Cy Rawls Updates

Celebration of Life Service for Cy

2009-01-25T19:14:00.001-05:00

From Mr. Rawls:

Celebration of Life Service for CY Rawls
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2009
Time: 11:00 AM
Location: Highland United Methodist Church
1901 Ridge Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
Telephone Number: 919-787-4240

This service will be a gathering of CY's family and friends to celebrate
his life and love of music.

Directions to church are on the following website: www.highlandumc.org

Frank and Susan Rawls
4317 Dutch Garden Court
Raleigh, NC 27613-2014
Home - 919-782-7793
Email: cfrankrawls@bellsouth.net

Posse Update

2009-01-24T14:47:00.003-05:00

If you are interested in joining the Posse for the Angels Among Us 5k, please contact Tracy at tracywills at gmail dot com so that she can hook you up with a Cy Rawls Has a Posse t-shirt.

Also, Facebook users can RSVP here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=45216122466.

Please, join us. There is a legit 5k as well as a Family Fun Walk, so you can pick your event.

Cy Rawls Still Has a Posse

2009-01-23T17:02:00.002-05:00

Hey folks,

The Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke, which treated Cy so well, is holding the Angels Among Us 5K on Saturday, April 25, 2009. Tracy Wills has put together a team called "Cy Rawls Has a Posse." Please join our team or make a donation in the name of our team at this website: http://www.angelsamongus.org/.

Please help us help those who helped Cy.

Thank You so much

2008-12-16T13:46:00.002-05:00

I know that blog activity has been slight of late. It's hard to come back here knowing that there are no more updates to receive about Cy. But when I get to feeling down, this blog is a nice reminder of what we can do.

Many thanks to everyone who came out for the CyTunes launch party. It was amazing to be in that place, shoulder to shoulder with all of these terrific folks who didn't skip a beat when it came time to act. Let's not rest yet though. CyTunes will continue to need your help.

If you play music, submit a song. If you listen to music, check back frequently to see what new stuff has been added. If you know people at labels or in bands, encourage and then shame them into participating. CyTunes needs to grow. Only good can come from that. Work your magic, people! Let's set the bar high with this one. The possibilities are endless.

Countdown to CyTunes launch.

2008-12-08T20:51:00.001-05:00

Countdown!

Baking for Cy!

2008-10-27T11:42:00.000-04:00

To Friends of Cy Rawls:

The Sheps Center for Health Services Research (UNC Chapel Hill) where I work has raised about $1200 for Cy's bills at a bake and craft sale that I helped organize. We still have some very nice craft items left for sale - 2 child-sized knit hats, some necklaces and earrings, a pair of placemats, and lots of handmade cards and envelopes. If you have any ideas for venues to sell these remaining items, please let me know.

Thanks,
Christiane (WXDU)
christiane.voisin@gmail.com

CyTunes will continue.

2008-10-21T21:53:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that CyTunes is still going to happen. Although the mission will be changing, it will still be a great way for everyone to remember Cy and honor his contribution to our lives. We are having a volunteer meeting on Wednesday, Oct 22nd at 8pm. If you would like to be involved, please drop me a line.

Love,
Chris

(My contact info.)

Thursday Night Feature: Remembering Cy

2008-10-16T21:09:00.003-04:00

Cy Rawls was and will always remain a beloved member of our DJ community. His untimely departure greatly saddens us all. Although a mere three hours could never do justice to his memory, we'd like to celebrate his passion for music and dedication to WXYC in this special feature. Hosted by Dan Partridge.

Tonight from 9-12 on WXYC 89.3 FM or online at WXYC.org.

Don't forget this event at Nightlight on Friday:

Come out for B-Team DJs for Cy -- a benefit and memorial for Cy Rawls. Money collected at the door will go to the Rawls family.

DJ Roster:
Viva
Nastyboots
Toenes
Nate AKA DJ

Nightlight
Oct. 17th, 2008, 9 pm
Nightlight Bar and Club
405.5 W. Rosemary St.
Chapel Hill, NC

Keep the Rawls Family in Your Prayers

2008-10-14T16:36:00.003-04:00

The Rawlses have suffered yet another loss. Susan's mother, Ruby S. Ferrell (Cy's grandmother), passed away yesterday morning at Duke/Raleigh Hospital. Below is the info that Frank Rawls sent about services for her.

Graveside services will be held Wednesday, October 15, at 11:00 AM,
Maplewood Cemetery, Annex B, Section Two, Durham, NC.
Family will be available for visitation following the service.

Flowers are acceptable or memorials may be made to Calvary United
Methodist Church, 304 East Trinity Avenue, Durham, NC 27701.

Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts during the coming days.

Cy in the Media

2008-10-07T12:58:00.004-04:00

I have realized that the Internet has so much Cy Rawls-dedicated content that there is almost no way to put it all in one place. However, I sure would like to try, but I just don't know how I could do it all on this blog. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Posting on WRAL's website

David Menconi's News and Observer blog

The New Raleigh blog

Cy in the Carrboro Citizen

The Orange County Line is selling Cy t-shirts

From the Triangulator blog

Outside In's awesome listing of all the Cy events posted on area websites

A posting to the nutmusic website in Fairfax, VA

Video on YouTube of a robot someone built for Cy

A great posting on the Popehat blog

A thread from crash on the Justice League forum

The article about CyTunes in the Independent

The Twelvety blog

A post on Karen Mann's blog

Posts about Cy on the Triangle Music blog

A post on the Half Baked, Twice As Good blog

Posts from Brian Walsby's blog

I had to stop after six screens of Google links because I'm at work.

Woody Durham

2008-10-06T19:33:00.004-04:00

Many, MANY thanks to Kirk Schmidt for sending on this MP3 of Woody Durham remembering Cy during the UNC/UConn game on Friday. This is heartwarming! Kirk says this address is a temporary home for the file. Can anyone host it permanently? (I can't get Blogger to accept an audio file.)

--------------------------------------------
With the assistance of Tom Boman, Gary Sobba, Ryan Kormann, and Clay Broughton at Learfield Sports, I got an mp3 clip of Woody Durham's memorial to Cy that broadcast just before halftime of the UNC/Connecticut football game this past Saturday.

I've posted it here: http://tinyurl.com/3hqe8l

Cy's Obituary

2008-10-05T14:56:00.002-04:00

A lovely obituary in the News and Observer:
http://www.legacy.com/newsobserver/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=118453911

Funeral on Monday

2008-10-05T03:11:00.001-04:00

Hi all,

Here is a funeral update from Cy's folks:

Absolutely everyone is welcomed to attend this service in Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville City Cemetery is located at the corner of Hargett Street and Highway 24 East. The drive time from [the Triangle] will probably be around 2 1/2 hours.

For Triangle Friends

2008-10-03T19:15:00.003-04:00

Shannon Morrow sent out a link to this blog she has for her Whirligig Music Project which she has dedicated to Cy.
http://thewhirligigmusicproject.blogspot.com/

Here's what she wrote:
I have an installation called The Listening Garden up in Durham Central Park [on Foster Street across from the Farmer's Market] until Monday morning. It is a beautiful place to sit and reflect, and there are comfortable rocking chairs to hang out in. I decided to put a memory book for Cy in the garden and to dedicate the installation to him. If you'd like to go leave Cy or his family a note or memento, I will take the book and anything you leave to his family at the memorial service. I'll also take photos if anyone puts a little shrine or anything up for him, and will give the photos to his family.
I really felt an expansion of my interpretation of life and consciousness while sitting there thinking about Cy today. I felt like he was in the wind...more could be said, but probably sounds cheesy in writing, so I'll stop.
Anyway,
that's all,
Shannon Morrow

From Cy's Dad (Update added)

2008-10-03T15:26:00.004-04:00

Dear Friends,

It is with great sadness and sorrow that we must inform everyone that CY passed away this morning at Duke University Medical Center/Durham, NC.

Visitation and Funeral Arrangements are as follows:

Visitation:
Sunday, October 5, 2008 from 5:00PM to 8:00PM
Hall-Wynne Funeral Home
1113 West Main Street
Durham, NC 27701

Funeral:
Graveside Services
Monday, October 6, 2008
11:00 AM
Jacksonville City Cemetery
Jacksonville, NC

A memorial service is being planned for a later date. We will inform everyone when the date, time and place have been established.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers during the coming days.

Update: Flowers are welcomed but donations can also be made to the Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund at any branch of the State Employees' Credit Union or a charity of your choice.

Frank and Susan Rawls
4317 Dutch Garden Court
Raleigh, NC 27613-2014
Home - 919-782-7793
Email: cfrankrawls@bellsouth.net

.

2008-10-03T10:47:00.002-04:00

Cy Rawls passed away peacefully this morning at 9:51 am in the company of his parents and a few close friends. Please check back for information about the visitation tomorrow night and a memorial service in the future.

2008-10-03T00:54:00.003-04:00

Friends,

My apologies for the lateness of this message. Tracy has asked me to deliver this news to Cy's friends.

Our boy Cy has taken what may be a final turn for the worse. The cancer is just working faster than Cy's body can fight it. A decision has been made to take Cy off of the respirator first thing tomorrow morning. He may be able to breath without it or he may not.

Cy's parents will be seeing visitors in the lobby of the fourth floor at Duke Hospital in Durham tomorrow (where Cy was the first time). I do not know how long they will be there, but I know they are uplifted by our company. Frank Rawls said that our displays of love for his son have kept them going for these last few months.

I will deliver another update when I have one.

Baby Steps

2008-10-01T19:22:00.000-04:00

More from Mike:
Another update! I just talked to Mr. Rawls and they are moving Cy over to Duke tonight around 8:30. They have also decreased his oxygen from 80 down to 50 which is a good sign.

More news on Cy

2008-10-01T14:11:00.002-04:00

Mike just sent me this message a few minutes ago. Dave and I have the autumnal cold, so we will not likely be able to visit Cy anytime in the next several days.

Hey Kerry,

I just got back from the hospital and here's an update. Unfortunately, he is back on a respirator because of the pneumonia. This isn't necessarily a bad thing at this point though, because it gives the doctors the opportunity to get a good look at his lungs so they can figure out what exactly is causing the pneumonia and can most effectively treat it. He was sleeping when I was there, and his parents said he is still pretty much out of it because of the swelling. However, the fluid seems to be draining well so they hope he'll become more lucid as the swelling decreases. This is a similar situation to where he was before and we all saw how well he recovered. Hopefully, it's just a bump in the road and he'll be out and about again in a few weeks.

