Weekend

Still unwinding from the excitement of the weekend but thought I would post an early picture of my lovely bride and I on the beach following the ceremony.

We are extraordinarily excited to finally be married and looking forward to so many of the things our life has to offer right now.

Married

Kristina and I got married this afternoon - 80 degrees on the beach at Barnstable Harbor.
We had a great time and are so happy to move forward as husband and wife!

DONE

Tuesday morning was my final Radiation appointment, which puts me at 100% complete with my treatment process!  Kristina and I went out to dinner that night and reflected on the physical and emotional roller coaster we’ve been on since she found the lump.  We both agreed the worst part of the process was the time leading up to the diagnosis when we didn’t know what was going on and feared for the worst.  I still feel tremendously lucky to have tolerated everything so well and am blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful group of family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances – it really made the whole process a lot easier to have that bubble of support around us.

I will spend some more time in the near future wrapping everything up, but I am extremely happy and relieved to be complete and sincerely appreciative for all the kind words of encouragement each of you have offered to me and my family over the last 6 months.

All the best, Gary

 

"Hello Clarice..."

They strapped me in this morning for treatment #13, of 15, so I am nearly complete. As I showed before, they strap me into a mask and onto a board to deliver the treatment, which is very Hannibal Lecter-esque. I still have difficulty swallowing but now have a solution to drink before meals which numbs my mouth and throat, which has helped some.

Kristina's dad is in town from CO for the weekend and we're going to do some relaxing and play tourist a little bit. Going to an Oyster Festival on Sunday to benefit the Cape and Islands United Way, and hope to see another victory by BC tomorrow. Pats will make us wait until Monday night to witness another domination, but it should be a great way to start the week.

As it stands now my final radiation appointment is next Tuesday at 8:50am - which then completes my cancer treatment process. Gives me goose-bumps to write that; it's been a long journey thus far, but I feel very fortunate to have tolerated so much of it so well. I still have a lot of diagnostic follow-ups, but things look very positive for no recurrence and I am excited to move on with life. My hair has begun to grow back, and life is really pretty damn good.

Enjoy your weekends, thanks for coming by and get ready to party next Tuesday - I walk out of the Davenport-Mugar Cancer Center a free man - we won't really party, but I'm sure Kristina and I will have a nice dinner and reflect on the entire experience (food will have to be soft for me to eat, maybe Italian?)

Enjoy the weekend! - Gary

Swallow This

My first side-effects from radiation appear to have arrived; difficulty swallowing. It feels like my throat is about 1/4 of the size it is normally and it makes it very uncomfortable to eat. Foods that are dry or sharp (chips, bread) are particularly difficult, and even a swig of water that's a little too big can cause some pain. In the grand scheme it's a small price to pay to have my cancer cured, but it certainly makes meals interesting.

Weekend was good, with a trip to King Richard's Faire, a win by BC and another thorough stomping by the Pats - plus unseasonable heat in the area - it all added up to a nice break from work. Had my 9th radiation appointment first thing this morning, which only leaves 6 - be done a week from tomorrow.

All else is well, hope you all enjoyed your weekends - Gary

Another Short One

The Sox lost 2 of 3 from the Yanks and appear to be heading towards a monumental collapse to end the season…at a minimum their chances to succeed in the playoffs look bleak.  Meanwhile BC and the Pats are whipping up a storm, so it’s on to football right now.

Radiation marches on, every day…I am through 4 treatments of 15 and still not noticing any side effects.  I remain busy and the once daily trip to Cape Cod Hospital for treatment has become a mere annoyance at this point.  My whole experience with cancer is something I think about in the past tense and I am looking forward to actually completing all the necessary treatments and moving ahead. 

Other than that, things are going well, keeping busy, feeling good and living life.

Hope you all are well - Gary

 

Update

Been pretty busy lately but things are going really well; started radiation Wednesday afternoon and it’s a piece of cake – you truly cannot tell you are having anything done.  Having my head locked down to the table is not all that pleasant, but a small price to pay. 

Best perk of radiation; free massages in the waiting room – part of the hospitals “holistic” approach to healthcare, and now part of my daily routine for the next few weeks.

Feel great, can’t stress that enough, and I’ve been keeping really busy…conference in Boston Monday and Tuesday, hit the Sox Monday night and watched them lose to the D-Rays, had a big event last night here on the Cape that went tremendously well, going up to Suffolk Downs tomorrow night from my grandfather’s 80^th b-day, and hitting up the Red Sox Sunday night, hopefully to watch them complete a devastating sweep of the Yankees. 

Chemo barely slowed me down, I am not going to let radiation slow me down and I am looking forward to a great September here on Cape Cod.

All the best, enjoy your weekends - Gary

Radiation

Had my appointment yesterday afternoon to get mapped out for radiation; pretty interesting stuff. They essentially put me in a CT Scan like device to get imagery and then use those images, as well as some markings they made, to map the treatment area on the computer. They put a mask on me, which is exactly like what you see here; the idea of the mask is to keep my head still while I receive treatments and also to pull my head slightly back so they can get at the area around the neck. They are trying as much as possible to keep away from the salivary glands and some other areas, because the adverse reaction from radiation in those areas is a little more severe.
I will begin radiation next Wednesday, 9/12, and am scheduled for 15 visits, which has me done on October 2nd, 2007. In the process of being there they gave me some permanent markings, tattoos, essentially...they're small dots on my chest area. Now that I'm bald and have some tats I figure it's time to buck-up and get a Harley to go along with the look.
All else is well, looking forward to starting/finishing radiation and happy to be so close to the end. All the best and enjoy your weekends - Gary

Dana Farber

Went up to Dana-Farber this morning for a second opinion on the radiation treatment and it was a quick and simple trip.  Initially I met with a resident and an intern and went over the entirety of my identification of the disease, diagnosis, treatment, etc.  It’s a little bazaar to sit in a room with people while one is actually learning about medicine, treatment, etc.  We actually witnessed this interaction, which was a little embarrassing;

Resident; “Did you have any numbness in your hands during chemo?”

Me; “No.”

Resident; “It’s a strange phenomenon, we see particularly in younger men, some hand neuropathy from the chemo,” (to intern) “what drug would cause that?”

Intern; …..silence….”The….” 

I don’t remember what she answered, but she did answer and she was wrong, but he was good about it and used it as a productive teaching moment.  I understand it is a necessary and important part of modern medicine to work in this fashion; it’s just a little weird when you’re the patient and they’re sort of quizzing each other over you.

