Game on TV!

The game tonight will be televised on ROOT sports and broadcast over the radio on KKNW 1150 AM.

Go Huskies!

Husky game Thursday!

Here is the release regarding the Husky game tomorrow night and their plans to honor Andrew. Click here to read it. We are really looking forward to this game and are so thankful for everything the UW Men's Basketball team has done to remember Andrew. We hope you can be there tomorrow! Coach Romar will say something about Andrew right after the national anthem, so get to the game on time so you don't miss it!

Merry Christmas

We hope everyone has had a wonderful and happy Christmas. Ours has certainly been different. We are still so thankful for our wonderful family and friends, and of course for all the memories we have with Andrew. Some of us stood by his grave today, and the sun broke out through the clouds. It was so windy that it nearly knocked us over. It felt good to be there, near him, although desperately longing for him to be with us still.

This Thursday December 29 our family will attend the husky men's basketball game. The Husky's will wear a patch again in honor of Andrew. I believe they may say something as well during the game. If tickets are still available we'd love to see you there! The game is here locally at the Alaska arena and starts at 6pm versus Oregon State.

Merry Christmas to all!

A big Thank You

Thank you to each and every person who participated in Andrew's service, as well as the hundreds who attended. We have heard from so many of you that the service deeply impacted you. We hope you continue to honor Andrew with a positive outlook on life and a smile on your face. It was really wonderful to see everyone, especially those who flew in from all around the country!

Who had fun at The Garage Saturday night? I know I did! We had a great turnout and it was a great way to end a day full of honoring and remembering Andrew.

A staff member of the UW Husky Men's Basketball team contacted me last week to let me know they will be honoring Andrew tomorrow night during their game against Marquette at the Jimmy V Classic, held in Madison Square Garden in NYC. The UW players will wear a patch with Andrew's initials. Our family is very honored and touched the team is doing this for Andrew. Watch the game tomorrow night if you can! You can read a brief blog post about it here.

I'm not sure exactly which direction this blog will head. But definitely keep it in your reader, (or check back here for updates if you simply check the blog address the old fashioned way!) as we will certainly keep you informed and updated of anything that we may be doing in Andrew's name. I may continue to post pictures as well. Especially ones that did not make it into the slide show.

Again, thank you for helping us remember Andrew's life in a truly remarkable way.

More Information for you...

~ On Saturday you will be able to park in either the North Parking lot on 47th & 15th, the West Parking lot on 15th across from the church or the Parking Garage on 15th.

~ Please be advised that The Garage Billiards is a 21 and over establishment. The manager wanted to make sure everyone knew that, even though they have bowling. So leave your kids and young friends at home!

~ Andrew's obituary will appear in The Seattle Times tomorrow December 2, both online and in the paper. In lieu of flowers, we ask that all donations be made to The Andrew Moritz Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can donate at your local US Bank branch. The monies will be used to help kids in need of athletic or academic assistance.

~ Thank you for all the emails and messages that you have been sending us. I have not been able to respond to everyone yet, so I want you to know that we've read and re-read everything you're said and written about Andrew. Your kind words and stories about Andrew are small nuggets of comfort that we can carry with us during this sorrowful time.

~ We look forward to seeing you on Saturday. It will truly be a celebration we will never forget.

Group Hotel Rate

We have secured a group rate at Hotel Deca for anyone needing a place to stay on Friday or Saturday night. This hotel is very close to University Pres Church and UW. The group rate is listed under Moritz and will be $99/night plus tax for a deluxe room with complimentary parking. Click here for more information on the hotel. Call to book your reservation and tell them you are with the Moritz Group.

Hotel Deca

4507 Brooklyn Ave

Seattle, WA 98105

(206) 634-2000

http://www.hoteldeca.com/

Andrew's Memorial Service

Saturday, December 3rd 2011

1:00pm

University Presbyterian Church

4540 15th Avenue NE

Seattle, WA 98105

We are having a private family burial prior to the service, as well as a family reception after the service. We hope and encourage you to gather in friend and family groups to celebrate and remember Andrew.

In true Andrew fashion, everyone is invited to celebrate with us on Saturday night at 8:00pm at the Garage. The Garage is on Capitol Hill at 1130 Broadway Ave. You can find directions by clicking here. We have rented the downstairs level from 8-11pm. Please join us for an evening of bowling, pool, shuffle board and lots of laughs.

Lastly, did you see the news last night? We were very honored and pleased with how the story turned out. Thank you to Joe Fryer for telling Andrew's story in a wonderful light. I have links to all the current articles on the sidebar of the blog. Here is the link to the King 5 news coverage.

Some Information: please read!

The King 5 reporter called us this evening to let us know the story on Andrew will air tonight at 10 o'clock on Kong and again at 11 o'clock on King 5 News. It did not run last night due to breaking stories the reporters had to cover. We heard there was a family photo and a brief clip that ran last night. The clip tonight will hopefully be a bit longer. Tune in and spread the word!

