A New Challenge

Note from Gary for 2010 Fundraising

2010-06-02T07:03:00.002-05:00

Gary sent this note out to past supporters yesterday...as you saw in the previous posts, the care we received from Hospice was exemplary and did so much to help Mark and the entire family realize his wishes of dying at home.

Thanks all for your continued support and well wishes, it means so much to all of us...

Dear Friends, Supporters and Colleagues:

Thank you for your past support, to date you have helped me raise over $15,000 to help find a cure for cancer…the battle for a cure continues and I cannot thank you enough for your kind words and generosity in helping me with something which has tremendous personal meaning.

There is a time with some incidences of cancer when a cure is no longer possible, when comfort and love is all that is left before death. This is a difficult struggle for many people and families and as many of you know it is one my family went through this year as we lost my dad to cancer at the young age of 61 in April. We knew that there was nothing left to do; he had four alternately wonderful and painful years after he was diagnosed, but the dawn of 2010 brought with it the reality that he would likely not see another year.

At the end cancer is a very dark and insidious disease and it is very trying for the entire family unit who goes through it. We were fortunate to have the help of a local agency, Hospice and Palliative Care of Cape Cod, to deal with the numerous clinical care issues and allow my dad to die at home – and even to spend a few nights in their beautiful facility, The McCarthy Care Center, where they were able to stabilize some of his pain and get him home where he wanted to be.

The work done by hospice agencies allows patients to choose their own path in death; when that moment comes when there is no fighting left to do they are there to provide care and comfort and an amazingly beautiful and compassionate manner – in whatever way you want them to.

This year, in honor of my dad, I will be raising funds for Hospice and Palliative Care of Cape Cod through the Last Gasp cycling event, a one day 62 mile ride from Sandwich to Provincetown. I have participated in the event the past two years and donated the money myself, this year I want to make a big push to support this agency which did so much to support us during a difficult period. I continue to support the work done by the PMC and plan on rejoining the event in 2011, but this agency deserves and needs our support right now, and after I saw what I saw this year I can tell you they are tremendously deserving of that support and it will go towards providing services and care to many more patients at the end of life.

Please join me in helping this wonderful local non-profit agency that has done so much to help my family, along with our neighbors and friends in need by sending a check made out to, “The Last Gasp” to;

Cape Medical Supply, Inc.

ATTN: GARY SHEEHAN/LAST GASP

28 Jan Sebastian Drive

Sandwich, MA 02563

Alternatively you can make a credit card donation online through a secure site, by proceeding to the following address; http://www.thelastgasp.com/store/Product.asp?pid=2

Select "Donation to a Rider" from the drop down list and follow the prompts from there.

For more information on The Last Gasp, please visit; http://www.thelastgasp.com/

For more information on Hospice and Palliative Care of Cape Cod, please visit;http://www.hospicecapecod.org

Additionally we have started a foundation in my dad’s honor, for more information on the foundation please visit, http://www.capemedical.com/foundation

Thank you for your consideration and support, it is tremendously meaningful and will go a long way towards ensuring more people receive the wonderful care, support and service that this agency delivers.

Gary

The End

2009-01-01T18:40:00.002-05:00

Cancer doesn't end with the final treatment. It doesn't leave you like a cold or flu. Cancer stays with you, through follow-ups, stress, worry, waiting. Cancer changes your perspective, it makes you stronger, prouder, tougher, and gives you a little better perspective on life.
I started this blog when I was diagnosed with cancer, 4/11/07, as a way to keep friends and family involved with what I was going through. It evolved into an online diary for me, a way to discuss what I was doing and going through, much of which had nothing to do with cancer - I was fortunate to maintain a fairly normal schedule throughout my chemotherapy and radiation.
I am leaving this blog up - in the hopes that another patient, perhaps a young man or woman, may stumble upon it someday after their own diagnosis and learn something about the process, what it's like. There are innumerable sources for scientific information out there for cancer patients, but a first person account can be hard to come by...this is mine.
My journey with cancer hasn't ended, though my final treatment was 10/2/07. My father's battle continues and my own quest to give back promises to be a life long passion. Since finishing treatment I have gotten married, had a child, and begun to examine the ways I can give back, most notably I raised over $8,000 for the 2008 Pan-Mass Challenge. I traveled to Columbus, OH to attend the Lance Armstrong Foundation's Livestrong Summit, where I connected with innumerable young survivors, learned more about how to make cancer a national priority, and was fortunate to see Lance, an inspiration to athletes and those touched by cancer everywhere.
I have more left to do, and much more to learn...about cancer and life, none of which may have been possible without life saving research or early intervention.
Please use my story - retell it, accentuating the virtue of not leaving bumps and bruises unchecked, about the power of early treatment, and the promise of a better tomorrow for individuals and families touched by this disease.
Now I get ready for the next chapter, fatherhood, and I will throw myself into it with all the energy I have, while also working to keep myself healthy and continuing to raise awareness and money to help fight this disease.
Please feel free to contact me at gsheehan@capemedical.net - if I can talk to you or a loved one about my experience, help calm nerves or ease heartache, I would be happy to do so.

Help Me Raise Money For Cancer Research

2008-04-23T15:25:00.002-05:00

I will be riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge this August and appreciate your help in fundraising.

It's been over a year since I was diagnosed and life is going along very well right now - and very normal.

