Merry Christmas to One and All

A personal thank you to each of you who responded to the call to support Bobby, Sue and their family whether it was your time, money or prayer.

For the past weeks, I have felt almost as thought time had been turned back. Wanda, Diane and Beverly once again became an active part of my world as we joined hands in the effort to let you know about Michael. Many of you sent notes, and they were so appreciated. It's been a long time since 1960, but that time vanished in the joy of being in contact with you.

By the way, when the McGregor Mirror was contacted to print a copy of the note that went to you, they graciously did so without charge.

And, finally, a special thank you to Bobby and to Sue for allowing us the opportunity to help.

Best regards,

Barbara

Thanksgiving

While Thanksgiving is our most traveled holiday, Michael did not get involved in the mad rush of trains, planes and automobiles. He spent Thanksgiving in Anchorage. With his immune system severely repressed, contact with the masses, while traveling, is not in his best interest.
Before you rush out to UPS with a CARE package, Michael did not miss out on all the goodies that come with Thanksgiving. Uncle Bill and Aunt Jamie included Michael in their family get-to-gather. Roast turkey, candied sweet potatoes, green bean casserole and Texas style cornbread dressing with gravy and pecan pie. I think I'll check out the left overs here, a cold turkey sandwich sound inviting.

Thanksgiving is not just about a meal, family and friends. It is true basis of the celebration and our annual opportunity to reflect and give thanks for our blessings. We have experienced many over this last year:

• Friends old and new who have provided prayers and support in more ways than we can count. Friends have offered so much they would have to take a number to be recognized.
  
• Classmates from school in McGregor get a special heading. The reason, because 12 years or so plus 47 years has not lessened the bond we developed while growing up together. I have a stack of Emails, cards and notes 18 inches to my left that will verify this statement!
• Providence Hospital and their tremendous staff. These folks have done things for Michael that I thought had been lost in our current social setting.
• Alaska Oncology with special notice to Dr. Max and Nurse Margie (she is a retired Air Force Lt. Col. and has a unique ability to motivate people).
• Celgen, a "big" pharmacological company, that responded in mere hours to the hospital's request to supply Michael's chemo Rx, free. That was for the first month and Nurse Margie has encouraged them to continue this practice for and they have for six months and counting.
• Mindy Exline and her boundless energy and friends that have established a Fund and are working to raise money, in Georgia, to help with the cost of a bone marrow transplant.
• A wonderful group of girls, from MHS Class of 1960, that have established a Fund for Michael, in Texas and all over the world. I'm not sure of their reach but it is expansive.
• Alaska Social Services.
• Social Security representatives that, contrary to their reputation, have handled Michael's filing in just several weeks and with an unexpected personal touch!
• Michael's spirit and drive to, "beat this cancer".
• The Good Lord and his many blessings.
  

Michael's Travels

As noted in the last update, Michael is felling better, a lot better. This may be short term because a change in chemo is forthcoming. That said, he has been very active of late. In late October Michael flew home to Georgia for a five day weekend. This was a trip that had been planned for some time, he was to attend a close friends wedding. Between wedding functions and activities ( a limo was sent to meet him at the airport and whisk him, directly, to an ongoing Bachelor Party) he spent time with many of his friends. His activities were enough to have him looking forward to the long flights to Anchorage and sleep on the plane. Now this is a personal opinion, having flown my share of commercial flights, but you have to be partied out to look forward to sleeping on an airplane!

The important aspect of all this is that Michael's condition has improved to the point he was able to make the trip and enjoy the rapid paced activities with his friends.

Michael is traveling another road as well. This road leads to Seattle, WA with increased intensity and aggressiveness on his chemo-therapy. This will be a prelude to a bone marrow transplant, which is the major phase of his treatments for multiple myeloma. All current medical activities and personal health steps are in preparation for the road and travel to Seattle!

Michael had not yet qualified for health insurance, at his job in Anchorage, when diagnosed with cancer. His medical community "team" includes a Social Worker and a personal Financial Aid staff member. Their efforts and rapid actions are now producing results. Michael has received some benefits from the State of Alaska, Social Security was quick to respond (hard to believe but true) and granted him disability status. This status only makes sense Michael has bone weakening and deterioration and is not able to work due to concerns with breaking bones. With the SS classification Alaska will provide some health care benefits through Medicade.

Along with Michael's medical treatments and progress, his personal health regimentation and the benefits that have become available, the Road to Seattle is now shorter, straighter and smoother.

Michael's Condition

Good, improved and better than expected at this point in time.

