The Good Fight

Celebration of Life and Golf Tournament

2010-04-26T23:22:00.004-04:00

Mark your calendars now for Monday, October 18 when we will hold a golf tournament at New Seabury to benefit the "Cape Medical Supply Mark Sheehan Memorial Foundation." You may get further information by going to the Cape Medical Supply website (www.capemedical.com) click on "foundation" then "golf."
Saturday, April 10 was a beautiful spring day on Cape Cod and the views from Anthony's Cummaquid Inn were breathtaking. Mark's favorite songs played on the speaker throughout the day. Mark's wheelbarrow, gardening gloves and a tree we later planted in our backyard were on display as people entered. Dozens of framed pictures were on tables and 35 years of picture collages were lining the route to the family receiving condolence calls from 11-2. Every 15 minutes a gong sounded to silence the mourners and a speaker or musician performed at the microphone. Friend, John Feeney, spoke eloquently. Childhood friend, Tom Bruce read a letter depicting playful adventures. Dan Sheehan, the oldest of the Sheehan brothers, shared the sadness of losing the family's youngest member. Karen Estrella penned a letter from Cape Medical's trade association NEMED depicting Mark as "quite a character" and expressed appreciation for his outspoken honesty and passion for the industry along with her gratitude that Mark left his living legacies,Gary and Mike who have been a great asset to the organization. Gary's friend, Percy Stith, gave a philosophical speech sharing his impressions of Gary's father. Bob Terry, who flew home from Sanibel with Pam just for the occasion, spoke about the strong ties and adventures the Iannotti/Terry/Sheehan familes experienced over 20 years of family friendships. Dean Coe's skit was hilarious. His wife had passed away last summer and he pretended he received a phone call from her saying that Mark had just arrived in heaven, he was a week late because he had to spend a week in hell and was released in exchange for 250 wheelchairs.
There were four moving musical performances intersperced throughout the day as well. My cousin's husband, Rick Dirienzo, played guitar and sang Mark's favorite song, Tom Rush's "I've Got the Urge for Going." Employee, Paul Morrisey, worked at Cape Medical Supply before he even had children. His daughter,now a senior in high school, has a beautiful voice which was evident when she sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Melissa Roberts Weidman is in my writing group, writes for Hospice and Palliative Care of Cape Cod and has a band, Flipside and she shared an incredible acappella rendition of "Blowing In the Wind." And, Ann Pratt, who was Mark's Hospice nurse and a long time friend, gave a short speech quoting a meaningful e-mail I sent her as she introduced her husband, Neal, playing a number from the 20's on his saxaphone.
People trickled in between 11 and 12 but between 12 and 2 the line of people waiting to extend their condolences to our family wound around the restaurant backing up to the front door. We had to hurriedly exchange a few words with those still waiting at 2:30 so we could cut it short and get the "Celebration of Life"
ceremony started a few minutes late. By then, 275 people had come to pay their respects.
A harpist played "The Four Seasons" as the "Celebration of Life" got underway and a soloist sang Mark's mother's favorite Irish song, "Danny Boy." I spoke briefly about what a fantastic father Mark had been to our three sons then Mike gave a very powerful speech to an audience which dissolved into tears listening to his memories, gratitude and heartfelt pride in his father. He claimed that his father was a straight shooter and honest man who taught him how to stand up for what he believes is right. He said he learned what courage is by watching his father fight cancer and was inspired by his determination. The soloist then Sang, "The Wind Beneath My Wings."
Kevin read a letter he had written prior to Mark's passing which I had read to Mark the week before he died. Tears flowed as he haltingly stated that he, Gary and Mike were the three luckiest guys in the world to have had a Dad like Mark. They knew they always came first and regardless of what Mark was doing, he was always available when they called him at Cape Medical Supply. It was such an emotional experience for him to read that he kept having to stop. When he neared the end, he assured the audience that he was almost done! Then he went on to say that as a witness to what Mark had been through, no mountain seems too high to climb and no challenge appears too difficult to tackle.
Gary then spoke about Mark in the various roles he played. He claimed that he realized his father's role as grandfather would be limited, so it was especially meaningful to see him with Sean. He believes that watching his father hold Sean in his arms was to better understand what he must have been like as a young father and becoming a father himself made him better understand the power of Mark's love and the impact he had on Gary throughout his life. 15 month old Sean arrived with his other grandmother for the "Celebration of Life" and his little voice could be heard throughout the speeches. Gary wound up the tribute by inviting everyone to stay for H'ors d'oeuvres and drinks and asked them all to join in singing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." The words to the song were printed on the back of the program each person received when they arrived.
Since the day of remembrance, we have received many accolades about the personalization injected throughout the day. Many thought it was the most meaningful tribute they had ever witnessed. I have never been so proud of my family and I can assure you that it was exactly what Mark wanted and he would have been so humbled by every word spoken and thoroughly enjoyed the humor and various characterizations of what made him unique and special.
If anyone would like a copy of the program we distributed, please request one by e-mailing me at Sheehan@cape.com and include your mailing address. It has a picture of Mark and Sean, Mark's boat, Seas The Day, and information about donations to the foundation we formed in Mark's honor to support the non-profit community on Cape Cod with special focus on end of life and cancer support services.
I've been working on a book about our family's experiences since Mark's diagnosis in 2006. I share stories about our confusion navigating the medical system, some lessons we learned, my commitment to care giving, the sadness of the final months, the humor that defines our family, as well as adventures and joy our family shared throughout the past four years. I will use the blog to announce its availability which will probably be at the beginning of 2011.
We will also use the blog to announce fundraisers for the foundation. If you would like to make a donation in Mark's memory, it can be sent to "The Cape Medical Supply Mark Sheehan Memorial Foundation" C/O The Cape Cod Foundation, 259 Willow Street, Yarmouth Port, MA 02675.
Meanwhile, remember the golf tournament October 18 at New Seabury and never forget the abundance of appreciation the Sheehan family has for every kindness you bestowed on us, all the cards you sent and the understanding and support you offered our family throughout our four year journey.
With Sincere Gratitude,
Nancy M. Sheehan