They plan right now is to move him back over to the ICU at Duke as soon as a bed opens up. Hopefully today, but no one knows for sure exactly when the move will happen. And as far as visitors go, even though it is probably not a good idea for cy to have a lot of visitors right now, his parents have set up camp in the visiting room at Duke South (off of Wake Forest Rd) and will do the same once they get back to Durham, so people can feel free to come by and say hi...I know they would appreciate the company.

That's all for now and I'll let you know if I find out anything new.

-Mike

The Latest

2008-10-01T00:10:00.002-04:00

Hey folks,

Just got word from Mike that Tracy was visiting Cy this evening at the hospital. The situation is the same, but it has NOT gotten worse. Tracy recommends that we hold off on the visitations for now. Cy will be pretty out of it until they can get the swelling to go down further. Mike will talk to Cy's folks in the morning to let us know what's up and when folks can come by to see him.

Thanks for the good thoughts. I will certainly pass them on!
--kerry

Cy Update

2008-09-30T22:06:00.001-04:00

Hey folks,

I just got this message from Cy's friend Mike Rowe. Cy's hit a bad spot. Here's Mike's message:

I just wanted to let you know that Cy has been admitted to the hospital at Duke South (on Wake Forest Rd) this morning. He was groggy and unresponsive this morning and his parents called an ambulance to take him to the emergency room. They did a CT scan and found some swelling in his brain. They did a procedure to relieve the swelling and may possibly put in a shunt tomorrow to further help with the swelling. They also did a chest x-ray and found that he has pneumonia, which they are going to treat aggressively with the goal of trying to keep him off a respirator.

Right now he is stable and partially responsive but isn't really talking. He can have visitors between the hours of 8am - 6pm, and then again between 8:30 - 11.

Cy's dad wanted everyone to know, and Mike said he'd let me know if there are any updates.

We ALL got purty for Cy!

2008-09-29T09:25:00.004-04:00

I'm so happy to report that Syd's raised over $1600 for Cy yesterday! They didn't have a single open slot. And yes, I followed through on my fundraising promise. Solidarity! Someone tell me I look dignified.

Also, everyone make sure to stop by Syd's, thank them, and get a hair cut. They do wonders with a set of clippers.

Update from Cy

2008-09-18T17:24:00.002-04:00

Ugh. Cy just sent me this. And to think I was just scraping together my money and picking a day to invite him to Warsaw:

So today my blood sugar count went off the heezy. My doctor introduced me to jamming insulin into my thigh and then later in the day ripping some blood out of me for a blood sugar count. It totally screws with my attempt at getting the $85 dollar steak meal for free at http://www.countrysquireinn.com/menu01.html

But some day I will return to gluttonous amounts of eating :)

Cy

Gussy Up For Cy!

2008-09-16T09:23:00.002-04:00

There are still appointments available for the Gussy Up For Cy fundraiser at Syd's Hair Salon on Rosemary St. in Chapel Hill! Noon until 4PM on Sunday, 28 September. Call them up at 942-7606.

And if you are interested in seeing what a bald yet somewhat bearded Hep looks like, be there around 4:00, for that is when it all goes down.

Thanks to the outstanding people at Syd's, and by all means, check out their website!

CyTunes Update

2008-09-11T15:51:00.002-04:00

Hello all. I am pleased to announce that CyTunes is now officially accepting submissions electronically. Click here to see the submissions page. If you are a band wanting to contribute to CyTunes you will be able to upload your music directly to the site. The site is still a work in progress and I hope to have fleshed out the 'Frequently Asked Questions' over the next couple of days, but I wanted to go ahead and show people what we've been up to and let bands know to bring it on.

We actually could also use a little more help over here. Most of the help we need is actually non-technical in nature. If you are self motivated, can talk to people and/or write email we can put you to work. The site has a link to sign up to volunteer if you'd like to help out.

Once again: CyTunes submissions page.

Cy Updates

2008-09-09T23:39:00.008-04:00

Included here:

ChipIn
Cy's health
Superchunk
NutStock???

Wow, y'all take me seriously. Hepler, get the shears; it's lights out for you, my man! Thanks, everyone, for taking the ChipIn widget over $5,000!

I've got some info to update you all on Cy's condition.

Cy's radiation cycle has ended, so he had a new MRI a few weeks ago to see how his treatment was progressing. His dad told me at the Superchunk show that the docs were shocked with his progress. First of all, our boy was not expected to walk in there at all, let alone stroll in in classic Cy style. His MRI showed that the tumor has shrunk significantly. Woohoo! They couldn't believe his progress. The docs upped his chemo meds because he's just tolerating them too well. I'm telling you, this thing didn't know who it was dealing with!

He had follow-up MRIs for thoracic and spinal stuff, and they both came back fine. I think that means that it hasn't spread anywhere.

Even better news: Cy has effectively been fired by Hospice. They have taken back their hospital bed and walker. Our man's just too healthy! Ding dang, y'all!

Another MRI at the end of the month. Kick ass!

Superchunk was apparently a HUGE hit. I think the report was that the door brought in $15,000! (If I'm mistaken, please let me know!) Robin had another several hundred dollars in t-shirt sales. The show was amazing. LOTS of songs were requested for that $100 fee, including Ross Grady's request for an Erectus Monotone jam. Mac brought up Kevin and Jennifer from EM to sing a song from an early 7" called "The Day the Sharks Flew." Completely amazing! Many thanks to all the bands that played that night. It was so incredible. I haven't been to such a great show in years. Made me feel like I was...25 again. Hmm. Cy was there, as were his folks. We were all impressed that they showed up for yet another sonic pummeling. I think they stuck it out for the whole show!

Peter Geddes, a friend of some of ours who lives in Fairfax, VA, held his annual summer backyard festival in Cy's name last weekend. Here's the message he sent out today:

Thanks to everybody who played and came out to the Nutstock festivities last weekend. Another amazing weekend! We raised $750.00 for Cy Rawls' medical expenses and got to hear some great bands, including The New Original Dandy Highwaymen, who won the Battle of the Bands by performing note-perfect renditions of songs from the Adam and the Ants back catalog while wearing vintage costumes and playing authentic,
period-appropriate instruments! Thanks to those who brought food, helped set up and clean up (and mop up!) and those who helped with the grilling. It would not have happened without you!

Also, Jonny Cohen has graciously donated 3 copies of the Jonny Cohen's Love Machine album "If 6 Were 8" to the cause. The first three people to contact me with a donation for Cy will receive a copy of this fine full-band effort,which includes
the moody "Silence of Rebecca", the heavy "War at Four" and concert faves like "Little Stickmen". Please contact me to pick up a copy of this classic Teenbeat release from 1997!

Thanks again everybody!
Peter
Peter3977 (at) Hotmail (dot) com

Indeed, thanks, everyone, for supporting Cy and his folks. I know how much they appreciate all of this. It ain't over yet, so keep the prayers and donations flowing. Great things happen when people come together for a single cause. We love ya, Cy.

Ex-Monkeys for Cy!

2008-09-09T16:00:00.001-04:00

This just in from Ed:

The Ex-Monkeys are playing this Sunday, 9/14, at The Pour House Music Hall
in downtown Raleigh. Polynya is joining us and we'll be having DJ sets by
WKNC's Charlie Burnett, too.

The Pour House wants this to be a free show but we still want it to benefit
Cy. We plan to have a donation bucket and all Ex-Monkey merch sales will
go to Cy's benevolence fund.

WOOHOO!! Keep it coming, folks. Don't forget the Chip-In widget to the right. We need Hepler BALD!

PINE STATE!

2008-09-05T16:53:00.003-04:00

Hey folks,

Don't forget that the Pine State show tonight is a benefit for Cy. Dan Partridge recommended that I post what Grady had to say about the show. I think the fact that he wanted me to post this is pretty telling. You don't want to miss it. The last time I saw Pine State, there was the throwing of a garbage can from the stage, and I feel like I remember something being set on fire, too.

Here's some text from ross grady's site:
The Public Good are a pretty good pop/rock band from the DC area, so I'm not sure how the poor bastards got stuck on a bill with the likes of Pine State, surely one of the lowest-down lily-livered scurrilous gangs of scurvy fleabitten dogs ever to skulk the stages of Chapel Hill.
Of course, since nearly every member of Pine State now lives somewhere other than the Triangle, maybe they're carpooling or something.
This Pine State reunion, in addition to providing the opportunity for a lot of people to scratch their heads & look confused (seriously . . . they didn't really make any sense back in the day, and it's highly unlikely they'll make any more now), is also a benefit for our man Cy Rawls.

Dan Partridge recommends you also look here at Toenes's write-up:
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A263763

See you tonight!

Get Purty For Cy

2008-09-04T11:55:00.001-04:00

"It is on Sunday September 28th from 12-4 & we will be donating 100% of the profits from haircuts & color to benefit Cy's medical bills.This is through Syd's Hair Shop on 108 W. Rosemary St in Chapel Hill. We would like to get added to the blog & the calendar to help promote this event. Get purty for Cy.His amazing support of the local music (arts) scene & the amazing response of the scene to help out are reminders of how close we are as a community & how much we can & how easy it is to help. This mutual support is what keeps us all going in times like these & any way we can help, we are willing. Cinnamon is working on a flyer & we are promoting through out the shop, but we feel if we can reach the people who know Cy, through the blog, etc. it will help to ensure this will be a success. We do these benefits quarterly & have so far have donated to local cancer foundations. This time it is more personal. Several of us have met Cy & several of us are musicians, artists & involved in this artistic community."

Judging by the numbers on the chipin site, looks like I'm going to be bald come 9/29. :/

Trivia Night next week!

2008-08-30T13:03:00.002-04:00

I received this message from Sean Buchanan regarding another great chance to help Cy!
______________
We decided to do a special Trivia Night Benefit for Cy this Tuesday (September 2nd) at the Loft, the bar above Riviera [Loft 135 is above the Riviera Resto, 135 S.Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC] starting at 9 or 9:30. We'll be giving out free beers for the winners of each round and a grand prize for the winning team at the end of the night. We're gonna charge 5 bucks at the door and then all bar tips and trivia tips will go to Cy.
______________
Awesome! I'm adding this to the calendar right now!

Big Rawls weekend!

2008-08-28T13:48:00.003-04:00

Don't forget....

Friday, August 29: Superchunk, Birds of Avalon and The Rosebuds, Cat's Cradle, $25, 9 PM

Saturday, August 30: Outback Steakhouse buffet lunch, 3500 Mt. Moriah Road, Durham, by New Hope Commons, from noon-1,
For $20, you get chicken AND steak, salad, mashed potatoes and a drink, with ALL PROCEEDS going to the cause. Eat in, or take out. Pay by cash or check (made out to Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund) at the door. There are only 50 spots for this event, so please RSVP through the Evite posted below.