Inatially, Michael had extreme pain in his lower back and was fatigued. This led to the diaignosis of multiple myeloma and the start of his cancer treatment program. I'll give you the guy's version of the treatment plan, which is brief and simple, and is an agressive approach to treatment.
> Oral chemothearpy for three month.
> Radiation on the lower back to kill a tumor and allow the spine to heal. A limited use of radiation.
> Normal chemo by IV induction for one or two months.
> Bone marrow transplant in early 2008.
> Remission (we hope) and monitor for signs of recurrence.
There you have it. For a more detailed look at treatment for myeloma check out: http://www.multiplemyeloma-guidebook

The chemo, (thlidamine- one pill a day) is designed to kill bad white blood cells. It has minimal, yet potentially sever, side effects and is working so well it's use has been extended. The chemo and radiation to kill a tumor and allow the vertebra to heal, similar to a broken bone, has been successful. Better than the doctor's predictions.

The medical treatments, along with Sue's cooking, ( he gained 14 pounds) have Michael looking and feeling better. Pain is reduced and he has a trip home planned for late October.

This is good and, really, preparation for a more rigorous treatments later.

Living in Alaska

Since Michael is in Anchorage and all his medical providers and benefits are there it seemed only natural for Sue and I to be there with him. While this provides Michael (and us) a first hand knowledge of his medical status and constant support it has had unintended consequences. Too much of a good thing is no longer good!

We were all staying at brother Billy's house (get Sue to tell you her experience with a large black bear) and this was just a bit too much of a family reunion. No real problems, Bill and Jamie provided hospitality and help daily.There were just to many adults in a confined area. As a solution Sue and I found a furnished "corporate type" apartment with a heated garage, which reduced the adult population by 40%. In Alaska a carport or plain garage just won't do. The heated garage is a big deal and proving older mental process still work, we were thinking ahead. Ahead to the coming winter and real snow and temperatures of 30 degrees below zero F, before wind chill.

With our own space we setup a small office and communications center. This provides us with a place to work with medical providers and the State of Alaska and Social Security. Every new medical group and benefits provider requires a minimum of 10 pounds of paper work and will require you to go back to page 7, item A,a,3 for an authorization code. With out this code you must go back to several steps, do not go past Go and collect $200, and get in line, a representative will be with you soon! While this process tested my well known patience, we have received friendly knowledgeable support and help, beyond normal expectations! If you are wondering where friendly help and customer service has gone, look no farther than Anchorage, AK. Or, rather you need to go as far as Anchorage since it is a 7 hour flight from DFW and Atlanta.

All was working well until we realized that our home in Georgia was vacant, needing attention and our pets were being cared for by friends that really didn't like pets all that much.

You should begin to notice a common trend here, regardless of my self congratulations for thinking ahead. This is a very fluid situation with the situation subject to change with out notice. So, the plan is amended. One of will stay in Anchorage to support Michael and one will stay in Peachtree City.

Then, we will switch places about every 30 days.

About Multiple Myeloma

June 25,2007- Anchorage, AK

Cancer, tumor and malignant, now these are words that will get your attention. A Friday evening phone call from my brother Billy is how Sue and I came to realize that our son Michael had more than a bad or hurt lower back! Learning of this set a lot of things in motion, since Michael is in Anchorage, AK and in the hospital. The lazy weekend we had planned quickly turned to one of chaos and ended with me flying to Anchorage.

I set up a communications point by staying with brother Bill and his wife, Jamie. They have been in Alaska for 14 years and Bill helps keep the oil flowing from the ground to our gas tanks. I was using cell phone minutes by the gross. By Tuesday everyone was on the same page and a plan was beginning to take shape.

A sit down discussion with Michael's doctors was the first item on our list. Multiple myeloma is the diagnosis, a cancer in the family of lymphomas. I'll skip the detailed description and provide a link to reasonable (not too technical) description of myeloma: http://www.us.novartisoncology.com/info/disease_information/multiple_myeloma.jsp.
Although this is a chronic form of cancer it is treatable with the goal to achieve a state of remission.

Now it was time for Dr. Max, Michael's name for his favorite oncologist by using his first name only, to lay out a plan for treatment. At this point we start to get some good news and it is welcomed change. Myeloma treatment is a fairly standard plan and being in Anchorage turns out to have some benefits. First, there is an oral chemo therapy in conjunction with very limited radiation, chemo therapy by IV induction (a more aggressive chemo) and a bone marrow transplant and recovery. This would be spread out over approximately nine months.

Well, we know the bad news but now there is some good news to even things up, a bit. First, this form of cancer is normally found in older patients, 60 and up. At 35 Michael will be able to withstand the harsh side effects of the treatment. The Anchorage and Alaskan medical community work with the University of Washington Medical Center and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle for their bone marrow transplants. This hospital and research center is among the best available, pioneering many of the transplant procedures.

So, the process to remission begins!