So.... You've Heard the News Right?

By now you've surely heard the good news, right?

Well in case you have not, read on, and be prepared for a smile or a good cry or how ever it is that you, o' member of Team Rally Hat, experience these things.

Here is a note from Marc written to me, probably with intent for me to paraphrase but I am just going to post up the whole note. His response comes after prompting by phone call (or was it a text?) requesting info to post and then followed by a Facebook taunt "Hey Mr.-happy-to-be-alive... I hate to pull you out of the sunshine and fresh air, but send me an email... then go back to the fresh air and sunny days. :) XOXO Am." ... when the call netted nothin.'

This was his reply with my notes or clarifications added in brackets [like so]:

"Ok here it is. I am now into remission, according to the PET scan there was still a little bit [of something] in my lumbar but the corresponding CT scan was normal. That being said I talked with the doctor about what this means, he took a look at the scans and was not convinced that there was anything there.

From here, there will be no more treatments, the UCSF doctor sent the bone marrow out and the scans to re-evaluated by specialists but said that I am currently in remission. At the time of the Bone Marrow biopsy I was nuetropenic, so they gave me a neupogene shot and told me to go to my local clinic and get a CBC [short for complete blood count, white cells/red cells/etc] done. My counts locally were normal which is great news. I am going back on thursday for another cbc and I am going to call the optomologists because my left eye is still extremely [messed] up.

I have playing a lot of golf, shot an 83 yesterday and 90 today. Spent today last night with Grandma and today, she is a blast. Other than that everything is going very well, I feeling great, still weak and tired at times but I am pushing myself pretty hard to fight both. I am ready to get back to work and hopefully that will happen within the next couple of months.

I am getting ready for the relay for life, we have several people signed up no we just need to get some fundraising done. Your mother gave me some great ideas and I am going to utilize as many of my contacts up here to get that done. [Go to http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=team&fr_id=20586&team_id=748026 and click "DONATE TO THIS TEAM" to support Team Marc's fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society].

For the most part that is all I have so far. If you have any other, more specific questions let me know. Love you tons, even though you are done, j/k. Love you.....

Marc"

Anyone else thrilled?

You did it Marc and it has been an honor to be on this journey with you.

Thanks for letting us walk with you (symbolically here and those who will literally at Relay for Life Truckee) our rally hats will be close by our side ready for positive things to rally for, like a new job. I think I speak for your fans on this site and beyond when I say: we love you!!!


Posted by amber with Marc's permission.

Relay for Life -- Support TEAM MARC

A team comprised of friends and
family is honoring Marc and those who had, have had, or have cancer by partipating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life as "Team Marc" in Truckee Saturday July 17-18, 2010 from 9am-9pm at Truckee High School.   Marc will be among the relay-ers and it is sure to be a time of good exercise and good fun as it supports a good cause and one that is so dear to our hearts...

You can make contributions to the ACS under Team Marc by clicking here and selecting the button DONATE TO OUR TEAM.

Go Team Marc!

May 31, 2010 - The Philosophers' Stone

It is the end of May and things are looking up: Marc's counts are up, spirits are up, smiles are up, outside temperatures are up, and best of all Marc is up and on his feet.

These days, Marc is waxing philosophical.  Having had the opportunity to see him recently, his musings and thoughts are fresh. The year, not what was planned or expected, has been about fighting and resting--attacking the invader inside his body and then letting the body recover for the next battle.

There have been soldiers on the field with him, his pals on the 11th floor at UCSF and they didn't all make it. A lovely older Indian woman whom many of us met and shared the solarium with she and her family, first lost her feet, then her life. Marc's friend steve, whose son works for Adidas and has been talking with Marc about the possibility of working with him, didn't make it either. Another friend, a woman named bob, decided after so much fighting that she wasn't going to win the battle, so she put up her white flag and asked to live her last few days in peace, without chemicals pumping through her veins, nurses taking blood work, without trying so hard to live.

