Hi Everyone!

Here's a note to brief you on the details of my treatment right now. I appreciate how so many of you have asked me to fill them in. On the other hand, I know not everyone is interested in ALL of the particulars, so I’m going to write a couple of short sections. Feel free to read or pass over each of them.

Treatment Details: After all of the constant doctor visits, I’m now in the midst of radiation on Monday through Friday at Northwestern Memorial. The overall medicine schedule goes like this:
9:00AM or so Simple workout at least twice a week
10:30AM Anti-seizure medication and laxative
11:30AM Mon and Thursday leave for acupuncture, return home for my ride to treatment by 2:45
2:15PM Food Fast
2:45PM Anti-nausea pill
3:15PM Chemotherapy pills
4:15PM Radiation treatment, 25 minutes
5:30PM or so Light snack to help settle my stomach
6:00PM to 8:00PM or so a long nap. I generally tend to have a slightly upset stomach and fatigue after the radiation so it really is necessary to sleep a bit.

Schedule: It’s kind of hard to comprehend, but this schedule practically takes up my whole day when you include all of the driving that needs to be done. Just the radiation with the driving every day takes three to four hours. Sheesh! If only I could drive it myself that would be nice but I’m not allowed to drive for awhile. I find it hard to see all the time stress on Michele because all of this takes hours out of her and Josephine’s day too. I never dreamed someone going through something like this would have their family so time stressed. It's hard to comprehend.

The Future: The good news is that I only need to get the radiation through next week and I will be done for life because my limit will be full. Radiation in your body does not decrease and all of what I’ve received will be with me forever hopefully working effectively on the cancer. I’ve been told by my Doctor that the six to eight weeks after the last treatment are the toughest as my body attempts to adjust to the maximum dosage I can have without guaranteed damage. The basic story is that I’ll be very tired and will sleep constantly. Hopefully I will recover soon and my life will get back to normal. The big hope is that in three months I will have another MRI exam and it will show that the cancer is no longer duplicating within my body. If that is the case I will receive further chemo and MRI exams every three months for at least two years. After that they will be confident and scale back on the number of quarterly exams.
So there we have the basics! Please pray that my body will do much better than even the Doctors would hope for and that I will recover quickly from my radiation and that I will suffer no long term effects from it. Of course, please also pray for my complete healing from the cancer.

Thank you again to everyone for supporting me so much. I really appreciate you and loved seeing so many wonderful people (who didn't have previous engagements) at my graduation party.

Scott

Hi Everyone!

Just a reminder to the Chicago folks that this Sat is my graduation party at 1751 N. Talman from 6-9pm. Please no gifts, we'd just like to hang out! Know that you're welcome to bring your children.

In today’s email I would just like to throw out a couple of stories. In the next few days I’ll also try to give you more details about my condition, etc.

I just want to let you all know I think about you with thankfulness and a huge dose of humility everyday. It’s hard to describe the incredible gratefulness and strength I have because of your encouragement, gifts, the time that so many of you are spending for us, and the prayer that I’m receiving from so many people all across the country in various churches, synagogues and various spiritual pursuits. It’s bringing me so much courage to face this thing head on! I know in my heart that I have a rough experiential road ahead for the short term, but in the long term I just feel confident everything will work out for the best. God is with me!

A few of you know that I’m still trying to get a light workout in at least a couple of times a week. My doctor actually encourages it because it energizes my systems and helps to fight the tiredness that comes with radiation treatment. The best part for me is that I’ve actually lost a few pounds overall but also gained better strength and muscle. It’s about time! An old pole vaulter friend of mine from my high school and college days (I vaulted at Colorado State) thought about it for a second and thought, “Gee, I bet he’s hoping he’s getting close to vault weight again!” The funny thing is – I actually thought that. Once a vaulter, always a vaulter! (The amazing thing is that my friend and his brother are actually world class jumpers in the over 40 age group. It's awesome to watch 'em jump.)

As far as my physical feelings generally go, it’s kind of all over the map. One day is great; another day is uncomfortable with slight to medium discomfort with nausea and heavy tiredness. Regardless of the risk, I decided to roll the dice and travel to a work related small conference in Miami, FL last week where I met up with my brother and Dad. Virtually all of our important customers were there and boy I’m really glad I went. It was like we were able to get in three months of travel and meetings in just a couple of days and I felt really great the whole time. It just felt good to be back in the loop, although I slept quite a bit when I got home. I was also very grateful for a good number of my customers who talked with me quite awhile and let me know they were seriously praying for me.

Another interesting part of this whole thing is that I’m starting to lose the hair on the left and right sides of my head near the temple. I haven’t had a haircut in weeks because I knew I’d lose some of my lovely hair. Now the whole head thing is starting to look funny with long but still decent hair on top with largely absent hair on the right and left. It’s not all that dramatic yet but, ya know. I’ve grown a mustache and goatee to serve as a replacement, but I still need to do something with that garden up top. Here’s where it gets weird. I’ve been looking around on the street and have noticed HUGE numbers of YOUNG guys running around with either shaved or buzzed heads. I guess this appears to be a forced imposition on my hair at this point, but am I really a young guy still? People often have difficulty guessing within ten years of my actual age, but what is this buzzed head going to do to me? Make me look younger? Sheesh, I dropped out of NROTC in my college days partially because everyone thought such a buzzed head was an import directly out of geeksville. Now I’m just too old to appreciate the glory of contemporary style, but have to go for it anyway. Yikes. Anyone interested in enjoying the fountain of youth please feel free to rub my head.

Anyway, that's it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to update you with more of the dry medical details soon. Thanks so much to every single one of you again. You’re really an amazing, loving and wonderful group of people. I pray that all your blessings would be multiplied back to YOU in many and various ways. You're awesome!

Scott