We have decided to have Andrew's memorial service this Saturday December 3 at 1:00pm. We are still waiting to hear back on the venue, so please check back here for that information. There will not be a reception after the service, but we are planning an informal gathering for friends later that evening at a bar in Seattle. Again, please check back here for more information.

Last item: please email me at ekdenton@gmail.com with a picture or two that you have of yourself and Andrew. We are planning a slide show for the service.

Thank you again for the outpouring of love. It helps to ease the pain and shock that Andrew is truly gone.

Remembering

Elizabeth, Sarah, Andrew, Rachel & Martha ~ Forever the Fab 5

Today we are filled with an indescribable amount of grief. We are blessed that Andrew was a part of our life, but as we sit as a family, a vast and empty canyon sits in the middle of us. Thank you thank you thank you for all the love and kind words. It means so much. I can't stop reading all your blog comments and facebook posts to Andrew. They make us smile and remember Andrew for the great person that he was.

There are already a few short articles about Andrew. You can find the King5.com article here and the online Seattle Times article here.

Tune in tonight at 10 o'clock on Kong to watch a brief clip honoring Andrew. The same story will run at 11 o'clock on King 5 News.

We are in the preliminary process of planning a service for Andrew. Please check back here for all the details.

Andrew Phillip Moritz

With peace in his heart and love in the room, our beloved Andrew took his last breath tonight. He was surrounded by his family and a few close friends. It was peaceful and so beautiful.

Thanksgiving

Today, on thanksgiving, our hearts are overflowing with gratitude. We are blessed to have an amazing family and incredible friends. Our thanksgiving on 12 east has been one we will never forget. Thank you to our special friends who made it happen for us.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

Change of floors

Andrew was deemed stable enough today to be moved out of the ICU. They gave Andrew a big double room with a view of the city. Sweet! He is completely off his antibiotics and blood pressure medicine and is on a very low dose of steroids and pain meds. The doctor thought that he did not in fact have an infection but instead was extremely dehydrated.

Hope everyone is having a great start to their week.

Monday

Andrew was fairly uncomfortable through the night and has been mostly sleeping today. He said yesterday that he had a good day, so thank you to everyone who was there visiting, watching the game and bringing us good food. Thank you Aunt Ingrid for all the goodies!

I am struggling to find a balance between respecting Andrews privacy and wanting to provide everyone with all the details of how he is doing. So if I am vague or brief, please know that I am trying to respect Andrew and think about what he would want me to say. He has been and always will be my greatest coach and boss (my sisters and I always joke that we are all his assistants), so I am trying to lean on the wisdom he's given me during this time where we are speaking for him. Please know I will post information when it is necessary.

Again, thank you for all the prayers, strength and love. There has been a huge outpouring these past few days.

Andrew today

Andrew has been awake most of the day. He's more chatty and even got a fresh cut from Isaiah the barber. He's on high dose antibiotics just in case he has an infection, and it seems like the antibiotics have been working. He is also on steroids to help his lungs and levophed to keep his blood pressure up. The doctor saw him this morning and said he can start eating again and also said he'll have to be in the ICU for another few days to slowly wean him off of the meds.

That's all I know! He is enjoying watching football today and also trying to get some more rest.

Happy Sunday!

I am here in the ICU with Andrew and our family and a few close friends. Andrew was awake when Tyler and I arrived but has mostly been sleeping since. He is not too coherent and is wondering why we are all here. Our sisters Rachel and Sarah fly in tonight. Andrews blood pressure is still very low, even after upping his blood pressure medicine.

I want to convey that Andrew is in a critical state. At this point we are hoping and praying that Andrew is comfortable and that peace flows through his body and heart. His condition changes hour by hour so I will update when I'm able.

The past 24 hours

There is a lot to report from the last 24 hours. Andrews condition has dramatically declined. Andrew fell in the bathroom yesterday morning due to no strength in his legs and numb feet. We decided he needed to be checked out in Seattle so we brought him to the ER last night around 7. They ran some tests and found his potassium and creatine levels to be high which was causing irregular heart rhythms. He also had low blood pressure and low sodium levels. They admitted him to the ICU last night which is where he is now. I am writing this in the car- we are en route to see him. Please pray for Andrew that he can be comfortable and that his mind can be at rest. He has been very upset with this change of events.

I will post more once we see him. Please direct all communication to myself or Martha. He is not in a place to be responding to texts, etc. And please check back here as I will update when I have more information.

Chicken Legs

Everyone knows that Andrew is famous for his skinny chicken legs. Well, we are happy to report that in the last few days we can actually SEE those cute chicken legs and even his ankles! This is wonderful news! His legs and feet have been full of fluid for the last month+ so it's nice to be able to see his ankles for the first time in a while. Andrew says the only thing really bothering him are his feet. They are so sore it is hard for him to walk.