Dr. Ng finally came in and after reviewing everything from Canaday and the PET reports basically said everything he suggested is how they would handle it there and she was very comfortable with the recommended course of treatment.  She was very pleasant and from what we understand she has been instrumental in reviewing several clinical trials currently being conducted in Germany on the treatment of Hodgkins, more specifically the elimination of some treatments, or the shortening of the treatment times.  It was comforting to get their sign-off and we were happy to know they had such universal agreement with the treatment plan prescribed here on the Cape.

At this point I have an appointment on Wednesday of next week to further plan out the treatment and make some surgical markings that will be used during the delivery of radiation, and I believe September 17^th will be the eventual start date, though that is not official.  Side effects from radiation remain minimal but could include problems swallowing, some loss of taste, thickening of saliva, fatigue, and some other surface skin issues in the treatment area.  I’m anxious to get started and work through it.

Labor Day weekend is looking good, BC football tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 (ABC) and a lot of relaxing.  Enjoy your weekends and thanks for the visit - Gary

Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum

I failed to note the event earlier, however it remains an important and relevant part of political discourse...the Livestrong Presidential Cancer Forum took place this week in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with a host of Democratic and Republican Presidential hopefuls discussing their views, experiences, and ultimately their proposed solutions for Cancer. Many of the proposals were predictably vague, however the idea of making the debate more public and helping raise additional awareness is a good one and working with policy makers, particularly the possible next leader of the free-world, is a great start.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation continues to work hard to raise awareness, raise money for cures, and bring a level of pride and comfort to those struggling with cancer, their families and loved ones. I admire the work he has done to turn his own struggle into a public crusade and the effort he has spent to help improve the situation. I hope to be able to participate in LAF events in the future and look forward to seeing the foundations continuing progress.

Update on Appointments/GO SOX!

Yesterday was the big day of the month with appointments with both my Radiation Oncologist (Dr. Canaday) and Oncologist (Dr. Aviles) to first discuss the radiation process and then review the results of the PET Scan from last week. I was running a fever when I got to the radiation appointment so they sent me for blood-work...no concern as it just appears to be a little sickness, nothing related to cancer. Canaday explained the whole radiation process to me, which currently looks like a 3 week treatment process (15 visits) and should have mild side-effects, if any. I enjoyed the meeting with Canaday, who was very informative, knowledgeable, and seems to be very easy to work with.

There were no results in for the PET Scan, however preliminary indications from the physician who was reading it were very positive, with no signs of any issues at the moment. The appointment with Aviles was basically to go over those results, so without them we were essentially able to reflect on things and further discuss what radiation might be like. I am very appreciative for the care and expertise he offered throughout the process; from calling me shortly after I was diagnosed, to meeting with me bi-weekly to review things, the whole experience was very smooth and I feel fortunate to have doctors like the ones I have had the pleasure of dealing with here on Cape Cod.

Friday I return to Dana-Farber to see a Radiation Oncologist there for a second opinion, which I expect to be a non-event as the Hodgkin's plan of care continues to be very predictable. It's daunting to visit Dana-Farber, as it is a very visible and tragic reminder that not all fare so well and that my experience is far from the norm when it comes to dealing with this disease. You find yourself thankful that the resources are there, but sad that they need to be, and that so many are forced to use them.

After that I go back next Wednesday for some additional radiation planning and the current schedule looks to have me starting in mid-September, around the 17th. So, by October 5th I may well be completely done with treatment and ready to move into the monitoring program, which will last 10 years and consist of periodic scans, blood work, etc.

Red Sox Nation is fully fixated on the upcoming 3 game set in the Bronx with the hated Yanks, though this weekend brought some much needed breathing room - with the Sox now sporting an 8 game cushion in the AL East. A sweep in NY, while unlikely, would all but bury the Yanks chance at the Division and severely impair their shot at the Wild Card, which they are currently 2 games back. I am extremely excited for the match-up; no matter the difference in games, standings, etc. a Sox/Yanks series is always exciting - it will be a fun three days. Then we have BC Football starting on Saturday v. Wake Forest - 3:30, ABC which means I'll be on the couch, AGAIN.

Other than that life proceeds as normal; we had a blast on MV, very relaxing and great weather. Looking forward to another long weekend this weekend - with no plans to speak of, probably some BBQ's and a lot of beach/relaxation. Enjoy yourselves - Gary

Martha's Vineyard/PET Scan

Tomorrow at 11:30 is my PET Scan, which is a longish process (injection, wait 45 minutes, then go into scanner for 20 minutes or so) that gives doctors more detailed imagery than the CT Scan and will be a great benchmark for how things went with chemo. I won't get any results until next Monday, but I'm not nervous about the test or results as the mid-point CT showed great progress.

Friday Kristina and I will head out to Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard for the weekend...a great opportunity to relax and celebrate the end of the chemo process, and almost the end of summer. Martha's Vineyard always offers a great opportunity to wear clothes you wouldn't be caught dead in elsewhere and color schemes loud enough to scare small children. The bald look isn't really in-line with the whole island lifestyle, but the new-age prepsters out there will have to deal with the glare off my pale dome, it's the only head I have to bring.

So I'm keeping things light and happy to be feeling well - looking forward to some R&R and a great weekend; post an update next week after I get the PET results and meet with my oncologist and radiation oncologist...almost time for radiation, which means almost time to be all done!

The Game

Belated posting on the game the other night...which was incredible. I was lucky enough to get tickets on very short notice from a BC friend who interned for the Sox back in the day (thanks again Johnny) - and he came up big for us; incredible Pavilion Club seats with a great view of the game. I met up with my friend Scott, another BC comrade, at 6:30 and we headed in for some dinner and first pitch...It was really cool to see Lester come out of the bullpen and take the mound, and the fans were incredible. He pitched a great game, 2 hits, 1 run, 7 complete, but was still facing a loss when he left the game...all the Red Sox fans reading this know the rest, and yes we stayed until the bitter end. The ending was really spectacular - total playoff atmosphere in Fenway and Lowell's HR sent the place into hysterics...you almost felt bad for those poor souls who decided to leave at the end of 8 - no faith.
It was a great game and a really special night for me; to see a guy pitching who had been through much of the same process as me was really nice, and the welcome he got from the Fenway Faithful was inspiring. As a fan you loved the game, the comeback, everything, but as a cancer patient there was something a little more special, a little more meaningful. I walked out proud to be a Red Sox fan and proud to be facing and beating cancer and ready to move on with my life.
I'm sure there were patients and families across the country watching that performance who may not be so lucky, who may have lost loved ones to the disease, or who are not physically able to do the things that I am...that's why after all I have been through I continue to count myself as tremendously lucky; lucky Kristina saw a lump on my neck, lucky to be young and healthy, lucky to have good medical care, lucky to have tolerated treatment so well, lucky to have such wonderful friends and family, lucky to be ready to move on. I never thought "why me?", but when you go to a place like Dana Farber and see all the people there who are really struggling you think, "why not me?" No, I never expected to have cancer at 28 years old, but I think it has made me a better person, has forced me to rethink things, and has dramatically altered my perspective on life, health, and mortality.
So, as I stare down the barrel of radiation and look forward to the rest of my life I count my blessings and stand ready to do what I can in the future to help others who may not be as lucky as I am.