Please CLICK HERE to make a donation and make a difference.

Weekend

2007-10-08T08:04:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-06T16:02:00.001-05:00

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

2007-10-04T09:32:00.001-05:00

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..."

2007-09-28T09:56:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-24T13:47:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-18T12:04:00.001-05:00

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

2007-09-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-06T14:12:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-31T11:56:00.001-05:00

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

2007-08-30T08:22:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-08-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-21T15:58:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-13T15:18:00.001-05:00

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!!

2007-08-08T11:16:00.001-05:00

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

2007-08-06T08:24:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-31T09:29:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-07-27T10:35:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-23T10:45:00.001-05:00

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

2007-07-16T15:26:00.001-05:00

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

2007-07-12T07:29:00.001-05:00

#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

2007-07-10T14:30:00.001-05:00

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

2007-07-06T12:59:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-07-03T15:08:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-28T15:47:00.001-05:00

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

2007-06-26T16:13:00.001-05:00

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

Update

2007-06-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-25T07:54:00.001-05:00

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

2007-06-20T06:01:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-19T10:33:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-18T08:29:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-13T18:44:00.001-05:00

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

2007-06-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-06-10T09:06:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

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

2007-06-06T11:50:00.001-05:00

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

2007-06-04T10:10:00.001-05:00

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

2007-06-01T10:36:00.001-05:00

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

2007-05-30T18:24:00.000-05:00

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!!

Ready to Roll

2007-05-29T19:26:00.000-05:00

Met with Dr. Aviles this afternoon and the numbers are all within the acceptable ranges, so we're good to go tomorrow morning for Round 3. My liver numbers remain high, but they're well below the range where we would need to consider a stoppage or delay in the treatments.

I meet with the Oncologist every other Tuesday, prior to my scheduled treatments, just to review the blood work and go over anything out of the ordinary from the previous two weeks. He is very pleased with my condition and progress to this point and remains extremely positive about our ability to beat this cancer and remain highly functional in the process.

So, I am dreading tomorrow and the subsequent days of not feeling 100%, but as I've said before - it's not all that bad and each time I go through it gets me one step closer to being done and moving on. Hopefully history will hold and I will only have the 2-4 down days and then get that solid 10 days of feeling 100% - those days are great and I get to enjoy all the Cape has to offer at this time of the year.

Enjoy your days, thanks for coming by and all the best...Gary

Memorial Day Weekend and Round 3

2007-05-28T18:12:00.000-05:00

With Kristina's dad in town from CO, we had plenty to do this weekend - tops on the list was to get the house painted. Seeing as Dave, Kristy's dad, was a home builder in a previous life we had some expert help in town to get the job done right.

Thursday night, after Dave got to town around noon, we headed out to Chapin's for dinner, and then down to Chapin beach for a nice post-dinner walk - it was still around 70 at 8pm, it felt like summer was here already. Friday night I picked up lobsters on my way home from work and we enjoyed a lobster dinner in the backyard...some nice two pounders to enjoy the beginning of the weekend. Saturday I woke up and played a round of golf at Hyannis Golf Club (if bogeys, doubles, and triples could be converted to currency it would have been a great day), and then headed home to assist the painters. Dave bought a great airless painter, which holds 2.5 gallons of paint and made the exterior work super fast. Saturday night we cooked out (burgers) and again enjoyed a wonderful evening of weather. Sunday we painted all day and headed over to meet my folks for dinner at 6...if you've never had a lobster roll at The Raw Bar in New Seabury, make it a point next time you're in the area - they are HUGE and very good - best on the Cape for sure, maybe in all of New England. Went back to my folks after dinner and hung out for the evening, it was a great time.

Today we painted some more and seemed to get most of the rest done...they'll have to finish without me from here, but it's pretty much done, save for some trim work and a few doors that need to be rolled. Tonight we had Skyline Chili that Dave brought out from Cincinnati...this stuff is incredible! I'd never even heard of it until a few years back when Kristina introduced me to it, but we have it with some regularity now...give it a shot if you ever get the chance, it's also called Cincinnati chili - the recipe may sound weird, but try it, you'll be happy you did. My stamina was great all weekend, I continue to feel pretty much normal - I did take naps in the afternoon, quick hour cat naps, and they really helped.

I did my blood work on Friday because of the holiday, tomorrow I follow up with Dr. Aviles to look at those results. What we're looking for there, essentially, is the liver function and the white blood cell counts...if the liver numbers get too high we may need to stop treatment - chemo does a number on your liver, but I survived a year living across the street from Mary Ann's while at BC, so I've tested it before. The white blood cell count issue should largely be addressed by NeuLasta, but we still monitor it very closely to ensure the count stays high enough to not force us to break from treatments. It's always an easy appointment, as Dr. Aviles is great to work with and we simply go over things, he takes time to answer any new questions I have and then I leave ready for the next treatment - it's that simple.

So the weekend was good, treatment #3 is right around the corner, though I can't say I am "looking forward" to it as I have said in weeks past...the novelty of having that quiet time has largely worn off and I pretty much dread it now, but it's helping me get better so I have to do it and it's really not THAT bad - especially in the grand scheme of things.

I will close by saying this; Memorial Day is always a great weekend, particularly here on Cape Cod, however I think we often forget the meaning of Memorial Day and the brave soldiers who have fought for this country and our ideals, and given so much to protect us. With so much going on in the world right now, this is a great time to stop and think about the thousands of men and women currently serving on our behalf, and the hundreds of thousands more who have given so much in the past to get us where we are today; remember them and thank them if you see them, they deserve that much and more.

