Score: Dave/1st place-Myeloma/2nd place

You gotta love that:-) Dave and Kathy had an appointment with Dr. Anamur today and he said that based on the results of the tests that were taken last week (minus an MRI-which they will do on Monday), it appears that the nasty Myeloma has gone into hiding! The Chemo treatments have knocked it down to a 'dormant' stage. This means that the 'Cancer' ride at the carnival has slowed down a bit!! Woo-Hoo!! It also means that the time has come for Dave to make that decision about whether he should consider the 'Autologous Stem Cell Transplant' ride. Dr. Anamur will be speaking with the doctor at Dana Farber this week to discuss Dave's situation and we will know more next week. Dr. Anamur explained to Dave and Kathy that this would be the best time to do the transplant, given the dormancy of the cancer. But there is an awful lot to think about. If you are interested in reading more about it-click on the link below.
He will be continuing with the Chemo sessions through the summer.
I know I've asked this of all of you so many times, and for good reason, it has worked so far.
So, keep that happy thought, would ya?-and thanks a bunch for it:-)
Marilyn


http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/treatments/3.03.02.php

A Little Chit-Chat

I spoke with Dave yesterday and he had some (actually, quite a few) test this week. The Doc's are giving him a complete evaluation, to see where all of his issues are at the moment. He even has to see the dentist! So we should have some results by next weeks end.
Brian Corey took him for an ice cream today! There's some happy news. Thanks Brian, I bet Dave loved that.
Dave takes such good care of himself, in the way of eating all the right stuff, ice cream must have tasted mighty nice.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for good news.
Keep it happy,
Marilyn

Thanks a Mil!!!

I would like to take a moment to thank those of you who have signed Dave's Guest Book and encourage those of you who haven't, to please do so. He enjoys reading them over and over. These messages to Dave are just another way that we can help him stay focused on healing, and as I have said before, there is nothing stronger than the Human Connection. The intense energy that comes from caring and loving, is the one thing that we can give him.
I would also like to express my gratitude to all of you for the compliments and support that I have received concerning this Blog. It has been a wonderful way for all of us to communicate.
There is not much change with Dave's medical status at this point. I am going to give him a call or a visit today and will update you if there is any news. What I do know is that the Docs are taking lots of tests this week. (Off Chemo week!) So we should have some answers by weeks end. I know that he is not feeling well in the AM part of the day. Nausea. But he does recover in the afternoon.
During these times when he is not feeling so well, it's nice to know that he has a Book that he can go to and get some encouraging words from friends and family. Or a joke or two. Laughter is still the best medicine, so they tell me!! Giggle
Keep a happy thought.
Marilyn

surprise visit!

Last Thursday those of us who lucky enough to be at the Concord jobsite were treated to a surprise visit by our friend Dave.Many thanks to Brian Corey for getting Dave out for a ride to someplace other than the hospital or doctors office.I couldn't believe my ears when i heard his voice.It's been since January that he has been at the job and he was excited to see how the project has come along,even without him.I know he has missed being a part of it but this was the next best thing.He was feeling pretty chipper and looked great!Many thanks to all who make Dave"s days a bit brighter by a phone call or visit.I know he really appreciates the contact and feeling not so isolated.Hope to see you again soon Dave.Baba booey to y'all.Moe

A Message from the "Tous Team"

LGH's 8th TeamWalk for CancerCare was a tremendous success and such an amazing community event! The rain didn't dampen the spirits of "Tous Team", whose goal was $1,900 and through the generosity of our wonderful sponsors, raised $3,015!! On behalf of our team, thank you. We'll be
back next year with hopes of growing "Tous Team" and look forward to our dear friend, Dave, to lead us in victory. As Shelagh best put it ... "this feels good". And truly, it does.
-Written by Jane Comeau

Update on the Cancer Care Walk

Our Team Goal

Goal: $1,700.00
Raised: $2,590.00

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

Welcome to our Team Page! We are walking in this year's TeamWalk for CancerCare and need your support. As walkers we are helping to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families in the Greater Lowell area. We want to raise the most money as a team and help Lowell General Hospital reach its goal. Please help us! You can sponsor us as a team or as individual members. You can even join our team and help raise money and awareness, too!


THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SUPPORT "TOUS TEAM" and the efforts of LGH in providing passionate care to our friend, Dave Tousignant, and to all who are facing the challenge of this frightening disease. A SPECIAL THANKS to Dave's friends that live far away but hold him close in their heart: Heather and Jack Pyle of Las Vegas, who stay in touch with Dave and his Mom, donated $100 to our team. Lynne Dwight Gow, for many years living in Chicago, wants Dave to know "the Chicago crowd has him in our thoughts and prayers" ($100), and Mike McMahon ($100), long gone from New England, but remembers Dave " as a great guy".




