Treatment Plan...Round 2

This past Tuesday we returned to Dr. Fintel to discuss the results of Brad's testing at Duke. The great news is that no secondary cancer has been identified and his blood tests were normal. Brad was given several options for his treatment plan which included the following:

1. Watch and wait (just like it sounds - do nothing to see how the cancer continues to develop)
2. Rituxan infusions (Rituxan is an antibody that attaches itself to the B-Cell in one's body...the cell that is the "weakest link" for Brad).
3. Bexxar, which is a Rituxan-radiation blend.

After hearing the pros and cons for each course of treatment, Brad chose the Rituxan infusions. Unlike the Bexxar treatment, the side effects of the infusions are significantly less, Brad doesn't need to have his port reinstalled AND he won't lose his Richard Simmons like, full head of hair.

The infusions, which will begin on Valentine's Day, will be done intravenously and according to Dr. Fintel, can last anywhere between 8-12 hours each. Brad will have four infusions, one each week for the next 4 weeks. It's our hope that the side effects will be minimal and that Brad's energy will soon return.

While we realize this treatment is more like a temporary band-aid, it's our hope that the infusions will help put Brad's cancer back to sleep for at least the same 1-1/2 years that his chemotherapy lasted. We're a little unsure whether the infusions can officially put him back into remission, because the goal of Rituxan is to slow the growth of the cancer cells and this course of treatment is often used as a maintenance option once a patient goes into remission. Keep your fingers crossed and prayers coming that we have success with this new plan.

Thank you for the kind thoughts and cards that have been coming our way. It's so comforting to know we have lots of cheerleaders and we are confident Brad is going to beat this.

Hugs,

Brad, Sandy & Avery

Good News & No News...

Today was our much anticipated re-visit to Duke University's Adult Blood and Marrow Transplant Center to gain additional insight into what we thought was going to be Brad's next step to recovery...a bone marrow transplant. Well, that's not what we walked away with.

After spending some time with Dr. Rizzieri and sharing his list of recurring symptoms, Brad was told that the symptoms he's experiencing, do not match the type of cancer he has been diagnosed with. Follicular Lymphoma affects the "B Cells" in one's body however, the symptoms Brad is experiencing are more commonly found in "T Cell" type lymphoma. This has Dr. Rizzieri somewhat stumped and raised some concern that something else could be going on. As a result, he ordered about 12 different blood tests for Brad to test his liver, kidneys, thyroid, allergies and several other things that could be impacting the way Brad is currently feeling. Those results will be back at the end of the week. If everything comes back normal, Dr. Rizzieri suggested that another lymph node be removed and biopsied, because it's possible that his body is developing a secondary cancer. I asked whether it's possible that a B Cell Lymphoma develop into a T Cell Lymphoma and he indicated that could not happen. So that's where the "no news" part of the blog comes in.

The good (in my mind GREAT) news is that Brad will not move forward with the transplant right now. Although his cancer has returned much sooner than anticipated, what we found out today is that the transplant is the last ditch effort to a cure AFTER all other treatment options have been exhausted. We were quite frustrated with this (not only because Duke is a 3 hour drive each way!) but because we have been told Brad is a great candidate due to his health, age, donor match, etc... and was even told again today that he will indeed need the transplant at some point in his future.

Why wait? That was EXACTLY what we were wondering and so frustrated about. If you know that a transplant is coming, can't/shouldn't we do it now? What we didn't know is that the type of transplant Brad would have has about a 20% mortality rate. However, chemotherapy, regardless of the type one is having, has a much lower mortality rate. If chemo keeps a patient in remission for a couple of years at a time, the quality of life is still much higher than that of most transplant patients. Once a transplant takes place and should another relapse occur, there are really no remaining treatment options. So yes, this is the "good news" and it also means we don't need to get rid of our puppy dogs, so Avery is quite thrilled at the moment!

We will return to Dr. Fintel here in Roanoke on February 7th and will hopefully be able to discuss the blood test results and whether we should move forward on chemo, radiation or both to treat the existing cancer.

Bless Brad's little heart...I know he wants answers, we all do. We will get them, but it's just not going to be today. We'll keep everybody posted on our next visit to the Dr. From the bottom of our hearts, thanks for all the prayers and positive thoughts you're sending our way.