Yesterday at the health clinic Dr. Parmar and the staff remarked how wonderful Andrew looked and how much stronger his spirit and chattiness has become. Andrew elected to not do the oxygen therapy the last few days and Dr. Parmar stated he does not want to push Andrew to continue with it because it does cause his legs to swell up and they will continue to swell until he gets his albumin controlled with infusions. He said the Hyperthermia and Ukrain are working well enough and that the proof is in Andrew's physical progression. Andrew was very happy to hear that everyone thought he looked so good. Andrew also kept saying how good he felt and how he has been waiting for this feeling.

This makes me happy!

Quick Update

Hi All,

Sorry my posting has been non-existent this last week. My oldest daughter turned 4 on Friday so we've been busy celebrating. I also spent about 24 hours with Andrew last Wed-Thur night. I was happy to see Andrew and spend some time with him. I definitely was not the best caretaker as I had to keep my little one out of everything in sight. I was able to take Andrew to his appointments on Thursday so was glad to meet Dr. Parmar and many of the nurses and staff at the Integrated Health Clinic. I was very impressed by their clinic and their warm and loving personalities. I was extremely impressed with Dr. Parmar. He is just the kind of doctor Andrew needs. He is full of life and very positive. He sat with us for a while and answered questions and reviewed his labs. Since I didn't write anything down, my information is going to be very vague.

Dr. Parmar said that a few of Andrew's levels indicated some improvement since the week prior. This is good news and he was very pleased to tell us this. His sodium level, however, is now at a critically low point. Andrew needs to be able to take in more salt to get his levels up. Dr. Parmar has put him on a very strict fluid intake and is requiring Andrew to try and eat as much salt as possible. He also has restricted Andrew to only drain his abdomen every few days. Andrew has been taking shots of soy sauce! You can't fault him for his creativity!

Andrew's albumin levels are low, which leads to dehydration and he has been dealing with cracked lips and throat. His feet continue to cause him a lot of pain. This is probably the biggest problem for Andrew. His feet fill with fluid and become extremely swollen and it is hard to walk and even when he is laying down the pain can sometimes be unbearable. Not only have we all entered this medical world, we are also in the spa business now. We all spend countless hours massaging and rubbing his feet, legs, hands, head, etc with every kind of oil and lotion possible. This always helps to relax Andrew and gives him temporary relief. One of Andrew's friends downloaded a bunch of relaxing music on his iPad, so we turn on the music, light the fire and the candles all in hopes he can relax enough to sleep.

Helping and taking care of Andrew is a 24/7 job and I just want to thank each of our family members and friends who have helped out. We are so so grateful. And Andrew is extremely grateful for the help and the love.

Andrew's last scheduled treatment is for next Wednesday November 23. He will be back home in Seattle that night so we can enjoy Thanksgiving together as a family.

That is all for now, we wish you a wonderful week. I'll be back here when I get a report from Martha!

Not the best quality picture, but I think Andrew looks so cute! He's wearing his new hat that Martha brought him this weekend. Andrew has been doing well these last few days. He feels like he's getting some more energy and looks like he's gaining some weight back in his face and upper body. Today he slept though his entire oxygen therapy treatment and came out smiling. The staff at the clinic wanted to know what Andrew did this past weekend because they couldn't believe how well Andrew looked today and said his eyes and skin color looked less jaundice. One of the doctors commented on how well he's been handling the treatments. Andrew meets with Dr. Parmar tomorrow and they will discuss his lab results, how the treatments are going and hopefully he will answer some questions we have. We are hoping the labs show good sodium levels.

My daughter Sonja and I are headed up to Canada Wednesday night to help take care of Andrew until our mother can get there Thursday night. Andrew says he's excited to see Sonja...hopefully he feels that way when she wakes up at 6:30am! I'm sure her adorable smile will excuse any faults she may have (like completely taking apart and destroying an entire house!)

Hope your week is off to a great start.

Tremendous day

Andrew woke up yesterday morning and said, "Today is a tremendous day". He had taken some melatonin the previous night to help him sleep and was able to sleep for 4 hours, woke up for 30 minutes then fell back asleep for another 4 hours. What awesome news! He said yesterday was his best day treatment wise and he even napped through both treatments. The nurses at the clinic love him, (obviously!) and one nurse even said she read his entire blog over a bottle of wine the other night. Yesterday Andrew received the max dose of the Ukrain injection (20ml) which they will continue at that dose every other day until treatment is complete.

Andrew's strep throat culture came back negative so he stopped taking the antibiotics. The only other explanation for his reddened, white patched mouth is thrush. He'll take 4 days of an anti-fungal pill as well as an anti-fungal swish and swallow. Andrew's sodium is still low, so the more he drinks the more he pushes fluid out of his cells and essentially dehydrates himself. He will have to just take sips of liquids and suck on lemon drops. His kidneys look great, so that's good news.

Our sister Martha is visiting him today and she said he seems to be having a good day.

Happy Weekending!

