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