Mark Sheehan, 1948-2010

2010-04-02T22:32:00.001-04:00

Mark Sheehan passed away Friday, April 2, 2010 at home. He fought several grueling battles with admirable determination since being diagnosed with a rare form of Squamous cell cancer in 2006. His resolve and willingness to endure 90 radiation treatments and a half dozen strains of chemo afforded him the longevity to share in many family triumphs, including his son, Gary’s, remission from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, special occasions like his son, Mike’s wedding, a summer of adventures with his son Kevin and the birth of his first grandchild, Sean, who sometimes accompanied his Papa to treatments.
Mark was a businessman, an involved member of the community and served in many capacities throughout his life but his role as father transcended all other achievements. Despite his many business and community involvements, Mark always prioritized time with his family and his three sons have become men that are a testament to his love and commitment.
Two of his sons attended Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont and Mark trekked all over New England driving them to races and championing their ski racing competitions. All three of his sons were on many baseball and soccer travel teams and he enthusiastically spent countless hours with them as a coach and spectator on sports fields all over the state and served on the original youth soccer board in Sandwich. He was an avid sports enthusiast himself and played on an “over 30” hockey team in Bourne in the late 70’s, on Sandwich Town Tennis Teams and at Mid-Cape Racquet Club in the 80’s. He took up golf in the 90’s and was a member of New Seabury Country Club in recent years. The Sheehans moved from Sandwich to Mashpee in 1999.
Mark was original in his thinking, honest in expressing opinions and injected irreverent humor into all his endeavors. His serious side, high expectations and angry outbursts were reserved for things that really mattered...like questionable calls by umpires at Little League games and the Red Sox blowing a lead! As a result, some viewed Mark as an easy going, comical, civic minded business owner while others would characterize him as a harsh, competitive sports fanatic! However, they’d all agree that he had a strong sense of values, was a man of integrity and had a compassionate heart. He’d fight to the end for what he thought was “fair” and became a beacon for others in his industry throughout the country championing parity and transparency. Although basically an upstanding, law abiding citizen, Mark was a rebel at heart. From his stint in the army through the onslaught of cancer treatments, Mark regarded precautions and “stupid” rules as challenges he must defy.
Mark moved to the Cape in 1977 with his wife, Nancy, and together they started the now “second generation” business CAPE MEDICAL SUPPLY. In addition to his role as an entrepreneur, Mark was very involved in the local community as well as with his company’s regional trade organization. He was chosen as “Business Man of the Year” in the late 70’s by the Bourne-Sandwich Chamber of Commerce. He was on the “Search Committee” for the first Sandwich town Manager in 1986 then served on Sandwich’s first part time board of selectman in 1987.
Cape Medical Supply won the Business Philanthropist award in 2008. Mark was on the board of the VNA of Cape Cod and worked closely with Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod since its inception. He also served on the board of the New England Medical Equipment Dealers. He was integral in raising money for RHCI, was on their annual golf committee for many years and served as its president for a few years. Despite his many public commitments, Mark’s true passion in life was solitude in the outdoors. His dream was to create a magnificent landscape in the flourishing yard he nourished on the shore of the Mashpee River.
Mark leaves his wife of 34 years, Nancy, with whom he was partnered in business and united in parenting. They are the proud parents of three sons: Gary and his wife Kristina Conaway of Yarmouth. Gary has been the President & CEO of Cape Medical Supply since Mark and Nancy suddenly departed due to Mark’s cancer in August of 2006. Michael and his wife, Stephanie Savas, of Weymouth. Mike returned to the area from CA to lend support to the family and help with the business when his father was diagnosed with cancer. And, Kevin who has traveled extensively pursuing the highest levels of competitive ski racing and is currently on the ski team of Sierra Nevada College in the Lake Tahoe area. Kevin and his girlfriend, Katie Hitchcock, returned home for the summer of 2009 to be with Mark when his cancer returned and helped him realize his vision of bountiful gardens on the property he loved. Mark also leaves the love of his life, his 15 month old grandson, Sean David Sheehan.
In addition, Mark leaves his siblings Dan (Natalie) of Centerville, Joe (Carol) of North Carolina, Jack (Jane) of New Hampshire and Marion (Tom) of Florida and many nieces and nephews. He will be missed by his in-laws Richard and Claire McBrine, extended family members and many close friends and beloved long time staff members. He grew up in Newton and was the much loved youngest child of Marion and Daniel J. Sheehan who predeceased him.
The Sheehan family is grateful to oncologist, Dr. Victor Aviles, who compassionately guided Mark through his four years of cancer treatments. Mark spent countless hours in the refuge of his North Falmouth office and found much solace in the warm embrace of his caring staff. Hospice & Palliative Care of Cape Cod’s Nurses and
their haven, the Mary McCarthy Hospice House, were instrumental in easing Mark’s plight in the final months of his life and enabled him to fulfill his wish of passing away at home.
No flowers. We ask that you recognize Mark’s journey with a kind gesture or a donation to “The Cape Medical Supply Mark Sheehan Memorial Foundation” which has been established in honor of Mark’s lifelong passion for the local non-profit community.
The foundation’s mission is to meet the needs of the Cape Cod community, with special focus on end of life and cancer support services. It will be professionally managed and a donation in any amount will be gratefully accepted:
“The Cape Medical Supply Mark Sheehan Memorial Foundation” C/O The Cape Cod Foundation, 259 Willow Street, Yarmouth Port, MA 02675
Condolence calls may be made to the Sheehan Family at Anthony’s Cummaquid Inn, Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 11 am until 2 pm. Mark’s wife and three sons will host a Celebration of Mark’s life at 2:30 at Anthony’s Cummaquid Inn. All are welcome.

Quick Update

2010-01-31T21:34:00.003-05:00

The past few months have been painful physically and mentally. Hospice nurses started visiting Mark once a week in early Dec. and they have helped enormously in finding the right mix of pain medication to ease the pain in Mark's wound. He has seen the Lymphadema specialist several times and she has brought the swelling down in his arm considerably. He started a weekly regimen of Erbitux (like chemo) the week before Christmas and it will continue indefinitely. The oncologist believes that it is important to try to keep the tumors at bay.
However, the wound under Mark's arm is now the center of our universe. It has been infected twice--three infections each time-- since the last posting and I have administered two weeks of two antibiotics each time which were prescribed by an infection specialist he now sees. The wound has grown considerably and it is never expected to heal and will probably continue to get infected despite our best efforts at packing it each day with a solution to help starve off infections. None of the medical professionals have ever seen a wound of this magnitude in an unexposed area such as the armpit. And, further prodding in the area could be lethal so the best we can do is take good care of it. Mark's weight fluctuates and he looks pretty good which is deceiving because the entire area of concern now is not necessarily the cancer but the wound.
Therefore, it has been a very difficult period for Mark and the family because we are all coming to terms with the reality of the negative prognosis for the future of the wound and the dangers it poses.
Mark has just finished a regimen of antibiotics so the Hospice nurse persuaded us to visit our condo in Puerto Rico during this short period of respite from antibiotics. It wasn't an easy "sell" because Mark has spent most of the past six months in his room or in doctor's offices and has gone from one emergency situation to the next so he has great trepidation. But, it's a 4 hour non-stop flight, our favorite grandson will be there for part of the visit and we've packed up a suitcase full of bandages. We'll be gone for ten days or so. We are so grateful that the Hospice nurse was able to push us into having fun in the sun. Those Hospice angels work miracles!
Thanks as always for your good wishes, support and even banana bread from Mark's most loyal supporter Barbara O'Hear. Three and a half years is a long time to root for someone but we appreciate your continued interest.
Again though, I have to act as the "gatekeeper" because Mark truly does not want to see or talk to anyone. Please don't take it personally, it's just his way of handling his illness and all the physical and emotional upheaval it has caused in his life. If you want to send a note to him, you can send it to my e-mail sheehan@cape.com. I do read him all correspondence but be forewarned, he does not respond. It has become a stressful job for me to convince people that he just doesn't want to see anyone other than his kids. I just ask you to respect his wishes.

The Wound Rules

2009-12-05T14:37:00.002-05:00

The wound created last summer when the tumor imploded is what rules Mark's life now. It schedules our lives for us, dictating what we will do every day. Mark did make it to Caitlin Terry's wedding but the wound angrily screamed the entire time. Soon after that, a culture indicated an infection in the wound and Mark was whisked off to the hospital for a few days followed by the first of several 21 day IV antibiotic treatments at the doctor's treatment room. We've been to one doctor or another almost every day since mid-August. Mark finally got a PIC line put in because it was taking a half hour to find a vein. He's been hydrated most of the time and even got over hydrated at one point. Since August his weight has boomeranged to a high of 167 and a low of 147. It's back in the middle range again.
Mark turned 61 on Nov. 8 and Gary, Kristina, Sean and Mike came to watch a football game with him. It fit his wants and needs perfectly. Gary got us tickets to a Bob Dylan concert and although it was a struggle we made it. Mark takes different types of drugs now than when he was originally a Dylan fan! He has several pain patches and takes strong pain pills day and night. They dull the pain and soothe his fear of my driving while I'm chauffeuring him to doctors.
We had a nice Thanksgiving at our house. Kevin came home and will be back at Christmas. Mike and Steph had Thanksgiving with Steph's family but we will all be together for Christmas. Everyone was enthralled by Sean on Thanksgiving. He can pull himself up now, has a few teeth, waves bye-bye and is the happiest baby I've ever seen. He'll be one on Dec. 23 and is still the most beautiful baby you ever saw, inevitably people comment that he should be the Gerber baby model.
On Monday, November 30, Mark had day surgery in an attempt to clean out the wound but his arm and shoulder are so frozen that the doctor couldn't ply it open so there was limited success but tinkered with enough to throw Mark into more pain than ever. The oncologist doesn't want to continue chemo right now because it will knock Mark down further when he's in such bad shape physically and mentally. The latest scan showed a bit more tumor activity but still nothing in his vital organs so that is promising.
This week some limited Hospice services have been added in hopes that their nurses can monitor Mark's pain and come up with a solution. He is also going to a doctor who specializes in infection next week because the wound is infected again.
Basically, Mark's year has sucked! If it wasn't lymphadema, it was chemo, one infection after another and daily wound care. He has been in constant pain for more than a year now. The past six months of pain and treatments have really zapped his energy and spirit. He is unwilling to visit with or speak on the phone to anyone other than our kids. We ask you to respect his wishes and communicate with me (Nancy) through e-mail. I will make sure he hears your message. sheehan@cape.com
As always thank you for caring. We have so many friends and relatives who offer help and want to do something but honestly there really is nothing we need except your understanding.

