Test Results 12/17/09

Friends,

I returned back to Seattle late Thursday evening from Houston (MD Anderson) after meeting with Dr. Araujo on Thurs AM to review my test results, and talk about the treatment plan for 2010. Not much change in the tumor shrinkage department to report. From reading the scans she couldn't see any change in the tumor size from my last scan. Not all bad news though. We have no spread or new growth which is great, and she feels really good about my continued ability to handle the chemo along with what she labeled as "control of the disease." My brother in law Tyler, has been to Houston twice with me during this process, and he is always really good at asking the tougher questions (Thanks BIG T!) for me. We wanted to get a better idea on how long we should expect to do the chemotherapy treatment(s). Things can always change, as this is an aggressive form of cancer, but for now I want to let everyone know that I will be doing the chemotherapy "until otherwise something changes." The particular type of tumor that I have doesn't respond well to "not" having chemotherapy blast away at it. Other people who may be in the same spot as I am with other types of cancer-as far as having their cancer under control might be able to get off the therapy and move on, I cannot do that right now as we really want to get more time under our belts of having the tumors (a)not grow or spread (b) continue to shrink/disappear. For now I am staying on the current chemo drugs that I have been taking, but may switch the chemo types during the year depending on our continued level of progress.

So: Is it disappointing to know that I have to do chemo for what may seem like a long time (years?) YES! But I'm also encouraged with my progress considering where I began last year. Also, I got the chance to spend some time with other cancer patients this trip in what I told everybody in the room at the time felt like "A scene out of the old TV show MASH" Sick people laying everywhere looking like we all had maybe walked through a minefield with IV's, bandages and blood access lines on everyone of us.....(I was happy with the big laugh I invoked from the crowd at 10 o'clock PM at a cancer hospital from people who I'm sure could always claim to not be in the mood...haha.) There were several younger gentlemen that had reached stage 4 cancers, they talked about their numerous years in chemo, radiation, stem cell transplants (3-5 years of chemo) and were subsequently bragging to the rest of us about their remission status. So, although I thought the bragging was a little much, I did take a quiet mental note on what they had achieved, and realized to myself that this is a bigger picture haul then just being cured in one year of chemo-but certainly achievable with the right focus and faith........As always the continued prayers are such a blessing from all of you. Chemotherapy begins again Monday, and this round (round 13) will end on January 1st.....

Anyways that's my update for now, I get to hang out with my Niece Riley all weekend so I am excited. Little kids bring out a ton of Joy in all of us, so its off to the aquarium!

Andrew

I can't believe its December!

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to shoot a quick update out on the blog. I have finished 4 full rounds of my second dosage level of chemotherapy. I am headed to Houston on Wed AM with my brother in-law Tyler, for a series of tests, and a meeting with my primary doctor on Thursday morning. Hopefully I will be on here on Thursday evening with some more great news. This has been a tough year to say the least, and I am looking forward to a great 2010! So far so good on how I am handling this current dosage, it consists of 10 days of chemo in a row, with 9 days off in-between. The major side-effect is usually a bad case of "the runs." I have been fortunate to not experience that yet, nor any issues with nausea, mouth sores, or weight loss (I think I'm the only cancer patient in the world to gain 20 pounds during this process, hahaha.) I'm trying to get up enough guts to ask the doctor "how long do I have to do chemo for?" but I'm not quite there yet! I think I can at least get comfortable with asking "what can I expect in 2010 as far as chemo treatments?" Its easy to be scared sometimes knowing the full truth and wondering how that would effect your long term outlook on the whole situation, but I'm at least ready to ask the sort-of truth for the near future, haha.

We are now at almost a full year from diagnosis, and 11 months of treatment. I have some big decisions to make over the next few weeks with respect to job, living situation, etc. Please keep me in your thoughts as I try and make some of these tough life decisions. The support continues to be tremendous, as I continue to hear from so many people both from my past, and current life on a daily basis. Its cool to see how many people reach out to you in tough times like this. I hope to have great news on progress, as well as a better idea of the total plan for treatment for 2010 the next time I post later this week. Again, I have tests Wed. of this week, and meet with the doctor THU. AM. Please root for great news! All of your prayers have continued to be such a blessing!