2007 TeamWalk Members
Name Raised
Jane Comeau $1,000.00
Patricia McCafferty $615.00
Patti Britton $125.00
Janet Mitchell $375.00
Marcie Kinney $100.00
Shelagh McNulty $375.00

2007 TeamWalk has 6 Individuals

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It's a Bit of a Mystery

I just spoke with Kathy and all of Dave's test results showed no significant signs of any condition that would have caused his symptoms. The Docs think that it's a combination of all the meds and the fact that he has been exposed to some viruses in the last few weeks. His body has just about had it with all this 'foreign' stuff going into it. He is a tough guy, though, and this was just another hurdle that he jumped. His spirits remain in tact, even when he doesn't feel well.
"The Song Remains the Same" - Keep those happy, healthy thoughts.
Marilyn

He is Home

All I know at this posting is that Dave did come home on Saturday night. He is feeling okay and when I get more info, I will get it to you. I have only spoken to his Mom, this morning, and she didn't give me a medical update. But she did say that he had a good day yesterday.
When I hear from Kathy, I will fill you all in.
Keep a happy thought.
Marilyn

There's a Pothole in the Road

Dave was at home this morning getting ready for his Friday trip to the Cancer Center when he started having a little trouble breathing. Kathy had just left for work, and he called her back home because he felt very bad. He started to have what they both described uncontrollable 'shivers'. They were pretty scared by the ordeal and took him straight to the hospital. The emergency staff went right to work checking blood, taking x-rays, etc. So far they have found nothing that would appear to have caused this strange occurrence. He was quite sick a few days ago with nausea and vomiting, and they thought it was a tummy bug. I saw them about 3 pm today, and at that time they were still thinking some kind of infection, maybe in the port, although they couldn't really find anything. They were treating him with antibiotics, and the plan was for him to stay overnight and get all the results back before going home. Dr. Rick is on call this weekend, which makes Dave and Kathy and Phyllis very comfortable.
There was some unexpected good news from the x-rays that were taken today. He has had no significant change, one way or the other, since the onset of the Myeloma. That perked him up a bit. And he looked great when I saw him. He had gotten his appetite back and was feeling fine physically, but emotionally wondering 'what the heck was that?' We're all hoping that it's nothing more than an infection that can be healed up quickly.
Keep those happy, healthy thoughts!!
Marilyn

Footnote: He was wearing his 'lucky heart' PJ pants. Good sign!

Medical Update

Dave and Kathy had an appointment with Dr. Lapp yesterday and it appears that there will be no more surgery for the time being. All of Dave's Docs have decided that more back surgery is not necessary in the near future. He is going to control any pain that he has with meds and if the meds don't work then they will discuss more surgery. But for the time being, Chemo will continue, which is working on the Myeloma. His numbers are still very good. He is content to be upright and able to do some things around the house, as well as take care of himself. He has a very healthy spirit, one that will not be beaten down at this point. But every day is a different 'carnival ride', sometimes exhilarating and fun (can't wait to get back in line to have another ride), and sometimes a little scary (not going to get back in line for that one!)
So for now, he is continues to eat well, sleep well and stay focused on what's important. Kathy's Mom has gone back home to Arizona to visit her new grandbaby, so Dave is doing a little cooking!! And, of course, he is still chipping away at those 'Thank Yous' to everyone. He remains extremely humbled by all of your attention to his situation.
Keep those happy thoughts.
Marilyn

If you haven't written a friendly message in the Guest Book-please do so. I have been printing them out and putting them into a nice book for him to pick up and look at when the 'ride gets a little scary'. Your friendship really means alot to him.

The "Tous Team" -Over Their Goal!!

Our Team Goal

Goal: $1,700.00
Raised: $1,870.00

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

Welcome to our Team Page! We are walking in this year's TeamWalk for CancerCare and need your support. As walkers we are helping to improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their families in the Greater Lowell area. We want to raise the most money as a team and help Lowell General Hospital reach its goal. Please help us! You can sponsor us as a team or as individual members. You can even join our team and help raise money and awareness, too!


THANK YOU TO ALL WHO SUPPORT "TOUS TEAM" and the efforts of LGH in providing passionate care to our friend, Dave Tousignant, and to all who are facing the challenge of this frightening disease. A SPECIAL THANKS to Dave's friends that live far away but hold him close in their heart: Heather and Jack Pyle of Las Vegas, who stay in touch with Dave and his Mom, donated $100 to our team. Lynne Dwight Gow, for many years living in Chicago, wants Dave to know "the Chicago crowd has him in our thoughts and prayers" ($100), and Mike McMahon ($100), long gone from New England, but remembers Dave " as a great guy".