Here's the link to RSVP:
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/XMINYFFWWYNCVQOFWWLC/outbacklunchforcy

A Note From The Magic Babies

2008-08-25T08:58:00.001-04:00

The Magic Babies and Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies would like to thank everybody who came out to the Cy benefit show Saturday night at Slim's. It was a great time for an even greater cause, and we are thrilled to be contributing $1,070 to the benevolence fund. Anytime Cy's name got mentioned from the stage there were overwhelming cheers throughout the club. We all love you Cy, and are thinking of you. The Magic Babies would also like to be the first band to "call out", or "challenge" other bands to keep the benefit shows coming. We are prepared to talk smack if it will help out Cy. See you at the benefits!

The Power of Metal

2008-08-22T10:09:00.004-04:00

Wow! If you didn't make it to the 506 last night, you missed an incredible show! Everyone was outstanding! I will be heading to the NCSECU today and dropping off $786 for the Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund! Many thanks to all the bands who played, to Glenn and all the staff at the 506, to Nick who ran great sound, and to all of you who came out.

In other news, Syd's Hair Shop is going to be having a fundraiser on Sunday, 28 September from noon until 4pm. They're calling it Haircuts for Cy. All proceeds and tips will go to the benevolence fund. There will be 7 stylists participating. Keep your eye out around town for flyers and reminders.

Thanks again, and keep coming out! We have more shows/screenings/drinking nights/dance parties/ubercreative events to come!

Oh, and by the way. If the chipin total there to the right of the blog hits $5000 by the time the Hair Stylist benefit happens, I pledge to get it all chopped off. I don't have a whole lot of hair, but I'll part with what I do have if you fork over some more cash. Don't know if that means anything to anyone, but I'm kinda hoping it peters out at 4999.99 until the 29th!

Two more Cy events added

2008-08-20T23:20:00.004-04:00

Just added to the calendar:

Saturday, August 23, at Nightlight in Chapel Hill: Clang Quartet, Crowmeat Bob, Inspector 22, Yohimbe, USA Baby, Roxann Spikula, and Secret Boyfriend

Saturday, September 6, in Fairfax, VA: Nutstock Festival--An annual backyard barbecue and rock show supporting Cy this year. Many Triangle bands will be playing. (See the note on the calendar for more info.)

Keep your eyes on the calendar to see what's going on for Cy!

Cy and Tracy at the Cradle 8/17/08

Drink for Cy at OCySCy this Saturday!

2008-08-20T14:02:00.006-04:00

what a brilliant idea! think of all the drinking that needs to be done to make for all the not drinking cy has been doing for years!

from tricia:
this saturday, aug 23 at ocsc
all you have to do is drink!
proceeds are going to Cy Rawls
Benevolence Fund

let me know. thanks! tricia

Dovetailing on Hepler's Comments

2008-08-18T14:04:00.002-04:00

Robin from Tannis Root/Kung Fu was womanning the merch table last night at the Cradle and told me that she had about $700 in her pocket from t-shirt sales and another couple hundred from previous shirt sales. KICK ASS! Derek Powers told me that Glenn had about 200 folks at the 506 the night before for the WXYCy Dance Party. W00T!

I second Hep's evaluation of the show. Thanks to all the bands for their participation and sheer rock quality. (I think Brian Quast is the ass-kicking Polvo drummer we're looking for here. Brian. Quast. Not a match. The board goes back.--Thanks to Cantwell for that info.)

Cy was there with his folks. Frank and Susan stuck it out until the bitter end! I was impressed. Thank goodness for the ear-plug industry. Cy said his radiation treatments end on Tuesday. He'll get an MRI shortly thereafter to see what's what, and then the doctors and Cy will decide what to do next. He said he'd try to let us know what happens. I asked how he was feeling, and Cy said he's not been feeling sick in a week or so, so the docs might up his chemo meds. He's such a tough-ass that I can hardly stand it.

Thanks again to everyone who helped out and showed up and rocked it and showed support. It was an amazing night!

Thank You!

2008-08-18T12:10:00.004-04:00

I don't know about you, but I had a great time last night at the Cradle show! The Magic Babies started it out with an amazing set. Great guitar tones, spot on three-part harmonies, just a powerful 35 minutes of pop music. And a wurlitzer electric piano that just made my heart come out of my chest.

CG&J did what they do best- freak me out with their frenetic pace and raucus rock. Rockus? The only thing more fascinating to me than how Cantwell can play his drums so low to the ground is how Anne Gomez can have one finger on the first fret of her bass and another finger, on the same hand mind you, on the 22nd. Nonetheless, blew me away.

What can I say about Polvo? I've said before that Celebrate the New Dark Age was what we could call my coming of age record. Taught me that you can push the limits of melody and rhythm and still have great songs. Perhaps I had a sheltered upbringing, Idunno. I don't recall hearing any of my favorite songs off that record, but they did play Feather of Forgiveness and some new stuff that I can't wait to hear on an album. Get on that, fellas. And let me add that perhaps the only thing that surpasses Brian Quast's (I originally said Walsby because I'm a little dumb) drum skillz is his humbleness. Had to practically beg the guy to sign the poster. I mean, I know that for me it would take a while for it to sink in that I'm in Polvo, but dude, you're in Polvo, and you're awesome.

Double Negative have the uncanny ability to condense an hour's worth of earth moving rock into a 16 minute set. And if the world's scientists can ever figure out a way to come up with portable desalinization, these guys could effectively counter drought conditions with the sweat they produce. They played an oustanding set. Maybe a little short for my taste. I can't believe I just said that.

Fin Fang Foom. Fin Fang Foom. Fin Fang Foom. Wow. I've been watching them play for some 10 years now at least. Those guys are just plain incredible. My knees got weak by the end. I don't even know how to begin to describe it, but there is a good reason why they're one of my favorite bands and three of my favorite people in the world. Oh, and they have a bass player that also plays keys. At the same time. As far as I'm concerned, they stole the show.

So yeah, many thanks to the bands, many thanks to Dave Bjorkback for his unrivaled MCing, thanks to Frank and the Cat's Cradle staff for making it so damn easy, thanks to Chris Rossi, Patrick Klem and Nick Petersen for setting up the recording equipment and recording the show, and most of all, thanks to all of you who helped us raise somewhere in the vicinity of $5,000 for Cy! I hope to see you Thursday at the Local 506 as Grappling Hook, Tooth, and Colossus will raise the bar another notch. Bring earplugs!

Also, keep an eye out for CyTunes! Once we get these sets mixed down and ready to go, once CyTunes gets the last few details ironed out for the store, we should start seeing some of the performances from last night. I for one can not wait.

News and Observer--Durham

2008-08-15T16:36:00.002-04:00

Did you catch this great story about Cy in yesterday's News and Observer? Thanks to David Menconi for his great reporting!

http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1176943.html

WXYCy Dance Party this Saturday!

2008-08-15T15:50:00.000-04:00

From Tim Ross:

WXYC is hosting a benefit party for 'XYC DJ Cy Rawls. All proceeds
will go to the Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund to help cover the cost of
Cy's medical bills.
http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=65838630093#/event.php?eid=65838630093

For more info on Cy, his condition and other Cy Rawls events visit:
http://cyrawls.blogspot.com/

tickets are $5

Current and former WXYC djs spin from 9pm-2am

9-10 Glenn Boothe
10-11 Tim Ross
11-12 Jason Perlmutter
12-1 Ethan Clauset
1-2 Darren Hunicutt

We will also be selling limited edition "Cy Rawls Has a Posse" and "I
Love Cy" t-shirts! (All merch proceeds also go to the Cy Rawls
Benevolence Fund)

Hope to see you there!

Outback, et al.

2008-08-13T23:04:00.003-04:00

Hey folks,

I wanted to remind people to keep looking at the events calendar linked on the right to see what events are coming up to help Cy. While the posts have slowed, the bills are still building up. I better see y'all at Polvo! Cy, will you be out there?

Dave and I have been out of town for a while, so I haven't seen Cy in a couple of weeks. He told me via e-mail that he was able to get out to a wedding last weekend, and he's itching to continue to get out some more. Dave and I hope to hit La Casa de Rawls this weekend if he's not busy, so we'll check back this weekend. (I imagine, Cy, that it's a little weird to post for yourself saying how you're feeling, so I'll be happy to report back if'n you'd like.)

Also, in case people aren't reading the comments, Kathy posted info about a yummy fundraiser for Cy. You need to RSVP for the event! Here's what she said:

Let's Go Outback for Cy!
(I also came up with this one: "So Begins Our Wallaby")

ANYWAY, after "getting jiggy" with Birds of Avalon, Rosebuds and Superchunk Friday night, come out to a tasty and nutrient-rich buffet lunch at Outback Steakhouse at 3500 Mt. Moriah Road, Durham, by New Hope Commons, from noon-1, Saturday, Aug. 30. For $20, you get chicken AND steak, salad, mashed potatoes and a drink, with ALL PROCEEDS going to the cause. Eat in, or take out. Pay by cash or check (made out to Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund) at the door. There are only 50 spots for this event, so please RSVP through the Evite posted below.

Here's the link to RSVP:
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/XMINYFFWWYNCVQOFWWLC/outbacklunchforcy

You gotta eat, and you pretty much also got to keep on helping out Cy and family. Come on out! All props go to Bryan Harris, Outback manager, and his wife Jessica for arranging this lunch fund-raiser.

-Kathy Higgins

Chip in to help Cy

2008-08-09T17:16:00.004-04:00

In addition to all the awesome musical benefits, t-shirts, and music stores now there's another way to help with Cy's medical bills. As Spinal Tap sang: "gimme some muhnay (on the Internets)."

Click "Chip in" to donate, and click "copy" to get the widget for your own blog, MySpace, Facebook page or what have you. People can also give PayPal donations directly to cyrawlsfund@gmail.com or visit cyrawls.chipin.com to make your own fundraising widget.

I am now the self-appointed goddess of online fundraising for Cy and I'd love to hear any other suggestions y'all have about how to spread the word and raise as much money as we can.

Paypal - hopefully coming very soon

2008-08-09T17:15:00.009-04:00

Hi everyone,
Just letting you know, Cy's dad has kindly sent out the account number and routing number for the Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund. Ruby is working on setting up a PayPal account this weekend so that people far away have an electronic way to donate. So, you should contact her directly you have any ideas about the PayPal electronic account.