Holding Pattern

Had another great week/weekend, with plenty to keep me busy. My youngest brother Kevin was home and it was great to see him before he headed off to school at Sierra Nevada College (this is not the brew making university for Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, though I'm quite sure he'll enjoy a few while he's there). Kristina and I headed down to Narragansett, RI on Saturday to visit with some of her friends from college who have a house there for the week; we had a great dinner in Galilee and enjoyed a nice day at the beach on Sunday before heading back to the Cape in time to see Tiger pull out another major victory. Unfortunately we also got to hear the Red Sox blow another lead to the Orioles in the car - brings the spread b/t them and the Yanks to 4 games.
As for cancer related news there isn't any, and won't be any for a while; I have a PET Scan scheduled for the 22nd and then follow-ups with my oncologist and radiation oncologist on the 27th. At that point I should have some clarity on exactly how effective the treatment was, where I will go from here and how radiation will be. Personally I've been a little tired since the last treatment, nothing too bad, but just a little run down, fatigued, etc. I'm enjoying the bald thing for now and will probably keep it that way for at least a few months...Kristina shaved it with a razor last night and it's looking a lot cleaner now, I also managed to get some additional sun on it over the last few days, so it's not quite so stark white anymore.
Tomorrow night is Jon Lester's first start back at Fenway since his diagnosis and I am going to head up to witness it. I remember when he was diagnosed (remember, we had a different diagnosis, but Lymphoma nonetheless) thinking how crazy it was that such a young guy, a professional athlete no less, had been diagnosed with cancer - it was difficult to comprehend. Then when my own diagnosis came many people recognized it, or were somewhat familiar with it because of the Lester connection. I watched some of his first game back and it was really special to see him out there, less than a year after the initial diagnosis, pitching a major league game. When I heard the other day he was scheduled for the start at Fenway I felt really strong about going and seeing this amazing recovery story first hand. So, I should be there tomorrow night to witness his return to Fenway and I am fully confident that the ovation he will receive will be incredible - Red Sox fans have a lot of respect for the game and take tremendous pride in seeing one of their own conquer something that is so frightening, something they may have dealt with in one form or another...I would imagine the crowd will be cheering for Lester, and for anyone they have ever known who has been touched by this terrible disease.
So, I am hoping for a strong performance from Lester and the Sox, and looking forward to an exciting month of no treatments, and some fun stuff too...heading out to MV in a few weeks for a mini-vacation, which is much needed at this point. Thanks again for coming by and I'll try to update any relevant, and irrelevant, information over the coming weeks...Gary

O....V....A.....OVA!!

Done, complete, hasta la vista to chemo. Happy to be done and I thank each one of you for the role you played in helping me succeed - its easier to do this with an excellent support team.
Looking forward to a free month and am so happy to be done with chemo...time to celebrate, with a nap.

What a Weekend

I had an amazing weekend...woes of being tired, etc. from last week are all gone and I felt great all weekend long. Friday night was able to play some golf with BC friends who came down, then we had a little cookout and played cards all night. Saturday was the 9th Annual Holly Hog golf tournament at Holly Ridge. This year the money went to the RHCI Center for Children, and a total of $4,000 was raised to help them fund a new computer initiative for autistic children. It's a great golf tournament, with a huge focus on fun and we had a great time, even though the heat was brutal. After the tournament it was more BBQ and cards, then to the official tournament BBQ, and then back for some more cards. It was a great time and had a blast catching up with friends from BC and a pretty big contingent of folks I grew up with in Sandwich.

Sunday was softball bonanza day, with games at 9am, 1pm, and 3pm...things did not start off well as we were down a player from the get go and were forced to play with only 3 outfielders all day. This was no way to handle the playoffs, particularly considering our stunning record of success all year long. We won our first game, 11-3, which was a pleasant surprise. After the game Kristina and I headed home for an hour and she shaved my head. I simply got sick of wearing a hat and the few hairs I had left up top were more an aggravation than any sort of actual hairstyle - so I am officially bald now and I love it, no more hats, no more worrying about my hair - it's all gone now, as the picture above demonstrates. All I need is a little sun to even out the color on top of my head with the color of my face; as it is now it looks like I'm wearing a white swim cap.

So, after being shorn like a field sheep we headed back to Sandwich H.S. to see if our miracle one game playoff winning streak could be stretched to two. Again we played a man down and again we romped to a victory, 13-6. Lo and behold, the RHCI softball team, the same team that barely eked out a victory all year and finished second to last in the regular season, was playing for the championship. Our opponents were surprised to even see us show up at the game, and having handily beat us twice in the regular season I'm quite sure they were all ready to celebrate back-to-back championships. We were all pretty tired from a long day, and excited to have made it that far...at worst we were going to be second place in the league, but the stars were aligned a little differently for our squad yesterday.

It was a back and forth game with three lead changes, but we found ourselves protecting a two run lead, 7-5, as the offensive powerhouse we were playing took to batting in the bottom of the 7th. We were three outs away, and we made all 3 of them look fairly pedestrian...there it was, the Bad News Bears of the Sandwich co-ed league, celebrating in the middle of the field as league champs! We had an incredible day of fun out there and the 9 of us who showed up for what many thought would be a futile day of playoff games were rewarded with three amazing victories, and a trophy, which we will be bringing out to a local watering hole to drink from and celebrate with the rest of the team who wasn't able to make it.

Amazing weekend and it's going to be an amazing week as well...I'll get that same emotional high of victory when I walk out of chemo on Wednesday, that I experienced yesterday. Though I still have radiation to go, completing this process is an emotional victory for me, and a physical victory for my body. It was made easier by all of the incredible support I have had from employees, friends, family, and especially Kristina, who has played chauffeur, cook, guardian, and most recently hairstylist. Perhaps her greatest feats were keeping me happy and positive at the few moments I was not, and for always letting me know how much she cared and loved me - those things make a tremendous difference when faced with a challenge like cancer.

I'll end on a final note of thanks for each and every rider in the Pan-Mass Challenge this weekend, they battled heat, exhaustion and trained for months to help raise the funds needed to continue to fight against all forms of cancer and I can speak for patients everywhere when I say thank you - we appreciate your dedication, hard work, and passion for fighting cancer in the best way you can. I look forward to riding in it myself, probably in 2008, as I try to parlay my first hand battle with cancer into an effort to help others in their battle to face down and conquer this disease.