Quick Update

2007-05-24T16:00:00.001-05:00

All’s well on the Cape right now, been working and having a great time the last few days – feeling great. Kristina’s dad got to town today so we’ll get a nice long weekend with him to putz around the Cape and eat a lot of good food; he comes out from CO a few times a year and we always have a blast.

Treatment #3 is next Wednesday and I’m looking forward to that (not really looking forward to it as much as looking forward to getting it over with). Other than that things are ho hum – which is good. Hair is still popping out at a pretty good clip, but you still wouldn’t notice if you saw me, it’s really just a mess issue; the pillow, the shower drain, etc.

Enjoy your long holiday weekends and I’ll check back in next week when I get my regimen started again.

Quick note to my BC friends; you guys are the best – thanks for everything!

How I Blew a Million Dollars

2007-05-22T09:53:00.000-05:00

Had a great time at the golf tournament yesterday and the Y raised a lot of money to help support several of the valuable and necessary programs they provide to the children of our community.

After the tournament we were mingling around during the cocktail reception when I found out I won the long drive, which put me into the "Million Dollar Shoot-Out" with two other attendees. All I had to do was hit a shot from 165 yards down the 9th fairway, into the hole...with a representative from the insurance company watching, a video man documenting, and half the guys that played on the back deck rooting for/against me...no problem, right?

Well I had the pleasure of hitting first and managed to pull it left of the pin, and yes, I missed the green. It wasn't a bad shot, I just hung it up into the wind and it pulled off to the left...leaving me five yards (it was pin high...for what it's worth) and a lot of good luck short of a million. Nobody else made it either, but we had a great time and it was a rare treat to be able to even try to hit it for a cool mill.

So, I didn't really blow a million, so much as I blew a chance at a million...eh well, at least I won the long drive - must've been the NeuLasta, good thing they didn't blood test!

"Case of the Monday's?"

2007-05-21T06:09:00.000-05:00

Sox had a big weekend, and head to NYC tonight to take care of business...gotta be looking forward to that.

The weekend was okay; Friday I split a little early to surf the couch and recuperate; treatment 2 definitely got me more than #1. We pretty much just hung out all weekend; putzed around town and got some errands done, hung out at the house and watched the AT&T Classic and the Sox, etc. it was a good lazy weekend and I needed it. I think I clocked a mighty 12+ hours of sleep both Friday and Saturday, and followed that up with roughly 2 last night...couldn't sleep for the life of me last night, no idea why.

The weather's finally nice here again, just in time for me to head out to the local YMCA Charity Golf Classic...always a fun event and I'm loving that the weather broke for it. Playing with some friends and it should be a wonderful day, and they're sure to raise a pretty penny for the YMCA (insert Village People joke of your choosing, here).

So, my revelation for the weekend was hair loss...started popping out yesterday or Saturday and the shower this morning was a cold reminder that I am a cancer patient. The weird thing about all of this remains that I feel pretty good, about 75% of the time - good enough to potentially forget what's going on. But when you're shampooing and you're coming out with gobs of hair on your hands, well that's a somber reminder of what you're up against. More than a vanity issue, it's just weird to lose your hair in that fashion (dad, now I feel the pain you must have felt in your mid-20's when it started going). I have a nice, thick head of hair, and you can't notice any hair loss at all right now, but it's just strange to see it all over the place.

I don't yet know how I will handle it; I may shave it off to get away from the mess and discomfort of it, I may just let it be and see how much comes off. I'm not concerned about losing it all, it's more the act of it coming out that's upsetting. Hair loss is one of the most remarked upon, and public side effects of chemotherapy; many people's first question when I told them I was undergoing this type of treatment was, "will you lose your hair?" I don't have a problem with that, at all, in-fact it was one of the first things I thought of as well when I learned about the treatment...it's just a weird thing, and a very obvious reminder of what you're going through.

I remain in high spirits and I am feeling physically well right now. I remain excited for several events and milestones this summer; my brother's wedding, our company's 30th Anniversary Party, and several other regular summer events that are always a source of fun and excitement.

I'll be sure to keep things current on here and thanks again for coming by...I'll post some pictures in the not too distant future.

All the best and....GO SOX!

Last Few Days

2007-05-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

Since Chemo Wednesday it’s been a little rough…the day of was a bit of a daze, like last time, but I did manage to walk a few laps around the neighborhood and get a lot of sleeping in. Yesterday, Thursday, was not a very good day either; I left work around 11a and went home to sleep and rest for the day. I was in and out the majority of the day and went to bed for good around 8:30. Slept in until around 9:30 this morning and am at work now, feeling a little out of it, but all in all pretty decent.

The days when you feel bad can be tough and a little discouraging, but I always try to remember that it’s just the drugs running their course and attacking the Cancer – and I think back to last round when I had a great 10 days between treatments where I was able to play golf, softball, work, etc. Throughout the treatment cycles there will be good days and bad days, you just need to remember on the bad days that they’re not all bad – that really helps the psyche.

I hope to have a good, low-key weekend, and am looking forward to next week when Kristina’s dad is visiting us from Colorado. He’ll be here for a week, and we always have a great time when he comes to town; it’s a great excuse for us to do some touristy things on the Cape, eat some lobster and have a great time.