Pictures

Here are the pictures I promised:

This is Andrew receiving the hyperthermia treatment as well as chemo

Andrew in the hypberbaric oxygen treatment

I was able to visit Andrew today for the afternoon. It took me 1 hour, door to door, so it was a quick and easy trip. Andrew had his treatments this morning, so when I was there about noon he said he was feeling the best he'd felt all week since being in Canada. He said he felt good after the treatments and didn't feel so groggy. The antibiotics have really helped his sore throat. He continues to have fluid build up in his feet, so I was able to massage some of the fluid out while I was there. He is extremely exhausted though, and would doze off during our conversations. Which is amazing considering the volume level of my children. He told me again how peaceful he feels up there, so I was really glad to hear that. It's been easiest for him to sleep in the living room on the fold out futon, so he lays next to a big picture window and is able to look outside to the beautiful fall trees.

That is all for now. I hope everyone is having a great week.

How Andrew is doing this week

Hi All!

I have to apologize for not updating the blog this past week. We've had a busy schedule around here, a packed weekend and some serious Halloween activities yesterday. Life with two little ones is full! I will continue to keep you posted via this blog, so please remember to check here when looking for an update. We want Andrew to stay as relaxed and stress-free as possible!

This is going to be a long post, so don't say I didn't warn you!

The biggest question people want to know is: is the treatment in Canada working??? This is something that can and may take several weeks to know. So far, on a day to day basis, not a whole lot is changing with Andrew and the way he feels. His treatment is going well and he is pleased to be there and receiving the treatments. He has run into a few problems, but this has to do with his ascites and he also just recently came down with strep throat. He started on amoxicillin on Monday and he woke up today feeling much better. Andrew is still slightly jaundiced but his eyes seem to be a little less yellow and has been up and walking around the house and outside fairly well. Because of the nature of the treatments he's receiving, he has been draining his abdomen every day. This has helped not only the treatments but he doesn't seem to be filling up as quickly and was even able to skip a day of draining. His thighs are not as swollen and the TED hose that he's been using have really been helping.

Andrew receives two treatments each day, 6 days per week. This is what he is getting:

Hyperthermia treatment: He lays on a water bed which helps to conduct the heat from the contraption that they place on his liver one day, then the next day place on his lower stomach. Exposure to the higher temperatures damages and kills the cancer cells and leaves the healthy cells alone. It also makes the cells more sensitive to the Ukrain (the chemo) and any other IV injections they choose to treat him with. Next week they plan to inject selenium and vitamin C along with the Ukrain. Andrew doesn't feel anything during this treatment and has even been able to nap and listen to music.

Hypberbaric Oxygen Therapy: This is oxygen therapy at greater than atmospheric pressure for a total of 1 1/2 hours. The first 15 minutes acclimate him, then he receives treatment for an hour, then the last 15 minutes bring him back to the correct pressure. The idea behind this treatment is that cancer cells flourish in a less oxygen rich environment, so they hopefully will slow their growth. Another goal is the oxygen therapy helps to heal injury. The chemo Ukrain works better in an oxygen rich environment so the Ukrain is given after this treatment.

Andrew had a foot massage the other day followed by an ion cleanse. He put his feet in water with ions which is suppose to pull toxins out of your body. He watched the water change colors which they said was from the incredible amount of toxins leaving him. He didn't quite believe it, but tried it anyway. And he loved the foot massage!

One more medical tidbit...if you want to totally nerd out you can check out this website and read all about Ukrain, the chemo they are giving Andrew. http://www.ukrain.ua/present/ukrain.html. It is a power point study with great results.

On a slightly different note, I heard from Andrew's friend Stacey in St. Louis that the dancing fundraiser she did for Andrew raised $300! Wow, thanks Stacey! And thanks to everyone who donated. Hopefully you had a fun night of dancing. Here in Seattle this past Sunday was another fundraiser put on by Brian & Nicole Lawrence, great friends of Andrew. A special thank you to them for organizing this. They did a Seahawks game parking & tailgate party. They raised $1910. Amazing! Again, thank you to everyone who showed up for this tailgate party and who donated. We can't express enough how grateful we are. Every single dollar counts and matters and is put towards healing Andrew.

That is all for now. For some reason I'm having a hard time with photobucket and it's way past my bedtime, so I'll have to post some pictures in the next few days. I have a few of Andrew at the health clinic that our mother took. Andrew is very encouraged about the treatments but he is in need of a lot more sleep. So if you pray, please pray that he can sleep for long stretches at a time. Currently he is only sleeping in 2-3 hour increments.

Thank you!

First day in Canada

Ryan Hueter, of The Daily, wrote a great article about the MVP 5k race that was published today. Click here to read it or find it in The Daily of the University of Washington. Thank you for the nice article!