Marc honored the strength it took to stop fighting when the outcome was clear. To admit defeat and gracefully accept the days that remain is a kind of strength Marc hadn't quite seen before.  Speaking purely in terms of cold statistics, some make it and some don't. And so statistically speaking, even while the loss was fresh and potently painful for bob's family and for Marc and his family, bob's daughter posed that "perhaps bob didn't make it so that Marc could." ...perhaps.  For Marc, there is a mixture of grieving, honoring, celebrating these friends, these companions on the field.

It might shock you to hear that looking back, Marc does not wish "it" never happened. He does not wish this cancer never challenged him. Because in the battle, in the fight, he gained an internal fortitude, a strength, an absolute clarity about his priorities.  If he wished the cancer away or the memory of the experience, he would lose what he has gained. And that is not acceptable, to put it as plainly as Marc might.  He is more aware than ever of the goodness of life and of what is truly important. [Not. to be clear. that-he-has-any-desire-or-intention-of-going-through-it-again.]   Though this poetry of thought was heard in person, through email exchanges Marc further explained why he feels this way and it's so poignant you have to hear it from the source:

"Part of my reasoning for thinking this way lies in my belief that everything happens for a reason and although I am [un]sure of the exact reasoning for it yet, I know that someday I will. It is one of the key reasons for my positive attitude throughout this fight. I am better off for what I experienced and I am looking forward to using this once I begin life again. I have been [given] a second chance and I plan on making the most of it.

 It is a funny thing, after the diagnosis was told to me, the main focus was on recovery and survival. The idea of dreaming about the future was gone, being the obvious dreamer that I am, everything became a day to day fight. Now that the hope of remission is on the horizon, I still utilize the thoughts of staying in the present and looking to whats next. But, I have started to dream about what I may be able to do from this point and I am excited about the possibilities."

The philiosphers' stone was the sought after and never found alchemical treasure that would purify lead and turn it into gold. Allegorically, Marc seems to have found that catalytic stone. It is the paradigm with which he faced this trial.  It transmutated the cancer into a valuable experience.   Life is full of joy and opportunity and yet it is also so full of inevitable challenges, tragedies, and heartaches. We seek after circumstances and opportunities that position us towards happiness and yet is it what we do with them that is possibly more critical? Could it be that our outlook and not our circumstance is the key to transforming our lives from lead to gold? Could it be?

The memorial day weekend was spent with family watching basketball, enjoying a drink or two, good food, golf, and enjoying his nephew, his immediate family and extended family, and sharing his trademarked dry wit. His vital counts and blood sugar were on the edge but he managed to ride their waves just fine.

So, what are we waiting for? Final P.E.T. scan will be on June 19, bone marrow biopsy on June 22. Test results will take a few days to weeks to be processed. But, not so secretly, I hope for the final confirmation of remission by July 4th, which will be a most important birthday of one Marc Giannetto.

But in the meantime, today brought good news!  Marc went in to have his vital counts checked and they were in fact, so good, that the doctor doesn't need him to come back in for blood work for a while... "enjoy and I'll see you at the end of the month" said the doctor.

Indeed.


Posted by amber with Marc's consent

May 12, 2010 - The Final Stretch

Marc is heading into what appears to be the final stretch of his chemo treatment.  

The first week of May, Marc was in for another of his rounds in the ring fighting cancer, followed by a few days with mom and dad at aunt wendy and uncle pat's place with cameo appearances by melissa and elijah. Following that was lots of rest and little energy.

He was scheduled to return to UCSF this Friday May 14th but as the past few weeks vitals were not good, it looked like he might have to wait.  And by vitals, i speak of his "counts:" white blood cells, platelets, and etc.  He's had a few transfusions in the last week to supplement his own body's stores of blood.  Becoming well... overcoming cancer, is very involved.

