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)