2007 TeamWalk Members
Name Raised
Jane Comeau $1,000.00
Patricia McCafferty $320.00
Patti Britton $125.00
Janet Mitchell $0.00
Marcie Kinney $100.00
Shelagh McNulty $325.00

2007 TeamWalk has 6 Individuals

Surgery Notes

Well, surgery went well. Dave stayed overnight in the hospital because surgery was scheduled rather late in the day yesterday. And, as we have proven in the past, we got what we asked for. Dr. Lapp was able to 'see' the vertebrae that has been the nasty little culprit. The cause of most of Dave's pain and the one that helps hold up his head. So, it has been repaired. Woo-Hoo!! Pat yourself on the back if you were one of those praying for good vision for the Doc. What I understand is that he was able to repair about three this time. There is still more to do, but the follow-up visit in 2 weeks, with the Doc, will be the determining factor.
Kathy picked Dave up this morning and she said that he was feeling very upbeat with hardly any pain. So he's on one of the good 'carnival rides' as of this posting-lets hope it lasts a long time.
Don't forget to go to the Lowell General website and sign up to be a walker on the 'Tous Team' or sponsor a walker if you can't make it. The website is listed in the message about the walk from Jane Comeau.
Keep those happy thoughts.
Marilyn

As Promised-More Info on the LGH Walk

We are now registered as a team, in love and support of our buddy Dave, for the May 20 Lowell General TeamWalk for CancerCare. Please go to www.lowellgeneral.org and click on the "Walk", then scroll to "Sponsor a Walker or Team". We are "Tous Team" and you need to use the quotations. Registration is $10 and you can sign up for either the 3 mile or 6 mile walk. As mentioned previously, send this along to as many people in your address book as possible. Bring your family, friends, co-workers ... we can make this a tremendous event. If you cannot walk, you may want to sponsor one of the team members.
Thanks everyone ... maybe a few of you could jump on this bandwagon with me and we'll figure out our team tshirt. Let's get those walking papers going!
All best,
Jane
jemcomeau@comcast.net

It's a Go!!

Dr. Lapp and Dr. Anamur had a little pow-wow yesterday and they both feel that more kyphoplasty is the answer to Dave's vertebrae issues. So they have scheduled him for surgery on Monday, to shore up 2 of them and then 3 weeks later go in and finish up the rest. Dr. Lapp says that he can only repair what he can see, so let's hope for clear vision that day for the Doc. He seems very optimistic that he can help Dave.
Deciding to have a stem cell transplant is a weighty problem for anyone, in Dave's case, with all of the bone damage, it makes the decision a lot more difficult. Let's hope this back surgery works and gives Dave the peace of mind that he needs to make other decisions about his health.
Thanks everyone, this is proof that your thoughts and prayers are working once again,
Keep it going,
Marilyn

Happy Thoughts Footnote: Dave drove the car the other day!! Woo-Hoo!!!

Dave's Cloud Has Sprung a Leak...

...in the form of a back specialist, Dr. Lapp who says that he can fix up Dave's vertebrae in two operations. He gave Dave and Kathy the ray of sunshine that they needed to hear right about now. This is very good news for Dave. His concerns, up to this point, have been about his back and whether or not the bone damage can be repaired enough to continue to fight the Myeloma. This is the first time that he has felt that there is some hope of bone repair. So, it looks like a go, just when it will happen hasn't been determined, but I will let you know the minute I do.
Think good, happy, healthy thoughts for this boy,
He needs you,
Marilyn

It's a Tough Battle

I had the opportunity to visit with Dave yesterday (I brought him the messages from the Guestbook and pasted them into the book that we had at the Fundraiser that not many of you got to sign). Which brought him great joy, so if you haven't posted your message for Dave in the Guestbook, get crackin'. He needs those 'Happy Thoughts' if we expect him to fight this unpredictable disease.
The news on Tuesday from the Doc was not the best. Dave's vertebrae continue to deteriorate. Which causes him alot of pain. And the Myeloma numbers are not dropping as quickly as the Doc's had hoped. He is in very good spirits, though and he looks great, even with the weight loss. His focus right now is research. He is looking for some answers about the stem cell transplant choice, the bone damage, and overall what to expect from all of this. If any of you have access to information concerning his particular situation; I.E. chat rooms, websites, personal experience with Myeloma in a younger person with bone damage, PLEASE email ME so that I can get it to him. I don't want to overwhelm him with info, so I would prefer it if I could do the preliminary 'weeding'. (Thanks!) Which means that you can send ME anything that you think might help him with his research.
Your support of this Blog speaks milestones about the love and friendship that you have for Dave and Kathy. I want to thank you all again for checking in with us, daily. It means alot to them.
It's time to write down your 'Happy Thoughts'!
Marilyn