Unfortunately, Marc (and dad) was unable to attend his cousin Jeremy's wedding last weekend as his counts were low enough that mask-or-no the risk of infection was much too high.  Instead they put him on a antibiotics-and-blood-transfusion regimen which is not nearly as exciting as watching two special people make a big commitment, dancing to Vanilla Ice, playing with elijah, and... margaritas.  Yet, he took it like a champ and rested up despite the very real fear of cabin-fever.

Marc has been reading, not exactly for pleasure (he was quite clear that the only thing that sounds pleasurable is to go outside, risk cuts and bruises, and infections which he absolutely can't do now), but it was how he fought off boredom.  According to Marc, "Keep Climbing" was particularly good...

Fortunately, although his counts have remained less-than-stellar, he will be able to start treatment again this Friday. He'll soon be back to floor 11, doing laps, flirting, and offsetting the boredom with trivial pursuit and reading, texting and sleeping.  

May it be so that this is the last trip to UCSF for awhile. May it be that that the next few updates will be full of YAY! May it be that on memorial day that Marc's lymphoma is but a memory (not to slight the true purpose of Memorial Day... just saying).  [Marc's Lymphonma - RIP - January 1010 to June 2010]

Remember to keep Marc near to you, in whatever way that you do, as he puts his head down and barrels for the finish line.

(posted by amber with Marc's permission)

May 3, 2010 - Confessions of a Serial Hospital Patient

For the past few weeks... Marc has been actively posting on Facebook... so here is a compilation of what's been up in his own words.... a slightly voyeuristic peek into his occasional commentary on his life. It covers all the important topics: golf, Duke, and, yes, his chemo, energy, and progress. They are posted here in reverse-chronological order.  Anyone else looking forward to R[emission]-day? Holler!

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April 15, 2010 - An Update... and a Nice Break from the Dreariness of Tax Day

Marc sent me another update today and I wanted to get it up right away. There is also a new addition to the rally-hat gallery and I have to say I love the creativity, the depth, that the gallery is gaining.  Keep rocking your hats for Marc!

The short story: too much nausea and bone pain, too little energy and white blood cells.  But as usual, a good outlook and is generally enjoying, or rather, appreciating, not having to shave very much.

Here's some news from the hands of our favorite couch-surfer:

"I finished round 4 of chemo last wednesday and since then have not been feeling very well. The chemo itself went pretty well, they had trouble accessing the port the first night, which in rough translation means no sleep for marc on night one. once they got everything working i made sure that we were back on schedule to finish by the 7th so i could get by butt home. Everything from that point on went pretty smoothly, had a great easter with your family who cam and entertained me for a few hours. and then on  wednesday I of course was released as planned.

The bone pain started thursday afternoon and lasted until about monday. The feeling is basically like a bruise all over the body. three-four days of that gets tough but everythng comes to an end at some point. I still have some bone pain in my knees and legs, nothing a few pain killers can't fix. I just results from my blood test today and all of my counts are pretty low. that accumulates to a weekend of couch surfing until monday when we findout if I need any transfusions. So right now i have a little bit of remaining pain and after writing this email, I can guarantee that all of my miniscule amount of energy will have drained and I will head back to the couch for recuperation.

Mood: surprising high and optimistic tho very little energy to show."

Marc will head back on the 23rd of April and until Monday at least will be honing his movie knowledge and texting skills and sleeping talents.  Keep the love coming and the hats.

(posted by amber with Marc's permission)

March 29, 2010 - The Overdue Update

Hey all, this is the long overdue post from a few weeks ago, post elijah party and melissa birthday fun.  I'm actually taking it straight from an email Marc sent about how he is doing... with some photos and commentary towards the end. Marc wrote on March 29, 2010:

"Sorry that I haven't gotten this update to you sooner, I have been pretty busy. The last 12 or so days have been great. The birthday was great but sorry I don't know if we got any mask pics and definitely no golf pics either. I had a lot of bone [pain] for the first couple of days because of the neulasta shot. that all went away around tuesday. I had a PET scan on saturday and am going to the doctor today to find out the results and get blood drawn. The pathology came back on the bone marrow biopsy I had on the 17th and it showed no signs of disease according to Aunt Lisa. I haven't heard from the doctor yet on that either.