Cy's dad also says that:
You can still make a donation to this fund at any State Employees'
Credit Union office within in the State of North Carolina. If you want to go into a State Employees Credit Union and make a donation the Account number is: 08607568795.

Please make checks out to the CY Rawls Benevolence Fund. If you by a Cy tshirt with a check you should also make the check out with the fund name. Cash is probably easiest though.

You may also send checks to the following address:

Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund
State Employees' Credit Union
2401 Blue Ridge Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
Attention: Mrs. Candace Bulebush

Also, Cy's dad sees no issue with using the name Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund on any print materials (flyers).

If you have any questions I will try to answer them asap.

Thanks!

Ruby will post with information about the Paypal account when it's ready.

-Kristie

Finally a post from Cy!

2008-08-05T19:17:00.003-04:00

Kerry, I think it's time we give the man permission to post to his own blog :)

First of all thanks to Kerry F. Cantwell for putting this blog together! I can't thank enough the amount of visitors I had to my hospital room and house! Ex-girlfriends who I thought despised me visited and even called!? My current girlfriend Tracy has been amazing! I found out I can't drive for 6 months?! It's like I get to be 14 years old again.

I basically have a plethora of Polvo songs in my head all day which is awesome and that hasn't really changed since the early '90's. Thanks also to Tim Ross for the Carolina basketball autographs, but keep in mind I LOVE CAROLINA FOOTBALL! I think this coming season can be a legit one....Well, if you made it this far into the blog you rule. Stay clean and positive. True f'n love as always!

Cy Rawls

YOU JUST CAN'T STOP IT

2008-08-01T16:30:00.001-04:00

For the Cy Events Blog

The Magic Babies w/ Violet Vector and the Lovely Lovelies

Aug. 23rd, 10 pm

Slim's

AND

FYI, the Pine State show at 506 on 9/5 will now be a benefit for Cy. It will also include The Public Good, which features members of an even older Chapel Hill act, The Popes.

Chillin'

2008-08-01T00:02:00.002-04:00

Dave and I went over to see Cy this afternoon. He looks great, a little logy perhaps, but he looks great. He said he doesn't get up and around much. He has a hospital bed set up in the family room of his folks' house where he grew up. He has pretty much everything he needs at his disposal and looks pretty comfortable.

For the record, he no longer needs weights or rides to his treatments. Those have all been taken care of. His dad said they had about a dozen callers offering to help with transportation, so thanks to all who offered to help. The Rawlses are very grateful for the love and concern they are receiving from everyone.

Cy is, however, hurting for some strawberry Goodberry's ice cream. I told him I'd put the word out. If you plan to bring some by, please post here so he doesn't end up with 50 gallons of strawberry ice cream. For the record, Mr. Rawls did ask us last week not to bring dairy. I'm just saying. I don't want to be responsible for...well, anything...ever. :)

Apparently, Foster's Market brought by dinner for his family the other day. Cy joked that he was surprised they wanted anything to do with him after he "freaked out in their restaurant." Classic. I argued that he should tell them that all of this is a really bad case of food poisoning.

Cy will be receiving his radiation treatments until the middle of August. He seems to be tolerating the chemo and the radiation surprisingly well. He has had seven treatments and he said they get shorter and shorter every time. He said they just run this thing over his head for about fifteen minutes. They've been playing Sade during his last three treatments. Is that good? I have no idea. The chemo makes him a little barfy, but not nearly to the degree he had expected!

Be ready if you go by: there are LOTS of adorable Cy pictures in the house that you NEED to get a load of.

Can't Get Enough Rock?

2008-07-31T16:19:00.002-04:00

Sunday, 17 August

Cat's Cradle

Doors 7:00, Show 7:30

$15

The Magic Babies
Cantwell, Gomez, & Jordan
Polvo
Double Negative
Fin Fang Foom

Who is Cy Rawls?

2008-07-30T19:09:00.002-04:00

One of the questions that's been asked of the fine folks doing band wrangling and publicity for CyTunes is "Who is Cy Rawls?" Not sure that I'm qualified to sum up an entire human being in a short blurb, I've decided to punt to you guys. Post your take on "Who is Cy Rawls" in the comments to this post. The more people that respond, the better.

More Rock-n-Rawls Cylebrations

2008-07-30T18:47:00.003-04:00

There is a lot of musical activity taking place in the near-future but I'd also be interested in putting together a cover-up style event at Local 506 further in the future - but need to start working on it now to nail down dates and give bands time to practice, et al. If you'd be interested in participating or just have some ideas, feel free to contact me at the address below.

Another idea I had, seeing some of the bands that are considering reunion shows for Cy, is putting together a Reunion-fest. The set-up would be similar to the cover-up, each show featuring more bands doing shorter sets, as opposed to one or two bands feeling like they need to carry the entire night. If you'd like to get your old band together OR you have an non-existent local band you'd like to see reform (Teasing the Korean and Finger come to my mind!), please let me know.

Or maybe, we should just combine the ideas and have current local bands cover former local bands!

Write me directly at glennATlocal506DOTcom.

glenn

Poster Help

2008-07-30T16:14:00.011-04:00

Many thanks to Ron Liberti for helping us with posters for two of our benefits! But we can't be loading him up with all the graphic work, so this is a call to action to help promote another benefit. The details:

Cy Has a Posse
8/21
Local 506
$8
Doors: 9:00
Show: 9:30

Grappling Hook
Tooth
Colossus

All proceeds go to the Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund

you can email poster ideas to hepstyle@gmail.com or print them yourself and deliver them to Glenn at the Local 506.

More T-Shirts

2008-07-30T16:14:00.010-04:00

Ding dang, y'all! This just in from Robin at Tannis Root:

Tannis Root/Kung Fu Nation have Cy t-shirts ready to go. We will be selling them at benefit events starting Friday, 8/1 at Slim's. Also, if anyone wants to buy one over the internet, they can email me at robin@kungfunation.com and we can take payment through Paypal and ship to them from our office. The image is below and the shirt will be available in various colors. We hope to have some stickers and buttons available soon as well but those won't be done in time for Friday's show.

Thanks,
Robin Conklin

Another rockin' Cy benefit show!!

2008-07-30T14:15:00.004-04:00

As you've no doubt heard, there's several rockshow benefits being planned to help raise money (and spirits) for Cy & Co. Here's the latest confirmed show I know about, with 3 of Cy's favorite bands! (Info courtesy of Hepler and Grayson--Thanks.)

Friday, August 29th
at the Cat's Cradle:
SUPERCHUNK
THE ROSEBUDS
BIRDS OF AVALON

Here's a blurb about it: http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A261732

C'mon out, folks; let's rock.

Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund

2008-07-30T12:38:00.001-04:00

AWESOME NEWS from Cy's dad:

CY RAWLS BENEVOLENCE FUND

The Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund has been established through the State Employees ' Credit Union.

You can make a donation to this fund at any State Employees' Credit Union office within in the State of North Carolina.

Please make checks out to the Cy Rawls Benevolence Fund.

You may also send checks to the following address:

State Employees' Credit Union
2401 Blue Ridge Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
Attention: Mrs. Candace Bulebush

Online donations will NOT be accepted.

Frank and Susan Rawls
4317 Dutch Garden Court
Raleigh, NC 27613-2014
Home - 919-782-7793
Email: cfrankrawls@bellsouth.net

Transportation Help

2008-07-30T11:25:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

Cy's dad wanted me to post this request to the blog to see if anyone could help with transportation to Cy's radiation therapy. On Friday Aug. 1 and Monday Aug. 4, Mr. Rawls has doctors appointments and won't be able to help Mrs. Rawls get Cy to his appointment. They just need someone to meet at their house at 9:30 am to go with them to the appointment and provide support to Cy in getting from the car into the office and back to the car, in case he needs it. They said they should be back home by 11:00.

Please contact Mr. Rawls at 782-7793 if you can help.

cy wants weights

2008-07-30T00:35:00.005-04:00

does anyone have any 10 lb dumbbells they could spare?

Update from Skip

2008-07-28T22:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks everybody for coming out to the Cy Rawls-A/V Geeks benefit at Tira Na Nog on Sunday night. It was very successful and the Rawls family was very appreciative of donations. We hope to surpass the amount we raised that night with the show at Local 506 on Aug 25. See ya there...

In general, Cy was more Cy-like than when he was at Duke. He's getting his appetite back and is walking around with a walker. He tells us that he is having chemo treatments until the middle of August. His eyesight isn't so hot, so he can't see the TV so well. We realized that a laptop with an Internet connection would seriously help him pass the time - since he can't get upstairs to his computer. Anybody have a spare laptop and wireless router he could borrow for a month or so?

Skip

Another Update

2008-07-27T21:59:00.000-04:00

Another update from Mr. Rawls.

As most of you know, CY will resume radiation therapy at Duke RaleighHospital tomorrow, Monday, July 28 @ 11:30 PM.We are asking everyone to please follow this request:12:30 PM - 4:00 PM - Quiet Time for CY This time span will apply for Monday - Friday only until all treatmentsare finished. This will allow CY time to be with his home care nurse,eat lunch and rest time.Thank You for your cooperation.

Frank and Susan Rawls
4317 Dutch Garden CourtRaleigh,
NC 27613-2014
Home - 919-782-7793
Email: cfrankrawls@bellsouth.net

Another Update - Please Read

2008-07-27T11:40:00.003-04:00

Received this from Mr. Rawls this morning

Now that CY is home he still needs his rest. Per his home care nurse she is asking that visits be staggered, so that everyone is not here at the same time. Because of his radiation therapy treatment he needs to be in a germ free environment; therefore, she is also asking if you have the sniffles, cold or under the weather in the past several days please plan your visit for another time. CY enjoys seeing everyone as do we and we are certain that with these few restrictions we can work this out. It would be most helpful if you would call before you visit... that way we can plan accordingly.Thanks again for your continued care, concern and support for CY.

Frank and Susan Rawls
4317 Dutch Garden Court
Raleigh, NC 27613-2014
Home - 919-782-7793
Email: cfrankrawls@bellsouth.net

Message from Frank Rawls and Shirt News

2008-07-27T01:27:00.004-04:00

Hey folks,

Here is an update I received from Cy's dad:
________________________
Cy came home yesterday afternoon around 4:30 PM. He had a good rest of
the afternoon and night. The home service nurse which will work with us
met us here around 4:40 PM. She is wonderful.

He will continue his radiation therapy as an outpatient going to Duke
Raleigh Hospital (old Raleigh Community Hospital).

It is hard to put into words how we all feel about you because all of
you are very special.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers and thoughts.