Discouraging Year

2009-10-09T21:10:00.004-04:00

Since I last wrote, we discovered that Mark was severely dehydrated. He went daily for hydration treatments for about 6 weeks and continues to go three times a week. He has also been seeing a wound specialist and we pack the wound at home daily but that is causing tremendous pain so the doctor has been exploring other options. Mark started back on IV chemo (cisplatin) treatments in September but they knocked him down so badly that they were halted again.
He had a scan last week which yielded good results. It is rare for a person who has had cancer for three years not to have any signs of it in vital organs so that is promising.
Last week, the oncologist offered a smorgasbord of options and worked with us in designing a schedule for upcoming months. The top priority right now is to get the pain under control and heal the wound. We planned two chemo treatments in October, skip November, two more in December and then a few months off. The plan was to allow us a few opportunities to travel out west and visit Kevin in November and go to Puerto Rico in January for a long period. However, Mark has never felt good for more than a day or two so traveling is beginning to appear unlikely. The most recent problem is that Mark's lymphadema has returned which is causing swelling and pain in his arm in addition to the pain he has been constantly suffering from which radiates from the open wound under his arm through his chest area. He got a nerve block yesterday but today, the sites in which they inserted needles have become sources of pain as well. His activity level has really diminished over the past six months and the range of motion in his arm is worse than ever. However, he has hired help
to complete his landscape design for the yard and fulfilled his dream of beautifying the grounds all around the house. It's magnificent!
He has been on increasingly higher dosages of pain patches for the past few months and can take additional pain meds too, nevertheless, the pain never completely disappears.
He has missed several special occasions this year, so as a result this week has been spent doing all we can to ready him to attend Caitlin Terry's wedding on Sunday. He is determined to go!
Again, I'm sorry if he has not returned calls. His spirits are low and he has seen and/or spoken to very few people in recent months and has had one appointment or another just about every day. He will reach out when he's up to it. Meanwhile,he has done a lot of reading and watching sports on TV.
Thanks for your patience. We have sincere appreciation for those who continue to keep him in their thoughts. As always the best way to contact him is by writing me an e-mail at sheehan@cape.com
Wishing you all a colorful autumn!
Nancy

Update on Mark and the Crew

2009-08-13T20:55:00.003-04:00

Mark has had a tough summer. He's been on three different kinds of chemo, still has periods of intense pain, has lost almost all of the mobility in his arm, has lost weight and the chemo has been so successful at blasting away the cancer lumps that he has now developed a "hole" under his arm where the tumor was. It is about the size of a half dollar and about an inch deep! So, in addition to weekly 4-5 hour sessions of chemo, he is now receiving wound care. He has no energy at all, is bedridden a few days a week from the effects of chemo and is not feeling social at all so don't feel bad if he hasn't returned your calls. He's been entertained by his collection of history books and me dragging him to the beach at New Seabury where he can just plunk down and continue reading. He hasn't even been on his new boat in more than a month. The winner of the fishing contest was katie with the most and Kevin with the biggest! At any rate, we have had good news this week with a promising CT scan, antibiotics for the infection in the wound which is looking better and a medication to lift Mark's spirits. He is still on several pain medications.
Sean is 7 months old now and is the only one who can perk Mark up! We babysit one day a week. Katie left about a month ago and Kevin left Monday. They were here for three months and although Kevin has been living away since he was about 13, we have never felt the loss and emptiness as much as we did when he left this time. Katie was such good company, pitched in and also worked at Cape Medical for a month. Kevin played the role of "Man of the House" and picked up all Mark's duties and humored us along the way. Mark's dream was to finish landscaping his beloved yard and although he has not been able to contribute at all for the past few months, with Kevin and Katie's efforts, it has never been as lavish and beautiful!
Thanks to all who contributed to Gary's PMC ride. He trained on harder terrain this year which made the ride easier. He has raised $15,000 over two years for the cause. We appreciate your support and the generosity which was his inspiration to reconsider his decision to make this his last ride. He now intends to enter next year! Over a thirty year period, PMC has raised $250 million to help cure cancer. Our family is particularly grateful for the advancements in cancer research which have helped both Gary and Mark.
I had my own cancer scare this summer after a routine mammogram in mid-June. That resulted in a series of tests, an ultrasound, an MRI and a biopsy in the past few months. It was finally revealed that I have a small non-cancerous lump. My daughter in law, Kristina, accompanied me to a breast surgeon yesterday and it will be removed in day surgery at Cape Cod Hospital in September. I'm not concerned at all and expect just a day of pain following the procedure.
We have enjoyed some happy time with family this summer. Mike and Steph came for the July 4th weekend, my parents came a few weeks ago, Mark spent a day fishing with his brothers and my sister and neice are coming tomorrow. We've had several family dinners to celebrate all our birthdays and to bid farewell when Katie left and then again when Kevin left. Monday, we will reunite for Steph's birthday.
The highlight of the summer was a family outing to the Barnstable County Fair where the boys played countless games acting like the competitive brothers they were as kids! By the time we left, Sean had to be carried because his carriage was filled with stuffed animals!
Between medical appointments, I have managed to play bridge a few times a week and attend my writing group meeting one night a week. The special women in both groups have become great friends, a source of support,and made me laugh almost as much as my sons do! Shifting our New Seabury membership from golf to pool/beach has inspired us to relax at the beach more than we had in the previous 32 years on the Cape combined.
The oncologist claims he will continue with chemo treatments for the next two months. I'll update the blog as changes occur.
As always, the best way to reach us on our whacky sleep schedule is by e-mailing me at Sheehan@cape.com. Thanks as always for your support and understanding when Mark is anti-social. It's hard to do anything at all when your energy is zapped. Even a phone call takes too much effort!

A Donation Request From Gary for his 2009 Pan Mass Challenge

2009-07-08T18:47:00.003-04:00

Thank you all for your support and encouragement for the 2008 Pan-Mass
Challenge! It was an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience and your
support helped me raise over $8000 and helped the PMC raise over $35 million
dollars to support the work towards a cure for cancer. I will be riding
again in 2009 and would greatly appreciate your supporT; I
understand it is a challenging year for our economy and sincerely appreciate
any donation you can offer towards this great cause.

I have some great training under my belt already, but am still pushing to
improve my fitness and raise more money to support the work done at the Dana
Farber Cancer Center - an institution that played and integral role in my
own journey with cancer and in my dad's continuing battle with this terrible
disease.

Please CLICK HERE to use your credit card and make an online donation OR send a check made out to "PMC" to my
office: ATTN: Gary Sheehan, PMC 28 Jan Sebastian Drive, Sandwich, MA
02563

Thank you and very best to you and yours! Gary

Farewell To Our Much Beloved Scooter

2009-06-16T23:12:00.002-04:00

We surprised the boys on Christmas eve 1996 by packing them into the car for a mystery ride to an unknown destination. They were elated when we arrived at a kennel in Swansea and they met the adorable runt of the litter. Scooter stole our hearts and wove her way into our family memories. Unfortunately, we had to put down our 12 year old golden retriever on June 15. She was feisty and mischievous when she was young but as she aged she evolved into a sweet, mellow cutie pie who wiggled through her doggie door each morning to lounge in the yard admiring nature and visiting neighbors. The day she died was three years to the day after Mark's first appointment with a specialist for his cancer and during those years, Scooter became a devoted companion. Her health deteriorated dramatically in the past few weeks and it was obvious that yesterday was her time to go. The vet came to our home and we said goodbye to her in her favorite spot outside by the fence.
Fortunately, Kevin had elected to come home with his girlfriend, Katie, for the summer so he had the opportunity to spend time with Scooter in her final weeks, helped with her care and shared the burden of making difficult decisions. Kevin and Katie have been a tremendous help in picking up some of our household responsibilities, taking Mark fishing when he may not have been able to navigate on his own and taking orders from the "boss man" in tending to his "Plantation." With their help, our yard is truly developing into the "dreamscape" Mark always envisioned.
Mark is about 6 weeks into his anticipated four months of IV chemo which is administered once a week in a four hour sitting. He is also on chemo pills 3 weeks a month. Miraculously, some of the tumors are disappearing and others are getting smaller. He is sick a few days a week but doesn't feel nearly as bad as he was on other chemo treatments. His arm remains painful though and he continues on pain meds and gets lymphedema treatments. He has slowed down a lot and mellowed to the point that I haven't heard him screaming at the Red Sox all year. On good days he indulges in a method of "one armed gardening" he has perfected. Katie, Kevin and Mark are competing to see who catches the most fish this summer. The winner will be announced at the end of the summer!