So, enjoy your weekends and thanks for coming by…Gary

Two Down...Six to Go!

2007-05-16T15:02:00.001-05:00

Today was essentially the same as last time; Kristina brought me this time and hung out for a while (I think actually seeing them deliver some of the drugs and seeing me in that room was hard for her - makes it more real). I read while I was there and was very comfortable the whole time. My mom stopped by and we hung out for a little while, took care of some Cape Medical business and had a relaxing 3 hours.
The nurses and staff at the center are extraordinarily kind, considerate, and empathetic; they never seem rushed (though they are much busier than we would like - lots of people come through just this one Chemo room on the Cape - too much Cancer around, way too much) and they're really all just sweet and helpful to everyone...you've heard this about other professions, but it certainly takes a special kind to do the work they do.
Felt great when Kristina came to get me, went steadily downhill from there - but feel pretty decent now after an anti-nausea pill. Sleeping and lounging in our hammock in the backyard - really nice day here.
Already got my NeuLasta shot so I don't have to go back until the Monday before my next treatment, in two weeks.
Mentally really good and excited to have another trip to the lab behind me...25% done!
Talk soon...Gary

Weekend and Beginning of Round 2

2007-05-14T09:34:00.000-05:00

Today I have a quickie blood-test, which marks the beginning of Round 2...tomorrow is my follow-up with my Oncologist, and Wednesday is treatment. I am not dreading it all that much; remain focused on it as an opportunity to sit quietly and read, maybe watch a movie - plus those chairs really are comfortable, and they recline quite a ways.

Had a great weekend; Mother's Day was really nice - got together with the brothers and folks at their place and had a brunch, which was tremendous. Then we hung out and watched the Player's Championship and that ridiculous comeback by the Red Sox - great game.

After that I played softball with Kristina; we play on the RHCI team (she's the Dietitian there), with a number of other nurses, therapists, etc. We played last year as well, it's a great time and everyone has a lot of laughs...and yesterday was a perfect day for a game. We actually kept the game really close for a while...but then it actually started, and we were playing last years league champs. I think they put up a touchdown and a field goal on us in the top of the first...but we still had plenty of fun. I felt great and had no ill-effects from Cancer or treatment.

Still feeling really good and super positive and remembering that after Wednesday I am 25% done with Chemo!

Enjoy the weather...

A Good Week

2007-05-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

Nice weather around here...almost feeling like an early start to that summer feeling we get on the Cape around this time of year. Supposed to be nice weekend too - always helps the spirit to have some nice weather.

Pretty good week for the newly treated patient; I felt really good all week, got a lot of work done and am really optimistic for the next few months. Also was able to get out to the Cape Cod Young Professionals event last night and catch up with a lot of friends from around here, never mind hearing Rich Brothers' entertaining speech on the Cape & Islands United Way (shameless plug as I am a board member...visit the site and give!) and his own path to success.

My next treatment is Wednesday, but the prep work starts Monday with blood-tests, Tuesday I meet with my oncologist, and Wednesday it's back to the lab for my slow-drip chemo.

Mom deserves a good Mother's Day this year, it's been a rough year since last Mother's Day - we're going to do it Pot-Luck style at my folks place on Sunday and I'm sure it'll be a great time.

Here's my next thing to worry about; peladophobia. Since I may start to lose my hair soon, I started looking around, and was dismayed to find out there's an actual phobia surrounding bald people?

Your fear of bald people can result in the following symptoms:breathlessness, dizziness, excessive sweating, nausea, feeling sick, shaking, heart palpitations, inability to speak or think clearly, a fear of dying, becoming mad or losing control, a sensation of detachment from reality or a full blown anxiety attack.

So, if I lose my hair I will have to keep on the lookout for peladophobics acting up in my presence, could make for a dicey scene in a public place.

Hey, I do what I can to keep laughing...enjoy your weekends.

Golf and Age Discrimination

2007-05-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

The Sheehan Golf Classic went well yesterday, with Team Cancer (my dad and I) against Team Lack of Compassion (my brothers, who didn't give us any strokes). In the team event, my dad and I put up a valiant fight, but were foiled and lost 10-8...it was over early, but we rallied at the end to close the gap.

In the individual event, it came down to the 18th putting green, it's always a close match with Kevin and I. I putted for par, Kevin bogeyed...I totalled in at 85 and Kevin 86 - a narrow victory, but a victory nonetheless. We had a great time, it's always nice to get out with my Dad and brothers, and since everything has happened it's particularly special when we all get to play together.

On another note; it appears I have already offended people (C.A.) with my comments on Roger Clemens age, and the fact that he may well remember Woodstock. To clarify; I don't think 45 is old, as a general rule...but for a starting pitcher in the AL East, making $4.5 Mill a month? Well in that case 45 is ancient. I know my friend was throwing me a simple jibe, he's a quick witted professional, but I figured since I'm at the tender age of 28 I might have raised some eyebrows elsewhere too...thus I will take the following pledge on my analysis of future Yankee signings;

A New Challenge is an equal opportunity Blog. A New Challenge will not discriminate against any future Yankee players, signings, or trades because of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin (including, without limitation, those for whom English is a second language or those who are immigrants), ancestry, physical or mental disability (including learning disabilities), past history of mental disorder, medical condition including pregnancy, family care leave, cancer and AIDS, status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the wars including Vietnam, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other non-playing related factor.

