Update from Chuck and Sara

Here is an update we just received from Chuck and Sara. They are such fighters! I'm so impressed with how well they have handled this situation. Hopefully this updates you on what's been going on with them lately!

Ahhh...another milestone to celebrate! While it is certainly not the end of this madness we call cancer treatment, we completed our first set of chemo. I know it doesn't sound too impressive, but Chuck just completed his 4th round of chemo (2 months on the 16th). We are both so thankful that this set went so well. While there have been many ups and downs, the fact that we were able to complete this without treatment altering side effects is incredible. So where do we go from here? Very good question...and I can only answer it with "I have no idea" :) In two weeks, Chuck will have another procedure to exchange the stent in his bile duct, then he will have all of his scans repeated to see how much progress has been made. After that, we will see the surgeon and oncologist again to determine where to go from here.

While we are understandably nervous about these next few weeks, we also feel a peace about what we have done to fight this disease. This morning we were talking abou t finally sending out all those thank you cards for all the wonderful love and support that you all have given us...Chuck said that we need to give everyone the book "Anti-Cancer" as a gift. This book, along with the book called "Spectrum" have been instrumental in changing the way that we both have viewed cancer treatment and prevention. They helped to inspire a hope that we will beat this thing. The whole idea is basically that there is a significant synergistic effect that we can have on our health and treatment. By making choices that focus on good nutrition, exercise, and mental health, we can give our bodies the tools they need to fight disease. I am certainly no expert on the subject, but it all seems to point to the powerful role we hold for influencing our individual health. For what it is worth, I highly recommend these books...

Things are going well here...this last treatment seems to be hitting Chuck really hard and yet the man continues to fight like Mohammad Ali. Right now we are trying to get Chuck to gain some weight, although he says his waist is finally the right measurement to max out the PT test ;) Really though, he needs to gain at least 20 pounds back so we are working on sneaking higher calories in to our healthy diet. It seems like an oxymoron doesn't it? Never to be outdone by a challenge, we went to Target and bought a blender to start making smoothies (easy way to sneak in protein powder). Unfortunately for us, someone had returned their used Oster blender in my new KitchenAid box and I didn't realize it until we had already bought it. Two important lessons here...number one is always check your merchandise before you buy it. The box in the back is not always the best one ;) Second...if you want a new blender, just return your old one and get a new one for free...okay maybe that is not the moral of the story. The real heart of the story is that we were able to use some gift certificates that many of you have so generously sent, and got an incredible tool for healthy eating. We have loved the smoothies but I am itching to try the newest recipe called "green slime" which includes kale and other super-foods! I'll give a full report on it once I take the leap ;)

I know it has been a while since we have talked to most of you, but we both want you to know how incredible your love and support has been. In the Anit-cancer book, the author talks about some difficulties that make cancer treatment more difficult now-a-days. When talking about the important role that the mind plays in your health, he outlines the difficulties that our generation face. One of the most significant is the fact that many of us move around frequently (hello military!) and have a fragmented support system. We no longer have that huge "family" around us to help us through difficult times and that can affect our health. It was interesting that both Chuck and I reacted to thi s saying how lucky we are to have been blessed with such a strong system, despite distances and the business of life. We really feel that we have as strong a system as someone who has lived their entire lives with the same people. How we became so blessed is beyond me, but we thank you all for it. Thank you for the part you play in this fight...we can never express the gratitude we feel when we think all those we love and rely on for support. We love you...