Thank you all so much for all you have done for me, I look forward to writing on Wednesday when I am 100% complete with my chemo! Best, Gary

Kick in the Pants

Maybe Chemo or Cancer is reading this blog and got a little tired of me going on about how nice things were and how easy it's been? This last treatment really seemed to get me, nothing too dramatic, but certainly much worse than its been for the last two months. My hair seems to have resumed its run for the exits as well...a sorry state of affairs on the top of my head, with some lonely holdouts left to jockey for position when I try to pull of the miracle comb-over. I've taken to wearing a hat when I can, which does mean work on a lot of days...but c'mon, things really aren't very bad at all; I've never gotten physically ill, missed very little work, and been fortunate to continue living with a very full schedule and having a wonderful summer - so, please don't feel bad if I look a little bald, or tired, this whole thing really has been much smoother than any of us would have expected.

Final treatment is 8 days away; again, I cannot wait to walk out of there on the 8th, with Kristina there to greet me and bring me home, having completed chemo. It's a milestone and I'm looking forward to heading out to the Vineyard with my fiance at the end of the month to celebrate completion, and possibly getting together with some friends in the interim to clink a glass or two and look forward to the future.

All else is well, looking forward to my dad coming home at the end of the week, I'm going to start calling him Batman as he'll be basically confined to a cave for 6 weeks or so. My youngest brother Kevin will be home for a week, starting the 6th, which will be great and I am looking forward to some golf this weekend with a big group of buddies from BC - life down here on Cape Cod is pretty good!

Enjoy your weeks and weekends and I'll see you all soon, Gary

And then there was one...

I am happily complete with treatment #7 and staring down the barrel of my final chemo treatment...I can't even explain the happiness and relief I will feel when I walk out of the Cancer Center on August 8th and am 100% complete with my chemotherapy, it will be a cause for hope and celebration. Feeling pretty good today, at work, and plugging along, will work again tomorrow at our Falmouth store, other than that we have a fairly quiet weekend planned, with softball Sunday evening (apparently the playoffs don't start until next weekend, so don't come by for up to the minute scoring updates until then) and a friends b-day cookout after that.

The 30th Anniversary Party was an incredible time, with the only downside being that my dad was hospitalized and sent to Boston the night before and was thus unable to attend - he was sorely missed by all attendees. We were able to celebrate with new and old friends, employees and many customers and referral sources, and there were many memories and stories to share from the first 30. It really was a special evening and Heritage Museums and Gardens did a wonderful job hosting us for the event, many people remarked at how unique and fun the venue was (the Auto Museum) and it seemed like everyone had a wonderful time.

Other than that not much going on here, looking forward to completion and some downtime prior to radiation. Enjoy your weekends, talk soon...Gary

Jon Lester

Hell of a comeback night for Jon Lester and I was happy to watch some of the game and see him out there. He had a different form of cancer (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) than I do (Hodgkins), but I still felt like it was a kindred spirit on the mound. In this part of the country when I told people I had Hodgkins, one if the first reactions from many was, "like Jon Lester?" That's part of New Englanders desire to relate all things to the Red Sox, and also because his case brought so much attention to the disease and to the age and health of those it can strike.

I was thrilled to see him return to the major leagues, and even happier to see him pitch such a wonderful game and get the win...both because the Sox need a good stretch of wins, AND because he's a survivor.

No News

Life has been plugging along pretty much as normal lately, plenty of work and fun and all the usual trappings of a Cape Cod summer.  I’ve found myself more and more disinterested in cancer and more and more looking forward to putting the whole episode behind me. 

I should explain; at the beginning there was an aspect of excitement with the diagnosis…an excitement to rise to the challenge, an excitement to face something like cancer down and to beat it, an excitement to learn more about my diagnosis, to work at being a perfect patient.  Most of all I found it to be just another challenge in my life and I approached much as you would a challenge in your professional life, or an athletic endeavor; I was prepared mentally to beat it, I knew I would beat it, never doubted that much.  I didn’t know how severe or mild the treatment process would be but was convinced that I was 28 years old and no matter how bad it got I knew it would be worth it…turns out it hasn’t really been all that bad and if you take the CT Scans at face value I appear to have beaten this thing, for now.

So I’ve become bored with it at this point, sick of talking about it and dealing with it and looking forward to just getting on with the business of normal life.  I feel extremely fortunate to have handled things so well, to me that’s just the luck of the draw and a byproduct of youth.  I also feel blessed to have such a wonderful support system around me, people who love me and care about me who have done a tremendous job of helping me through some of the more difficult periods, without that system this whole experience would have been much more trying, much more emotionally challenging. 

To me, it’s already over, though I have two treatments left – I feel like I have beaten it, but I know that for the next 10 years it’s still sort of looming there in the background, waiting to pop-up and test me again.  For now, I want to just get through the last two treatments, take my month off, do my radiation and then just sort of put it to bed – not think about it for a little while, escape the cycle of doctors, hospitals, tests and scans…it’s a routine that gets old pretty fast.  I feel like I rose and met the challenge and with the help of numerous medical professionals, family and friends, I was able to beat it…for that I thank each person who reads this, you have all helped me in unique and special ways to face this challenge, accept it, and conquer it.

As for normal life, things have been pretty good…we had a surprise 60^th for Kristina’s mother on Saturday, was a great time and we pulled off the surprise.  We won in softball yesterday by intimidating the other team so much prior to the game, that they only had 3 players show up (a forfeit, but we take them however we can get them), the playoffs start next week, I’m expecting greatness. 

Last week was in NYC for some meetings and just happened to be at Grand Central about 10 minutes prior to that pipe explosion; made for a wonderful traffic situation that night and all day the next day – pretty much everything I did was in mid-town, so it was a nightmare, but was certainly glad to have cleared that direct area shortly before the incident.

Everything else is pretty good…treatment #7 on Thursday, after our 30^th Anniversary Party on Wednesday evening.  Tomorrow afternoon heading to the Barnstable County Fair to eat everything I can – though I am sick of dealing with cancer, the upside is justifying every kind of garbage food you can imagine, on a regular basis, and tomorrow night is the Mecca of garbage food.

Look out for Jon Lester to start tonight in Cleveland for the Sox…if this guy can come back and pitch at the major league level in less than a year, I think I’ll be just fine.