I did also discover an additional factor in his signing that may well have tipped the scales in his favor.

All else is well...nothing to report about me, I feel good, have all my hair and remain positive and in good spirits.

Good Day!

My Aching Bones

2007-05-08T08:04:00.000-05:00

My cancer comment for the day today is related to my aching bones; I am on Neulasta prophylacticly to prevent my white blood cell count from dipping to a point where I would be required to skip a Chemotherapy treatment. One of the common side effects from Neulasta is bone pain, and I would characterize mine as moderate. It's an odd sensation, to be 28 and have pain in your bones, but part of it lets you know the drug is working and will help you continue, unabated, with Chemo treatments.

I try to keep moving; I went for a walk at work yesterday, woke up early this morning and did a lap around our neighborhood, and generally try to move around a little more. It's not a severe or acute pain, it's sort of just there and I find when I sit still (at my desk, in bed, etc.) it tends to creep up on me.

It's a common side effect and I'm not worried about it, it's just another little reality of the treatment process...one I figured I would share.

Weather's been nice around here, planning on playing some golf tomorrow afternoon with my father and brothers and am happy to be feeling pretty well this week and getting some work done.

Talk soon....

Hodgkin and the Weekend

2007-05-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

No real new news to report...fighting something of a cold or allergies over the weekend but did manage to get together with another couple for dinner Saturday night and had a pretty decent weekend overall. It's funny when you have something like this, it really becomes the 800 lb. gorilla in the room; nobody necessarily wants to talk about it, but inevitably you do. We spent a lot of time at dinner discussing it and it was nice to talk about; kind of allows Kristina and I to clear our heads about it and go over it with other people who care. We spent a lot of time talking about other, "normal", stuff too - it was a nice night.

I had a weird dream too this weekend; the Yankees got so desperate for pitching that they paid some guy, who's almost 45, $4.5 million a month, to come pitch for them - once he gets back in shape. Do you think Steinbrenner and Cashman just did the payday by using an age-factor algorithm? "He's gonna be 45 soon, lets give him an even $4.5 million a month, poetic justice." Maybe he and his son Koby will get to suit up together on Father's Day this year...pretty cool in the novelty department, but I can't say I'm too scared to have the Sox hitters face a guy who's actually older than both teams GM's, and may well be old enough to remember Woodstock - mind you this is a professional athlete, pitching for one of the most famous franchises in sports. Steinbrenner is desperate, and you can see why.

With nothing to really report I decided to look at Hodgkin's itself, find out more about it, etc. The lovely gentlemen in the upper left is Thomas Hodgkin, who did much of the early legwork to identify and treat the disease which was ultimately named for him.

For more on the time line of the disease you can go here.

For more on the man himself, you can go here.

Obviously I am learning a lot about this stuff as I post here, and I have found that maintaining this site has forced my hand - driven me to seek more education and knowledge on the subject, and truly helped me be a better informed patient. Hopefully I can point people in the right direction if they too choose to try and seek out information on the disease and treatment; as I have said from the beginning, there is some satisfaction in not only keeping people posted, but also in providing some education on this disease and how it is treated.

As always I am extremely thankful for your support and I will do my very best to update this site regularly.

12.5% Complete!

2007-05-03T09:44:00.000-05:00

That's the way I am looking at it anyway; since I have approximately 8 Chemo treatments and I've put one down, I'm 12.5% done...and feeling great. Yesterday afternoon was pretty rough, very tired and nauseous, however I woke up today and felt great. I'm at work for the majority of the day, though I do have to leave to get a shot of NeuLasta this afternoon, which will help keep my white blood cell count elevated throughout treatment and allow me to continue with the Chemo without any breaks.

So, what was it like?

Well, I got there at 9am, walked through some registration procedures and was then started on some IV fluids (the picture at top is a generic Chemo room, looks pretty much like the one I was in). The drug regimen I am on is ABVD, and is a four drug mix; the first three all go in fairly quickly, through a large IV tube, while #4, the "D" is a long drip process which takes the majority of the time, about 3 of the 4 hours I was there.

While there I was very comfortable, read some magazines (brought my own, I've given up on updated materials in facilities), did some work, and watched a movie on my laptop - it was actually a pretty relaxing procedure and few hours.

Kristina picked me up (I may be able to drive myself in the future, but the first time they recommend having a ride available) and we stopped by the local CVS to get some nausea meds. Went home from there and I relaxed for the afternoon; I felt pretty lousy yesterday, but as I said earlier I feel great today and am anxious to get to the next treatment. Was also boosted by the good news we received on my dad, who is improving some and will not have to join me at chemo...he will be going to the same place to get his Erbitux, but they are very positive about where he is right now. It would have been a bit much for all of us if he had to undergo Chemo again, right when I was.

I continue to be thankful for the wonderful support system I have around me; employees, family, friends, and most importantly my live-in-dietitian-fiance, Kristina...she does a great job taking care of me and we're trying our best to have a lot of laughs and live fairly normal lives throughout this entire process.

Keep you posted on other things as they happen and thanks again for stopping by; feel free to leave questions in the comments section if you have any and I'll do my best to answer them - a big reason I wanted to publish all of this stuff in such an open forum is to help with the education around this disease. Maybe someday someone like me will come along who is newly diagnosed and find this page of some value to them and their own struggle with the unknowns that accompany this diagnosis?