Thanks Everybody!

Andrew

Happy Thanksgiving!

We wanted to wish everyone a happy and wonderful thanksgiving. Andrew is spending the holiday receiving chemo in the morning and then hanging with family the rest of the day. Andrews blood counts were finally up this past Monday, so he was able to start his 10 day chemo cycle. Andrew has minor physical complaints right now, for this we are very thankful!

Enjoy the holiday...we have MUCH to be thankful for.

The Moritz Tribe

The Latest Update

I realized we never posted the results from Andrew's visit to Houston a few weeks back. His scans and tests revealed more great news. His tumors continue to shrink or remain stable. We were thrilled to hear this. Andrew will stay on the same chemo schedule at Swedish Hospital in Seattle - 10 days on and 10 days off - until he goes back to Houston on December 17.

Please continue to pray that Andrews whole body is healed. We are coming up next month on the 1-year mark of being diagnosed. This has been a long haul! Although Andrews physical body has continued to provide miracle after miracle - - it can be a very weary process.

We love you all and thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers and support!

Round 2 at Swedish Finished

I have officially finished my 2nd round of my "new" dosage. So far so good. No side effects to report. This week my counts will be a little lower, so I'm trying to stay clear of the sick bay, as its a big flu season as many of you know. I'm heading to Houston next week (21st and 22nd) for a set of PET Scans, and to meet with Dr. Araujo. I'm looking forward to continued good news on the scans, and we will be planning the next few sessions of chemotherapy. I hope to have more updates for everybody once I leave that meeting, in regards to test results, and length of this dose of chemo. Its been great being in Seattle around my entire family, and all the really great Seattle friends that I have. Also big Thank you to all my St. Louis friends who have helped me out tremendously with details back in Missouri, and also being a great support system even from afar. Thank You.

Talk to you guys soon,

Andrew

Just something cool I saw...

Hey!

I started chemo today, Day 1 of the cycle in the books. The service continues to be great at Swedish Hospital, I actually got a foot massage today while sitting there getting the chemo. A local company donates a certain amount of hours per month to cancer patients for hand or foot massages, so I lucked out today and the gal was in my unit and I got to get one! yeehaw! Anyhow enough of that, I was just typing on the computer last Thursday night and my mom was watching Grey's Anatomy. There was a scene that I overheard that in its own way reminded me of some very similar conversations that I have had with my doctors, and also some of the feelings that I have had. Now everything is not verbatim of course, but I thought it might be kind of cool to pass along to all of you who follow my blog so faithfully, just a small window into what's going on, but I felt it to be very similar to what I am going through (for now at least!)

Have a sweet week everyone, to bad for the Hawks, and Dawgs this past weekend. But Kudos to the STL Cardinals! Post season bound again!

Andrew



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zL6gjBos5Y

Chemo Thoughts Phase II

Whats up everyone,

I wanted to give an update on how everything went during my first dose of my "new" chemo rounds from Swedish Hospital in Seattle, WA. The treatment cycle was 12 days long, of which 10 of the days I received chemotherapy. On Day 1, I got all (3) of the chemo drugs, and the session lasted about 5 hours. Each of the next 9 days I was at the hospital for a couple of hours, for a 60 minute infusion each day. This chemo mixture is "lighter" then the 8 round dose that I took in Houston, TX at MD Anderson and I can certainly tell. My blood counts don't dip nearly as much, my fatigue level is alot less, and I really don't have many physical side effects. I think once I get the hang of this type of cycle, hopefully I will be able to create a more normal schedule again, returning to work, etc. The facilities and staff at Swedish are excellent, I have been very impressed. Also, the other services that they have available to patients have been a great help (social workers, counselors, chaplin, etc)