God Bless you!

Frank and Susan Rawls

The Merch has made some posse t-shirts for Cy. They donated the shirts and their services. The shirts are $20 and can be purchased from Tim Ross (tim at tubafrenzy dot org).

He's home

2008-07-26T13:42:00.002-04:00

Cy got home about 5:00 yesterday afternoon. He's settled in and ready for visitors. Like Tracy said, it's probably best to call first.

Also, his nurse said it is probably a good idea to have a ramp built over the stairs to make it easier for Cy to go outside. I'm going to work on getting a plan for a ramp on Monday but if anyone has building expertise and wants to help, please let me know.

Thanks,
Mike

He's goin home!

2008-07-25T16:46:00.004-04:00

Cy is on his way home as I type this! They will need some time (a few hours?) to get situated but after that, I guess the best policy for visitation would be to call the house before planning a visit. The number over there is 919-782-7793. The address is 4317 Dutch Garden Court, Raleigh

Rawls' house on Google maps

Pics of Rawls needed

2008-07-25T13:28:00.000-04:00

There is going to be a piece in the Independent about Cy and they need a "good, big picture of cy". Please forward them to me at tracywills@gmail.com and I will email them some options. I have some but I know there must be lots of others out there. The sooner the better since the deadline is approaching. Thanks!

Thursday 7/24 evening update

2008-07-25T11:35:00.001-04:00

From Mary B:

Rossi and I saw Cy last night & had a good long visit, along with several other folks. Love that fancy corner room, with room for lots of visitors at once! I think there were 7-8 people in there at once. It felt pretty festive in there considering we were in a hospital. Though if things go according to plan, Cy might be going home today (Friday). He's been handling chemo & radiation pretty well this week. Seems like some nausea & those damned hiccups are the worst side effect so far.

We helped Cy's parents load their car up with a giant tub of DVDs, a trash bag full of stuffed animals, and some other bags of magazines & gifts. That wasn't all of it, either. They left in the evening to go prepare the house for Cy's arrival. We asked if they needed help at the house, but they say they have it all worked out. Someone from one of the local Hospice organizations will come and help set up a hospital bed & they have a place ready downstairs at their house where they have had a bed before. They decided the hospital bed would be easier because it's so important for Cy to be sitting upright while he eats. I think they will be going to the hospital in Raleigh for treatments once they're set up in Raleigh. Cy's dad said they'd just turn on the porch light and we can all come and go. Hee hee. I'm hoping that once they get things settled at the house that we can work with the family to visit often. I told them to let us know about the Rawls house visiting hours.

Can someone else post or comment on Friday to let us know when/if Cy finally leaves Dook?? Thanks! -Mary B.

fundraising account - latest info

2008-07-24T17:51:00.002-04:00

hi everyone. i heard from cy's parents' pastor today. he told me that cy's parents have been in talks with their bank to open a "cy rawls benelovence" fund. cy's dad, frank, is working on this and the pastor told me it should be ready and open early next week. i am going to talk to cy's dad about this next monday. i will keep you posted as to where funds you collect can go. take care.

FYI

2008-07-24T09:49:00.000-04:00

Anonymous said...
Haven't seen this on the blog yet, but Skip's A/V Geeks show this weekend will be a benefit for Cy. Tir Na Nog, Sunday, 7:30pm. If someone can put this on the blog instead of in the comments, that would be great.
July 24, 2008 9:40 AM

Wednesday

2008-07-24T01:57:00.004-04:00

Got to see Cy tonight in his sweet new digs (Rm. 4123). His folks said he might be going home on Friday or Saturday. When we saw him, he had the nastiest case of hiccups I've ever seen. Poor thing. I asked about the magic fairy dust they have for it, and he said they won't let him take it. Too bad.

I asked if he liked this ward better than the last. He said he did mostly because there wasn't all the yelling. In the neuro ward, the doctors and nurses yell very loudly to the patients to keep them focussed and on task during tests like moving limbs or blinking.

He's had a couple sessions of radiation and he's been taking the oral chemo meds. The treatments are making him a little nauseous. I heard from his folks that the hospital served him mystery meat for dinner tonight. They thought it was meatloaf. When I asked Cy, he said he thought it was pork. When I laughed, he said, "I threw it up anyway." So nausea is clearly the order of the day. As Cy's folks were leaving, he said that today had been a pretty good day.

That reminds me! Frank e-mailed me a few hours ago with the following request:
__________________________________
Please ask everyone for the moment to stop bringing Mexican food and milk shakes (dairy products) for Cy. We think this might be causing some of the nausea.

Any help in this matter would be appreciative.

Once again, thank everyone for their support to all our family.
God Bless you!
Frank and Susan Rawls
__________________________________
Back to my story.
As we were on our way out, Rob K. showed up with his cooler of Locopops. Cy was as happy as he could be. He dove right in.

Dave and I are in Wilmington until Friday night, so anyone with updates should post them!

Maybe some day we won't have to do this

2008-07-23T09:51:00.003-04:00

You know, if things go really well for the next 4 to 8 years or so we could not only get universal health care but also cure cancer? I just got this from my mom:

Dr. Steven Curley, in this video, is currently treating my Aunt for liver cancer. According to my aunt "he is even cuter in person!" Ok.

CyTunes update

2008-07-22T22:45:00.004-04:00

CyTunes.org will happen. Janette Park has very graciously agreed to take over project management from me so that I can concentrate on programming and other technical tasks. From here on out please contact Janette first, regarding CyTunes. Her email address is jparkesq at, you know, gmail. We can still use a few more volunteers, especially in the graphic design department. People who are willing to pick up occasional random tasks are encouraged to volunteer as well.

If you play music, donate a song! If you know people who play music, get them to donate a song.

I have set up a primitive placeholder site at http://www.cytunes.org/. News and instructions will now appear on that page instead of on this blog. Please go there for any further updates.

We are forging full steam ahead. Thank you to everyone who has responded so far.

2008-07-22T17:09:00.001-04:00

This just in from Tracy.

cy has been moved to a non-ICU room! come see cy in his new fancy corner room - still on fourth floor, room 4123. he'd loooove to see people. visiting hours are 9 to 9.

First Cy Rawls Benefit Confirmed!

2008-07-22T01:19:00.003-04:00

Courtesy of the Slim's MySpace page:

Slim's Downtown

August, 1, 2008 : Benefit for Cy Rawls w/ Devour and Grass Widow.
227 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27601

Thanks, folks!

UPDATE: DOUBLE NEGATIVE IS NOT PLAYING THIS SHOW.

Additional Update

2008-07-21T16:13:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I saw Cy this afternoon and was able to talk to his doctors a little bit about next steps in his treatment. He's looking great and he definitely has his appetite back. He should be starting his chemotherapy today (which is administered orally) and should start his radiation treatment tomorrow. As with any treatment of this kind there will be some side effects that may make him tired and not feel well sometimes but the doctor conveyed that they really won't be as bad with this treatment as many people think of when they think of Chemo. There will be good times and not so good times but Cy is tough and I know he'll "power through it".

He should also be checking out of the hospital in the next couple of days and he's got to be excited about that. I'm sure his doctors and nurses are giving him great care but I know he'll be glad to get the hell away from Duke and back into frendlier confines.

Once he is discharged he'll be going back to his parents house to stay. But for tonight and probably most of the day tomorrow, visitors are welcome!

If anyone has any more specific questions, feel free to give me a call at 323-4876.

-Mike

cy eats a giant burrito

2008-07-21T14:42:00.002-04:00

hey. just letting ya'll know that today at lunchtime i took cy a deluxe steak burrito from cosmic (tracy let me know it was ok for him to have the burrito before i went). he ate the whole thing and seemed pretty happy about eating it. he was up, sitting in his chair when i got there. he also ate a bit of his hospital food too. i was impressed by his appetite. i didn't get any other updates while i was there. it was just nice to go and visit.

Immediate Action Required: CyTunes.org

2008-07-21T10:25:00.006-04:00

Dear friends of Cy,

I have an idea for fundraising for Cy. Both the scope and the time line are -- of necessity -- very aggressive. We can only do this if other people agree it's a good idea and volunteer to help. Please contact Janette Park if you would like to volunteer, offer advice or give feedback. Her e-mail address is jparkesq at the same domain as all of the other gmail users. I apologize for this obfuscation, but she only wants human beings to be able to read that. No spambots, please.

CyTunes.org

CyTunes.org will be a web store where people can purchase songs that have been donated by bands and artists who like Cy, or whom Cy likes or who are just awesome enough to participate. All songs must be original works and must be exclusive to CyTunes. As we have seen, Cy has very many friends, many of whom are talented musicians. Some of these have been or currently are in bands that have achieved national and even international notoriety. By selling exclusive works by bands that are not just of local interest -- but who are potentially also known regionally, nationally, or internationally -- we can draw a wider audience and bring Cy's story to the entire world, reaping greater rewards on behalf of our dear Cy.

In addition to the fundraising angle, the process of writing and recording these new works by people who know and love Cy, regardless of how well-known they are currently, gives the community an opportunity for unity and healing. We all know that Cy is a huge music fan, and most of us know Cy because of this shared love. What better way to show our love for Cy than through music?

I can get the ball rolling on this immediately by starting in on the programming for the website and online store. I will also offer up use of my studio and my services as a recording engineer for free to any band that wants to record a song for CyTunes. I have already bought the domain name 'cytunes.org' in anticipation of this effort.

Purpose of Fundraising

On Monday, Cy will embark on an extensive course of chemotherapy. If the chemotherapy goes well, Cy will be released from the hospital and continue treatment without having to be confined to a hospital bed. When this happens, Cy will not be in any position to work but will face a galaxy of expenses: the basics like rent, food, and utilities on top of doctor's visits and medications, which will be frequent and expensive. The aim of this fundraising is to allow Cy and his family to enjoy their time out of the hospital and take advantage of Cy's treatment options without having to worry about day-to-day expenses. Of course Cy has also incurred an enormous pile of medical bills from his hospitalization at Duke. These bills, however, will likely be dealt with later and are not the highest priority at the moment.

Immediate Action Required

I cannot overemphasize the extent to which time is of the essence. If aid is to reach Cy when he needs it most, we must act immediately. Just as the tumor in Cy's head is very aggressive, and his chemotherapy treatment will be aggressive, our efforts to get this site up and running and populated with great music must be equally aggressive. There is no time for contemplation. If you want to be a part of this, don't think about it; just do it. Obviously, one thing we need a whole hell of a lot of is music. The more songs we have the more songs we can sell. Have you ever wondered whether you could write a song on a deadline? Now's your chance to find out! My hope is to have an initial launch of the site within *two weeks*. That is ambitious, but -- with a show of enthusiasm from others -- I will be working on this as my full-time job for the immediate future. I happen to be uniquely positioned to do this right now.