Enjoy your weekends!

Chemo - First Timer

2007-05-02T11:05:00.001-05:00

I'm actually in my first chemo treatment right now; on the fourth drug of the ABVD mix they'll be giving me. Each treatment is approximately 4 hours and I get a nice comfortable chair, plenty of space for the laptop, food, and reading materials.
This is the beginning of the curative process and I'm excited to be here to beat this disease.

Dana Farber and Chemotherapy

2007-05-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

My follow-up was yesterday at Dana Farber, where I had the privilege of sitting with Dr. David Fisher, a Lymphoma specialist who has a very deep background in the treatment and diagnosis of Hodgkins Lymphoma. He agreed with the diagnosis to this point, with one new wrinkle from the pathologist in Boston; under the sub-types for Hodgkins-Lymphoma I am showing as positive for more than one. This does not change my proposed treatment plan, but rather changes my years for follow up to 10, from 3-5. This was somewhat disconcerting, but I remain confident that I will react well to treatment and put the entire thing behind me in very short order.

This morning I found out that I will begin Chemotherapy treatment tomorrow morning, Wednesday, May 2nd. I am nervous and excited as I kick off this next phase of my battle, but the overreaching feeling is that the sooner I start the sooner I will be done and can resume life as a normal, cancer-free, patient.

Right now the plan is the following;

1. 4 months of chemotherapy - once every other week for 4-6 hours.

2. One month off, during which I will go back to Dana Farber for some additional tests and work.

3. One month of radiation, 5 days a week (M-F)

4. Regular follow-ups for 10 years to ensure the slower growing sub-type does not reappear.

There will be more tests and procedures around this main part of the treatment plan, but this is the skeleton, the big stuff that will help me beat this cancer and move ahead with my life.

Again, I remain extremely confident in the team I will be working with, both here on the Cape and at Dana Farber, and I continue to feel extremely fortunate to have such a strong support system around me during this difficult period. I know I have the best friends, family, and staff there is, and couldn't feel more comfortable that with their help I will not only beat this cancer, but do so comfortably and retain my ability to laugh and live while doing so.

So, tomorrow morning is another beginning; nobody knows how my body will react to the treatments, how run down I will get, if I will lose my hair, lose weight, etc. Time will tell, but the physicians remain confident that I will be able to function at a high level during my treatments and that much of my life will proceed as normal.

I'll do my best to keep up the posting and let people know how I'm feeling and how the treatments are, I'm pretty curious myself at this point...Happy May-Day!

Update

2007-04-28T13:19:00.001-05:00

Pathology seems to have come to an agreement that it is Hodgkins Lymphoma and we appear ready to get on with treatments after I close up a few loose ends.
I have an appointment Monday morning at Dana Farber with a highly regarded specialist, who will render a second opinion on the diagnosis and course of treatment...from there I will be able to handle the rest of things on Cape, barring anything unusual in his analysis. Doing things close to where I live will be a wonderful convenience and something I am very thankful to have the opportunity to do.
We're wrapping up our trip to Las Vegas tomorrow and flying home. We've had a great time out here and done a lot...everyone survived skydiving and we've gotten some good golf in too - playing again in a few hours.
I'll update again after the Farber appointment - thanks for coming by and I hope you all had wonderful weekends!

Some Time Off

2007-04-24T11:46:00.000-05:00

My CT Scans went fine, though I sneezed when I got done and they had to "observe" me in the waiting room for another 10 minutes to make sure my body didn't disagree with the solution they injected me with...I was fine, everyone around here has allergies these days, me included.

They scanned the neck and chest, which gives treatment team a very clear anatomical picture of the areas so they can compare before and after.

I have an additional appointment in Boston this afternoon, and then I am off for at least 5 days; it will be nice to not see the inside of a hospital for a little while, but I am obviously ready to get right back to it upon my return and to move ahead with confidence as we begin the treatment regimen.

During my trip we hope to get final word from pathology on the disease, I should get a date for a trip to Dana Farber, and that's pretty much it...as far as we can tell we have completed the vast majority of the diagnostic portion of this and we appear to be right on the cusp of beginning treatment, which should be a very challenging experience but one I am certainly ready and eager to begin.

Enjoy your weeks and I will update things as I am made aware of them...thanks again for stopping by!

Oncologist

2007-04-23T21:03:00.000-05:00

Funny appointment, but the short of it is that it appears to be - pending some sort of final agreement from all pathologists involved - stage II Hodgkins, which will result in 4 months of Chemo, every other week for 4 hours. Because of the pathologists not agreeing on things it is already being reviewed in Boston and they are trying to reach a consensus on the actual diagnosis...initially I thought this might be really good news, maybe I don't have cancer?, but after speaking with the oncologist at length he believes strongly that this is what it is and they simply have to get to a 100% agreement before we can proceed. Once you begin the chemo regimen there is no turning back or changing up the drugs, so it is hyper-critical that we have it right on, right now, so we get off to the right start with treatment.
The Dr (Aviles) handled everything very well and spent a LOT of time with Kristina and I; answering our questions and walking us through the entire process from beginning to end. He spent a full hour with us and we greatly enjoyed his honesty and sincerity, and are very comfortable embarking on the treatment regimen with him guiding things.
We are hopeful that we will get final agreement soon, head up to a specialist at Dana Farber for review and begin treatment by mid-May.
I have some more CT scans tomorrow (neck and chest) and another appointment tomorrow afternoon in Boston. After that I have my final class for Global Management (presentation in Boston) and then we leave for Vegas Wednesday am.
Little perplexed by the pathologists confusion but hope to get that sorted out soon and move ahead on schedule.
Thanks again for coming by and I will keep you all posted as things happen.

