland, several lymph nodes and of course any other evidence of tumor he finds. Based on the CT scan he is very comfortable with the procedure and hopes that once he gets in there will be few surprises. Unfortunately, you just never know with neuroblastoma. Please wish us luck and keep our little princess in your prayers. They seem to be working.

excerpt - http://www.wfaa.com/localnews/news8/stories/wfaa031021_am_neuroblastoma.270a84d3.html

Father of 2-year-old cancer patient raising awareness 10:05 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 21, 2003

When deadly cancer strikes close to home, families often want to help but don't know how.

A North Texas father is trying to make a difference with a plan that could be called "$10 million in 10 days."

At age two, there are many days where Sydney Dungan just doesn't feel good. It's largely the result of aggressive chemotherapy.

"At first we thought she just had a cold," said father Mark Dungan. "She was spiking some high fevers ... we took her in to our pediatrician and they watched her very closely, and then one day - sitting up here on the couch - (they) decided that she wasn't going to walk anymore."

Update from Sydney's webpage:

SURGERY RECAP - MEETING EXPECTATIONS

6:20 AM 10/23/2003

Sydney finally seems to have the pain under control. Throughout the night, every 30 minutes or so, Sydney would wake up and wince out in pain. These episodes would be very short lived but she would cry out, her temperature would rise and her heart beat would jump up to the high 140s and 150s. We would pull fuzz off her blanket and gently rub her nose or when it was necessary she would ask for us to rub her tummy to make it "All better." You see Sydney has two foam casts, one around each arm. They call them "no-nos" as their purpose is to keep her from pulling out the nose tube or any of the other various tubes that are coming out of her body. The problem with this is that she can't rub fuzz on her nose. This is one of her biggest coping mechanisms. So much of the night either Mommy or Daddy stood next to the crib armed with purple fuzz gently rubbing it across her nose or forehead. After about midnight the pain episodes were fewer and far between and I think we all got some much needed rest.

I am once again becoming aware of the effect of stress and worry on the body. As parents we come armed with the ability to face about anything but, once the day is done and you have a moment to breathe, the feelings of tiredness become overwhelming. I went full blast yesterday. From early in the morning when Lynley and I had packed our bags to the time we finally fell asleep we were in a constant state of awareness. At about 6:30AM yesterday we arrived at Cook's Medical Center. We got to spend about two hours with Sydney before they took her away. She was not particularly happy with the new environment and all the new faces but the moments that we shared when it was just the family were incredible. She was happy and incredibly loving. She wanted to be held and loved by both Mommy and Daddy. Right before they took her away and the Versed was starting to kick in was one of the happiest moments I can remember. Yes, my daughter was drugged, but she was so incredibly happy. As she sat between Lynley and I on the bed she giggled as we both gave her kisses on her cheeks. It will be a memory that I keep with me always.

The surgery itself was stressful for both Lynley and I. We had our friends and family around us and the fact that the newspaper article about "Lunch for Life" had been printed that very morning provided a much needed distraction. At the beginning, we were both very good. The surgical staff is also very good about updating us periodically. The problems only really started to raise their ugly heads when Sydney's surgery went on much longer than anticipated. Logically, we were prepared for the possibility and understood that that the length of surgery was not necessarily a bad sign. But something deep down begins to terrify you and your thoughts move towards the irrational. I remember jumping every time the phone would ring or I would hear the surgery doors open. As I looked at my wife, oblivious to my own actions, I discovered that the fear and anxiety was becoming more and more apparent on both of us. Once the surgery had completed we both had a tremendous sigh of relief and although it would be an hour before we got to see Sydney with our own eyes, it was a much easier time. Seeing Sydney for the first time would have been shocking to just about anyone. Luckily many of the families on the neuroblastoma newsgroup had sent me post operative pictures so that we would know what to expect. She was incredibly swollen and she had several additions to her original set of noodles. All in all, she was still our baby girl and it was nice to finally be by her side. Although we could not pick her up and hug her, it was nice to simply rub her forehead and hold her hand.

Today we will watch her closely and hope for peace and comfort. We will give her much love as we have plenty to give because of the fill up we have received from all of our friends, family and unknowns that have given us the strength to move on. Thank you for the prayers.

Until the next time......

update on Sydney from Dad's Diary
9:40 AM 10/24/2003

In the last 48 hours we have slept roughly 4 hours. Sydney has battled many issues with pain and just general discomfort. Yesterday, the epidural that was used for pain management simply lost its effectiveness. Apparently only half of her body was receiving anesthesia. After several hours of trying something "new", over and over again, it was decided to go to an intravenous morphine drip which seemed to help with the pain. Unfortunately, we still had a night of cries and whimpering and minutes of sleep were few and far between. I don't think she was in pain but rather uncomfortable because of all the tubes, needles, and such restricting her movement. This morning, however, many of her medical apparati have been removed. She is no longer on oxygen, her NG tube (the tube going into her nose and down to her stomach) has been removed, the epidural needle is no longer in her back, her peripheral catheter has been removed from her right hand ,and the Foley catheter (to collect urine) has been taken out. She seems comfortable and now I can hug her and hold her and let her know that daddy is here. It has only been a short while but both Lynley and I are feeling better. We truly feel that we can love our little girl and give her comfort. And yes, I have already napped with her in the crib. We still are not out of danger but we seem to be on the down hill side of this particular hill in the journey. I must go sleep with my daughter. Everybody now knows I have a purpose.

Until the next time......

Please continue to pray for them

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