Seas The Day!

2009-05-02T12:26:00.003-04:00

The side effects of the preventive chemo that Mark started in March were so debilitating that he discontinued it and decided to concentrate on treatments to reduce the pain of lymphadema. He tried various modalities of pain management but the pain persisted and his range of motion was severely compromised. Then, nasty tumors started popping up under his left arm where the initial cancer first appeared 3 years ago. The area had been "fried" by radiation back in the Fall of 2006 so it was surprising that this is the area in which the cancer returned. In retrospect, it was evident that much of the pain and Lymphadema had been triggered by the emerging tumors. Dr. Aviles initiated treatment with a chemo pill called Xeloda to ready Mark's system for a stronger IV chemo because he has been so negatively impacted by every other chemo he has tried. This past Wednesday, April 29, he started an IV chemo called Cisplatin. He is hydrated before and after and will have the 4 hour treatment once a week for 3-4 months. At the moment, he is suffering reactions to the chemo and is heavily medicated for pain. However, during the course of the past month, some of the medications made him manic and he was industrious, exceptionally happy and on a spending spree! In the midst of this period, he was frequently fishing in local lakes and bought a new 18 foot fishing boat with a center console which is being delivered next week!
We are elated that Kevin and his girlfriend, Katie, have decided to come for the summer to share some time with us! Kevin has not been home for more than a week here and there for years. They arrive May 20.
Other exciting news is that CAPE MEDICAL SUPPLY was nominated as one of the top three home healthcare companies in the U.S. and won for the best in New England. Mark and I postponed the start of chemo treatments for a few days so we could be with Gary and Mike when the awards were presented in Baltimore.
And, our grandson Sean, who is now 4 months, continues to be a great joy in our lives and Mark's elixir. There were 15 family members at our house on Easter and Sean was the center of attention. You'd think it was Christmas he got so many gifts from adoring family members!
We squeeze in as much fun as we can between appointments and on days Mark has energy and in concert with that philosophy we are naming our boat "Seas the Day"!!
It is unclear how active or responsive to cell phone calls Mark will be so if you are having trouble getting through to him, please e-mail me at Sheehan@cape.com
A shout out to Barbara O'Hear who has been been so faithful in sending Mark
thoughtful and hilarious cards of support throughout his illness.
I'll update the blog when a new path reveals itself on this mysterious, bewildering journey.

Back to Chemo

2009-03-23T19:24:00.003-04:00

We had a nice quick trip visiting Kevin in January. Mark skied a few days with Kevin and had a mountain top picnic in the gorgeous weather. However, his situation went downhill after our return. Although Mark didn't feel very well, we did sneak in a trip to Puerto Rico in February. The highlight of that was being joined for a few days by Gary, Kristina and the little leprechaun, Sean, who is now 3 months old!
Mark had started to develop lymphadema around the Holidays. It's swelling and fluid buildup in his arm where the cancer originally appeared and is the result of radiation. Most commonly, you hear of women with breast cancer having this problem which is a lifelong condition that can not be cured but generally the pain can be managed. Thus far Mark's pain has been excruciating. He has tried several therapies like lymphadema massage, acupuncture, a lymphadema sleeve and pain killers. A few other therapies are in the works. In addition, he visited a dermatologist who discovered several skin cancers. Many were just frozen off, however, a few were squamous cell cancer which were removed last week. The stitches on his shoulder and the top of his head are about 2 inches long! As a result of these problems, Mark has had a quiet winter, done much reading and watched sports. He's been completely laid up a few days a week for the past few months.
His recent scans and blood tests have been pretty good but today the oncologist decided to put him back on a chemo called Nevelbine somewhat as a preventative measure. It's primarily for all the skin cancers which have been popping up in the absence of any chemo for about a year. The chemo will be administered once a week for about four months and shouldn't have too many side effects other than hair loss which Mark thinks would be negligible seeing he has so little left!
Now that spring is here, he intends to plant a garden and resume his landscaping. He hired a young guy to help him out with the heavy work. Unfortunately, he is giving up his golf membership because the lymphadema restricts his range of motion, however, he's confident that he can at least cast fishing lines with his right arm and sit on his ass waiting for nibbles! Best of all, baseball season begins soon and he can lay in bed and curse the players.
We'll keep you posted as the spring progresses.
Nancy: sheehan@cape.com

Four Generations

2009-01-03T20:38:00.003-05:00

During the holiday season, many friends and relatives asked why the blog had not been updated for so long. It was because there really wasn't anything note worthy about Mark's health to pass along. He occasionally had tests throughout the past four months. Months elapsed as we waited for results of one test after another. We hoped to make some plans for the winter if Mark's health permitted. The news was good and this week we are off to visit Kevin in the Lake Tahoe area where he goes to school! Following is a short story I just wrote to give some perspective to the birth of our first grandchild, Sean David Sheehan, born December 23, 2008. Like the rest of the family, he and Kristina are both doing fantastic.

Four Generations

The cameras flashed. The family members repeatedly reconfigured for photos. Between photographs, they resumed switching seats so each one would have a turn sitting next to him. Despite the seat swapping, all eyes remained focused on the receptacle of adoration. They bickered, “Your time is up. It’s my turn to hold him.” The ten day old, healthy baby boy didn’t flinch as they passed him around, praising him. He slept contentedly as his father explained “Sean, it’s your first invasion by the paparazzi.”

The four generations were united for the first time. The 80 year old great grandmother and grandfather and their two daughters were there along with their 15 year old granddaughter. Their son in law, the baby’s grandfather, had arrived with their oldest daughter, the grandmother. They were all gathered at the home their oldest grandson shared with his wife and newborn son. They clamored over the baby, jamming themselves together and hovering to gawk. Each glimpse of his precious face triggered a spontaneous smile. They gazed in unison. Eight sets of eyes simultaneously beaming love into one tiny being.

The room was packed with miracles. The great grandfather had actually died six months prior and been revived minutes later by his youngest daughter. As he lay in the hospital unconscious, the family had gathered at his bedside to say goodbye. He surprised them all, defied the odds and made a complete recovery. His son in law had been diagnosed with late stage cancer two years prior. He had endured treatments for 18 months, bed ridden much of the time but his prognosis had gradually improved. Six days after the baby’s birth, he had received a “clean bill of health.” While the grandfather had been battling cancer, his son, the baby’s father, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. After five months of treatments, he was cancer free. Six months later, his son was conceived.

The day they all gathered to dote on the first member of the fourth living generation, they didn’t discuss health issues for the first time in years. Every family member was transfixed on the beauty of the present.

Great News All Around!

2008-09-11T19:31:00.002-04:00

Gary went for his follow-up with the oncologist on Tuesday and got a clean bill of health. Mark went to the same oncologist Wednesday and also got fantastic feedback on his recent blood tests. My father had a miraculous recovery through the summer and is just about back to normal. We celebrated my parents' 60th anniversary with a surprise family party at Pier 4 last Sunday. Scooter, our dog, was on the verge of death this summer with CHF but now has her own cardiologist, a daily regimen of pills and has fully recuperated. I have been suffering from a wicked depression for the past six months but have received much help and I'm definitely on the upswing. So, it is a period of good health and joy for the whole family!
Gary raised almost $8,000 for his PMC biking fundraiser in early August and successfully completed the 192 miles in two days just ten months after finishing up his treatments for Hodgkins Lymphoma. Thanks to all of you who so generously supported his efforts. Gary and Kristina are expecting a baby in mid-December so we are elated at the prospects of welcoming our first grandchild!
Mark will return to the oncologist in six weeks. He still has stage 4 cancer but it is in remission. There is a chance that the doctor will put him on a preventative chemo but the exact course of treatment has not been definitely determined. He will not have another scan until after the holidays. Meanwhile, he looks fantastic and enjoyed a busy summer on Cape Cod golfing, fishing, landscaping and catching up with some old friends and golf buddies. It was a dream come true for him.
As always, we appreciate your support throughout our trials and tribulations in the past few years. Mark noticed his first tumor in June of 2006 and finally got a definitive diagnosis on September 8, 2006 at which time we both retired. Gary became President and CEO of Cape Medical then was diagnosed in April of 2007 and completed treatments and got married last October. Mike and Steph moved back from CA in January of 2007 and got married in June of 2007 while both Gary and Mark were in treatment. They just moved into the beautiful new condo they bought in Weymouth. Kevin moved out west and has completed a year at Sierra Nevada and is on their ski team. He and his girlfriend of three years, Katie, have been traveling less this year and have finally gotten to spend some quality time together but, unfortunately, we rarely have opportunities to see them.
Our family has certainly discovered what "ups and downs" mean in the past few years. It seems that we are on a roller coaster. I will update you again when we hit our next peak or valley!