PFT and The Big One

2007-04-23T13:31:00.000-05:00

Did my Pulmonary Function Test this morning at the hospital, a breathing test primarily used as a baseline prior to undergoing chemo. You sit in a little chamber, like the one at left, and run through a series of lung function tests...pretty basic stuff.

Couple of hours from now I have my first official meeting with my oncologist (I spoke with him on the phone following the diagnosis, for about 10 minutes) where I should learn more about the stage and course of treatment. I'll post a short note when I get that information but I remain confident it's very early on and we're going to battle hard to beat it soundly and with style.

Here are some of the statistics on various stages, pulled from what has been a great online resource;

Survival Rates by Stage
Stage 5-year relative survival rate
I 90% to 95%
II 90% to 95%
III 85% to 90%
IV 80% to 85%

So, even at very advanced stages this disease is eminently beatable...kind of like a Chase Wright fastball.

Weekend was good, got some golf in and saw Dave Matthews with Tim Reynolds out at UMASS Amherst, pretty good time all around. Post something up later if/when we get more information and thanks again for coming by.

Free Day Friday!

2007-04-20T16:10:00.000-05:00

I got to work a whole day today with no appointments! Seems to be a rare treat these days...looking forward to some nice weather this weekend and a big day Monday.
I have a Pulmonary Function Test in the morning at Falmouth Hospital, another baseline test, and my Oncologist follow up Monday afternoon at 4:40p, where we should receive news on the stage and some further preliminary scheduling on treatment schedules - I'll post some of that news after the appointment and I remain confident and hopeful we caught it early and everything will be just fine after a few months of Chemo.
Enjoy your weekends and thanks for stopping by!

PET Scan

2007-04-18T13:58:00.000-05:00

Went and did my PET Scan today, a fairly mundane procedure requiring an injection, a 45 minute wait for the solution to spread across the body, and then the actual scan in the machine. A remarkable piece of equipment, the actual scan is housed in a mobile truck adjacent to the Sandwich Health Center...complete with full computer screening area, and a prep room.

This was my final diagnostic procedure, until I got back and found out I have another CT Scan next Tuesday, this one of the chest. The big appointment is next Monday, 4/23, with my Oncologist who will look at all the testing and results to date and determine the stage along with the appropriate treatment regime; I am still planning on going to Dana Farber for a confirmation and second opinion, likely in early May.

The calendar fills up pretty quick and I am certainly thankful that we have such a wonderful staff here, I'll be pretty busy with all the tests over the next few days, prior to leaving, and don't look like I'll be in the office all that much...got to figure out exactly what and where it is before you fight it.

Still feeling really good about everything and looking forward to starting treatments; my thought on medical care for the day would be this:

How do they manage to keep such a poor assortment of old magazines in the waiting room of every medical facility? Once in a while I pick one up without looking and you get news of the fall of the Berlin Wall, or the Internet Bubble Bursting...today I read some magazine about New England Architecture, from mid-2006, and Reader's Digest (2005)...finally I just gave up and tried to nap. But seriously, the amount of time people spend waiting, it would be nice if they updated their periodical collection; I'll bring a book in the future.

Stay Dry!

How Do I Feel?

2007-04-16T14:28:00.001-05:00

That is the big question; "How do you feel?"

This is the funny thing about all of this; I feel normal...it seems to be part of what makes a Cancer diagnosis so difficult to comprehend - you simply do not feel or look sick, if caught early enough. Remember, I only went because of an abnormal lump on my neck that Kristina noticed...painless and without any accompanying symptoms.

I continue to try and look at the glass-half-full side of this scenario, and try to have fun despite the news - if we go to Boston for diagnostics we'll try to have a nice dinner, catch a Sox game or go to a museum...do anything to try and compliment these trips with some fun and something unrelated to doctors and hospitals.

Cancer is a scary word and a scary disease, but I look at the reality for me, for my cancer, as an issue of having to seek treatment (likely 8-14 visits) and dealing with some side-effects throughout the course of 2007. I am incredibly confident and upbeat about this and looking forward to putting it behind me.

I am trying to get back to the gym, after essentially abandoning it for quite some time due to stress and time committments from work and school. I went today for a while (it's Patriot's Day in MA, bonus holiday) and felt great. An hour on the bike with no problems.

My neck remains somewhat stiff and sore, all from the biopsy, which was done just below and behind my right ear. Other than that I do not notice any differences in how I feel physically. Emotionally I feel really good too; this situation could be much worse and I am fortunate it looks to have been detected early.

So, I feel normal and am in a good place to embark on the treatment regime in the next few weeks, it will be a long process and I am confident in my ability to go on with my life with some degree of normalcy throughout the process.

Thanks again for your thoughts and keep an eye on one another, many cancers are not preventable, but we can save ourselves a lot of pain and heartache with early detection and diagnosis.

Where From Here?