Andrew arrived in BC last night and completed his first two treatments today (oxygen therapy & hyperthermia therapy) at the health clinic. I'm waiting to hear how it all went, but I did receive an awesome picture of Andrew receiving his oxygen therapy. He looked like a spaceman with a helmet-like contraption and hoses hooked up to it. I know, not very medical sounding, but I'm only receiving second-hand information so I will try to get some more technical information and post when I can!

I found a nice cottage for Andrew to stay in that is just a few minutes away from the clinic. He is very pleased with the accommodations so far. It is peaceful and in a quiet neighborhood. The owner, who lives next door, is a professional gardener so the garden space is gorgeous. It is serene and peaceful and just the place for Andrew.

Video from Saturday

Take a few minutes to watch this great video that our friend Mr. Kiang took on Saturday. It really shows how awesome the turnout was on Saturday. Thank you for this footage, we love it! And by the way, did you know that the overall winner of the race, Jim Savage, is our cousin? How cool is that? I think his time was around 15 minutes. Wow! Way to go Jimmy! A special thanks to that side of the family who came all the way from across the sound in Hansville, WA to be there. I'm sure that was a very early morning in order t0 catch the ferry. And of course thank you to everyone else who was there and made the effort. We even had a bride (got married at 5:30 that night!) and most of her wedding party in attendance. Talk about support!

Andrew was feeling pretty good all day but has been very uncomfortable and in pain this evening. The fluid build-up in his legs, feet and abdomen cause pain and he often will feel dizzy, bloated and lots of pressure. He was able to drain off some fluid yesterday by himself, so that brought some relief. Andrew is scheduled to start treatment at the Integrated Health Clinic in Fort Langley, BC on Wednesday. He will leave tomorrow to head up there. Click here to read more about the clinic. He is slated to receive treatment for 4 weeks, but we will take it 1 day at a time and see how he feels. We found accommodations for him just a few minutes from the clinic in Fort Langley.

I will continue to keep you posted!

Success!

We had an amazing turnout this morning at the 5k. Thank you to everyone who came out to run and walk. We can't express enough how grateful we are for each and every one of you. We truly are blessed to have so many wonderful people in our life. I will post a few pictures once I'm back home and on my computer. I wasn't able to take too many pictures...so if you have a picture from this morning, please email it to ekdenton@gmail.com. We would love to see all your pictures! I also hope to get a few of the facts and share those with you...how many attended and how much we raised.

Andrew had a rough night & morning, so we are thrilled that he was able to attend. He enjoyed seeing all of you and hopefully you got a chance to say hello to him. He's spent the remainder of the day resting and watching football. Poor Huskies!

Thank you again.

5k Walk/Run Tomorrow!

We just wanted to say thank you to everyone who is taking the time to come out tomorrow and support Andrew. We are so excited for the event and to see all your smiling faces! We apologize for the confusion on the website the last few days about registering for the race. If you have not signed up yet, don't worry, you can still register! Just show up tomorrow morning before the race starts and you can register. Registration opens at 8:30am. The start and finish line will be near the basketball courts and Evans Pool.

Click here to read Andrew's article on the Ron & Don show on 97.3 KIRO FM. You can hear the audio clip by clicking here.

Catheter Procedure

I wanted to let everyone know that Andrew's catheter surgery went well today. It was very quick and painless and Andrew was home by 5:30 tonight. We all have to learn in the next few days how to help him drain it, so hopefully this will bring him some more relief. He is fairly sore from the procedure and continues to be in pain and cramping.

Andrew hopes to be able to attend the race on Saturday. If he is there he looks forward to saying hello to everyone he can. If you don't get a chance to say hi to Andrew, please know he is so thankful for your support. You may have to get through the Moritz sister body guards to get to him!!!

Update on Andrew

Just three more days until the MVP Challenge 5k run/walk on Saturday at Greenlake. Your last chance to register between now and then is Saturday morning starting at 8:30am at the race. Race starts at 10!

We had a second phone consultation yesterday with the doctor from the health clinic in British Columbia. He reviewed Andrew's scans again and spoke with him about the current state of his ascites. He emphasized that his treatment is not curative but rather palliative care. Since they are an out patient clinic the doctor requires Andrew to have a self draining catheter in place so the fluid can be drained off on a daily basis. In Andrew's true fighting and persistent spirit he wants to keep going and keep trying. Andrew met with Dr. Milder today at Swedish and is scheduled to have the procedure tomorrow to have the catheter installed.

Andrew continues to be uncomfortable and in pain so Dr. Milder upped his pain pills today. Hopefully this new dosage will bring Andrew some relief. We also got him compression socks and have him elevate his feet whenever possible and this helps tremendously to reduce the swelling in his legs and feet.

Because of the wonderful person that Andrew is, and the amount of people that love him, he receives multiple emails, phone calls and texts each day. This has proved to be a bit overwhelming for him, so if he does not return your message, please know that he loves you and appreciates your care and concern. Please check here for updates or contact one of us Moritz sisters and we will give you an update if you have not heard back from Andrew. Thank you for understanding.

For all of our Missouri friends and family, go Cardinals!