Love,
Brad, Sandy & Avery

God Gave Me You...

Dear Brad -

Even though I'm in Atlanta, I want to wish you (us) a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I can't believe that 10 years ago today, I had the most amazing opportunity to not only marry my very best friend, but the most incredible loving father. I feel so blessed to have you right next to me each step of our crazy journey together. I'll need your music skills to get it up on the blog, but the Blake Shelton (or Dave Barnes) song, "God Gave Me You" describes exactly how I feel. I love you with my entire heart and soul - thank you for being such an amazing husband.

I've been a walking heartache
I've made a mess of me
The person that I've been lately
Ain't who I wanna be

But you stay here right beside me
Watch as the storm goes through
And I need you

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I've lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it's true
God gave me you

There's more here than what we're seeing
A divine conspiracy
That you, an angel lovely
Could somehow fall for me
You'll always be love's great martyr
I'll be the flattered fool
And I need you

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I've lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it's true
God gave me you

On my own I'm only
Half of what I could be
I can't do without you
We are stitched together
And what love has tethered
I could baby, never undo

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I've lost my way
There are no words here left to say, it's true
God gave me you, gave me you
Gave me you.

Take Courage. Do not be afraid.

If you have followed our blog from the beginning, you may remember an entry from December 2009, where I mentioned Avery had received a Max Lucado "Fearless" flip calendar as a Christmas gift. The calendar has daily biblical verses and inspirational thoughts to help one be strong during times of uncertainty. Well, since Avery didn't pay too much attention to the calendar, it has lovingly found a home on my desk at work. Yesterday's reading was simply this from Matthew 14:27: Take courage. Do not be afraid.

Wow...what a "hit me in the gut" moment as it was the perfect match for what I was feeling. I read that verse as I was preparing for my usual Monday morning staff meeting and mentally preparing to go to Brad's oncology appointment to discuss his upcoming treatment plan that will take place due to his relapse.

During the past 10 days, Brad and I had truly spent some quality time discussing the options we thought would be presented to us. More chemo, maybe radiation, maybe both, maybe a bone marrow transplant...you know, the typical husband/wife coffee talk.

What we found out yesterday is that Brad's cancer is much more aggressive than we originally thought. He has some pretty significant "activity" below his waist (get your mind out of the gutter) as well as in his neck on the right side. When Brad was diagnosed 2 years ago, a large lymph node was removed from his neck, but on the left side. Because we are fortunate enough to have been down to Duke 2 years ago for a discussion of a bone marrow transplant and found out that Brad's brother Chad is nearly a 100% match, Brad's Oncologist has suggested that we move forward on the transplant process.

This is a very scary time for us. We now wait to hear when Brad's appointment at Duke will take place, likely by the end of February. Due to ensuring that Brad's body is ready to accept Chad's bone marrow, a series of preparation procedures will be done, including pre-transplant chemo to put his cancer back into remission. He will have his heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and many other tests performed as well as again going through a psychological evaluation to see if Brad has the support system in place to manage the transplant.

Because the transplant process is one which will require some significant time for Brad to recover, as well as the need for him to have easy access to the transplant center at Duke, Brad will need to "move" to Durham while he recovers. For most patients, this is typically about 100 days, although full recovery time for a transplant patient is about a year.

We know that a long, emotional road lies ahead for us. I ask that you pray specifically for Brad, Avery, Brad's parents and brothers and me to have the strength and courage to travel the road in a way that will ultimately be the healthiest for Brad. Several of you have already asked "what can I do to help?". To be honest, we don't know at this point in time. What we DO know, is that we have the most amazing support system in place, including our family, friends, a loving church and Sunday School class, as well as a loving God who knows what lies ahead and will lead and guide us. Yes, we are doing our best to take courage and not be afraid.

A Relapse...

Yesterday, Brad went for his 6 month PET scan and we were able to get the results yesterday afternoon. Sadly, the news was not what we wanted to hear and we have been told that Brad's cancer is "active" again. We were really hoping to get past July 16, 2012. Why do you ask?

