Month: August 2026

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Next Steps

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Happy Friday, dear Tribe!

Please forgive another quick update, but I wanted to put everyone’s minds at ease so you can go enjoy the weekend. ❤️

We got good news today.

The surgical consult went well, and Cynde’s team is happy and optimistic about how she has responded to this first round of chemo. Most importantly, they feel good about moving forward with surgery.

Surgery is scheduled for Aug. 27 at 7:30 a.m. at Anschutz Medical Center in Aurora. It is expected to take six to seven hours, depending on what the surgical team finds. The current plan includes a full hysterectomy, with the possibility of removing additional intestinal tissue if necessary.

After surgery, Cynde will spend some time in a higher level of care — somewhere between a traditional hospital room and the ICU — so they can keep a close eye on her. Her total hospital stay is expected to be about four to seven days.

Recovery will take some time. She won’t be able to drive for at least a couple of weeks, depending on how she is healing and whether she is still taking pain medication. We are also hopeful that surgery will allow her to begin transitioning back to a regular diet.

In September, she’ll begin three more rounds of chemo.

If that sounds like a lot, it is.

But here is the part we are holding onto: Her team is very optimistic. This is the path they hoped she would be able to take, and they believe this is the best treatment plan moving forward.

So tonight, we are grateful. Grateful the chemo did its job. Grateful there is a plan. Grateful for an incredible medical team. And incredibly grateful for all of you who continue to surround Cynde and Pops with so much love.

One step at a time.

And remember…

We can do hard things.

Much love ❤️

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Waiting for Answers

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Good morning, Lovely Tribe —

This post will be a little short.

The last round of this first series of chemo went well. Cynde is feeling a little weak, but she is in great spirits and continues her mantra: “I can do hard things.”

She had a CT scan on Wednesday to see how the cancer has responded to chemo and help determine what comes next. She and Pops meet with the oncologist today (Friday), and I’ll update this page as soon as we know more.

For now, she has both a surgery date and another chemo appointment on the calendar. Which direction they go will depend on what the scan shows and what her oncologist recommends today.

All is good. Pops is fed. And we continue to live by the saying, “No news is good news.”

So, for now, we wait.

Fingers crossed for a positive report today. ❤️

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Sometimes You Need an Ugly Cry

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Sometimes you need a good cry.

Not a tear or two that you quickly wipe away, but the kind that steals your breath. The down-and-out, ugly cry.

I’m a big advocate of the ugly cry.

Because life doesn’t stop. Laundry still needs to be done. Meals still need to be made. Bills still need to be paid. The dog still needs to be walked.

Meanwhile, grief waits patiently.

It has a funny way of showing up when you least expect it.

Lately, I’ve been walking my brother’s service dog. I love that dog and all of his opinionated little ways. He’s the slowest walker on the planet, stopping at every mailbox, light pole, stubby tree and random rock to investigate which dog came before him. Every stop requires careful consideration and, naturally, a signature mark of his own.

It can make for a very slow walk.

So I listen to music.

And sometimes, I cry.

Spotify has an uncanny ability to notice the one song that hits you right in the heart, then fill your playlist with ten more just like it.

Lately, that song has been Pink Skies by Zach Bryan.

There’s one line that undoes me every single time:

“If you could see ’em now, you’d be so proud.”

Most days it brings a tear or two.

The last few days…

It’s brought the ugly cry.

Because those words make me think of Ryan.

Last weekend, two of the Phews attended Camp Erin, a weekend camp for children and teens who have experienced the death of someone they love.

I’ll be honest—I have struggled with grief groups over the years. I wanted this weekend to be different for them. I wanted them to feel seen, understood and maybe even find a little joy in the middle of something so hard.

In true Phew fashion, they did exactly that.

They connected with their counselors. They played a lot of basketball. They drummed until their arms were tired. They laughed. They made friends. They were even interviewed by Jeremy Hubbard from FOX31. Bereavement camp hosts more than 50 Colorado kids to help them cope with grief

Watching the clips and hearing about their weekend filled my heart in a way I wasn’t expecting.

Because they are growing up.

They’re becoming remarkable young men.

Kind.

Funny.

Thoughtful.

Resilient.

If you could see them now…

You’d be so proud.

Nice job, brother.

You can find out more at: Shimmering Wings – Shimmering Wings Camp Erin-Denver

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Forward

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Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “There are many ways of moving forward, but only one way of standing still.”

Forward looks different these days.

Sometimes it’s healing. Sometimes it’s better lab results. Sometimes it’s walking the dog or having lunch with friends.

Forward isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s simply finding a little more normal in the middle of the storm.

On Monday, Cynde will complete her third and final round in this first set of chemotherapy. The second treatment went really well, and we are incredibly grateful for anti-nausea medications and TPN, which continues to give her stomach the chance to rest and heal.

The nutrition pump is giving us good news, too. Her infusion time has been reduced from 18 hours a day to just 12, and her team adjusted the formula to provide a little more protein and calories.

The pump still has a personality of its own. It can be a bit persnickety, demanding attention with the occasional beep that always seems to happen at the least convenient time. But we are so thankful for what it makes possible. Without TPN, this journey would look very different.

Forward.

After this round of chemo, Cynde will have another CT scan so her medical team can see how well the treatments have worked. From there, they’ll begin planning surgery, with the extent of the procedure depending on what the scan reveals.

At her last oncology appointment, the doctors shared that her blood work looks really good and the chemotherapy is doing exactly what they hoped it would.

Nice work, Chemo.

Life, thankfully, continues alongside doctor’s appointments and infusion pumps.

Both Pops and Cynde have been reconnecting with friends. The photo above was taken during a lunch outing where Cynde was able to enjoy real food—a milestone that felt worth celebrating. She has also embraced a new hairdo thanks to a good wig and a great stylist.

Forward also meant taking Ryan’s service dog, Coulie, out for a walk. As soon as Coulie saw the walker, something clicked. He slipped right back into service dog mode, as if no time had passed at all.

Dogs remember.

The rest of us are moving forward, too.

The Phews are making the most of what’s left of summer, although it’s hard to believe school starts in just a couple of weeks. Nothing says “moving forward” quite like watching a passel of teenage boys wrestle in the pool, consume second and third breakfasts, or argue over the best NFL team. Looking back at where this summer began and where we are today is almost mind-blowing.

We know there is still surgery ahead. There are still unknowns.

But today, we celebrate forward.

Because forward doesn’t always mean you’ve reached the finish line.

Sometimes it simply means you’re still moving.

And right now, that’s more than enough.