All the best, Gary

Brief Update

Weekend was good – racked up another loss for Softball; we’re really just sandbagging until the playoffs when we’ll be ready to launch a full frontal assault on every team that’s laughed at us so far.  The Hospice Auction was a great time and seemed to be a wild success for them…perfect evening and a lot of familiar faces.  Other than that we did a lot of lounging for the weekend, which was nice as I was a little more tired than usual – nothing alarming, just a little run down.

Very busy week this week; with a trip to NYC for some meetings in the middle of the week and plenty of normal work around that.  Next week will be treatment #7, though I have pushed back the appointment until Thursday to make room to attend the Cape Medical Supply 30^th Anniversary party, which promises to be a very exciting evening.  Other than that I’m just plodding along with my head down, feeling like a fairly normal human being; still really looking forward to putting this whole ordeal behind me and moving on with life as a survivor. 

All the best to you and yours, talk soon, Gary

75% Complete

#6 got me to 75% done and I'm pretty pumped about that, the end of chemo and my month off is feeling closer everyday. Felt pretty decent yesterday after treatment and feeling alright this morning as well.
My next treatment will be delayed one day to Thursday 7/26 to accomodate the 30th anniversary celebration for Cape Medical Supply - which will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate how far the business has come and spend time with our employees, partners, referral sources and key vendors.
Tomorrow night is the Hospice of Cape Cod "Evening by the Sea Auction and Gala" at the Wianno Club. It's always an incredible evening and beautiful setting. We do a lot of business with hospice agencies, this one in particular, and are huge supporters of the work they do with patients, families, and the community at large. End of life care is an oft overlooked part of the healthcare continuum, however I can tell you the work these agencies do is critical to a highly functional healthcare delivery system and a wonderful way for patients families to say goodbye.
Saturday we have some activities around the neighborhood and Sunday we look to try and extend our one game winning streak in Softball...should be a great weekend. I hope you enjoy the end of your week and weekend and thanks for checking in - Gary

#6 is Upon Us

Today is my Friday; I get to leave work a little early (for my oncologists appointment), have no work tomorrow (treatment #6), and am looking forward to my "mini-weekend." Back to putting the big positive spin on things...the last treatment was so tame that I don't really find myself dreading tomorrow too much at this point. Today is my brother Mike's birthday, so a little dinner at the house will be fun, though dad's back in the hospital with pneumonia right now so it will be weird to do it without him (I'll be right there for my docs so I'm going to go visit this afternoon).

We had a great weekend down here, felt like dog days of summer with that heat. Didn't do too much but saw "Live Free or Die Hard," classic cheese ball summer blockbuster, but lots of fun. Hit the beach on Sunday down in Wellfleet, where I managed to camp out for the day under my little beach umbrella - got to watch that fair Irish skin. Beginning of the work week has been busy, and I'm looking forward to getting through tomorrow and heading into this weekend which should be great as we have some fun things planned.

My final treatment is August 8th, so I am inside of one month, feeling great, and looking forward to the month off b/t chemo and radiation. Other than that life is great...and a big Happy 26th to my bro, who just got back from his honeymoon, which he reports was plenty of fun.

Thanks for swinging by and stay cool...Gary

PS - Did you read about the former Chinese health official who was executed, yes executed, for taking the equivelant of $850K in bribes? Interesting story there, a little excessive, but we may consider doing a little more to punish those convicted of like crimes here in the U.S. I'm guessing stateside that infraction would have garnered 3-5 years (with the inevitable early release for good behavior or the "model citizen" routine), in a posh, protected prison.

4th of July

The 4th was good, and the last few days have been business as usual here on the Cape. Next Wednesday is treatment #6 and I'm looking forward to getting that over with and moving another step closer to completion.
Should be a relaxing weekend, with no plans other than plenty of time to relax, sleep, and maybe get out for a bike ride or some tennis.
I'll post next week after my Oncology appointment...enjoy your weekends and all the best, Gary

Update and Happy 4th of July!

The weekend was incredible with several friends from BC coming down for a visit; we had a great time Friday night as Carol Bugbee cooked up a New England feast - chowder, steamers, burgers, sausage, and a surprise belated birthday cake baked by Katie Bugbee. We had a great time watching the Sox outside on the patio, catching up, and eating some incredible food.

Saturday we hit Holly Ridge (a great little par 54 in Sandwich) for a round of golf, while the gals headed up to Chatham to toodle around and have some fun. The boys headed to DJ's Wings for some post golf grub (best wings around here and a great place to watch a game), and then we all met up at Trader Ed's for a quiet evening on the marina. It was really great to see everyone again and we had an incredible time together...and I felt wonderful all weekend, which made it even better.

Sunday evening we headed over to softball and things got out of hand pretty quickly as we spotted the other team 6 in the top of the first - it looked like another Sunday evening whooping, but team RHCI held strong and we rallied back to a 12-11 victory in extra innings...it's just a fun co-ed adult softball league, but when you lose as consistently as we were it means a lot to finally win one; I'll be able to relate to Julio Lugo - if he ever gets a hit.

The Falmouth store opened Monday and things are going really well there. We are so pleased to work with the patients and healthcare professionals in that town and everyone has been really pleased to see our store open and to have a reliable option for respiratory care and DME on that part of the Cape.

Still not sure what I'm doing for the 4th, but it will be a great time and I am feeling pretty good these days...as always, thanks for coming by and I hope you all have incredible holidays! Gary

Rock 'n Roll

My dad’s back home and doing well after his latest trip to Boston, where they detected no major problems and are contemplating his next round of treatments, etc. He is still very tired and not 100% but my folks are relieved that there are no major complications with that previous procedure and they can now focus on what’s next in the treatment pipeline – looks like possibly Erbitux again or another round of Chemo, no rest for the weary!

I have now completed 5 of 8 treatments, am feeling physically strong and ready to push hard to the finish line and put this chapter of my life behind me. I felt great all day today; spent the day over at our new location in Falmouth getting things set-up for our opening on Monday – lots of lifting, moving, cleaning, etc. and I really felt strong. Went and got my shot of NeuLasta after I got done there and am looking forward to a great weekend, with some great friends.

At the outset we believed that the Chemo had a cumulative effect, meaning it was presumed I would slowly degrade as the treatments wore on, however now that I am over halfway done it appears to me that my body is actually getting used to the treatment and the drugs and I am actually feeling better with each successive treatment…knock on wood with that statement but I really can’t believe how good I have felt.

So tomorrow it’s another full day of work and then hopefully a cookout at a friend’s house tomorrow night, followed by golf on Saturday with the boys from BC (Bugbee, Neil, Dave) and then we meet up with the ladies for an afternoon on the Cape. Sunday may squeeze in a little more golf and then it’s time for our weekly drubbing in Softball, though I can feel a win coming in the not too distant future, maybe that will be my good news to report from the weekend?