A Note of Thanks from Gary

2008-07-08T11:15:00.002-04:00

Dear PMC Supporters;
Thank you all for your support to date, I am very touched by the outpouring of personal and financial support you have shown for the ride.
A few interesting points;
1. To date I have raised over $5,000, with commitments for even more!
2. I have ridden just over 600 training miles – I have had a lot of fun, and put in some hard work on the bike, and seen a lot of Cape Cod.
3. I have received donations from over 40 individuals and businesses.

Finally, I am excited to report that I will take part in the PMC “Survivors Parade” at Fenway Park prior to Saturday nights (7/12) Red Sox game! I will be on the field with 43 other survivors, riding around the warning track in an exciting pre-game ceremony; I believe at least a portion of it will be televised, so keep your eyes peeled! It is PMC Night at Fenway that night, so there promises to be a lot of attention paid to the event throughout the game and telecast.
Thank you all very much again for your outpouring of support and encouragement; it means so much to me and my family, and to the thousands of individuals your donations will help cure in the coming years.
As always, please feel free to forward this to others you may think would be interested in donating or hearing about this…the link to my PMC page is below.
Very best wishes to you and your families and many, many thanks for your generosity!
Gary

MY PMC PAGE

Three Generations of Miraculous Men!

2008-06-16T10:34:00.005-04:00

Mark is treatment-free for the summer!!! He got results of his Pt scan which didn't show any new cancerous cells so the doctor is granting his wish to enjoy summer on Cape Cod for the first time in a few years. He looks and feels better than he has in two years and has been putting in full days of gardening/landscaping, golfing and fishing and long nights cheering on the Celtics and Red Sox. He is elated and enjoying every minute. Unless something unexpected crops up, Mark won't go back to the oncologist until mid-September at which time we'll update you.
My father, Dick McBrine, collapsed at home a week ago and my sister, Jeanne, arrived before the EMT's, gave him CPR and revived him. He has been in intensive care at BI-Deaconess since. The entire family gathered at his bedside the day after the incident when his chances for survival appeared grim. However, he has shocked us and the hospital staff with his comeback!
In the past few days, the breathing tube was removed. He is sitting up, talking, quizzing everyone on their roots and flirting with the women on staff as usual! Each day he has regained more memory function. He is still in intensive care but neurologically it is very promising. They plan to insert a heart defribrilator to avoid future problems with his heart. However, at the moment, there are growing concerns about his kidney function. So, his kidney specialist will intervene before his heart problems can be addressed. He surely has a long road ahead but if you had witnessed the improvement in the past week, you would understand our optimism!
Thanks SO much to all who contributed to Gary's Pan-MA challenge fundraiser. We appreciate the generosity of those who have donated. Your contributions have been inspiring. For those who have not had a chance to support Gary's bike trek, I hope you'll read the following entry and consider donating to his efforts to help raise money for this worthy cause.
We are planning a jubilant summer and will report back towards the end of September on Mark's progress. We sincerely appreciate your support, kindness, prayers and friendship through the many health related hardships our family has experienced in the past two years. We are hoping to reunite with many of you to celebrate Mark's progress and revel in our joy this summer.
As always, your e-mails are appreciated: sheehan@cape.com
Nancy

Letter from Gary for PMC Bike Ride

2008-05-30T17:56:00.002-04:00

I promised I would update Mark's blog by the end of May but it will be a few weeks before I have some definitive information. Mark has had several chemo treatments spaced three weeks apart since my last update. He has had reactions to the chemo for three or four days in the week after treatments but, other than that, he has been better than he has been in the two years since he was diagnosed! He has been golfing or gardening/landscaping daily and our beautiful yard is a supreme testament to his tireless efforts. He has a Pt scan next week and we will have results by mid-June. He is feeling very optimistic and the doctors have promised that they will let him enjoy a Cape Cod summer treatment-free if his tests are promising.
Meanwhile, we are very proud that Gary is training for his participation in the Pan-Mass Challenge to help raise funds for a cure for cancer. Following is his request for donations towards his efforts. If you can possibly lend your support, it will be GREATLY appreciated.
Meanwhile, I will update you again by mid-June.
Hope you are all enjoying our very late spring!
Nancy

Dear Friends and Family;

The support and encouragement you have extended to my family in the past few years has inspired me to raise money to fund cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). This August, I will be riding a bicycle across MA, 192 miles, in the Pan-MASS Challenge, to help this meaningful cause. Through our family’s journey, countless people shared personal stories heightening my awareness that cancer has touched everyone’s lives. I am compelled to do what I can to help find a cure and I would really appreciate your help.
I was just 28 years old when diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. With an early diagnosis and incredible medical care, including a very smooth chemotherapy and radiation process, I beat it. However, after two years of treatments, my father continues his battle with cancer. We both sought second opinions and received expert analysis at DFCI and were both lucky to receive the majority of our treatments right here on Cape Cod. I was fortunate, millions have been spent on the research over the years to find an effective treatment plan for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and I am one grateful beneficiary. With the same diagnosis 30-50 years ago, I may well have died. There have been incredible advancements in cancer treatments in the past few decades and I’m truly optimistic that there are more on the horizon. Unfortunately, the research to yield a cure is expensive.
I have learned a lot from Cancer and think I am a better person for having faced the challenge. It’s my time to give back. I hope you are able to join me as I launch a new battle against cancer. I could use your help in raising funds in the fight for a cure.
Here is a link to my page online: http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?Section=story&eGiftID=GS0102, where you can easily donate with a credit card. Otherwise, you are welcome to send a check made out to “PMC” to my office address;
CAPE MEDICAL SUPPLY, 28 Jan Sebastian Drive, Sandwich, MA 02563
I sincerely appreciate any amount you are able to donate. Every single dollar will add more momentum to my ride and help (DFCI) to continue the fight.

With appreciation,

Gary M. Sheehan

A Dream Come True!

2008-04-01T13:38:00.005-04:00

Our family ski vacation at Sunday River was a dream come true for Mark who thrived enduring two full days of challenging skiing with Gary, Mike and Kevin. Kristina, Steph, Barbara and Nick came too and we all had lots of fun and laughs. It was the final destination/vacation goal Mark had on his agenda and his new goal is simply to enjoy a summer of boating, fishing and golfing on Cape Cod after missing most of the past two summers due to illness.
Mark had his first new Alimta chemo treatment the day after returning from the ski weekend and was sick, weak, and bed ridden for almost a week. Then he finished off his radiation treatments the following week and rallied again. He has now had more than 90 radiation treatments in 18 months. The latest tumor is shrinking and there are no signs of new ones. He had his second Alimta chemo treatment yesterday, three weeks after the first one. This time, they increased the dosage from a half dosage to three quarters. He is fine at the moment but the effects will probably knock him down starting tomorrow for a number of days. He still sleeps quite a bit but, nevertheless, his stamina has been stronger than it has been in a few years. He is eager for the good weather and been keeping very busy preparing for summer activities. He has even been out kayaking and fishing in lakes, despite the chill, a few times already.
Kevin was on break and we had a nice Easter at home with the whole family. Kevin's girlfriend, Katie Hitchcock had some great results at the national races in the east recently. Gary's follow up tests on his bout with cancer have been fantastic. And, Mike is starting a new Young Professionals group in the Plymouth area with a friend with whom he attended Tabor. My parents are still recovering from their health problems and my father is still very weak but there haven't been any more hospitalizations and they have great support services along with my sister and family nearby for inspiration and chauffering services.
After almost two years on this roller coaster, I have been dipping into slight periods of depression but my weekly writing group helps as do family, friends and exercise and I have just started a class on how to get published which should help motivate me as well. For the past few weeks, Mark has been more motivated than I am with his new kayak obsession occupying all his waking hours!! This weekend, we have a company bus trip planned to see the Bruins play their final home game in a suite at whatever they call the Boston Garden this week. More than 40 of us are going. Then Sunday, we have five teams of staff members participating in a fund raising bowling tournament.
Mark will have the Alimta treatments every three weeks, four more times, if he continues to do well with it. His blood test results have been fantastic so that's a good sign. Unless something unforseen happens, we expect Mark to continue chemo treatments for the next few months and we intend to stick close to home. I will update you on Mark's condition by the end of May unless something earth shattering happens in the interim.
We've now had more than 8,000 hits on this blog since we started it in the summer of 2006.
Thanks as always for your love, support, encouragement and prayers. As we go about our lives, the number of people who we encounter who have followed Mark's cancer fight via the blog never ceases to amaze us. Thanks for "listening", caring and for rooting for us! As always, it is best to contact us through my (Nancy's) e-mail: sheehan@cape.com

