On the East Coast

Hi all,

Another attempt at a quick update. It took a mighty team (Team Andy!) and a lot of determination to make it happen, but after all was said and done, after a bit of adrenaline, Andy is in Boston, resting for his appointment with Dana Farber tomorrow. The team somehow managed to make the journey without losing any of the entourage or luggage, a minor miracle.

Andy spent last week recovering from the spinal surgery at Henry Mayo in Valencia. The rest of us used the time to organize the trip, get flights, line up medications, get medical records, finalize doctors appointments, work with pathology, ensure that we were ready in Boston with accommodations, handle insurance... so it was a busy week for all.

And it all went according to plan... sort of :). Elaine, Andy's best friend's (and Andy's second) mom, and a NICU nurse in Boston, graciously flew to LA on the early bird and was taken by Zac to Valencia. Dawn watched Nicholas while Jen and Mom packed and gathered the final reports and biopsy sample. Andy prepped for the sweet taste of freedom and release from the hospital.

Jen and I had been asking the hospital, "what will Andy need to leave the hospital, what will he need to fly east, what will he need while he is in Boston..." and we had everything lined up, all the paperwork, according to plan. And then at the last minute, just as Andy's getting ready to leave, we learn that late Sunday night the pulmonologist ordered that Andy have oxygen for the flight back. Which doesn't seem like a big deal, except that the unit used for dispensing oxygen on a plane is somewhat specialized, and as of 245 PM PST on Monday, they couldn't locate one in all of the greater LA area. And... they aren't going to release Andy from the hospital without it.

I tracked down the ladies around 250 PM PST... Mom and Elaine, sprung into action; I had barely told them what was going on before I heard Mom say to Elaine, lets go, followed by squealing wheels. While Jen finished off loose ends at home, Elaine went to the hospital and assumed control of the situation, and made preparations to check Andy out of the hospital and into her care. Mom located a medical supplier in San Diego, and I called Dan, who dropped all and rushed to the San Diego office to get the oxygen canister minutes before they closed at 5 PM PST. Mom and Jen then hopped into a car, headed south, and Dorian called in as "an eye in the sky" from Cincinnati to guide Mom and Jen to Dan to make the pickup while Elaine took care of and readied Andy for the Tuesday flight. The car service arrived after a restless sleepless night for all and whisked Andy, Jen, Nicholas, Mom and Elaine to LAX, they cleared security and flew back with no issues.

Thank you all who helped us on the exodus of crazy Monday - to Zac for picking up Elaine, to Elaine for being a guardian angel taking care of Andy and calming all of our frayed nerves, to Dan for rushing off at a moment's notice and getting the oxygen, to Dorian for acting as a remote air traffic controller, to Dawn for watching Nicholas, to Ann for helping get the hospital bed and room ready for Andy in Boston, to the TSA for calling me back to address questions about flying, to Henry Mayo Pathology for working tightly with me, DFCI, the neurosurgeon to ensure that the biopsied spinal tumor, to DFCI thoracic oncology and pathology and finance for getting everything lined up for the appointments/

So, for now we head into tomorrow, one step at a time, hopeful for a new, winning treatment path and ready to introduce new members of the LC medical community to Team Andy. We're not sure what it will bring but know that we are surrounded by amazing friends and family, an incredible support network. We have hope and a chance to be treated by some of the best in the world.

Good night all.