If you haven't followed our story from the beginning and are just catching up, when Brad was diagnosed with his cancer in December 2009 and started getting information from his Oncologist at the beginning of 2010, one key piece of information that stuck with us, is that if Brad could make it past 2 years without a relapse, it would significantly decrease his chance of needing a bone marrow transplant. Because his cancer has again become active prior to the 2 years, we're not quite sure what this means regarding his treatment options.

We will meet with Brad's Oncologist (Dr. Fintel) on Monday, January 23rd. Please keep him and all of us in your thoughts as we explore the options that may be available and make the best decision possible. We're nervous, anxious and emotions once again run high for all of us. Thank you for your prayers and positive energy - we'll keep you posted on what happens next.

Much love,
Brad, Sandy & Avery

Long Overdue Update...

I can't believe we haven't provided any updates since July! So sorry for our laziness...

Things in our lives have been amazing and we continue to be surprised at all the blessings that come our way on a daily basis. Since the update about Brad being in remission as of July 16th, many wonderful things have happened.

The best news of all is that Brad continues to become stronger everyday! Although cancer continues to be part of our daily conversations, we don't talk about or make predictions on when his first relapse will occur. His hair has fully returned and is almost black now. He also just seems to have a heck of a lot more of it! We are certainly looking forward to this Christmas being so different and much happier than last year's.

In August, Avery went to spend nearly a week at Camp Kesem, which was sponsored by the University of Richmond at Westview on the James camp and retreat center. Although he was nervous to spend the time away from home, we were looking forward to his opportunity to interact with other kids his age who can directly relate to his feelings about dealing with a parent who has cancer. As did the camp staff, all campers had to choose nicknames and Avery affectionately became known as "Mashed Potatoes", but shortened it to "Taters" throughout the week. It was clear when Brad and I picked him up the day of the family picnic, that Taters was extremely popular at camp and found significant value in his experience. Avery's favorite activity during the week was the zipline and surprising to us all - he LOVED singing the camp songs and performing in the talent show. He led the kids and camp staff in a dance he created called the "Mashed Potato Shuffle" and his group became known as the "Mashed Taters and Gravy Crew." He is still talking about his experience and wants to return next year.

After some significant conversations with Brad and deep soul searching, I made the decision in July to resign my position with the YMCA at Virginia Tech at the end of August. I didn't have another position lined up and was unsure of what the future held, but truly just wanted to be closer to home after all that we have endured since last December.

After applying to a variety of positions and doing some temp work, what I considered to be the most wonderful opportunity presented itself in August. I applied, had many interviews and was offered a position as the Office Manager for the American Cancer Society's South Atlantic Regional Office here in Roanoke. Much of what I do is administratively based here in Roanoke, yet also provides support and direction to the other 5 offices within the region. I still have the wonderful opportunity to interact and serve alongside volunteers, provide mission based experiences to my own staff (i.e. retreat, professional development opportunities, etc...) and more importantly, work with an incredibly talented team of professionals who are clearly dedicated to serving others in the fight against cancer. Although I just started this week and have a ton to learn, I am thrilled to have found the opportunity to work for another action and impact oriented organization committed to making a difference in the lives of others.

I continue seeing blessings and miracles at work in our lives daily and am so thankful for being led down the right path. Many continued thanks to our friends and family who still reach out and support us in more ways than we could ever mention. We love you all.

Hugs,
Sandy

REMISSION!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was a HUGE day for us when we found out that chemo has been a success for Brad and he was officially declared to be in remission. He had his PET scans earlier this week so it has been a week full of emotion thinking through everything...over and over and over again. Brad is excited to have his chest port removed on Friday, July 23rd. I honestly think he's just looking forward to being waited on hand and foot again.

I am trying to avoid thinking about how long it will be before his relapse (we have been prepared that this will happen - just a matter of when) will occur. I have to be honest - it's tough. Really tough. It makes "remission" bitter sweet, but time to put the past 7 months behind us and put our energy back into our jobs and getting life back in order.

I am so proud of Brad - his strength, his commitment, his humor. He is honestly the man that I was meant to spend my life with and my life continues to be blessed by God. Although I have always been spiritual, in the "non-spiritual" sense of the word (you know, be a good person, be kind to others, etc...), this experience has truly been life changing for me...for us, really.

Much love and many thanks for all the support,
Sandy