Hope

Hi all,

Its been awhile again. I find it hard to update the blog at the end of the day, especially when occupied with ongoing events. It's been six weeks since I wrote, and much has happened in that time. I am going try to tell the story with more pictures of the good times that we have had even as the time has been tough on Andy.

Andy received his first injection of Alimta just before we headed out on vacation at Lake George. Although Alimta is generally tolerated well by patients, it has been exhausting to Andy, and really took a toll on his body. The chemo, cancer and unusual heat we had in the first week of September wiped him out, and he was left exhausted and in pain for the start of vacation. He started to recover about a week later, and we were able to better manage the pain for the latter half of the vacation. Andy had the same experience this past treatment three weeks ago - the day of the injection he is okay, and then a week of pain and discomfort followed by recovery.

Andy and Jen are getting settled in Boston at my parent's house, unpacking what seems to be at least 100+ boxes and getting acquainted with the area. We spend time together as often as we can. I try to get out at least 2-3 times weekly to visit, and Andy's done some fun things, battling through the pain and exhaustion to be there for and with us as well. I am amazed at him when he asks how I am doing, checking in on me and how I am handling this even as he fights so hard for himself.

We had fun at the lake, smiled as Maggie and Nicholas entertained us, we rode the Minnie-Ha-Ha with the kids, sent the girls for high tea, took a few boat rides, and spent time relaxing, talking and laughing, recounting old (and typically embarrassing :) memories. We've taken time to talk, about life and have had some hard talks and cried together. We've celebrated the girls' (Maggie's and Ann's) birthdays. We took an introductory helicopter ride last week, and Andy got to shoot some aerial footage of the north shore. Old friends have visited, boosting Andy's spirits; just last week we had visits from high school friends Adam and Chad and their families and went apple picking with the kids.

On Sunday we capped it off with the last game of the Sox season - the Sox handily beat the Yanks with two double steals, including a delayed steal of home. Mark, my best friend's dad and a second father to us, talked to the Sox prior to the game and Andy was presented with a game used ball by the Sox during the game. Towards the end we wandered down and had our photo taken with the World Series trophies from 2004 and 2007.

Oh - and the best part of Sunday was arriving to pick Andy up, finding everyone smiling and learning that my dad and Andy had tuned up his Harley, put the fluids back in the bike (they had to be drained to be shipped). Only way to tell if it was working was to start it up and ride it - so Andy did - just down the street and back but man am I proud and wish I had seen it.

We have also had to deal with some harsh realities of the cancer. Andy is tough - he fights every day to get stronger, to gain weight, to battle the fear, the raw emotion, to beat the cancer. It is a tough disease, a very lonely fight that Andy bravely tackles. And it takes a toll on all of us, emotionally, physically and mentally. I can't tell you how hard it is to see him struggle or be in pain and just wish there was something you could do to relieve him of this fight.

It is so important for Andy, our family and our friends to recognize that we aren't in control, we don't know what tomorrow brings - and that anything is possible, that another day brings new possibilities. Hope is perhaps the greatest gift we have in life and in this fight for life. And so we head into another CT scan at DFCI tomorrow to gauge how the cancer is responding to the the treatments. And we hope and pray for possibilities, that we will have good news and / or additional treatment options.

I leave you with pictures from the past few weeks, and ask that you send good vibes and keep Andy in your prayers and thoughts.

Tim