Guidelines for Submissions

All songs must be original. We cannot use cover songs because they bring legal complications. Also, in order to attract people to our site we need to have songs that are exclusive to our site. Existing unreleased material is acceptable. We do not need to own or control your song in perpetuity. After a suitable period -- a year or so -- you'll be free to release your song elsewhere. We don't want to own your song -- just to be the exclusive distributor for a year. After that it's yours again.

Help Wanted

I cannot do everything. This will only be possible with a dedicated team of talented people. If you are currently underemployed, you might be a very good candidate for some this. These are the positions I see an immediate need to fill:

1) Legal Adviser -- preferably a bona fide lawyer. We will need someone who can negotiate the dark realm of entertainment law and make sure that we're doing what we need to do in terms of licensing music from bands to sell--dotting i's and crossing t's kind of stuff.

2) Graphic Designer -- I'm a computer programmer and recording engineer. I only do graphic design under duress and I am very slow. We need someone super talented who can create a beautiful site concept and generate HTML templates for every page on the site. You must also be able to work with an aggressive deadline to get the site launched.

3) Band Wrangler -- We need someone who can find bands, contact them, and persuade them to record songs for us. This person will also need to follow up with bands who have agreed to record and make sure they follow through on time. This person must be willing to nag as needed.

4) Publicist -- This could possibly be the same person as the band wrangler, who could start doing mostly band wrangling and gradually transition into publicity. This person will need to spread the word about all of the kick-ass music on CyTunes, far and wide. This will include calling and e-mailing newspapers, magazines, online publications, blogs--anything that can get the word out. Someone with some marketing or PR experience, especially in the music industry, would be ideal.

5) Project Manager -- I can probably do this, but we might all be better off if I can concentrate on the technical challenges of getting the site going. The project manager would be in charge of communicating with everyone else who's working on this, keeping track of what's going on, helping to set priorities, identifying roadblocks and helping to overcome them. This person should be driven and focused but have good social skills. He or she must be highly organized and have a good understanding of what everyone is trying to do.

Finally, everyone involved must keep the nature of the project in the forefront of their minds. This project will go forward if we can get enough people power to make it happen. Please contact me immediately if you can help. This isn't about personal glory. It's about Cy. So ... let's rock!

ADDENDUM 3:43 pm:

We could also use some general purpose volunteers. People who don't mind being asked to perform some random task every now and then. If you don't think you can do one of the jobs above or just can't commit that much time, but would like to help out, let me know and I can put you on a list of general volunteers.

ADDENDUM 5:52 pm:

I have no idea if that two week figure is at all realistic. Either way, it seems to have caused some confusion with bands, for which I apologize. My goal is to have the web store up and running as soon as possible, two weeks if we can swing it, with some music already ready to go. I figure we need at least 30 songs to launch. It is not my expectation that all bands will have their songs completed and submitted in two weeks. I figure once we get going we'll be adding songs as we go. Obviously, though, the sooner the better. We do need great content, fast. Thanks to everyone who has volunteered so far!

-- Chris Rossi

Contact Janette Park. Her e-mail address is jparkesq at the same domain as all of the other gmail users.

Progress

2008-07-20T19:00:00.001-04:00

Justin Faerber sent this awesome update this afternoon! Thanks, Justin!

Rachel and I went to see Cy around noon today. When we came in he was sitting in a chair beside the bed. He looked good and appeared to be breathing pretty well. We talked for a while, and he seemed to be in pretty good spirits. While obviously tired and a little groggy, he had no trouble confirming how many times Ric Flair has been world champion.

A big event was the arrival of lunch, which represented the first real (non-mush) food he's had in quite a while. Cy was pretty psyched about that. It was good see him tearing into some chicken with gusto.

More Saturday Update

2008-07-20T02:45:00.002-04:00

Hey kids,

Dave and I saw Cy this evening around 6:00. Damn, it was good to hear that kid's voice! He still has the feeding tube going through his nose to his tummy, but that's no big deal. I heard that someone brought him a Gatorade, which really made him happy. He was being "fed" while we were there. It was pretty rad: the nurse fills a giant syringe with some nasty liquid meal and then just forces it into the tube that goes through his nose. We asked if they could add some Mexican seasonings or something so the kid could get a real meal.

Nicole Triche and Traci were in there with us. We had a grand old time! Cy was talking and laughing and goofing off with us. We accidentally took too long and forgot that there were about 20 people in the waiting room trying to get in. (Whoops. Sorry, guys. )

Thanks to all the people who came to see Cy Saturday. It was such a great joy for him. People just kept coming along to see him. It was awesome. He has had NO time to read his magazines or watch his DVDs because he's just had too many visitors, but he wants us all to keep coming. He's begun to decorate his room with autographed photos of Tarheels as well as pictures, art, and the rad bowling poster. (Tim Ross, you gonna get the football team to come by or what?)

Cy's parents have been fabulous. They've been sitting out in the waiting room accepting guests and food and being so gracious. They really love seeing all of Cy's friends coming to see him and showing how much we love him. His dad said that we help keep him strong.

What lies ahead in the immediate future? Well, if Cy can breathe strongly on his own through tomorrow, he will begin chemotherapy on Monday to shrink the tumor. Please keep coming by to see Cy on Sunday to keep him strong. We love you so much, Cy.

Saturday News

2008-07-19T13:26:00.003-04:00

Hey folks,

I just got off the phone with Sandy Bjorkback. Good news today. Cy is breathing on his own and talking to his visitors. He's in good spirits. Chemo will begin ASAP to shrink the tumor. Please go visit. I'll see you there after lunch.

Update on Creating Fundraising Account

2008-07-18T21:41:00.005-04:00

Hi everyone,
I know so many of you have been inquiring about ways to set up paypal accounts or other accounts for the money that will be raised for Cy! I have investigated how to open an account and here is the scoop.

No individual should open a checking or savings account in their name for funds to go into. I had thought about doing that because it would make things easy for a paypal account to be set up but it turns out it it's not a good idea. Myself or any individual who thought about doing that could open it easily but, if audited soon or later in life could face many problems with the IRS and it would be a paperwork nightmare. A helpful fellow at Wachovia told me this information today. He also said the money should not go directly to Cy's parents because they could also face the possibility of major auditing issues.

So, my friend at Wachovia recommended this course of action (which has been done many times through their bank since they are in such close proximity to Duke). A non-profit can take the lead on opening a trust checking account, which will be for Cy's medical bills. The non-profit has to provide their "articles of incorporation" and their tax id number. Cy's social security number and a copy of his driver's license has to be provided also. The selected non-profit, hopefully Cy's parents' church (yep it can be a church), will then name a custodian from within the church (usually the church treasurer) to look over the account and funds which will help to alleviate the burden of the incredible medical bills.

I talked to Cy's parents' pastor today about this when I went to the hospital. He is speaking with the church treasurer on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed that this works out. The pastor is going to call me on Monday to let me know if they are going to proceed. This would be the best way for the fund raising account to be set up. If it does get set up I can get the account information so we can set up a paypal account to link directly to the main trust checking account.

I'll keep you posted on what I hear.
-kristie

All Hands on Deck

2008-07-18T19:42:00.002-04:00

Friends,

Tomorrow is a big day. At 10am, the doctors are going to remove Cy's breathing tube. If he can breathe on his own, they will move forward with a very aggressive course of chemotherapy immediately. Cy's parents want as many people there to visit Cy tomorrow as possible. We lift his spirits and keep him focussed. Don't feel the need to bring anything, but your presence is requested. If you have not felt comfortable coming out yet, now is the time for you to find your Cy zone. He needs us now more than ever.

Fundraising Coordination

2008-07-18T15:00:00.003-04:00

Hey kids,

I made a Google spreadsheet that anyone can edit. It is just a shell. Feel free to add columns or rows or ideas or names. Whatever! If you want to help organize, just add your name and contact info. Some folks are most comfortable typing out addresses like this: geartilter at gmail dot com. This keeps spammers from collecting your addresses automatically.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pn-9MNvZ2jTyHHT9plKkDVQ

Kick ass.

Wow.

2008-07-18T14:32:00.002-04:00

That's all I know how to say is "Wow." I've been online for the last 90 minutes simply responding to e-mails offering help and ideas for help. My apologies to e-mailers who have been getting terse responses from me as I have been working as quickly as I can, but you guys are phenomenal. Here's the latest Cy update followed by fundraising updates.

From Bjorkback:

Checked in on Cy this morning and he's had a lot of visitors per usual. Tracy, Amy, and Ann are here---Cy really perked up when Tracy walked in. He's still using the breathing tube but the nurses are hoping to remove it later today. Cy and his parents will have a discussion with the oncologist this afternoon regarding his overall prognosis and treatment plan. Soon, they are going to let him get some sunshine in the courtyard.

On another note, Cy was listening to the Who when Kevin and I were in the room. Shannon drew him a really neat picture. That's all for now.

From Jessica:

jessicao@hotmail.com

Currently, I drive to Duke Hospital M-F. If anyone in Raleigh wants to see Cy, but wants save gas, doesn't have a car, etc drop me a line. You can either ride in with me, my office is two blocks away, and then take the TTA back home or take the bus in and ride home with me at 4:30pm. Or if you want to go round trip, there is plenty to do in & around the area.

Also right outside the Medical Center Bookstore (and people can point you in the direction), every other Friday is a farmer's market with lunch vendors

http://www.hr.duke.edu/farmersmarket/

Here are the ideas and offers we have so far. At Jessica's suggestion, I will try to put together a Google Document (???) with all of these ideas and people who want to create committees for organizing (Ben D's suggestion) can sign on and get connected.

Ash B is interested in participating in a fund raiser rock show.
Tannis Root is interested in offering their services to make shirts (A "Cy Rawls has a posse" shirt perhaps?--Nicole Triche's idea)
Ben Davis is organizing a Run for Rawls
Some folks want to do an eBay sale of stuff for Cy
An art auction has been discussed
A craft sale was discussed
A popular member of a popular band on a popular label in the area (hawhawhaw---sssssssseeeeeecrets) has offered to try to put a show together.
Frank and Glenn are looking at dates for shows at the Cradle and 506 respectively.
Cy Rawls tip jars at the businesses he frequents

Fundraising info I have gleaned from others:

No accounts should be put in Cy's or his parents' names as that would be considered assets by bill-collectors and The Man.
We need to make sure Cy's monthly bills are paid to keep his credit in check. I'll mention that to his folks today.