Dance for Andrew Salsa & Cha Cha Class

Stacey Switzer, Andrew's friend from St. Louis, is offering a salsa and cha cha class to help raise money for Andrew. She did a dance class for Andrew a while back, and has decided to host another one. Stacey, you are so kind and generous! If you live in the St. Louis, MO area please check out the details below!

What: Dance for Andrew Salsa & Cha Cha Class

Where: Simply Ballroom

1244 Hanley Industrial Court

Brentwood, MO 63144

When: Sunday October 30th at 2pm (start arriving at 1:45, class is 1 hour long)

Cost: Minimum $15 donation (no credit cards, cash or checks only)

Bring: You will either have to dance in socks or use a pair of rental ballroom shoes that will be provided to you. No need to bring a partner!

RSVP: Email Stacey Switzer at switzer721@hotmail.com

If you have any questions regarding this class please email Stacey at switzer721@hotmail.com or myself at ekdenton@gmail.com

Thank you!

Seattle Times Article 10/14/11

Today in the Seattle Times Steve Kelley wrote an article about Andrew. Please take the time to read it. You can read it by clicking here or by purchasing the Times and finding it in the Sports section. Thank you to Steve Kelley for publishing this article!

We are just one week away from the race, please sign up today if you haven't already!

Andrew continues to be in pain and continues to fill with fluid. Our mother and Andrew met with the sarcoma specialist from Seattle Cancer Care Alliance this week. He was a fantastic doctor but told Andrew that he did not qualify for the Fred Hutch trial due to Andrew's liver failure. That was really hard to hear. The doctor mentioned one other chemo drug that is normally given to adolescents and comes with a great risk. The side affects were too great and Andrew declined. At this point we are left with the treatment facility in BC. We hope to have Andrew there next week.

Happy Friday and look forward to seeing everyone next Saturday at Greenlake!

5K Run/Walk

Don't forget to sign up for the 5K run or walk coming up in less than 2 weeks at Greenlake in Seattle. Click here to register. Or, if you live out of town or can't make the event, you can donate to the cause via paypal on the sidebar of the blog. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Please continue to pray for and think about Andrew. His body continues to fill with fluid and this causes an extreme amount of pain and discomfort. He got another tap yesterday and this brought some relief but is beginning to fill back up again with fluid. He will probably get drained again in a few days. Please pray that Andrew can get comfortable enough to sleep.

We have a few appointments scheduled for tomorrow, so we will let you know how those go and if they help us decide on a different direction.

Thank you for taking the time to read. Send lots of love in Andrew's direction.

Report from MD Anderson

Hello Friends!

I wanted to share with you the report we received last week from MD Anderson. Andrew's doctor decided that she would not administer any more chemo to Andrew. She feels that it would shorten his life and she is not willing to do that. The tumor in Andrew's liver has overtaken his liver and is causing his liver to fail. He has a condition called ascites which means his liver is leaking fluid. This fluid builds up and causes Andrew to be extremely uncomfortable. He has had it drained several times now and each time they drain out at least 10 pounds of fluid. Dr. Araujo decided the next step for Andrew is hospice.

This has obviously been extremely hard to hear and we as a family have spent the last week processing through all this information. We have decided to not contact hospice and instead we are seeking alternative treatment for Andrew. Andrew is still very much alive and his spirit and mind are telling him to fight. So we are listening! And we are fighting with him. Will you join us?

Today Andrew met with a naturopathic doctor in Bellevue. She was very helpful and prescribed Andrew lots of supplements to start with. She said she can not cure him, but she can help to lengthen his life. She developed a treatment plan for him...(but I don't have all the information, so not exactly sure what it is!) We also have a phone consultation scheduled for Andrew next Tuesday with a health clinic in British Columbia. So we are feeling hopeful about a few of the options we have going right now. We will definitely keep you all posted as we move forward.

And don't forget to sign up for the run/walk at Greenlake in just a few short weeks! We would love to see all of you there.

Thanks for all the love.

Houston Today

Andrew is traveling to Houston this afternoon for a few days of tests and appointments. He has had lots of fluid build up in his abdomen over the last week and has had it drained several times. He is pretty uncomfortable right now and will have to use a wheelchair to navigate through the airports.

Please remember Andrew over these next few days and send him lots of love and encouragement. We really need the doctors to find a new treatment that will work for Andrew. Thank you for all your prayers and support. We appreciate it!

September Update

Andrew enjoyed a recent visit from good friend Daniel

Happy September everyone! I wanted to pop in here and give you all an update on how Andrew is doing and talk about an exciting event coming up next month.