The Best Scenario

2008-02-29T19:47:00.002-05:00

After Mark's cancer returned so quickly, our biggest concern was that it was spreading so fast that it may have invaded his vital organs. However, today, we visited the oncologist, Dr. Aviles, and discovered that the PET/CT scan revealed that it is fairly well contained in the area of the shoulder/neck and the blood test results were perfect.
Mark started daily radiation treatments last Monday, February 25 and will have ten treatments and then reevaluate possibly adding more. The radiation physician and oncologist have both assured us that it was good that the surgeon did not attempt to remove the tumor because it was much too deep and attaching to arteries and veins. Radiation and chemo are definitely the only modes of treatment which will be appropriate for this tumor.
In addition to the radiation, Mark will start a new chemo regimen called "Alimta" on Monday, March 10. This will be a more aggressive chemo than the previous oral dosage. The Alimta may cause the usual chemo side effects and will be administered intravenously for 30 minutes every 21 days. Three initial treatments are planned with more treatments and higher doses possibly added later.
Mark also had two skin cancers removed from his face this week and will have another removed in April. The huge bandaging they applied made him look like he was wounded in a war but the long term scar should be minimal.
The chemo was delayed a week because we have a family ski vacation planned. Mike, Steph, Gary, Kristina, Barbara, (3 year old) Nick, Mark and I are renting a house at Sunday River to watch Kevin's national ski championship competition. Mark will miss a few days of radiation but make it up after our return and start chemo then too. Kevin won a race in the season finale so that makes it exciting, plus none of us have seen him since mid-December!
My father was released today from the hospital after his third stay in the past few weeks but we are confident that his problems are under control now and he is on the mend. My mother had a second possible mini-stroke but tests are not revealing much. It seems to be a result of sporadic escalating blood pressure readings, maybe the result of nerves. She has remained at home and is doing great but tiring easily. My sister and cousin have come to their rescue countless times lately and a visiting nurse will help out for a while as well. I've seen them twice this week and they look good and are sure to improve with all the great care they have been receiving.
I assure you that Mark still looks great, has gained weight recently and everyone who sees him is surprised at how healthy he appears despite a year and a half of rigorous cancer treatments. He has even been driving himself to Hyannis for daily radiation. I will update the blog again towards the end of March at which time we should have some feedback on the effectiveness of these new treatments. Meanwhile, it is always best to reach us by e-mail at sheehan@cape.com Thanks for your continued support throughout the past 20 months.

Does Puerto Rico Cause Tumors?!

2008-02-21T16:13:00.002-05:00

We left for our condo in Puerto Rico on January 31 intending to stay until Feb. 20, however, after a week there, Mark discovered a new tumor. This is our second consecutive trip to PR in which he found tumors while there! This one is on his shoulder, close to his neck. We spoke to the oncologist, rescheduled our return home to Sunday February 17 and arranged a pre-op appointment with the surgeon on Monday, with surgery temporarily scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 19. However, when the surgeon looked at the spot where the tumor was growing, he thought it would be too tricky to operate in that area due to all the veins, arteries, proximity to neck and throat, etc. Today, we met with the oncologist to review options and he would like to start a regimen of a newer IV chemo that Mark has not tried yet. He also referred Mark to the radiation doctor for an appointment Monday. Radiation has been very successful in the past and we are hoping that because this particular spot has not yet been radiated, he will be eligible despite having already had 75 radiation treatments in the past 16 months.
Wednesday of next week, there will be a PET/CT scan which should be very revealing. We are hoping that the cancer has not spread to any vital organs and that this new tumor is all that we are fighting at this point. We will have the results of the scan after meeting with Dr. Aviles, the oncologist, again next Friday, February 29. The tumor has more than doubled in size since Mark found it two weeks ago so we are hoping to get going on treatments quickly. Radiation could begin before we even have scan results. Nevertheless, I will report back next Friday afternoon, February 29 with all results and treatment decisions.
Despite the disappointing discovery, we went on a previously planned side venture from Puerto Rico to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Gary and Kristina were so impressed with The Biras Creek Resort, where they honeymooned, that they wanted to send us there as a treat for a few days. We took a 40 minute plane ride from San Juan, then a 30 minute boat ride to an indescribably breath taking, peaceful, remote island with no vehicles. Our accomodations were an adorable ocean view cottage with an open air shower and we rode old fashioned bikes around the property, explored the area in a motor boat and indulged in gourmet meals for two days. It was the most incredible place with the most panoramic views we have ever visited. We had been promising ourselves a side trip from Puerto Rico since we bought the condo two years ago but it took this generous gift from Gary and Kristina to finally get us going. What a memory!
My parents had lots of medical problems in our absence and we hope to see them this weekend. My father had an operation for prostrate problems, complications after, a heart attack and was hospitalized twice. My mother had a mini-stroke and has been undergoing all sorts of tests as well. They are both home now. My father is recuperating, a visiting nurse is tending to him and my mother has returned to many regular activities. My sister, who lives near them, was called to their house many times in the middle of the night and spent endless hours at hospitals, pharmacies and in waiting rooms and was a great strength throughout.
All else is well and I will report back to you February 29 with more details on Mark's situation and modes of treatment. As always, you can best communicate by using my (Nancy's) e-mail address: sheehan@cape.com

Lookin Good Man!!

2008-01-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

Every doctor, nurse, or friend that Mark has encountered in the past few months has remarked on how great he looks! Despite what he has gone through in the past year and a half and the turbulance he has encountered since discovering the last tumor on his back in December, he actually even feels pretty good and has continued to socialize and even played golf twice in the past week!
He was on a two week regimen of xeloda, the chemo pill, which ended last week. It was difficult to differentiate the side effects because he also had a bad cold at the same time. However, the side effects seemed to be very mild, mainly loss of appetite but no nausea. This past Monday, he started radiation which is going to be his most superficial and quickest period of radiation to date. He will finish that on the 28th of January.
Today, he saw a new specialist that we had put off seeing for a year. This one specializes in MOHs surgery and will remove two skin cancers from his face in the next few months. One is squamous cell and one basal which is not as immediate of a concern. Like every doctor we have seen in the past 18 months, this one was befuddled about how Mark's cancer started along with the route it has traveled. If they don't say "Weird", they are more professional and say "highly unusual"!
Later this afternoon, Mark returned to the oncologist, Dr. Aviles, and got superb results from his blood tests showing that the xeloda is not doing any damage to his organs. So, he will start back on the xeloda tomorrow for another two weeks while simultaneously having daily radiation. The combination of the two may slow him down more than he has experienced in the past month.
He will stop all treatments by the end of the month and have a month off, then a scan and blood testing and Dr. Aviles will reevaluate the next course of treatment in early March. Our window of opportunity to go to Puerto Rico seems to be shrinking due to the abundance of tests and appointments but, if all goes well, we are still hoping to get away for three weeks in February. We have a family ski vacation planned in early March when Kevin will be racing at Sunday River and it sounds like we will be able to fit that in before the next regimen of chemo pills.
Family Update: Gary has been fine since finishing treatments and he and Kristina are on their honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands this week. It is a much needed vacation and we hope they are having a blast! Mike and Steph are going to Puerto Rico for M.L. King weekend and then moving to a spacious apartment, Avalon's Faxon, in Quincy. Kevin has been inundated with snow in the Lake Tahoe area. He skied at Squaw Valley on Sunday in five feet of fresh powder! He's slowly beginning the race season because so many events have been cancelled due to too much snow! He returns to classes next week. Mark has been out and about moreso on his own than he has in the past year and I have started attending a writers' group which is exactly what I needed in my life at this time!
If nothing unexpected happens, there will be no update again until mid-March.
Hope you are all recovered from the busy Christmas season and are enjoying a healthy and fulfilling New Year. As always, the best way to reach us whether we are home or traveling is my (Nancy's) e-mail address: sheehan@cape.com. Thanks for your continuing interest and for caring so much throughout Mark's many battles. Those who have seen him know that he truly is lookin good!!