On a less medical note, two of my friends from college drove up from the LA area on friday for a couples of hours tosee me and it was really great seing them. It has been years since the last time I saw them so that was fun. I spent yesterday hanging out with the Kyle, Denny and Lois Anderson and they had for dinner. It was nice hanging out with them as well. My roommate from college is coming up today from Bakersfield, its been a while since I saw him so I am excited about that. And that is pretty much it from here. I had a great time these past several days and a lot of visitors/ support.

 I will let you know the results of the PET scan as soon as i know. I hope all is going well for you and that you are not over working yourself. Take care and I will talk to you soon." 

After much debate, i am leaving  in the personal note to me at the end... only because i think it shows something about Marc's character that is worth celebrating, it does not change in the midst of his own very involved life situation--he is not consumed by himself. Somehow in the midst of everything he is fighting he still has energy to care, and he cares so much for each of us reading this now.

Here are some photos from the long-awaited much enjoyed elijah-birthday-party.  It is a bummer that there is not one with a mask as i thought that had some comic-book appeal to it, nor is there a photo of the golf trip... but there are plenty of elijah pictures and one of elijah and Marc together and in the end, that's probably just about right.

(posted by Amber with Marc's permission)

March 18, 2010 - May the Mask be with You

didn't speak to Marc too much this week per phone challenges but he had good company with both the 'rents at his side. i think they were having such a nice time together, in fact, that once when i called they had to "go" to play skipbo.  and this, this is how it should be... there should be much too much fun to speak of tests and chemo and the 11th floor of the hospital.

they were unable to do the PET scan in order to keep him on a schedule that allowed him to be at elijah's festivities. he'll have that soon though. they did do the bone marrow biopsy and, as to be expected, plenty of chemo.

Marc had a was released from UCSF on Wednesday afternoon, with a brief stop over for dinner at aunt wendy and uncle pat's and then on to truckee. he'll be home until april 2nd.

take a peak a the rally hat gallery... some fun new corny-displays-of-support. go team Marc! keep 'em coming and my apologies for any delays in getting them up, this site admin has been a busy bee. 

today he was out and about running errands, going to doctor's appointment, filling prescriptions, and washing the truck.  he had started feeling significant bone pain and believes it is probably from the shot he got at his doctor appointment this afternoon. it's a mega cocktail of important stuff but his bones don't like it.

he'll travel to sacramento tomorrow for elijah's birthday.  he'll need to wear a mask all day as his system is now pretty weak. he promised to get a masked super-hero photo for us (masks are the stuff of super heroes, right?).  one thing is for sure, that though it will be hidden, under that layer of protection will be a big, proud uncle-marc smile.

prayers for happy bones, joyful moments, and protection from immune invaders.

may the mask be with you.

March 8, 2010 - "My Best Days are Ahead of Me"

me: "so Marc, anything particularly noteworthy or really so, well, un-noteworthy as to be worth mentioning to your adoring fans?" [note: although his first thought was surely, "what? ... you are so weird" he kept it in and answered as follows]

Marc: "well, actually, can you add music? there is a song called 'my best days' by danny gokey. is it possible to include that? it really summarizes my attitude right now towards everything, so it would be great to include it."

well folks, per request, this post has a musical score. i couldn't figure out how to embed the audio file, so i have embedded the music video (below). go ahead and hit play and then continue with the rest of the post so that your reading experience has a soundtrack. alternately you can watch and listen to the video and then continue on, it is kind of a cool video. your choice.

today Marc said he is feeling okay, pretty good in fact. as we chatted he was in the car on the way over the hill and through the woods, to grandmothers house. so, fun. 