Andrew has had two different scans this summer. One scan was down in Houston in July and a more recent scan was done at Swedish in August. Both scans showed growth in Andrew's tumors. He started a new chemo drug several weeks back and is possibly scheduled to receive it again this week. It all depends on how he is feeling and if his body can handle it. Over the last few months Andrew has been dealing with several different health ailments...weight loss, nausea, extreme exhaustion, headaches, etc. These seem to be the standard issues that arise for people when enduring chemo. Andrew has been fortunate in that he really hasn't had to deal with too many side affects until recently. Andrew is trying to remain as positive and hopeful as possible. Some days are just tough though and it feels as though there is no good news in sight. He continues to plug along and enjoy his family and friends and of course now there is football to watch!

In light of all this, we are excited to announce an awesome fundraiser that is coming up in just over a month. On Saturday October 22 there will be a 5k run/walk at Greenlake, with all proceeds going directly to Andrew's medical fund. Andrew's medical bills have been staggering this year, as he is now responsible to pay for 20% of all his medical bills. We ask everyone that is able to,to please sign up for this wonderful event. You can click here or click on the link on the sidebar to sign up. It's a great cause and a wonderful excuse to spend an autumn morning with your friends and family exercising. If you are not able to run or walk but would like to donate, you can click on Andrew's medical fund paypal button on the sidebar of this blog.

Please email me at ekdenton@gmail.com with any questions you may have.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Andrew really needs a lot of love and encouragement right now. You all are a wonderful support team.

Elizabeth, for the whole Moritz crew

Uncle Drew and Sonja Drew, 1 year ago!

Andrew's biggest fans!

Sarah's graduation

Our youngest sister Sarah graduated from Roosevelt High School last Thursday night at Memorial Stadium. We are so proud of her. She will start at the University of Denver in September. We can't wait to see all that she accomplishes in this next phase of life. Way to go Sarah!

Thinking About My Mom

Hi,

I wanted to check in this morning and do a short update in regards to my mother. About 4+ weeks ago my family learned that my mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Certainly shocking news for a family that has gone thru a lot with cancer over the past couple of years. This week she underwent successful surgery at Swedish hospital to remove both tumors from her left side. She did great during the whole surgical process and is home recovering now. We are expecting complete recovery and a cancer free body after this process. I wanted to thank several groups who have been instrumental in helping our family during this time. First off to my four sisters, you have all been so great the last couple of weeks with everything you have done to help mom thru this and make this as easy as possible for her. Also to the groups of people at Emmanuel Bible Church, Wedgewood Swim Pool, Washington Middle School, and the numerous other family and close friends who have brought food, flowers, cards, messages to lighten the load, and make for a smooth recovery--Our family appreciates you with all of our heart. Please keep my mother in your prayers as she continues to be on the mend from surgery, and back to normal life!

Have a great Weekend,

Andrew

Chemotherapy Week this week--#33

Greetings,

I'm mid week now in my current treatment. I cannot believe it's been 33 rounds so far, and nearing 2.5 years! As I have said in some previous posts regarding my current treatment plan I stay overnight in the hospital for 6 days so that can be a bit of a grind. I've gotten used to it though, and the staff and facilities are great here (Swedish hospital.) I am on day 3 so far, and it's gone a lot better this round then last with regards to how I am feeling. I have made an effort to eat better and be more active the last month or so and I think it's really paying off when I do the chemo treatments. Thank you to those that have visited and brought me yummy foods from the outside world, hospital food is tough for longer stretches. All is good though today from inside the chemo world! I Hope everyone is having a great week.

Andrew

Scan Results from May 3rd

I was at MD Anderson last week for a scan and meeting with my doctor. The visit overall was solid. Everything went really smooth. The scan results were kind of a tie. Really no growth or shrinkage to mention either way with the tumors. Disease was stable and controlled in the abdominal area. My doctor and I really didn't spend to much time analyzing the scans this time. We kind of just caught up on each others personal lives, then she told me I was going to do 2 more rounds of current treatment plan, and I would see her in 8 weeks for another scan. So goes my life for now, I feel really positive and strong right now though. Best I have felt in the two + years process.

Thanks as always for everybodys support!

Andrew

Happy 33rd Birthday!

Cheers to Andrew for turning 33 today!

We love you Andrew. Happy birthday and keep up the amazing work.

Test Update/Chemo 31 complete

Crew,

I had a Cat Scan a week plus ago at MD Anderson. The results were solid for now. We stopped the larger abdominal tumor from its uptick in growth per the previous two scans, and all other areas were deemed stable. Good News for now, both my doctors were pleased with these latest results, calling it a "good visit/scan." I think I am now at a point were I can tell when I am having "growth" or lack of growth in that particular area of my stomach. Its been feeling a lot better with this latest mix of chemo.

I just completed my 31st round of chemo this past Sunday. No reports of pain, low blood counts, or any other major issues. Just the usual tiredness for a few days following due to all the hardcore medicines, and lack of sleep in hospital. I'm feeling positive right now that my body is able to continue to go on week after week with this stuff. More later but just wanted to make sure everybody was up to speed with the latest test results. I will begin Round 32 on Tuesday April 12.