You guys are absolutely incredible. Please keep visiting Cy. He needs to positive vibes in there.

More as we know it.

Fundraising

2008-07-18T00:23:00.002-04:00

Rock show planning is brewing behind the scenes on several fronts.

Also, Kristie Porter is looking into collecting donations for Cy's folks. She wrote:

You can let folks know that soon there will be an electronic way to make general donations for his medical bills. It's all just yet to be figured out.
__________________
I'll let you know how that turns out.

Almost Forgot

2008-07-17T22:25:00.000-04:00

This little treat comes from Nicole Triche:

What I wanted to share was a site on the Duke site where you can send Cy cards for free. They'll print them out and deliver them within 2 days.

http://www.dukehealth.org/PatientsAndVisitors/Ecard/ecard_form

Nicole

Is It Thursday?

2008-07-17T21:41:00.002-04:00

Dear friends,

I am just back from a long day at the hospital with little to tell. The situation is not good and foggy at best. Cy's parents have not yet really explained what happened today and what will happen next. I sense they're still trying to understand it themselves. Here's what I know.

Cy went in to surgery at 3:15, and the surgery was aborted at 3:45. His parents were summoned to the OR at that point. They were down there for almost an hour. While they were down there, Cy was brought back to his room. At that point, we received the update you read earlier today from the Rawlses' pastor who was with them downstairs. That update now seems to be a little confusing. When Cy's folks came back up from the OR, they went back to talk with Cy and the docs. Once they returned, they remained pretty quiet for the rest of the evening, intermittently crying and welcoming guests.

From others, I have learned that the tumor is not a compact unit as they had earlier believed. They have discovered that it has fingers that are invading the brain. This complicates the situation considerably. Surgery would not be as much of a help as first expected. It might actually make the situation worse. A plan for treatment has not been determined, but it could consist of aggressive chemo and radiation.

We saw Cy for a bit. He was lucid, a little sleepy, but happy to see us. He laughed at some jokes and funny stories. He is no longer speaking as he has tubes down his throat. No hiccups, though, so that's good news. He did give us a pretty accurate drum roll to a Rush song that was on the iPod. (Many thanks to Mike Rohe for providing the iPod and the DVD player.) Bjorkback was able to get him some paper and a pen so that he could communicate better. Bjorkback apparently commented on Cy's rad hairdo, to which Cy replied by writing "skullet" on the page. Awesome!

He says he is in no pain whatsoever, but he knows what is going on. The meds make him nauseous, so he gets more meds for that which make him a little groggy. He is clearly a little scared and teared up at one point. He needs our prayers and well wishes now more than ever.

Cy's parents have indicated that they need us to move FULL-SPEED AHEAD on benefits and fund-raisers. Rockers: get in high-gear! We have confirmed that he has no health insurance. He was actually in the process of getting it reinstated last week. Suck. Can someone also set up some sort of fund that folks can donate to online?

There's something else I'm supposed to mention. What is it? Oh, yeah! For those who bring food, Rossi asked about their food preferences. Cy's dad said that he does not care for Mexican food, Greek food, Asian food, or eggplant. ?????? We had a good laugh about that. He prefers Southern food and good old meat-and-potatoes kinds of meals. They have not been sleeping well and are clearly mentally and physically exhausted. Please keep them in your prayers, too. They need our strength right now. They reiterated again how much they appreciate seeing all of us. It lifts their spirits to know that we are all there for them and for Cy.

Sorry this is so scatterbrained. I hope to have more information soon. As Cy's dad said, "We really need to pull together right now, y'all."

Thanks, guys.

Cy again grants an audience.

2008-07-17T18:28:00.002-04:00

Good people:

Cy's surgery was canceled for the time being, but he is awake and accepting visitors. He seems a little nervous and is welcoming well-wishers.

(I haven't seen him today; I get this news from Kerry on the telephone. Heading out there now...)

Surgery Cancelled

2008-07-17T16:43:00.003-04:00

Dear friends,

The surgery was cancelled shortly after it began. When the doctors got in there, they apparently found several lesions on Cy's neck that would jeopardize the surgery somehow. The doctors have decided to instead begin a very aggressive course of chemo and radiation. His parents are in with the doctors now. More as the situation develops.

Surgery

2008-07-17T14:59:00.002-04:00

Cy was just wheeled into surgery 10 minutes ago. We are all waiting on the fourth floor in the usual spot if you want to join us.

(Thank you to the kind young man who let me use his computer to post this entry.)

Wednesday Late Night Update from Mary B.

2008-07-17T13:10:00.001-04:00

Hey folks,

Mary Brunnemer left this update in the comments, but I thought it should go here. I have not called the hospital yet to see if surgery went ahead, so if anyone knows, please let me know.

Wednesday's late night update:

Just left the late shift visiting hours. I didn't get to see Cy, but hung around for a bit. Apparently, there was a little setback this evening. The MRI results from late today showed some issues that could possibly cause them to rethink surgery tomorrow. They put the breathing tube back in, concerned that he'd have issues in his sleep, but from what I understand, that seems to be a precaution to avoid any kind of emergency situation. Right before they did that, he was groggy, but passing tests such as identifying numbers & sticking his tongue out on command. He seems to be very groggy from all the wear & tear, not to mention the drugs they are giving him.

The docs are planing to wake Cy up every hour & check his ability to do things like identify numbers, etc. We got one update right around 11:30ish when his parents went back to check on progress. Things seemed OK, but surgery may or may not be back on. The docs will decide in the morning. IF they do the surgery, it should still be around 12:15 tomorrow & last about 3-4 hours. If not, they may take other action, but seems certain that some kind of treatment will happen ASAP.

If anyone that was there tonight can fill in any holes in my info, please do. And for anyone going over to visit in the morning, please post the latest so we'll know whether or not the surgery is taking place!

Till then, Cy, you are in my thoughts--me and countless other friends, family, loved ones, & dare I say, fans. If we start the Official Cy Rawls Fan Club now, I think we can turn any future musical benefit action into a full-fledged festival, right? :-)

XO, Mary B.

Not an Update: Mush Moment

2008-07-17T12:53:00.004-04:00

<mush >
I was thinking about it last night while I was in bed (since Cy's all I can think about--every dream I remember last night was about Cy), and I had a strange realization.

Cy's situation is an amazing opportunity that I wouldn't ever wish on anyone. How many people get the chance to find out just how much their friends love them? Cy has spent his entire adult life showing us how much he loves us. He shows up at our parties so quietly, makes sure we know he's there, and then slips out without fanfare. He crosses the country for our rock shows. (He often does all of these things in one night. ) He always takes the time to say hello and tell us how well we did at whatever we're doing. Who does that?! Cy does that.

Now, we're getting the chance to show Cy how much we love him. What a strange, unfortunate gift. I don't think Teddy Kennedy had as many visitors as Cy has had.

Don't wait for brain tumors: tell your friends you love them.
</mush >

Lots of Visits to Cy Today

2008-07-17T01:26:00.002-04:00

Hey all, I was not able to go by today, but many of you have, so I will report what I and you have learned. Cy's surgery is scheduled for noon tomorrow. If you want to see him, you will need to go by before 10:30 am. The surgery will take place on the third floor (hopefully, in a surgical room), and it should take 3-4 hours.

Read these reports for more info:

At 6:21pm, Aaron Smithers wrote:

Montgomery and I went over this morning and showed up just about the same time as Carrie Shull and we all had a nice visit. He was awake and responsive, a little uncomfortable because the feeding tube had been removed and I think his throat hurt. Still, Cy was in good spirits and we joked around a little bit and it was nice to see him laugh.
He has WXYC playing regularly it seems and I couldn't help but wonder what some of the doctors and nurses think about some of the music.
Got to visit with his dad and another gentleman whose name I cannot remember and we got to share some stories with them as well.

Aaron Smithers

At 7:25 pm, Skip Elsheimer wrote:
Michael Pilmer and I visited Cy at around 5:30pm or so. His parents have gotten good at identifying who is visiting Cy. His dad noticed Michael Pilmer's Van Halen shirt right off.

Cy was in good spirits when we saw him. Still tired. No hiccups though. He's weak and bored but still Cy - cracking jokes, etc. He has an ipod and a portable DVD player setup. Cy has requested to see The Wire. He says he wants to see it again from the beginning. So if anybody has that on DVD, he'd really appreciate watching it.

I'm told he's scheduled for surgery tomorrow afternoon. After that he's going to be recooping for a while. I asked Cy's parents when he might be up for seeing visitors. They thought it might be late Friday or Saturday though he'll probably be in rough shape - tired, etc. We may want to confer with family to see when its good to visit Cy. He appreciates the visitors but it is exhausting for him.

The parents have been very touched by all the friends visiting. Cy's cousin told the parents about the blog and all the comments. I told the parents that Cy is beloved in the Triangle music scene.

Chances are Cy and his parents are going to need help paying for all of this. So we might want to start passing a hat or something...

Skip

Carrie Shull wrote:
If any of Cy's out of town peeps need a place to stay or bathe, I live pretty close to Duke Hospital. Very close to where Anderson St runs into Chapel Hill Rd. I could give up my bed, I have a couch, or I have plenty of room for an air mattress.

Carrie

1919 Ward St
Durham NC 27707
919-401-0972

Complicated Update from Carolyn

2008-07-16T17:23:00.001-04:00

Hey folks, I just got this from our pal Carolyn S. Wiley.

Hey Kerry,

I went today at lunch. Cy was asleep, but looked to be resting comfortably. I talked with his parents. They were telling me about how people have continued to come out and visit. They were waiting to give Rossi his dishes back from the dinner that he brought them (so sweet!). I asked if they had any likes/dislikes for food and Mrs. Rawls said they were pretty easy going on that end of things. They looked like they were anxious and said as much because they are just waiting to hear when the surgery will be.

After I left, Jennifer Fuller and Heather were over there. This is news from Jennifer:
Cy was awake and the nurse was doing several tests, follow the finger, push with your feet, squeeze my hand...and Cy was passing all of these tests. She said he had his sense of humor "They gave me a bad haircut" and seemed to be feeling ok. The hiccups were still going on.

Here's the news that Jennifer heard. I'm not sure if this has been confirmed, but thought I should pass it along. The nurse said that the doctor would be returning this afternoon and may actually plan the surgery for tomorrow at noon. If that is the case, anyone who wants to visit him tomorrow should come before 10:30 am.

