Alan’s Army

OK, sorry for the wait folks but I have been very busy with work (9 hour budget meeting yesterday for example.)

We could use prayers for Alan’s eyesight right now.  I called the neuro-opthamologist on Monday because I was concerned Alan’s eyesight wasn’t approving.  He set up a visual field test for Alan at JFK in Edison on Tuesday afternoon.  Last night he called and said that the results, for the lack of a better medical term, “sucked.”  He asked us to come in to see him today at 1pm.  He did a bunch of diagnostic stuff, left an “Emergency” message for the neuro-surgeon in Philly to call him back, arranged for another CT scan, and now we sit and wait.

<Sigh>
Other Quick Highlights to catch everyone up.

- The recommended Medical Oncologist in Princeton is not “in-network” so we will stick with Dr. Stadden in Philly.  It means a longer drive once a month for a check-up and bloodwork, but we liked him a lot so it is worth it.  It also keeps us closer to the “brilliant” behind-the-scenes Oncologist with the possible protocol for Alan after radiation.
 
- We saw the Radiation Oncologist at Princeton on Tuesday morning.  He recognized our name as he mentioned he lives in Montgomery and a Gerry Sweeton, who was able to fix things that others said were unfixable, used to work for him.  (Its kinda weirdly odd that we should run across my Dad’s name in the context of Radiation Oncology twelve years after his death caused by cancer.)

- Alan will start radiation and chemo on July 1st.

- He will have a total of 33 radiation treatments 5 days a  week across 6-7 weeks.

- During the course of radiation he will have two chemo pills each day, 7 days a week.

- Schering-Plough has accepted Alan into their “Assistance Program.” We don’t yet know exactly what this means as to how much of the cost they will cover, but after the latest discussion with the Medical Oncologist I calculated that the out-of-pocket for the chemo pills alone could be as much as $100K (yeah, that’s a hundred thousand dollars) over the next 14 months so we will thankfully take anything and everything they can offer him.

So our two weeks of bliss in Maine are down the tubes, but thankfully Ginny’s family will utilize the cabins at Camp so we don’t lose our weeks for next year.  Who knows, maybe we can go for a shorter visit in the fall.

Since we can’t head North, our friends Bob and Kyle Enman are planning to drive down from Maine this weekend to visit and Alan can’t wait to see them.

So, overall Alan is feeling great, the problem is his eyesight.

Thanks all for your continued support and prayers.

God Bless,

Andrew