2007-04-13T14:53:00.000-05:00

Everything else seems to be on the calendar accordingly at this point;
April 18; PET Scan, this is the full body imaging procedure which will help the physicians determine the staging and proper treatment for the disease.
April 19; Echocardiogram at Falmouth Hospital, this along with the Pulmonary Function Tests, will help the Oncologist determine if there was any collateral damage following my Chemo regimen, it is essentially baseline testing and is unrelated to diagnostic procedures.
April 20; Pulmonary Function Test.
April 23; Follow-up with Oncologist, status report and review of all tests conducted to this point. We will also discuss a visit to Dana Farber Cancer Center at this point for an additional review of the tests done thus far as well as a second opinion on the prognosis and course of treatment.
April 25-29; I will travel to Med-Trade Las Vegas, an industry conference with my brother, and we will prolong the trip to celebrate his bachelor party along with our other brother and several friends. This is an important trip for me emotionally and I am really looking forward to getting away from everything for a few days prior to beginning the treatment process...looking forward to some quality golf with my brothers and catching up with some old friends.

It looks like we'll still start Chemotherapy by mid-May, and it will go for 4-6 months. That's pretty much all I know right now; I remain extremely positive about this and am looking forward to continuing my life as normal throughout treatment and beyond.
Thank you all for your thoughts and support!

A Beginning

2007-04-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

April 11, 2007 I was diagnosed with Lymphoma, it appears to be early stage Hodgkins Lymphoma and is a VERY TREATABLE AND CURABLE disease.
We are very early in the process, but here is how we got to where we are today;
February 24th; My fiance Kristina notices a lump on my neck while we are flying to St. Lucia for vacation.
March 5th; Upon our return from vacation I visit the ER at Falmouth Hospital, where they conduct a CT Scan, Blood Work, and a Chest X-Ray. The results show enlarged lymph-nodes on the right side of my neck. There is concern, however lymph-nodes become enlarged for a variety of reasons and further time and testing is required to make any diagnosis. The attending physician makes a referral to Dr. Douglas Mann, a very well respected Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) physician in Falmouth, MA.
March 12th; I have my first meeting with Dr. Mann who expresses concern, however is also wary of doing a biopsy so soon, as neck biopsy's carry some risk of long-term side-effects. He believes it could be something very pedestrian, such as Cat-Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent must have some experience with this, or he is just a metal-God with a weird sense of humor). We schedule a biopsy for April 5th, but also schedule a follow-up with him for April 2nd, in the hope that the lump has subsided and we will be able to cancel the surgery.
April 2nd; Lump is still there, we go ahead and plan for the biopsy.
April 5th; Kristina brings me to Falmouth Hospital, remaining by my side with strength and love as she has since the outset. The procedure seems to go as planned, and much faster than we had expected. I am anxious to get home from the hospital, and very drugged as we leave, felt like I was leaving a great party. I go home and sit on the couch to watch Master's highlights and BC Hockey skate to a victory, putting them in the Championship; Vicodin helps me ease the pain, and came in very handy when BC eventually lost the Championship game. I remain a fixture on the couch for the weekend, watching the Master's along with a steady diet of ice-cream (have you had Just Jimmies yet? If not get to it, it's great stuff!) and Vicodin.
April 11th; I attend my follow up with Dr. Mann who informs me of the results. He handled the situation with an amazing amount of tact, professionalism, and an appropriate amount of levity...telling people they have diseases is an oft overlooked difficulty for the modern physician - he handled it remarkably well and I was very appreciative.
I speak with Dr. Victor Aviles, who will be my Oncologist and is the same man who treated my father. He is very upbeat about our chances for success and lays out some preliminary ideas on what treatment will entail and look like; pending further tests it appears I will undergo Chemotherapy every other week for 4-6 months, possibly followed by some radiation treatments. Time will tell the actual stages and treatments, but Dr. Aviles is very positive and extremely helpful...I again remark at physician's ability to deal with people in difficult circumstances, many in MUCH more difficult situations than I.
April 12th; We have an all-staff picture followed by a brief meeting to let the staff know what's going on, further discuss the impact this will have on Cape Medical (none, I will simply be out a little more than normal - our plans to grow the company and solidify our position remain strongly in place and the staff of professionals here are working extremely hard to ensure this happens, even in my absence). This is the second time in less than a year we have had to have this meeting; this revealing of my condition, while a relief to no longer have to lie about where I am going, why my neck is stiff, etc., is very difficult. To look at so many people you know, respect, and trust to tell them this news is difficult, it makes the diagnosis more real in a way. I try to emphasize the positive aspects of it and differentiate it from what my Dad went through, it remains a difficult meeting, however I was extremely glad to be accompanied by my parents, brother, his fiance, and my fiance...the show of support in the room was overwhelming and I continue to count myself lucky to have such a wonderful group of people around me.

This is a lot, and there is a lot more to come...I am already putting down additional tests and appointments for the ensuing weeks and looking forward to getting underway with Chemo and beating this disease, which is VERY beatable.
Thanks for stopping by, let me know if you have any questions (gsheehan@capemedical.net) and I will work hard to update this site on a regular basis, particularly at the beginning as we learn more about the staging and other information.

Special thanks goes to my lovely fiance Kristina; without her sharp eye we may not have found this so early, and without her love and support my life would be much more difficult right now, I am truly blessed to have her and know she will be a strong pillar for me to lean on during the difficult times ahead...thank you Kristina, I Love You!!!