last week was pretty rough with significant nausea and bone pain. while the nausea is quite certainly a chemo side-effect, the bone pain could be a side-effect of the chemo, the shots he's been given to boost his immune system, or it could just be the cancer itself. there have also been not quite enough sleep and when sleeping too many dreams of the hospital which aren't nightmares perse but they certainly aren't delightful and are surely side-effects of his lengthy hospital stays.

while i focus on how awful that must have been, Marc re-focuses me (us) on his willingness to go through it all if it is going to make him well. he can handle the process, he's just looking forward to everything that the process will afford him..."my best days are ahead of me."  there is no way out but through; no sense in trying to subvert reality.

but today and the past couple days Marc has been feeling okay. i wonder if it could be that some friends stopped by on saturday and made him a chicken salad. nothing like good friends and good food to make the body and soul well, am i right?

friday Marc will return to UCSF. he'll start with a couple of tests, another bone marrow biopsy and a PET scan. hyperlinks are included for each of those tests, if you click on the word it will direct you to the mayo-clinic dictionary to learn more about them. these tests will both be significant in determining the course of treatment. the PET scan results should come back quickly and will help the doctors know if the treatment is working and how to continue treatment. chemo should resume on saturday and conclude, if all goes according to plan, just in time for elijah's 1st birthday.

"...Life hasn't always been a party
but mostly it's been good
There's only one or two things that I'd change if I could
I dont get lost in the past or get stuck in some sad memory yah
My best days are ahead of me...

...I've got sunsets to witness
dreams to dance with [that are not of hospitals!]
beaches to walk on
and lovers to kiss
there's a whole lot of world out there
that I can't wait to see
My best days are ahead of me
My best days are ahead of me..."

thanks for reading, for your support, friendship and love on this unique journey. there is an updated photo to this post: "February 20, 2010 - Solarium, Scrabble & Special Visitors" and a couple more rally hat photos, so click around and see the new stuff. oh yeah and one last thing... yeehaw!

(posted by amber with Marc's permission)

February 27, 2010 - The Week in Numbers

having had the good fortune of speaking to Marc several times this week, i wanted to try something different with this update.  i noticed that a pattern emerged...  a pattern of significant numbers. so i wanted to share the news in a different way, or at least part of the news, but it should be kinda fun.

first, a quick prosaic overview. Marc and mom are doing well, per Marc. it's been a pretty good week in terms of Marc's health and spirits. though Marc is grieving the loss of an old soccer pal who died this week while skiing at squaw valley. Marc is aware that even in the midst of his struggle with cancer, that it is also a grace to be struggling because he is alive. it is strange in such circumstances how sadness and gratitude seem intrinsically linked.

Marc has had two kinds of chemo since he was admitted on february 19th for this round of inpatient chemo. the first was a single treatment which was so potent that it had to clear out of his system for several days to avoid interactions with the other kind of chemo. this second type is four days of 24 straight hours of chemo which will conclude tommorrow.

results from his last bone marrow test showed that he does not have the type (B) of non-hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) that they originally thought. if my comprehension is decent, there are actually many types of NHL which are then grouped into type A and B. when asked if this is good news or bad news, Marc replied that prognosis-wise, he doesn't believe it is either good or bad.  mental-health-wise, however, it's great news as the treatment course will be different and he will have shorter hospital stays (that are somewhat more frequent). his treatment plan will thus be cycles of 2-3 weeks at home followed by a week-ish in the hospital, rinse-and-repeat.  this cycle will continue through july. when asked if they expected he'd be done in time for his birthday, Marc said likely not, more like mid-end july. alas.  

but for Marc it's a simple equation: less time in hospital + more time at home = good. on that note here are some other things that have changes and are more/less of something:

less = the amount of hair on Marc's body (it is slowly submitting to the chemo)
more = the amount of energy/strength in Marc's voice since two weeks ago

less = amount of time spent in room, as much as possible Marc is walking around, hanging out in the solarium and...

more = amount of talking to those around him. he's chatting up and making friends with everyone who returns signs of interest... an effervescent and cheerful hall-mate and patient.