Andrew

Sayulita, Mexico

Andrew wanted me to post some pictures from our family vacation in Mexico. We stayed in a house with an incredible view, ate fresh Mexican food daily and generally had a magical time.

Hombre Grande

It's been a month or so since I updated the blog, so I figured I better get in here and let everybody know how the battle is going! I have completed two rounds of the 6 day course of ifosfamide. So far so good. It's hard staying in the hospital for a week at a time, but the staff have been excellent and treated me so well. No real side effects to speak of - some muscle soreness and fatigue being the only major things to report. Well of course the no hair look has come back in my life. I posted this joke on my Facebook page the other day - my mom and sisters have been teasing me, saying I look like "Steve the bouncer from the Jerry Springer show" haha - we try to have fun with the situation when we can!

I am in Houston for the next couple of days doing tests and going to meet with my Doctor. I will post results from the past two rounds later this week. Thank You for the continued prayers from everybody, they certainly are being felt.

Andrew

PS. I was in Mexico a couple of weeks ago and the locals liked to call me "hombre grande!" haha I'm not sure if that's good or bad but my family and I got a big kick out if it...

Treatment this week

Good Morning,

It's a beautiful sunny morning in Seattle and I have just checked into Chateau Swedish. I will be in the hospital until Monday morning doing five full days of intense chemotherapy. I have a great room with an awesome view of the mountains. Thank you to everyone who has left an encouraging note over the past few days. It's really been amazing. I will update as I go along this week.

Have a great week,

Andrew

Scan Results from last week's MD Anderson visit

Happy Monday everybody,

First off I want to thank everybody who was praying for me this past week, there are a ton of you out there who have stayed so faithful with prayers/positive thoughts during these first two years of my cancer fight. Texter's, caller's, emailer's, facebooker's, you know who you are, THANK YOU-I feel so supported by all the kind messages.

Now to the visit. The trip went really well with regards to travel. Flights, cabs, hotel stay - all very simple. That always makes for an easier journey up to the ol' 9th floor sarcoma unit when travel has been made easy. I had my really good friend Myles along with me, and he made the trip as fun as possible for me. We ate some good food, went to a couple movies, talked sports/business/life, and he even kicked my butt in Pop-A-Shot (maybe I've lost my jump shot) HAHA.

The Scan results didn't go how I planned. This was the first time I truly had gotten poor results from when we began this adventure a few years ago. The tumor in my stomach lining that has grown slightly over the past few scans has continued to grow even larger. Also for the first time I have new spots that have appeared on the scan. All the new spots continue to be growing in the abdominal area. My heart sank when the Doctors Assistant read the scan results to me: "The results of the scan aren't very good" were her exact words. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I actually feel pretty good, don't have pain at the moment, and wasn't expecting those words to come out. Had two years of agonizing chemo every two weeks gone down the drain in one Scan? Well, we waited for Dr. Araujo to come in and talk further about what was next. She walked into the room and said "Whats your problem?" as my head was slunk down in disappointment as if I had just lost a big game, or big sales contest. I responded to her how frustrated I was with the scan results, and I just couldn't believe it because I felt fine. I couldn't have asked for a better coach at that exact moment in my life. She told me I had 24 hours to feel sorry for myself then I needed to get focused on the next phase of this process. We talked at length about realizing that this particular type of tumor comes back, and when it does she has the right mix to combat it. They continue to remind me how well I have done, how I am beating all of the odds of this cancer, and how strong and good I look for having done nearly 30 rounds of chemotherapy without any break for two years. I guess I don't always feel that way because I just want it to go away, and in my head sometimes don't think victory has happened til its gone. I do realize that my goal right now is to live with this cancer until otherwise noted (long-term solution, etc.)

Whats next? I will be going back to a chemo drug ifosfamide. Its generally regarded as one of the strongest, toughest, chemotherapy treatments there is. I have to be in the Hospital full time for the 6 day treatment, as my body needs the 24 hour infusion of "Mesna" for the entire 6 days. This helps protect my organs from the stiff chemo dose. I will be doing the treatment at Swedish Hospital in Seattle, starting sometime this week. I will post my schedule once I hear back as to when I'm being admitted, etc. I want everybody to know that while this news was very discouraging to me, I actually feel pretty good going into this next phase. The tumor is basically the same size as it was in September of 2009 when I left Houston, after the initial 8 rounds. I am thankful that it hasn't spread outside the abdominal area yet. I can walk, eat, talk and function like a healthy person. Many of my cancer pals cannot say that. I have had this drug before, and I know that it works on my body. I know what to expect with it, and am ready for it. Thanks everybody for following my blog, progress, and results. I really appreciate the tremendous love and support from all over the world.

Andrew

Houston Jan 24-26

Andrew is arriving in Houston as I write this. He will be there until Wednesday for tests, scans and then a meeting with Dr. Araujo Wednesday morning. Please keep him in your prayers and thoughts during this process. We will post an update when we hear one after Wednesday. Andrew needs lots of support right now.

Thank you!