Hope all is well with all of you, talk soon…Gary

CT Results

"No traces of anything abnormal..."
Great news, we're out to dinner celebrating!
Cheers, Gary

Update

My dad had to go back to Boston, via ambulance, again yesterday as he was coughing up blood and no feeling well at all…they are scheduled to do a bronchoscopy this morning and get some better images so they can determine what the problem is and what they can do to help things along.  I spoke with him yesterday evening and he still sounds remarkably upbeat; I think he was just incredibly happy to have made it through all the festivities of the wedding weekend without any affects of the procedure, and though this isn’t what he wanted to be doing, at least it didn’t happen in Newport and he was able to really enjoy himself the entire time.

We’re very busy here at work preparing to open our new store in Falmouth next Monday and I am very excited to get to the oncologist this afternoon and learn about the CT Scan results.  Treatment is tomorrow morning at 9am (which I’m dreading) and I’ll have plenty to do to keep me busy for the remainder of the week.  I have some friends from BC coming down this weekend (Bugbee, Katie, Dave, Bridget, and Neil) and I’m really looking forward to having a good time with them.

So, per usual, things are a little less than ideal, but overall we’re very pleased with how things are going and hopeful that things will improve with my dad and we can get him home by the middle of the week.  I remain upbeat about my condition and am already looking forward to the things I may be able to do following my treatments; ways I could give back to the community and help support other individuals who will share a common diagnosis and struggle with me.  This disease, and my dad’s, have opened my eyes to the thousands of people who struggle every day to get through life, and I have to believe that there are things I can do in the future to help, ways to give back, and a mechanism for me to thank the numerous caregivers who have done so much to help and comfort me throughout my diagnosis and treatment process.  What can I do?  I don’t really know yet, but I’m working on it and I look forward to making something positive out of this challenge and am confident I can.

I’ll post something quick this evening about the results of the scan and I truly appreciate all of your heartfelt support and thoughts…I continue to be wowed at how many people come here, read this stuff about my life, and actually enjoy it – thank you all!  Gary

Wedding and Weekend

What a weekend…we had a blast in Newport with the beach, rehearsal dinner, golf, the wedding, the reception, the after-party, the brunch – it was incredible!  I should have some pictures ready to post soon and will write more then.

Saturday night we went to another wedding here on the Cape (Chuckie and Gina for those of you who know them) and had a great time, though we cut that one a little shorter as we were pretty tired at that point.  Last night we were at the Cape & Islands United Way “Best Night of the Year” and had a great time there as well…the evening ended with an incredible fireworks display over the 18^th fairway at Willowbend – it seemed a fitting end to our weekend and to the evening.

Blood work is today, tomorrow at 4:20p I should get the CT Scan results and I am excited for the news there, which I expect to be overwhelmingly positive; then it’s treatment #5 on Wednesday.

I’ll put more up on the weekend and the wedding when I have time, and I will be sure to put a post up tomorrow afternoon as soon as I get the news from Dr. Aviles on the CT results. 

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekends, Gary

Big 2-9

So, I survived the night and am now officially 29, which means I have one more year until I am officially “old.”  Quick joke to start the day – no offense, but I’m quite sure I’ll get some juicy feedback for that line.

Playing in the New England Medical Equipment Dealers (NEMED) Golf Tournament today and am excited to catch up with some industry folks from around New England who I haven’t seen in quite a while.  We’ll talk about the standard stuff; new commode models, the hot adult-diaper upgrades for ’08, etc.  NEMED is a wonderful organization; I just know a lot of you wonder what we get into at these industry events, conferences, etc. and I’m well aware that several of my college friends are fascinated by some of the equipment and products we deal in.  The events are great for networking and talking to other providers about what’s working in their area and catching up with the vendors on what they’re doing and putting together for the future – then there’s the inevitable legislative discussions focusing on the woes of dealing with Medicare and what they’ll do next to stifle our industry.  But I’m quite sure many of you say, “a medical equipment dealer’s conference…that must be a blast,” and truth be told it is.  There are some really great people in our industry and we manage to have a good time when we can get together.

Tonight it’s dinner with the family and then we’re off to Newport tomorrow morning.  We have another wedding on the Cape Saturday and then the Cape & Islands United Way Best Night of the Year on Sunday. So it’s a busy weekend and I’ll be AWOL for a while…physically I feel wonderful and my spirits are very high as I look forward to getting back CT Scan results next Tuesday from Dr. Aviles.

I thank everyone for their wonderful words of support for our entire family, particularly for my dad, who is home and doing very well and is VERY excited for the wedding and all the festivities.  I look forward to some good news next week and hope everyone has a wonderful weekend…Gary

Cat Scan

This morning I had my mid-term exam - the CT Scan to see how the treatment is fighting the cancer. Of course I failed to get or drink the solution last night so the 15 minute procedure turned into a 3 hour process of going to the hospital, finding out I was supposed to drink the stuff (Barium shake), leaving with said stuff, drinking it (the vanilla isn't that bad), and coming back a few hours later for the scan. I sneezed again during the scan so I had to stay for "observation" - in this case observation means sit in the waiting room with an old issue of Time Magazine until the technician tells you it's okay to leave...I was fine.

So, next Tuesday (6/26) I will meet with the oncologist for our usual night-before-chemo meeting, where we will also learn the results of the CT Scan - which I am confident will be good.

My dad is on his way home now and feeling very well...I spoke with him this morning and he's excited to get back home and then head down to Newport for the wedding - which we're all really looking forward to, it's been a bright spot for our family for many months now and we're all very excited to get down there and have a big celebration. Kevin and his girlfriend, Katie, are home already and we're all getting together tomorrow night for me to bid adieu to 28...I head into the last year of my twenties tomorrow and am looking forward to mom's lasagna and a great night at my folks house with the family.

All else is well and I'm excited for a few days off in Newport - talk soon, Gary

PS - That is our cat in the upper corner, "Precious Girl," so named by her loving mother Kristina...this is the same cat that DID NOT give me "cat scratch fever."

Weekend Update

Weekend was kind of wild; Friday afternoon my dad was transported, via ambulance, from Falmouth Hospital to Beth-Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston. He had a Bronchoscopy done in Falmouth where they found a tumor obstructing one of the airways going into the lung...there was a danger that if they let things go and he was to catch an infection that he would risk serious damage. Unfortunately he ended up sitting in the hospital for the entire weekend with no progress; he wasn't even on antibiotics or anything. He is scheduled to go into surgery shortly, 10am Monday, and should be able to return home to rest for the wedding this afternoon or tomorrow at the latest.