I am continuing to do great from a physical standpoint, I feel really lucky for that. I have seen many other patients struggle lately (people I have been following from MDA, and also locally here in Seattle) physically, but I really look up to them for how they are handling the mental part. I still am looking to create a better mindset on how I approach my daily life, and the choices that I make. My family and very close friends have really been trying to help me with that balance. Its by far the toughest part for me. I have always identified who I am with "what I am involved with" from my basketball days, to my working career. The cancer really put my whole mindset into a different place and I am still a little lost as to whats next for me, and what the next phase of my life looks like-personally, professionally, socially, and spiritually. The cancer can make you feel like you have limits as to what you can do, when in reality you don't, but its that daily fight to overcome those mental obstacles the creates the most challenge in my life. I remain so thankful for a loving family, and super set of friends. Thank you guys.

I will be going to Houston the 3rd week of October for a Scan, and meeting with Dr. Araujo on my continuing treatment plans. I start the second round of my 10 day dosage this coming Monday at Swedish Hospital in Seattle. Talk to everyone soon-Enjoy the last few days of September and the sun!

Andrew

In Seattle

Hi Friends,

I thought I'd pop in here and give everyone a quick update on Andrew's status. Andrew is currently in Seattle and has already completed one week of chemo at Swedish Medical Center. Dr. Milder is overseeing his case, (Andrew's doctor who first diagnosed him back in January) and he and the staff at Swedish have been excellent and have made Andrew feel very comfortable! Andrews chemo schedule right now is Monday-Friday, with the weekend off, then goes Mon-Fri again. He then has 10 days to rest and then 10 days of chemo again. He will receive his chemo in Seattle until he goes back to Houston mid-late October for tests and his appointment with Dr. Arajuo. At that point we will decide where Andrew will continue his chemo - either in St. Louis or Seattle. Andrew enjoys being at home with his family and we enjoy giving him the extra support and love!

Andrew continues to feel well - with the exception of feeling tired, especially during his chemo weeks. But otherwise really no other physical side affects. What a blessing!

I haven't posted any pictures in a while - so thought I'd post some of our family trip to MO back in July.

4th of July fireworks - hoosier style in the MO countryside (hoosier is MO speak for "country folk"...)



Dinner with Kirk & his family at Duffy's


Andrew & Tyler take Riley & Henry to the butterfly house in St. Louis



Boat ride at the lake in Kirksville & picture with Grandma Missouri (yep, that's what we call her)



Family picture at our cousins wedding


Saying goodbye!


I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying this transition into fall!

Results from today's scan

I just have brief details, but only good news came out of today's appointment. Andrew continues to respond well to his treatment and only very few spots in his abdomen "light up" on the scan. This is a huge improvement from the beginning of the year!

The next step is for Andrew to start an 8 week chemo regimen in St. Louis. Right now his counts are not where they should be to start chemo, so he will most likely start in a week or so. Dr. Araujo explains this is normal as his body is tired from the chemo and needs some extra time to bounce back. After the 8 week cycle is complete Andrew will fly back to MD Anderson and have more scans to track his progress. They will then re-evaluate and decide what the next step is at that point.

Thank you for the continued support. Have a lovely day!

Andrew arrived in Houston last night and is currently undergoing his PET scan & heart test today. He has a meeting scheduled with Dr. Araujo tomorrow morning to read the results of the tests. I will post the results once I receive them. Please keep Andrew in your prayers.

Thank you and have a wonderful day.

Round 8 Recap

Prayer Warriors,

Sorry I have been a little late on posting a new update. Everybody has been so great about checking in with me in one format or another (thanks to all this good modern technology and forums in which to communicate!) I have to say I feel truly blessed with how the chemo treatments went in round 8, and even here the week after round 8 with my low point in my counts. I have felt pretty much normal for the most part and the chemo hasn't given me any side effects to speak of. I have been a ton more active (walking in pool, and walking) and its helped my energy levels and how my body feels overall. I waited about ten days longer in between the 7th and 8th rounds then normal. I think this really helped my overall body feeling, and also allowed for some great time with family and friends in both Seattle, and Missouri.