Feel free to post this or parts of it on the blog. I will be keeping up with it as much as I can today.

Thanks,

carolyn

Fundraising update

2008-07-16T10:23:00.001-04:00

Cy has lots of friends! Lot's of friends with portable DVD players to spare! It looks as though one such friend will be donating a player to the cause, so any money raised will go to buying DVD's and whatever other media we all think he would like. Suggestions are more than welcome. Some great ideas are coming down the pike. Thanks everyone for the tremendous generosity!

A Little Fundraising?

2008-07-15T23:06:00.003-04:00

I'd like to take up a collection to provide Cy with a portable DVD player for when he gets out of ICU. If you would like to contribute, you can either hand me some cash in person or paypal a contribution to hepstyle@gmail.com. Put "Cy" in the comments field or whatever. Everything over the cost of the player will be used to buy some DVD's. If you have ideas, let me know.

Tuesday Evening

2008-07-15T22:58:00.003-04:00

First of all, Cy's parents want everyone to know how much they appreciate the well wishes, calls, gifts, and love that they have been receiving over the last few days. It means a great deal to them and Cy. They are so grateful! I think they are really surprised at how many people have poured out to see Cy. Keep it coming!

Cy's mom also suspects that Cy has no health insurance. She was not completely sure, though. I told her that people had been asking me about that, and she was very open with saying that she thinks Cy let his health insurance lapse. They are going to be applying for Medicaid for Cy this week. I do not want to be responsible for coordinating anything on that front, but when I said that I thought there were some people who wanted to help out and the likelihood of some benefit events, they were very pleased by the idea. So if you are interested in taking on that sort of organizing responsibility, let me know and I'll gladly make you a poster to this blog.

James Hepler will be posting soon about an idea for buying Cy a portable DVD player and some DVDs, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

When I went out after work today, I dropped off a couple of metal magazines. Cy has plenty of magazines to read at this point! He had a big stack of them as well as 4 stuffed animals. From all accounts, the reading material is very welcome as Cy is getting a little bored of sitting in one place. He looked good, but he is a bit groggier than last night. I understand he's had a LOT of visitors today and is on two anti-seizure meds to keep things in check. I have no idea what else he is taking.

Cy got to have his first meal today since Saturday. The feeding tube was removed earlier today, so when I got there, he was trying to push down some fish sticks and mashed potatoes. He was almost too tired to eat, and it didn't look all that appetizing anyhow. I heard there had been a cookie earlier that had made him pretty happy.

I also dropped off a printout of the comments that folks have left for him so far on this site. I reformatted them in Word and reduced the margins. It was still 13 pages long! I asked Cy if he had heard about the site and he nodded mid-fish stick that he had, but he was clearly a little skeptical about it... until he saw the packet of comments. He was really pleased and surprised about that! He looked exhausted, but he was still requesting that people keep on coming in. In the hour that I was there, there must have been at least 20 people there to see Cy. His parents were thrilled. There were so many of us that the receptionist just kept the two guest badges on the counter.

I asked about the outlook for Cy. His folks said they were waiting on the oncology report to know what the tumor is for sure. They had been mistaken about the location of the tumor. It is further back toward the middle of the head on the right. When his parents showed a bit of nervousness about the surgery, someone in the department said, "Oh, it will be fine; we did 15 of these surgeries last week." That really made Cy's mom feel more at ease. The main doctor is out of town today and tomorrow; he will be back on Thursday to set a firm plan for Cy's treatment. So his future is in a bit of a holding pattern right now. I'll certainly provide an update when I know one.

I don't think I will be able to go by tomorrow, so if anyone else does, please let us all know if there is any new news.

Tuesdays with Rossi

2008-07-15T17:16:00.002-04:00

Hey kids,

This message came to me from Chris Rossi an hour ago:

________________________________

Nothing terribly new or informative, except his parents indicated that they were waiting on a pathology report that they hoped to get tomorrow. Based on the pathology report they will come up with a plan of attack. So they don't really know yet if they're going to be operating or what the plan will be.

Richard and I saw him around 1pm and he seemed to be really tired and ready for a nap, so we were only there for a minute. It was good to seem him talking and moving--he shook our hands. He was clearly not feeling well, though. And he still had the hiccups. I think Cy definitely appreciates all of the attention, but all his visitors had worn him out and it was time for him to rest.

chris

Monday Night

2008-07-15T02:20:00.003-04:00

Dave and I went by tonight after a fun evening watching Cy's bowling league do what it does. Folks were all busily signing a cool poster that will be taken out to Cy at some point.

We headed out to the hospital and got there at about 10:40 p.m., so there was not much time left for visitors. We checked with the nurse to make sure he was awake. "Oh yeah, I was just in there. He's just reading a magazine," she said.

When we got in, she was right--he had his nose in a Fantasy Football magazine someone had brought by today. He was really happy to see us. He is breathing on his own and talking. He is no longer hooked up to the EEG machine at all, so he's just rocking some scraggly beard work and a semi-shaved head resembling Riff Raff from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. He was a little groggy, but mostly just tired. He also had a nasty case of hiccups that was causing him some discomfort, but the nurse had called for some magic drug or wand or pixy dust that was supposed to take care of that. Those hiccups were really making Cy frustrated.

I asked him how he felt about being at Duke hospital, and he responded, "I'm not happy about it." Then, really softly under his breath, he muttered, "Fuckin' Duke." I said that it sounds like this is the best place for him to be right now, and he responded, "I guess so." Someone apparently brought him some kind of Tarheels paraphernalia to keep the balance. (We should keep that coming.) I told him that I had heard from Bo Williams, and he responded, "Bo Williams?! What? How does everyone know?" I told him everyone knew because he was Cy Rawls, and who doesn't love some Cy Rawls, you know what I'm saying?

He was really happy about all the people who had come by to see him so far and all the well wishes we relayed to him. Contrary to what some might have expected, Cy was really psyched to be hearing from so many people. He said it was really cool that so many people know and are coming to visit.

The nurse said that they are working on getting him to a point where he can sit completely upright instead of relatively reclined. They will hopefully have him eating real food by tomorrow night. Right now, he has a teeny feeding tube through his nose. All in all, he looks awesome for someone who had just had the shittiest 36 hours ever. Those who visited him on Sunday will be relieved to see his progress. As far as I know, Carolyn's update about Cy's surgery being Thursday or Friday is still the plan. He had an MRI this morning that came back fine, so the brain appears to be doing just what it's supposed to.

Please continue to visit. He is still in room 4215 at Duke Hospital. Because he is in the ICU, he cannot yet receive flowers, but his parents are taking the flowers that have been sent. He really enjoys seeing everyone. Dave and I will likely be going back tomorrow, so we can print out the messages you all are posting below unless someone else beats me to it.

Man, what can you say? It's Cy Rawls!

Leave Notes for Cy

2008-07-14T17:46:00.001-04:00

If you can't make it to the hospital to visit him this week, please feel free to post comments. We'll print them out and take them over for you.

Update from Carolyn

2008-07-14T17:25:00.002-04:00

Below is an update from Carolyn Seifken who saw Cy today at lunchtime.

A group of us went at noon today to see Cy. He's doing so much better. He was alert and seemed to recognize folks. He can't talk because he has the breathing tube in, but he raised his arm to say hello and good-bye to some visitors. He also smirked at something said to him, so he's responding well to his treatment. I wasn't there yesterday, but I understand this is a great improvement. The doctors will do an MRI this afternoon to look at how things are progressing and the doctor hopes to plan the surgery later in the week.

The nurse told us that when we visit to try and keep him calm and not to get too animated. If he gets too active he becomes uncomfortable because of the breathing tube. They hope they will be able to remove that today, so let's keep our hopes up that his progress continues.

His parents have a card with them that we are signing, and it is nearly full, but I know they have appreciated the visits from his friends. Visiting hours are as Kerry mentioned in her last email, and you should be prepared to wait a bit when you come. Bring a jacket--it is cold in that hospital.

Cy is a fighter and he's working hard to beat this. He's in the best care at Duke as they have an incredible neuro-oncology devision. I have heard great things about his doctor, Dr. Sampson. I know that he'll do everything he can to help Cy recover. Please keep your hopes up.

Carolyn Wiley

Cy Updates

2008-07-14T17:19:00.000-04:00

Hi folks,

I figured I'd start this blog to keep folks updated on Cy without having to worry about e-mail addresses and whatnot. Anyhow, below is the message I sent out last night about Cy:

Dave and I went to the hospital to see him today. He was asleep the
whole time we were there, so we spent a little over an hour with his
parents and the other friends who came by to visit. Cy had a pretty
bad day, but he seems to be improving. Here's what we know:

Cy was being prepped for surgery to do a biopsy on a mass growing in
his brain this morning at 3 am when he had a seizure on the table that
nearly killed him. The amazing doctors saved him. The biopsy was
completed but all the results are not in. The tumor in Cy's brain is
the size of a golf ball and is located on the right front corner of
the brain. It is an aggressive (rapidly growing) tumor that needs to
and will be removed soon. Everyone is hopeful.

Cy's folks were told early today that Cy had no brain activity, but
that has changed; Cy is not fully conscious but is able to respond to
some commands from doctors like "Move your left leg, Cy. Move your
thumb. Now, lift your left arm, Cy." This is incredibly good news.
When he is awake, Cy is showing some recognition of people, but he's
still pretty out of it. "Baby steps" are the words of the day,
according to his folks.

Cy is taking a while to come out of the coma, but this is not
surprising considering the insults to the brain caused by the
seizures. The seizures were being caused by pressure on the brain
from fluid, which has now been alleviated. Doctors cannot remove the
tumor, however, until the brain swelling has stopped and Cy's brain is
stable. He is currently intubated because he cannot breathe on his
own. Once that is over and he is breathing on his own, the doctors
will go in there and get this thing out of our boy's head.

Cy's childhood friend Mike was there with Cy's parents. Mike spent
the night there with Cy last night. He wants us to get the word out
to all of Cy's friends and to tell them all to come visit. He wanned
Cy to know how many people are thinking of him as he battles this
thing. He is at Duke Hospital in room 4215. This is in the ICU, so
only 2 people are allowed in at a time. The woman at the front desk
will give you a business card that lists the hours when people CANNOT
visit. In general, these are the time when you DON'T want to go over
there: 7-8:30 am, 2-4pm, and 7-8:30 pm.

This is all that I know...and it's certainly more than I ever wanted
to hear. If I learn more, I'll let you know, and I hope you'll do the
same.

--kerry cantwell