less = amount of pain in body and back since first hospital admittance (note: not pain free by any stretch but noticeably less) 

more = amount of flirting with the nurses (per his mother :)

and here... at last... are the hard numbers

4 = days of 24-hour cycles of chemo

13 = number of bags on Marc's IV cart, for which he won the "award" for greatest quantity

2.5 = number of miles Marc walked today

11 = number of laps around the 11th floor to make a mile
 

1 = number of days until Marc is released until next treatment
2 = weeks at home until next treatment starts

20 = day in March that nephew Elijah turns one and Marc gets to go!
un-quantifiable = the amount of joy this brings to Marc (and surely to Elijah too, and Melissa, and his parents and... the list goes on)

tomorrow afternoon Marc and Stacy will be picked up rom UCSF by Steve, Melissa, and Elijah for two weeks at home in truckee pending tests that are expected to go like clock work. prayers for safe travels home and clean aniseptic environments wherever he goes! thanks for reading.

(post by amber with Marc's consent)

February 20, 2010 - Solarium, Scrabble & Special Visitors

 

these past few days Marc has been passing his time in the solarium on the cancer floor at the UCSF hospital. it's a gorgeous room with a panoramic city view including the ever famous golden gate bridge which is stunning against the sea and the green. besides enjoying the breathtaking beauty of this room, Marc has been sharpening his skills in scrabble, trivial pursuit, and olympic-game-watching.

he had his first chemo since his hospital return on saturday and once that clears from his system he will have four successive days of a different kind of chemo. 

he also had some old friends stopped by from afar (so cal and colorado) for some special visitn' time.  and they have proof... an i-phone picture below. i'm pretty sure they are trying to mimic a first-day-of-school photo which is also posted in the rally hat gallery here (they are 3rd from the bottom):

(pictured here: krista, Marc, and kyle in the solarium)

and by-the-way, in both the old and new pictures could they possibly be mimicking the teenage mutant ninja turtles? it's the first thing that came to mind when i saw each of them.

if you think of any great go-to scrabble words post them with any other comments... skill-building and encouragement... could anything be better? 

TURTLE POWER!

February 19. 2010 - Back to the City

Marc is headed back to the hospital at UCSF today and should be arriving at any time. comments and texts of support and encouragement would be timely today.

note that a new feature has been added to the website which is an email subscription box in the right margin area to be added to the list receiving a notification in your inbox when a new post is up. then, you can either read the text in your inbox or know that you should pop over to the site to leave comments and view photos that might be included.  please subscribe this weekend and consider adding as a follower (with a photo), i know it brightens Marc's day (when he has time for a quick long-in) to see the faces and comments of all those who are cheering for him.... and he's gonna need a lot of support from you sunshine-y fans.

February 16, 2010 - One Game at a Time

marc has another three days to enjoy the fresh air of truckee, the coziness of his home and family. then west on i-80, over the bay bridge and to UCSF he goes.

this past weekend he had a lot of visitors, at least one everyday. friends and family, and perhaps most importantly... his nephew elijah. melissa was on a mission to get everyone in rally hats--looking ridiculous for Marc--and the results of that mission are posted here. the visits have been both fun and exhausting: life just takes a little more work right now. a few more visits are planned before he returns to the hospital.

on friday february 19 he'll return to UCSF for more intensive treatment. today he had chemo at the local clinic and reports relatively few side effects. since there is much more chemo in the future, the lack-of-side-effects is a blessing for which we can only request: more, please.

so you've heard about "chemo" but if you've ever wanted to know more... like, what exactly is chemo? simply put, chemo is short for chemotherapy which refers to particular drug therapies used to destroy cancer cells. click here for Web MD's q&a on chemo for more answers.

it is a bit complex to fully grasp the treatment plan, partly because it could shift depending on a number of factors, partly because neither Marc nor I are oncologists. the thing we know for sure: it is a highly aggressive plan to tackle his highly aggressive cancer and the road to recovery is more like a series of serious games than a single battle. that being said here is a rough outline of the treatment plan (sort of like Marc's-treatment-plan-for-dummies):