It was great getting to spend nearly a month with all my sisters. People always ask me how I ever got along having FOUR YOUNGER sisters, and the four of them make that answer easy for me. Its actually really cool because each of them are great friends in their own unique way so its not like the Ramona Quimby effect that we all imagine with the bratty little sister! haha.

I go back to Houston on Aug 11/12 for a couple days to meet with Dr. Araujo and do another full body scan (pet/ct) and heart exam. I am done doing treatments in Houston for now, and will begin to do a smaller chemo plan at Siteman Cancer Center in St.Louis which will be about an hour per day for ten day cycles. That will start in mid August sometime. I will detail that plan for all of you once I meet with her in a few weeks. She has given me the names of the drugs that I will be taking and I thought you guys would get a kick out of knowing that one of the drugs is irinotecan aka "I ran to the can" Anyways that gave me a good chuckle when they told me about that.

I have been doing much better with my "anxiety" that I have shared with many of you, which was really my only issue during these 8 rounds of chemo. The last 45 days or so have been tremendously better with some of the racing thoughts, uncertainties, all those things. I have felt so much better about my healing and working hard toward moving back into being me again. I am going to do a separate post in the coming weeks as summer comes to a close in August detailing some of the great activities I have gotten to do over the summer, including the wonderful pasta feed/marathon weekend which we posted several pictures already.

I wanted to make sure everybody had an update on how I got thru that last round of the big stuff for now, and really I feel super. I hope everyone is having a great summer, its been a summer to remember in Seattle with temperatures, and St.Louis has been remarkably pleasant from its traditional hot and humid ways. The uplifting in prayer from around the globe has been so meaningful to me, I know the prayers are working so thank you for the commitment, and thoughtfulness. Talk to you soon!

Andrew

Round #8

Andrew and our mother are in Houston right now for Andrew's 8th round of chemo. They flew down Monday night and Andrew had a few tests today and then tomorrow he will start chemo. They will be there through Monday morning then Andrew will return to St. Louis to rest and recover. Andrew will have to fly back down to Houston for a PET scan and meeting with Dr. Araujo in a few weeks.

Please keep Andrew in your prayers and thoughts this week as he receives his last big round of chemo. From here, the plan seems to be more chemo, but at a lower dose and the ability to receive the treatments in St. Louis. But there is still not a firm plan, so we will keep you posted when we learn something new after his meeting with Dr. Araujo.

Thank you and have a great week!

Rock N' Roll Seattle Marathon

Daniel Shapiro, a long-time friend of Andrew's ran his marathon last Saturday morning in honor of Andrew. He helped raise a lot of awareness and support for Andrew by running this marathon. Daniel, a big thank you to you! You are awesome and I would also like to say that Daniel completed his marathon in under 4 hours. Way to go! Our family was waiting at the finish line to cheer him on and we luckily spotted him cross the finish line then caught up with him afterwards. A camera crew followed Daniel through the whole marathon so Daniel and Andrew were interviewed directly afterwards. I'm still searching the web to try and find the video. I believe it was KCPC channel 13.

Thank you Daniel!

Pasta Feed Pictures

What a great evening we had last Friday night at the UW! First of all, a huge thank you to Spencer Hawes, Matt Wade and all the vendors and volunteers who helped make the evening successful. We had a great turnout of local folks and also had a good showing of some NBA players. KJR sports radio was reporting live from the venue, so click here to listen to Andrew's interview.

Enjoy the pictures!

KCPQ 13 Video

We had a wonderful evening on Friday at the Pasta Feed that Spencer Hawes put on, in honor of Andrew. I will add photos from the evening later.

For now I want to share a video clip with you. Channel 13 here in Seattle did a wonderful story on the marathon that Andrew's friend Daniel participated in on behalf of Andrew. Here is the link.