Back to Treatments

2007-12-18T13:57:00.000-05:00

The surgeon, Dr. Flynn, called yesterday with the pathology report on the tumor which was removed last week and it showed that it was squamous cell cancer AGAIN. In meeting with the oncologist today, we learned that the cancer is spreading through the blood system and not the lymph system and can show up in any location and thus far we are fortunate that Mark's has not shown up in any vital organs.
The remedy? We are awaiting a call from Dr. Canaday who administers the radiation and Mark will start that as soon as they think the wound from the tumor removal is healed enough which should be in the next week or so. Dr. Aviles also wants to get Mark back on a chemo treatment. So, he is starting today with a chemo pill to be taken at home which has been very effective with many cancers recently and so they are often going this route rather than intravenous treatments. It usually causes less side effects and less nausea but Mark has had problems with alternatives in the past so we are hoping the side effects on him will be minimal. The pill is called "xeloda" and it retails for $1,644 for 84 but we only had to pay a small co-pay! Dr. Aviles intends to keep Mark on this chemo pill for many months if it is not causing problems. In a sense, the radiation will treat the spot exactly where he had the recent tumor removed and the chemo will be chasing the remaining cancer through his system and trying to kill it off before it casuses more tumors or damage to the vital organs.
Mark will be followed closely, about every three weeks, with blood tests and visits with Dr. Aviles in the upcoming months. I'll plan to report back by mid-January unless something unexpected occurs prior to that.
Mark is disappointed to be back on both chemo and radiation as he had hoped to escape this time with just radiation. However, Dr. Aviles has been postponing the xeloda treatments until Mark was stronger after his miserable summer of hospitalizations, pneumonia and treatments. He thinks it is time to pursue this course and with any luck, Mark will be done with radiation and have a few follow-ups with Dr. Aviles and we can consider returning to Puerto Rico at the end of January or beginning of February and bring the pills with us.
Our company holiday party at the Cape Codder was a lot of fun as usual. Of course, Mark was a little sore with all the hugging and pats on the back on his tumor but it was great to see everyone and he arrived early and left late. Kevin has been home for the past five days and we have had many family gatherings to share an early Christmas with him. He leaves tomorrow to return to the west, do some racing and celebrating Christmas with Katie and her family in Sacramento.
We are hoping you all enjoy a happy Christmas season with those you love and wish you good health, days of joy and memories to cherish in the upcoming year.
Meanwhile, the best manner of corresponding is thru me (Nancy) at sheehan@cape.com
Mark generally reaches out in contacting friends and family when he is feeling up to it but leans toward isolating when he is in treatment.

Here We go Again!

2007-12-12T20:49:00.000-05:00

Mark had a really wonderful Fall. We traveled, he played golf, reunited with many friends, did some gardening and, in general, we began to lead normal, independent lives again, even though it was a bit like sending a kid off to kindergarten at first after caring for him for so long! We left for Puerto Rico the day after Thanksgiving to go to our condo which we had not visited since last February. Half way through the trip, Mark showed me a tumor he found on his upper back which he had kept secret from me when he discovered it as a little pimple a month earlier. When I first learned of it on December 1, it had grown to the size of a half dollar and in the week following, it grew to about 2 inches around. We contacted the oncologist Dr. Aviles immediately but he advised us to stay in PR until we had planned to return on Friday, December 7. He accomodated us by meeting us at the office on Saturday and fortunately, the surgeon, Dr. Flynn was in the office as well. So, they both looked at the tumor and assessed it right on the spot.
Although they felt there was a slight chance that it was a cyst, they were fairly convinced it was a tumor. So, Mark had bloodwork done Monday, a scan Tuesday and was operated on today in the doctor's office with local anesthesia. The good news is that Dr. Aviles called after he read the scan and said that there was no cancer in the lung or armpit, the original two areas where it had been.
We can not be absolutely certain of what was removed today until the pathology reports come back next week but Dr. Flynn really had no doubt that it was a tumor. It was much bigger than he anticipated, about the size of a golf ball, and was attaching to muscles in the area and did not manifest itself with an attachment to the top layer of skin as a cyst usually does (if I understood correctly!). The doctor had to really work at getting it out and Mark is going to be SORE for a few days and has to lay low. Dr. Flynn had to stitch three layers of skin to seal it and it is bandaged up for the next five days so I have not seen the incision.
We have an appt. with Dr. Aviles, the oncologist on Tuesday and should get back the pathology report and get some direction of whether Mark will be followed up with chemo or radiation. We vote radiation if possible, particularly seeing it is just one focused area that is showing cancer at this time. He has really benefit from radiation in the past but he can not have further radiation on the front of his body, but we think he can on the back.
As most of you probably know, Gary finished treatments in October, got married to his fiance Kristina Conaway a few days later and they're going on their honeymoon to the British Virgin Islands in January. Gary's hair has all grown back - darker than it used to be - and he looks GREAT! We expect he will be cancer free from now on but he will be followed and checked for the next ten years.
So, I will update you by Wednesday, December 19 with the follow up details on Mark. Thanks for caring! Hope you are enjoying the holiday season. Our business party is this Saturday night at the Cape Codder and Mark thinks he will be able to attend. The business has grown so much that there will be 75 attending! Kevin is coming home for just five days and will be joining us at the party so the whole family should be there, including the two sets of newlyweds!

The Best News Yet!

2007-10-18T17:50:00.000-04:00

We've just returned from Dr. Aviles office where we learned that Mark is currently cancer-free!!!!! The tumor they radiated shrunk and at the moment, miraculously, there are no signs of cancer elsewhere! Yes, it is expected it will return and Mark will have a scan every few months but no further treatment will begin until the cancer reappears so they can better target the appropriate area to treat. It really is the best news that we've had in a year but it wasn't totally unexpected because Mark has felt better in the past few weeks than he has in a year and a half. We had a great trip to CA, Mark has gotten in several golf outings and we have reunited with many friends we were unable to see for a while. Mark still sleeps quite a bit but fatigue, which is expected, is the only symptom he has lately! This was totally unforseen a mere few months ago when his emotional and physical condition was so dismal, therefore, we are pleasantly surprised, feeling rejeuvenated and looking forward to some fun short term plans.
We are going to Matt Terry's wedding in Naples Florida in early November, planning Thanksgiving with family then hoping to get to Puerto Rico for a few weeks prior to our business' Christmas party December 15. Kevin and the two sets of newlyweds will all be home for Christmas!
Gary is completely done with treatments and his hair is growing in nicely and he looks fantastic. He will go for periodic testing over the next ten years. The next set of test results for Mark will be reviewed December 19 and we will plan our next posting at that time. Meanwhile, thanks, as always for your support and acts of kindness and friendship throughout Gary and Mark's dark days. Your compassion, optimism and spirit have inspired and strengthened our family. Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours sure will be filled with gratitude!

Great News and Exciting Announcement!

2007-10-08T11:43:00.000-04:00

Mark had a great family reunion with his brothers and spouses before his brother, Joe and wife Carol, passed papers on their house and moved to North Carolina. A few days later, he completed radiation treatments and we left later that same morning for CA. We took it slowly, Mark slept a lot and we had a fantastic trip. We loved Kevin's school, Sierra Nevada, his apartment and meeting his girlfriend's parents. Then we traveled the coast and stayed a few nights in Carmel, a few nights in Santa Barbara and wound up in Rancho Sante Fe where we had a wonderful time with close friends, Elly, Ginni and Graham. We've been home for a week and miraculously, Mark has even played golf with Gary and another father/son team. He had not played since the end of May but played well and was elated. He has tests next week and will get the results on October 18 so I will fill you in on results after that.
We are also happy to announce that Gary finished his radiation treatments, his hair is growing in nicely and he married his girlfriend/fiance of four years, Kristina Conaway, in a private ceremony on the beach in Barnstable Saturday, October 6. They "tied the knot" barefoot on the beach, Kristina in a simple white gown with just a JP and photographer in attandance on an incredibly beautiful October afternoon. They arrived by limo and spent the night at the Chatham Bars Inn. They may celebrate with others at a party in a few months and hope to go on a honeymoon this winter. Kristina has been incredibly supportive throughout Mark's illness and during Gary's treatments her compassion and caretaking gave us complete peace of mind. We lovingly welcome Kristina to the family and wish both Gary and Kristina a lifetime of good health and endless days of joy.