• when Marc was last in the hospital, the first week of february, he was on what could be called round 1a. 
• this week when he returns he will begin round 1b which entails, among other things, five days straight of chemo and then rest. end of round 1
• after these days of treatment and rest he will be evaluated either for release or to stay on for monitoring until the next round, what we'll go ahead and call 2, likely with parts a + b.

pray that the time will pass quickly and the fresh air won't seem too far off.  Marc is feeling a little nervous. specifically: a bit nervous about the long stay in a hospital room, a bit nervous about the seriousness of the treatment course, a bit nervous about how overwhelming it can all feel especially when there is no way to schedule an "R-day" - short for the day we all are looking forward to: REMISSION DAY.

while we all look forward to a big celebration on this day, we know it's a little too complex to predict, so we will be patient. as such, Marc is walking the delicate tight rope of knowing enough to be informed about the next match/round without trying to understand all the matches ahead to get to the finals. it's one game at a time... being informed without being overwhelmed.

...and all the love and support from ya'll does help with that.

Marc and I talked about what the next couple weeks will look like and where we all might fit in. once he starts round 1b, he'll be neutropenic. this means that the chemo will not only destroy cancer cells but also white-blood cells which help fight off infection... and leaves him very vulnerable physically.  as he'll be both very vulnerable and likely very exhausted, it will become harder for him to communicate with all of us, though we'll keep this site updated. but phone calls could be harder, responding to texts, emails, etc., will be challenging. 

yet, he is so grateful for these shows of support. so, i asked if i could suggest one-way texts, and he agreed. i may have made this up, i'm not sure. meaning: a  text that does not elicit a response. it is just a statement of support, encouragement, or just an "i'm thinking about you" reminder. you could even text a phone-photo of your smiling face, thumbs up, or whatever else comes to mind. i'm sure the whole family would appreciate one-way texts, actually.

in addition to one-way texts, he has loved the comments everyone has been leaving for him--he said those help too. and, might i put another plug in for rally hats? sure. send rallyformarc@gmail.com photos of you in your rally hat, looking silly... for Marc. you are also welcome to email rallyformarc@gmail.com questions you have about Marc's treatment or information you'd like to see posted that will keep you more in the loop with Marc's progress and i'll run your questions by Marc when i get updates from him.

lastly, i asked Marc if there was anything he wanted to make sure i report to you loyal readers, you website devotees, and he said: "just make sure that everyone knows i am really grateful for everything."

and he, really, really is.

(stay tuned, friends! - posted by amber with Marc's consent)

February 10, 2010 - Home, Home on the Range

good news!

Marc's test results today were positive enough that Marc was able to go home.  he'll be home, resting and enjoying not being in the hospital until february 19th at which point he'll return for a more intensive round of chemo treatment.

he was, of course, very happy to be in the car, on the way home. i told him it *must* because of all the people cheering for him.  he expressed gratitude while also expressing deeper awareness about how long he'll need that cheering section. it's going to be a difficult few months.

we might hear from Marc directly in the next week as he feels better and perhaps up to sharing his own thoughts, until then i'll remain Marc's biographer/newscaster.

and for now, we can pray he enjoys the beauty and solitude of home.

(posted by amber with Marc's consent)

Rally Hats and How to Help

a great photo was just sent of Marc with his soccer team and while they didn't have rally hats on... they are wearing medals and Marc is in it... so, fun! Click here to view that page.  please send photos of you and a group of "yous" with your rally hats on for Marc to rallyformarc@gmail.com. 

also, if you have been wondering how you can be helpful in this situation, click here for ideas. thanks for checking back regularly. we'll try to get a post up every couple of days to keep all you fans in the loop.