Hope it's been a wonderful weekend and check back for my updates later in the week!

Volunteers needed for Pasta Feed

Hi everyone-

The Pasta Feed is coming up in a couple of days, and I got the word that we are in need of 11 or 12 volunteers for the event. This is what he said, "If we could get 10 volunteers at the event itself that would be great...I will need them there at the Conibear Shellhouse at 2:30pm...We also need a volunteer at Best Western Rivers Edge in Tukwila to assist runners leaving on the shuttle from the hotel to UW...The volunteer needs to be at the Hotel at 2:30pm..."

For those of you out there who are wanting to help out, but cannot donate financially, this is a really important way to help support Andrew in his journey. It sounds like these volunteers will be crucial in helping the event run as smoothly as possible. If you are interested, please drop me a note. (moritzms@gmail.com)

Thank you,
Martha

Friday Night Pasta Feed

Hi all-

There is a super fun event coming up this Friday the 26th hosted by Spencer Hawes (former UW basketball player and current Sacramento Kings player). Please come out and support Andrew- it will be a really great time with live music, food and of course Nate Robinson and Brandon Roy serving up the pizza and pasta! Andrew will be making the journey out from St Louis to join in on the event! A HUGE thank you to Spencer Hawes for making this event happen! Read below for more information:

HAWES HOSTING PASTA FEED BENEFIT FOR EX-HUSKY MORITZ

Former UW basketball player Spencer Hawes isn't a distance runner, but the 7-foot Sacramento Kings center is holding a pasta feed for a good cause prior to next Saturday's Rock 'n Roll Seattle Marathon.

Hawes is hosting the charity fundraiser for Andrew Moritz, another ex-Husky hoopster who is battling a rare form of cancer. Moritz, a Franklin High grad, played at Washington from 1996-2000.

Andrew Moritz

Two dinners will be offered at 4 and 6 p.m. on Friday at the Conibear Shellhouse on the UW campus near Husky Stadium.

Table sponsorships for the pre-race dinner are $200 for a 10-person table. Runners registered for the Saturday marathon or half-marathon can sign up dinner for $10. Non-runners are also welcome for a $20 charge.

"I'm not a marathoner, but I have several friends who are running for a cause and a person who is in a similar situation as Drew," said Hawes. "The camaraderie among marathoners is the same as critically-ill patients. We are all in this together."

Moritz, 30, is battling desmoplastic small round cell tumor, a rare type of cancer that has affected less than 100 people worldwide. Here's a great column on Moritz by seattlepi.com's Jim Moore from March.

The event will be sponsored by Spiro's Pizza & Pasta and the Big W Club and will include music and the chance to mingle with past and present Husky athletes like Lorenzo Romar, Jon Brockman, Nate Robinson and Brandon Roy.

Tables and individual tickets for the dinner can be arranged by logging onto www.yearofthecomeback.blogspot.com or via e-mail at moritzms@gmail.com. Seats will be available at the door as well and donations can also be made to the Andrew Moritz Medical Fund at Bank of America and US Bank branches.

Posted by Greg Johns at June 14, 2009 10:39 a.m.
Categories: Huskies basketball, NBA

Our trip to St Louis

Hi all- Henry and I made a trip out to St Louis last week to visit Andrew. Henry did awesome on the plane- his first big plane ride! We had a great time hanging out with Andrew- we were with him at the time when his counts and energy are at the lowest, so we did a lot of laying low at his house, making food, watching Henry learn to walk and of course cracking jokes! No fevers or hospital trips this round, so that was a huge blessing! Andrew was taking lots of time to just rest, recuperate, drink lots of fluids and eat really well- so all of that seemed to help him avoid another hospital trip.
By the end of the trip, I could say DREW! and Henry would respond DUUUU! It was priceless... we love you lots Uncle Drew!

Good Food is Priceless!

Hey!