Kristina and I went up to visit him yesterday for Father's Day and he was doing pretty well - in good spirits considering everything he had been through. Kevin flew in last night for the wedding and Mike picked him up at the airport and they went over to catch the end of the U.S. Open with my dad. Not an ideal Father's Day, but through the last year I think our family has learned a lot about making the best of things and I think we were all happy enough to be able to spend some time with him yesterday and celebrate Father's Day with our dad.

I felt pretty well over the weekend and got in a lot of activity...Friday night Kristina and I headed out to a benefit for the Alzheimer's Association of the Cape & Islands, then went to a comedy show with the Cape Cod Young Professionals...it was a late night for me but I ran into a lot of people and was happy to be out and about. Saturday I played golf in Easton with a group of guys I play with once a month, and had a great time. I was having a nice round until the 15th, when I wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep in the fairway...I just flat ran out of steam - shot +9 on the last 4 holes and ended up with an 87. I was in great position to have a great round - but I blew it. When I told my brother he said, "sure, blame Chemo," tough crowd in my family - but obviously we all still have our sense of humor about us. Saturday night we headed out to dinner with another couple and Sunday was Father's Day in Boston, and then our weekly beating in softball...this week we managed to drop both games of a doubleheader - couple of late inning rallies fell short - oh well, we'll win one someday.

So, our thoughts right now are with my dad and we're very hopeful the surgery will be a success and he'll recover in plenty of time to tear it up at the wedding. I'll update when I know more - thanks for coming by and Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there! - Gary

Halfway Done

Treatment went well today and marks my halfway point in the treatment process – which is a big mental hurdle to cross.  I have begun to really dread going and the subsequent feelings of extreme fatigue and other associated symptoms.  The days of looking at treatment as a quiet few hours to myself seem like a distant memory at this point as the reality of the process has sunk in a little further…but I remain positive about everything and hungry to continue beating this disease and being able to live some semblance of a normal life in the process.

I came home from treatment and managed to sleep for the remainder of the day, that felt great and I got up and went for a walk with Kristina – always nice to get a little fresh air. 

Looking forward to this weekend and to getting in a few rounds of golf, one with my dad on Father’s Day, and getting my youngest brother home on Sunday…he’s coming in with his girlfriend for the wedding a few days early, so it will be great to get together with everyone for more than just a few hours at the wedding.  I’ll only know tomorrow how I will feel for the next few days and am hopeful that I can get in and get some much needed work done before the weekend comes and then next week will be short as we head down to Newport, RI for Mike’s wedding.

So, halfway done…it’s a big deal for me and I cannot wait to get 100% complete with the chemo process, get some time off and then prepare for the radiation, which should be much easier than chemo.

Cheers,

Gary

# 4...Tomorrow

Attended my oncology appointment this afternoon and things remain good, in terms of my blood results and the normal course of treatment. The doctor remains positive about how things are progressing; we will have some CT Scan results by our next appointment, which should show us how the treatment is affecting the cancer. I am even more confident that things are going well and that my body is reacting well to the treatments...time will ultimately tell how things are going but I am confident and comfortable that everything is going to plan and I will be Cancer free in the not too distant future.
I moved back my treatment time for tomorrow to attend a meeting, in an advisory capacity, with the VNA of Cape Cod and do a tour of the new wing of Cape Cod Hospital. This new tower at the hospital marked a continuing commitment by Cape Codders and Cape Cod Healthcare in continuing to advance the level of healthcare services and facilities available here on Cape Cod. I look forward to seeing the new tower and taking in what I hear are amazing views of Hyannis Harbor.
As someone who is currently benefiting from the level and scope of services available right here on the Cape, I am tremendously thankful for the innovative environment present here and further believe this innovation will need to continue for the next generation of Cape Codders to receive and benefit from healthcare services closer to home. There is also a confidence issue for many to overcome; there are still those who believe the services available here are sub-standard and that one is much better off turning to the academic hospitals of Boston to receive their care. While Boston is undoubtedly a premiere healthcare center, I feel that many people underestimate the level of service and expertise here. I have first hand experience with my own and my father's treatment, as well as with my fiance's mother's open heart surgery at Cape Cod Hospital last year...the care here is of a very high quality and continues to get better and I feel very fortunate to be able to go through my treatments so close to home, family and work.
So, tomorrow will get me to 50% complete and I am very happy to be where I am in this process and to be handling things so well to this point. Thanks again for coming by, the support has been tremendous and I am so happy to have so many wonderful people in all different areas of my life.

Why don't I write about Cancer anymore?

The weekend has been good so far, as we celebrated my mom's birthday yesterday with a movie and dinner and I was able to catch up with some friends Friday night for dinner as well. This morning we're planning on heading out to brunch, relaxing for the better part of the day and then playing softball tonight.

The Falmouth Chamber event was a great time on Thursday night as we headed over to Vineyard Haven, Oaks Bluff and then back to Falmouth. Same some familiar faces and met a number of new people as well...Falmouth is a large town and often gets a rap that it's closed off from the rest of the Cape. Many people don't like to go there and others don't like to leave (driving issues primarily), so it becomes a very distinct Cape community where folks all know each other very well and do quite a bit of business in their own town. We're looking forward to becoming a part of the fabric of the town and working hard to be a trusted provider of services to the residents there.

It has occurred to me lately that I am writing less and less about Lymphoma, and more and more about business and life; that has sort of been the trajectory of my cancer to this point. At the beginning it was a very consuming diagnosis; I spent all of my free time researching it and trying to learn more about it and how it may affect me. As time and treatments went on it became more just a normal part of my life, another few appointments to fill my weeks.

I have grown very comfortable and at ease with living with my disease, and remain focused on the rest of my life and my work. I have the good fortune of having fairly benign side-effects from my treatment, which affords me the luxury of not focusing on treatments and cancer on a daily basis; many more are far less fortunate and are forced to cope, daily, with the effects, ailments, and heartache of their cancer and their treatment. That day may come for me, as treatments progress and my body wears down from the stress, but for now I remain very positive and feel very much like a normal 28 year old guy who's busy with work, life, and having fun.

Tomorrow morning I have some meetings and business to attend to in the office, but I will leave around 11a to participate in the RHCI Golf Classic at the Hyannisport Golf Club; I am a part of the golf committee that helps plan and organize the event, so tomorrow isn't just a great day for a great cause, it's also the culmination of many months of planning, with a very talented committee and staff, for the event, which is always a great success and a lot of fun. I'll be playing with three other Cape Medical staff members...we're all looking forward to a great day on the links and hopeful RHCI will raise a lot of money for their adaptive sports programs and for the great work they do rehabilitating and working with so many members of our community.