February 8, 2010 - "I'm Doing Good"

i asked Marc tonight when i talked to him: "what should I tell people about how you're doing?"

he replied matter-of-factly (of course), "tell 'em i'm doing good."

his mom (Stacy), to whom he attributes his high spirits, has been with him through most of this. and he's very much appreciating the blog comments being left for him, the phone calls, and just knowing that people care. all of these things are a part of his supplemental treatment plan, the part that keeps fueling the fight.

now for the news. yesterday was a chemo treatment via IV bags. today, Marc had a second lumbar puncture and received a chemo treatment in his spine at the same time. despite how not-awesome that sounds,his spirits were high tonight and his voice was stronger and clearer than i have heard in a while. while the treatment made him quite nauseous, his tone was filled with hope and at the same time a sort of a hey-cancer-is-that-all-you-got-attitude, which is great. but for the record, yes, we do all hope that this is all that cancer has got.

right now, the hope is that after these treatments and some time to rest, he will be released Wednesday. Marc would really like to be home, or at least, smell fresh air. his release depends on the stability of his sugar, white blood count, and a few other data points. if they aren't as good as his team wants, it's possible that he will need to stay in the hospital for quite some time. break out those rally hats, people. (and send the photos to rallyformac@gmail.com and they will get posted)

Keep those rally hats on, spirits high, and comments coming--they brighten Marc's day.

(posted by amber with Marc's consent)

February 6, 2010 - First Chemo Treatment

today was marc's first full chemo treatment. more on that, but first, an overview:

the previous three days included (among other things) a bone marrow test, a spinal tap, a PET scan, a chemo injection in his spine, and plenty o' blood work.

marc is surrounded by great nurses, positive and talented doctors, his mom, a phone, and a few other family member visitors. he is fortunate to have aunt lisa and uncle tad who are doctors at the UCSF medical center, where he is located, who are helping to orchestrate his care and oversee his treatment plan. he has a tv that is too small but a grove of beautiful eucalyptus trees out his window.

his spirits are almost always high and full of spice with a fair amount of sobriety about all that is worth fighting for and how long this race will feel. he is usually more worried about not going crazy during an upcoming three week hospital stay than he is concerned about the side effects of chemo.

his first chemo treatment went pretty well. he felt pain relief from the treatment which is tackling the cancer that is creating the pressure and pain. he felt some nausea and side effects in the evening and mom stayed the night at the hospital.

he was accompanied by his big sister and a couple cousins during his first treatment and it was probably more effort to bear his family member's goofiness than the side effects of the chemo. 

the treatment course will be aggressive as the type of non-hodgkins lymphoma marc has is also very aggressive. the plan thus far is that there are four more days of chemo in this round of treatment, then ten days off in truckee, then he will return to UCSF for three weeks of treatment. from there they will reassess and build the next phase of the treatment plan.

though cancer is scary and this one is aggressive and advanced, the doctors are all confident of the fact that he is going to make a full recovery.

we all expect nothing less.

(posted by sister melissa, amber, aunt wendy and uncle pat with marc's consent)

Welcome. (to this site)

this post is also here: http://rallyformarc.blogspot.com/p/welcome.html

welcome to marc's get-well-soon site.

a series of health complications landed marc at the doctor's office in january. after many pokes, prods, scans, tests, and doctors he was diagnosed with stage four non-hodgkins lymphoma during the first week of february 2010.

the road is long and more tedious stints in the hospital than one would like but there is a finish line and he will cross it. his doctors are working up an aggressive treatment plan to battle the force of cancer and restore health and balance in his body--so that's taken care of. 

it's up to all of us--his friends, family, and colleagues to provide the supplemental care. we are his encouragement apothecaries -- not dispensing medicine but love, support and encouragement. people... it's time for rally hats.

this site was created for two reasons. the first reason is so that you--who are visiting this site--can get updates on how our marc is doing with both his treatment and his spirit. when marc is up to telling you his updates he will, otherwise someone else will write for him.

it's also a space for marc to see how many people love him and are cheering for him. so, please do share your thoughts (in response to posts) knowing that whether he responds or not... he is grateful for your love.