I wanted to give everyone a quick update as I wound down Round 7 of treatment on Monday of this week. The round went by without any hitches, or minor issues, so that was really a blessing. I felt a lot better during this round than I have in many of the previous cycles so it went by pretty quickly. I think the round was easier for me by getting out and about and doing more interacting. It was really fun to catch up with a great friend of mine from middle/high school Brian Nemitz, and his wife Ivette. They were in town (Houston) for a family event, and we got to spend time with them over breakfast. Thanks guys we had a blast, you rock! Also, My good bud Micah was in Houston for a couple days with his work, and he swung by my hotel for breakfast and some good jokes to keep me cheered up. Thanks Micah for the drop off at the hospital too, you were a good luck charm! Had lots of laughs the night before my pet scan with Carl-great food at the Capital Grille definitely hit the spot!

My sister Martha and her son Henry have been with me here in St.Louis since Tuesday helping me out. Its been so cool to have them, Martha has been a wonderful help, and she is an amazing cook! Its been fun to lay low with my sis and catch up, all while eating whatever yummy assortment she has thought up for the day! Marthy you are the bomb!! They are leaving in the morning back to Seattle. We will post pictures of the weekend in an upcoming post. I have been feeling a lot better (no side effects) this recovery week other then being really tired(sleeping a lot tue, wed, thu)and this weekend marks my low point on my blood counts. Hopefully we can avoid that fever that got me into the hospital last round! A special thanks to EBC old friends who continue to be very faithful with notes/emails (Patricia K, Sue L, Bob S) I appreciate the prayer and thoughtfulness....That's all for now, as you can see FOOD was my theme of this post, it seemed to tie a lot of good times together to make for a good round of chemo!

Andrew

New phase New game New attitude!

To my tremendous support team,

Well as many of you know (thank you elizabeth for your unbelievable work keeping the blog up, you're the woman!) I am down in Houston now for my tests, scans, meetings with doctors, and now round 7 of chemo! I just got home from day 1- they had to squeeze me in late today because it wasn't scheduled, so its kind of fun to be reporting to you on a full day 1 of chemo (which i liken to drunk dialing a little bit!) haha. Back to business, I had my scans and tests all day yesterday which was a full day from 9 til 5 testing my heart, chest, lungs, blood, and the full body pet scan. Its becoming pretty routine now for me, so all those tests don't bother me at all. Today was the big day to meet with Dr. Araujo. We went over the exam results and all the news was once again positive and moving in the right direction! The spot in the liver isn't showing up on the scans which is great news, the spots in the abdomen and pelvic area are really shrinking down in size and are either very small, or are deemed "inactive". Not all the small spots are inactive yet in the abdomen, but we really have cut a huge chunk into the problem thru 6 rounds.

I think today was a good grounding time for me. I have been pretty anxious over the last month, and in part waiting for this day and what was going to happen, but also just trying to predict what was going to happen or plan out what was going to happen, etc. All very normal things to want to do. I realized today that this process of healing may take a little longer then I thought in my own mind, but that's ok with me. I truly feel great about the hospital I am at, and also the doctor that I have. Most importantly I really can feel the power of prayers/positive thoughts lifting me up from around the world. There is so many people praying daily, texting, calling, facebooking, emailing, writing hand written notes saying that they are thinking about me. I can't tell you how much each note lifts me up because I think of a time when me and that person have had a great time, great laugh, or great experience and it guides me forward in a positive way. I am truly touched with the outpour of help, and compassion from each and every person out there thinking about me. After we complete the next two rounds of chemo, hopefully the next step is more chemo, but at a lighter pace, and different regimen. We will get into that more as we get closer to that time. For now, very excited to be where I am at. One step at a time. Dr. Araujo is really excited with how I have done so far, and been able to handle the chemo just fine, thus doing the rounds 7, and 8 at this level. We want to stay as aggressive as possible on these lil suckers! I realize so much every day when I'm here at MD Anderson. I am walking around today with tumors that are shrinking, not invading my vital organs at this time, and I'm able to walk and talk just fine....all things such a blessing as I see people who are way worse off then me here struggling every day to be as normal as possible with bags in them, lost limbs, brain issues, etc. My heart goes out to those folks fighting as hard as they can. It just can keep you grounded in your own little cancer fight to be so thankful and grateful for how well you are doing, and for the tremendous family, and friends that I have running side by side with me! I will be done with round 7 of chemo on Monday! I hope everyone is doing awesome and has a sweet weekend!!!!