Dana Farber Visit

It sounds like it was a long day. It took them nearly 2 hours to get back home due to weather and traffic. Happily, Linn and Greg were with them. I will do my best to give you the info that I got from Kathy.
The doctor there gave Dave a number of options. First, he can continue Chemo until the Myeloma becomes resistant to it and no longer works. Next, he can have a single or double stem cell transplant (his own stem cells). This would give him a chance to knock the cancer back to an earlier stage. The recuperation period from this is very intense and takes anywhere from 6 months to a year. Lastly, he can have an outside stem cell transplant (someone else's).
So, he has some very difficult decisions to make. No matter what he decides to do, it is going to be a 'day-to-day' scenario. That's what Multiple Myeloma is, a 'day-to-day' disease.
He needs us more than ever, now. Please sign the guestbook on this blog, so that I can make him a book to look at when he needs some strength to get through this. His friends and family are his best emotional medicine. And I believe that there is healing in numbers.
Keep a healthy and happy thought,
Marilyn

Please Sign the Guestbook

Okay, I found a guestbook for you all to sign in lieu of not getting to sign the book on Saturday night. So, if you would like to leave a message for Dave to have, click on the icon under the Guestbook. When you get to that site, click on the Post box at the top of the page. Type in your name, your e-mail address (in case we get Dave to use the computer), where you are from and then scroll down to the message area to leave your message. My intent is two-fold. One, to have a 'Happy Thoughts' book for Dave to read on his 'down' days, and two, so that he knows who was at the party and who couldn't make it. This is very, very important. He misses his social interactions with people and these messages will be vital to his emotional health. Please don't let a little thing like the computer frighten you into not posting a message for him. If you hit any barriers trying to leave a message -call me @ 978-433-9262 or e-mail me @ manystrz@yahoo.com and I will talk you through it.
We are a group of people who answer a call for help with the kind of strength and fortitude that you just don't see any where else. I have come to realize that if Dave is going to heal, it is going to be with our help. We've got one of his troubles taken care of for a little while (great job, by the way, pat on the back for everyone!!!). Let's focus on his emotional health for a while and get this book going.
You guys ROCK!!!
Time to write down those Happy Thoughts,
Marilyn

Well, It Was Quite a Night!!

If you were there, than you know for yourself what a phenomenal turnout we had. There was hardly any elbow room. We estimated the crowd to number over 550 at one time. Friends drove down from Vermont and flew in from Florida and Texas. It was pretty impressive to see a community that has gone off in so many directions, come together for one purpose. The electricians, the plumbers, the builders, the masons, the painters, the wrestlers, the doctors, the lawyers, the Indian Chiefs, the butchers, the bakers and the candlestick makers? came together to give back to Dave all the love and friendship that he has given.
It was 'incredulous'. (There's Dave's word again!) The entertainment was fantastic. The band, the pianist, the singers. There were raffle tickets flying all over, and a live auction. Very cool!! The highlight of the evening, of course, was a pre-recorded message from Kathy and Dave. It was probably the only time that you could hear a pin drop in a room full of people. Kathy did most of the talking, (and she was great!). Dave, being his shy self, said a little thank you at the end. But it was nice for everyone to see him. There was a live feed from the party to his house so that he and Kathy could watch it all take place on TV. Hopefully he got to see some of it. He tires easily and is ususally off to bed early. But it was also recorded so that he can see it later and there were plenty of cameras around. The only thing that got overlooked, unfortunately, was the book for everyone to sign. We did get some people to write messages to Dave who were still there when we realized that it had gotten shuffled to place where no one would find it! So I am going to try to 'up' my computer skills and figure out a way to get a 'Happy Thoughts' book linked to this blog. That way if you didn't get a chance to give him a personal message, you can, and I will see that it gets into his book. I am also going to try to scan in the beautiful program that was made for him, for those of you who couldn't make it. (Which, by the way, we missed you).
The whole night was a major success, in many more ways than we could have imagined. The coming together of a community of people who live in different cubby holes in this world-well to quote another generation- it was mind blowing!
I will be posting more details of the night as the weeks go by. And also updating you all on Dave's visit to Dana Farber this week.
I have to say that in my 53 years of life, I don't recall ever getting a chance to meet so many nice people in so short a period of time. David is truly a blessed man.
Thank you for all of your kindness, generosity, and love. He really does appreciate it.
Keep a happy thought!
Marilyn