So, I hope you all had wonderful weekends...Wednesday will mark the halfway point for my treatment, and I cannot wait to post that 50% completed entry after treatment. Thanks again for coming by and I'll see you all soon...Gary

This Week...Doing Better than the Sox

Went to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce annual meeting last evening at the Chatham Bars Inn...great time and caught up with a lot of people. The mood of business owners on the Cape seems generally positive right now with many of those in the hospitality and service industries heading into their peak seasons. Folks seem bullish on the Cape economy and many businesses, like ours, are embarking on exciting expansion activities which will greatly enhance their size and scope of service. Of course when you're at the CBI on a wonderful June night it's hard not to be in a good mood; what a wonderful spot - and it was a pristine night to be there.

I am consistently surprised at how many people read this blog, and feel honored to have so many people pulling for me...people still seem surprised when they first see me, as if they expected I would look a little shabbier than I do; to those who haven't seen me in a while - you would have no idea anything was wrong if you saw me. The hair loss is basically an issue restricted to home that makes a mess, but you really can't tell by looking at me. I've managed to actually GAIN a few more pounds I don't really need, and everything else is pretty well normal. As I said before, I'll try to get a picture up soon to prove I'm still in one (heavier) piece.

Heading over to Falmouth in a moment to handle some business with our new location...July 2nd is rapidly approaching and we have plenty of work to do. Tonight I'll head out on a boat cruise for the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce (with our expansion there we're new members) and I look forward to meeting many of the business folks over in Falmouth. It's a great night for a trip over to Martha's Vineyard so I'm pretty excited to get going.

So, I've been feeling great - with only some lingering fatigue slowing me down some. I'm keeping a busy schedule when I'm well and feel lucky to have such minor side-effects to this point. Next Wednesday marks the halfway point for me and we're really looking forward to being on the way down in the treatment process.

Heard great news on another young woman I know here on the Cape who is going through the same treatment, for the same issue (down to identical staging); she is just ahead of me and got her scans done the other day and is progressing very well with the treatment. It means a lot to hear good news like that when you're going through a process like this - I hope I am equally as fortunate and I was super happy to hear the great news for her.

Hope everyone else is well and I've been lucky to have not been staying up to watch the Sox stink it up in Oakland, I'm hoping they can get off the schneid tonight.

See you all soon...Gary

All's Well

Things continue to go well, little more tired than usual but not that big of a deal. 

Nothing new to report…looking forward to the weekend (mom’s birthday) and my brother’s wedding is coming right up as well, which will be a great time.

Other than that, keeping busy with work, etc. and living life like normal.

Cheers, Gary

 

Weekend

Had a great weekend…slept a little more than usual and was tired (I have begun to notice my side effects linger longer, the accumulation effect) but we had a great time.  Friday night we cooked out at home, Saturday we were up with the birds and did all kinds of stuff; ended the day in Chatham where we poked around town a little bit and then had dinner – great night for it.

Yesterday we did more relaxing and then had softball at 6p in Sandwich…we lost, again, but it was closer than the first game.  Went home and watched the Sox…that game and series couldn’t have had a worse ending, but hopefully they pick up their winning ways in Oakland again.

Busy day today and busy week this week…I’ll get some stuff up when I get a chance and hope everyone is well.  My hair is coming out again, but you really wouldn’t notice any hair loss yet; Kristina and I notice it all over the house (it’s almost like we have a second cat now) but you can’t tell by looking at my head – and I may never lose enough for it to be noticeable.

So all’s well, the weekend was great, and I am feeling better again…full slate of work and events this week – get while the getting’s good – and then it’s treatment #4 (50% done) next Wednesday!

Enjoy your days and thanks for coming by, Gary

Update and Cape Medical News

Yesterday was a rough day, I split from work around noon to go get my shot of NeuLasta and then headed home where I hit the sack for a solid five hours. Got up, had some dinner with Kristina, watched Jeopardy...then back to bed for the night. Nausea was okay, but I find myself just really tired - which isn't all that bad, I'd rather be tired than nauseous. I'm feeling better today, though still pretty tired, but I feel like I have more energy than yesterday and I'll try to push on and see what I can get done today.

Today has actually been an exciting day so far with the Cape Medical Supply announcement that we will be opening a new location in Falmouth, MA - just up the street from Falmouth Hospital (where I had my biopsy and several scans done). A competitor of ours vacated the space and we jumped at the opportunity to take it over. It will be a retail location and will offer us great exposure in Falmouth, the second largest town on Cape Cod...a town we have provided service to for our entire 30 years and we will now maintain a physical presence there. Our arrival in Falmouth also signifies the re-entry of a locally owned company into that town, something they have lacked for a number of years. As a local, family owned business, we feel it is important to have that connection and investment present, and feel strongly that our move to Falmouth will benefit not only our business but also the community at large.

Obviously this move comes during a tumultuous period for our company, which is why it is so exciting for me and my family; with both my dad and I sick I know people must have been thinking, had to assume, that maybe things would change or slow down...maybe we would just sell the business and walk away? This is a very public pronouncement that not only will that not happen, but we will continue to charge ahead with plans to improve and grow our business. The group of professionals we have here is dedicated to making that happen and they have done a tremendous amount of extra work in my absence to assure that everything gets done and we continue to move ahead.

So other than that I am really looking forward to the Sox/Yanks series this weekend and hopeful we can shut-up people like this, for the remainder of the 2007 season.

Enjoy the weekends, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Another One Bites the Dust

Treatment #3 is History! 37.5% Done (not that I'm counting or anything).

9am this morning it was back to Chemo for round 3...everything went off without a hitch, as usual, and I was out of the Falmouth Hospital Cancer Center (located in Mashpee) by 12:45. I was craving some pizza upon departure so Kristina swung up and grabbed a pie and then we headed home, where I promptly hit the sack until 5:30 or so - slept really hard.

I found I was more tired than I have been in the past today, and it felt really good to sleep when I got home. I don't feel all that well right now; I had to pass on going out to dinner for Dave's (Kristina's Dad) last night in town - at home watching the Sox.

We'll see what the next few days bring - I'd imagine some good and some bad, but I'll suck it up through the weekend and will hopefully be back to some sense of normalcy by next Monday. Big series for the Sox/Yanks this weekend, which should be exciting to watch, even though we're up 14.5 games, those games are always fun to watch - who knows, if I'm feeling well we may squeeze up to Beantown and try to go on Saturday afternoon...that'll be a gametime decision for Cancer Boy.

After my next treatment they will send me in for another CT Scan to see how things are going and we expect good news from that; the Oncologist always does some feeling around for bumps, lumps, etc. in my neck and there has been a noticeable decrease in the size of several of the problem areas - which is great.

So, thanks for visiting and Go Sox!!