Andrew

ps. Dr. Araujo cleared me to run/play hoops again energy permitting.....I may have to ease into that after 5 months of inactivity!!! hahaha

Houston-Bound

Andrew flies to Houston tomorrow evening and will be there for at least a few days. On Thursday June 4th he meets with his doctor and we will have an idea as to what the next month will look like. We will share the news once we hear it!

I arrived home late last night from a quick-but-wonderful trip to St. Louis. I was able to meet a few of Andrew's friends, see where his office is and spend lots of time hanging with Andrew. His energy was still pretty low - so our fun schedule consisted of eating, sitting, laughing and talking. Here are a few pictures to enjoy:

Also, I spoke with Andrew this afternoon and he had another blood draw this morning. His counts had gone up even more and he said he was feeling a lot better than he did this weekend. He sounded like he had a lot more energy and he was even able to work the whole day. All good news!

In St. Lou

Hi all. Riley and I arrived safely to St. Louis yesterday afternoon, and with no tantrums or screaming on the plane! Andrew is feeling much better these past few days. His blood draw yesterday showed his white blood cells were up, as well as his red blood cells. His red count was not as high as he would have thought, but it's still moving up.

If any of you St. Louis folks would like me to pick up any un-sold bracelets from you, just send me an email and I'm happy to do that this weekend before I return home.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Discharged

I wanted to let everyone know that Andrew was discharged from the hospital this morning in St. Louis. I have no other information - but his fever must be down and counts up in order to be released. Thought everyone would like to know and thank you for your prayers.

Happy Memorial Day!

Update on Andrew 5/23

Hi all. Andrew finished his 6th round of chemo last week and has been back in St. Louis recovering since last Sunday. This round was a lot harder for him - we think all the chemo is just really getting to him, making his body a bit weaker. He's been more tired, battled some mouth and throat sores and even felt nauseous at times. He's been working some, but mostly from home this week, as his energy has been very low.

Yesterday he went in for a blood draw to check his levels, and his white blood cells were at zero. This is normal for this period in his chemo cycle - but they did a few more tests and had him rest at home. Last night his fever got up to 102 - so he was admitted to the hospital. With a high fever there is risk for infection - so they will keep Andrew in the hospital in St. Louis for the weekend, running lots of tests, checking for any infection and bringing his fever down. This is all very normal for someone going through chemo. Actually, all the doctors and nurses in Houston have been surprised this hasn't happened until now. Andrew is on antibiotics, receiving lots of fluids and of course making the doctors and nurses laugh. Andrew also had a blood transfusion this morning, to help boost his red blood cells. He will receive another pint this afternoon.

Andrew returns to Houston on June 2 and will have his normal full body pet scan and meeting with his doctor on the 3rd and 4th. This is a BIG appointment, as the results of the scan will determine the next step. He may receive 1 or 2 more rounds of chemo in Houston or his doctor may decide to take a break for a while.

My mom is en route to St. Louis right now to give Andrew some extra support and I am headed there on Thursday morning to be with him until he goes to Houston. Let's all be thinking about Andrew this Memorial Day weekend and pray that his fever comes down and that he does not contract any bacteria or sickness.

That is all for now - thank you again for all your support. It is truly amazing!

CORRECTION

The article that Steve Kelly wrote about Daniel Shapiro running the marathon for Andrew appears in the Seattle Times TODAY. It was online last night, but came out today. Grab your Times and enjoy the article! Sorry for the mistake.

Seattle Times Article 5/16/09

Andrew just completed round #6 of chemo! Yippee! We rejoice with him and pray that this next week will bring him rest and minimal side affects.

Steve Kelly with the Seattle Times wrote an article in the paper today about Andrew's good buddy, Daniel Shapiro. To read the article, click here. It is a wonderful article and we wish Daniel the best of luck in his marathon and thank him for his friendship, love and commitment to Andrew, as well as to beating cancer. Daniel is a cancer survivor and we know the same will be true for Andrew. Again, click here to read the article about Daniel and Andrew.

Thank you Daniel!!!

Us sisters

were jumping for joy

all weekend-long,

hanging w/our big bro,

and pumping him up for round #6 this week.

GO ANDREW!

Portland Climb to Conquer Cancer

The American Cancer Society hosted an event this past weekend in Portland, OR. A friend of our family organized a team in support of Andrew. We were called "Team Comeback" and Andrew came up with the slogan, "If you believe it, you can beat it" for our t-shirts. There were about 17 of us on the team, as well as 3 little ones.

It was a wonderful event and we were proud to participate and raise money for cancer research. We were also very honored to be walking/running for our brother/friend/son Andrew. What an inspiration he is every day. I personally was very proud to be representing him and his fight.

So, whatever you are facing in your life right now... IF YOU BELIEVE IT, YOU CAN BEAT IT.

Team Comeback

i'm sure many of you have been checking for an update - sorry for the delay. i guess there is really not much else to report from andrews doctors appointment a few weeks back. everything will remain the same as far as treatment goes. she just switched one of his drugs (not chemo). the doctor was not able to give andrew any more insight as to "where do we go after chemo". she wants to wait and see - take each round at a time and then re-evaluate after each pet scan. we are coming up on round #6 next tuesday may 12th.

andrew has continued to feel well, although he definitely felt that this was his 5th round of chemo. he was a bit more tired and achey, as well as experienced some headaches and mouth sores. other than that, andrew has been working and continuing to stay positive.

i will leave you with a picture that was taken a week and a half ago. this picture includes martha and i's babies, as well as a few of andrew's good friends kids. it's a classic kid picture, isn't it? lots of distractions and nobody seems to want to smile for the camera.

take care and have a wonderful mothers day weekend!

MORE GREAT NEWS!

We are celebrating again today! I very briefly spoke with Andrew and his doctor reported that his tumors are continuing to shrink. The tumors in his liver are almost gone. They will continue on the same treatment path and will then re-evaluate after his next scan before round #7. We sing praises to God and thank everyone for their support and prayers. That is really all the information I received from Andrew - - so we will update again with more details.

Round #5

Hi Friends,

Andrew flew to Houston this morning and will start round #5 of chemo tomorrow. He had another full body PET scan today and will meet with his doctor to discuss the results tomorrow at 9am. I am fully expecting great results, aren't you? I will post something as soon as I hear the news.

As Andrew told me this morning, "Let's have huge, fun, exciting, productive weeks!". If Andrew can, you can too!

Andrew & Connelly in Seattle Jan 09

In case you were wondering....

Hi all,

In case you were wondering... those great Andrew tshirts and hoodies were custom made for Riley and Henry by my friend Jaida Kimmerer, who owns the Sparkle Parlor boutique in Seattle near Greenlake. She creates amazing one of kind jewelry, clothes and other gifts. She donated these darling baby clothes to us when she found out about Andrew, so I wanted to return the favor and ask you guys to check out her website sometime at www.sparkleparlor.com. Thanks Jaida!

Martha

Happy Easter Andrew!

love - - your sisters, bro-in-law, niece & nephew. we miss and love you.

happy birthday to andrew

happy 31st andrew! you are an inspiration every single day to more people than we can count. you have lived and accomplished more in your first 31 years of life than more will ever do in their lifetime. here's to 31 more years!

CHEERS TO ANDREW!!!