Seize The Day!

2007-09-13T11:12:00.000-04:00

Our lives are filled with more optimism than they were during the last blog posting. X-rays show the tumor is smaller, the pneumonia is gone, the new antidepressants have lifted Mark's spirits and the IV for hydration has even helped to increase his BP which was extremely low all summer probably due to dehydration. Furthermore, he has gained enough energy to at least stay awake about 10 hours a day most days but, as expected during radiation, he is still fatigued.
The daily radiation and home IV treatments will end on Friday the 21st and nothing will happen until after Mark has a scan and sees Dr. Aviles again in mid October. Radiation treatments, at least on his upper body, are no longer an option so any further treaments will be chemo. Anyhow, there appears to be a small window of opportunity between treatments so we have decided to "SEIZE THE DAY" and go to CA to visit Kevin and see his new school and apartment in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area then work our way down the coast to San Diego and visit with Elly and Ginni. This venture is something we never could have dreamed of embarking on a month ago. We leave Friday, September 21 and return home 9 days later. This trip was our top priority and we are elated that we will be able to make it. We will take it slow and stay near Kevin for a few nights, move on to my favorite, Carmel, for a few nights, then two nights in Santa Barbara before staying with Elly in her beautiful home in Rancho Sante Fe.
We brought 46 staff members and significant others to see The Edwards Twins show last weekend. Mark was well enough to attend the fabulous show, everyone was glad to see him, thought he looked great and they all seemed to enjoy the incredible impresonations of famous stars. Can't believe it is now time to start planning the staff Christmas party! I'm already scouting out locations.
Well, we've come a LONG way in the past few weeks. I will report back in mid October after the next set of test results are in and tell you how our trip to CA went.

The Depths of Depression

2007-08-28T01:46:00.000-04:00

The past few weeks have been the most difficult emotionally since Mark first was diagnosed a year ago. He goes to radiation daily, is totally exhausted, has to stay inside out of the sun because of the photodynamic therapy and spiraled into being despondent and pessismistic.
It's been a difficult and sad period for both of us. Counseling with a psychologist had already been arranged for this coming Friday but we still dragged into Dr. Avilies' office today seeking more specifics on a prognosis, honest answers about whether there will come a time he can stop treatment after treatment and have some quality of life and questioning whether it was all worth it.
As always, Dr. Aviles was honest and compassionate and we left his office feeling so much better.
Because the cancer is currently just in the right lung as far as we know, and has not spread to other organs, it is worthwhile to continue treatments. In a month, the tests will reveal the impact of the radiation and we will wait until after that to decide whether to proceed with chemo because he just doesn't think Mark can withstand chemo at the moment in addition to the radiation which is scheduled to end mid-Sept...probably right about the time that Gary's starts up. Also, Dr. Aviles is arranging for Mark to have a PIC line put in and he'll begin intravenous feedings at home immediately. His weight has increased a few pounds but eating is terribly difficult and he has to force himself and at the current stage of the radiation, the eating is becoming more difficult because his throat is getting burnt, etc. Therefore, he will get at least some of his nutritional needs intravenously which relieves me and the inevitable clashes we have over food. It is like living with an anorexic...sometimes, if I walk out of the room, he even sneaks and feeds the dog what's on his plate! Dr. Aviles also started Mark on a new antidepressant which should help with providing some more optimism and boosting his fortitude to continue to fight. So, as always, we were much more optimistic leaving Dr. Aviles than when we arrived. Gary says Dr. Aviles should be our marriage counselor!!
Today was Barbara's 30th birthday so after a long day of appointments Mike and Steph joined us with Barbara at our house and we celebrated her big day with a football ice cream cake and our usual round of laughs interspersed with conversation!
We have had more home cooked meals in the past few weeks than we have had since the kids were small. Thanks so much to our staff who provided a huge carton of absolutely delicious frozen homemade meals along with countless gift certificates and our thoughtful neighbors in our tiny neighborhood who have cooked us about 6 fantastic "soup to nuts" meals in the past few weeks too. They ought to start a Punkhorn Point Restaurant! Now that Mark's appetite has lessened and he has to eat softer foods, the meals will no longer be necessary. Thanks also for the reams of cards and e-mail notes. Mark reads them all although he never responds so don't think your words have gone unappreciated. Our blog is now 13 months old and has had 10,000 hits by people who care how Mark is doing so that in itself is humbling and has really touched us.
We never thought the day would come in which we would be going to radiation and passing Gary and Kristina as they were leaving an appointment with the radiation doctor and then we would meet them later in the same day as they were finishing up with the oncologist as we were arriving for Mark's appointment. But, we have survived a lot as a family in the past year and maintained our sense of humor through it all. Gary's situation is looking really promising. He had a fantastic weekend in MV with Kristina. It was our birthday gift back in June which he finally got to enjoy in the free month between chemo and radiation. Kevin found a nice apartment in Incline Village and started college this week at Sierra Nevada. And, Mike and Steph are looking at houses in the best buyer's market there has ever been! Furthermore, the business is thriving under Gary's leadership so we are taking the staff to see the Edwards Twins show on September 8. I've seen it three times and it is incredible entertainment. Then Friday night, Mark and I are going to a comedy show with our friends, The Terrys, to bring some humor to ending the summer which really wasn't much of a summer for Mark who spent it in the dark on Cape Cod. I'll update the blog again around mid-September when we should have some more news. Thanks for the many ways you have shown support, lifted our spirits, and filled our tummies.

Ups and Downs

2007-08-11T00:03:00.000-04:00

The good news is that my father, Dick McBrine, was only in the hospital a few nights, does not need surgery and was just put on a new medication.
Other good news is that Gary finished his final chemo treatment on Wednesday and now has a month off before he starts radiation.
Mark had one of his most difficult weeks in memory but it was extreme exhaustion and weakness more than anything else. One day, he got up to shave before his daily radiation treatment and he was TOTALLY worn out from that simple activity. He slept about 20 hours a day all week and had a low grade fever all week. He had radiation every day, he still has pneumonia and we change dressings on his burn twice a day. The biggest problem is that the antibiotics which he has now been taking since mid-June have caused him so many stomach problems, he has trouble eating anything and has begun to lose weight. However, we visited Dr. Aviles this afternoon and he has decided the advantages of stopping antibiotics outweigh the benefits that the antibiotics may deliver at this point. So, Mark is stopping those immediately and now has compazine for upset stomachs and Attivan which is a tranquilizer which calms the entire nervous system. These drugs, along with the halting of the antibiotics should address the stomach problems and help him to regain his appetite. Although Mark really needs chemo in addition to the radiation, Dr. Aviles can not forsee starting that with the condition Mark is currently in and the expected burn he will develop from radiation treatments for the next 6-7 weeks. So, he is putting off chemo treatments and will reevaluate in a few weeks following blood tests.
Despite Mark's daily radiation trips to Hyannis and almost constant sleeping when home, we have been able to have a few fun nights with the kids while Kevin is home for his short stay. Kevin leaves this evening to start college next week so we were even able to drag Mark out to New Seabury for dinner Friday so we could all gather for Kevin's final night. All the food and the smells were a little overwhelming for Mark who really couldn't eat but it was fun and comical to be with the kids as always. The Sheehan clan may be interested to know that their cousin, Janice Murphy, who has a house in Osterville, was at New Seabury Friday night too, recognized Mark after not seeing him for about 15 years and came over to talk. It was nice to be able to introduce her to the boys, Steph and Kristina but she was devastated with our sad news.
Unless there are any dramatic changes, I will wait to update the blog until after Mark's appointment with Dr. Aviles on August 27th. He will probably be sleeping a lot with the daily radiation treatments but hopefully, he will be able to regain his appetite and not be quite as sensitive to sun by then. The photodynamics therapy effects were supposed to gradually diminish over a six week period.
Our sincere gratitude goes to our many neighbors who have been offering to cook meals to help us out. I rarely cooked anyhow, so it will be nice to have some home cooked meals! Also much appreciation for our incredible sons who have kept us laughing through it all and especially to Dr. Aviles, Mark's oncologist, who we adore because he is so compassionate, explains things so well to us, gives us the most logical and sensible advice of all the doctors we've seen and is able to bring calm to us and rejeuvenate both of us every time we visit. And, best of all, he is curing Gary of cancer!
As always, if you want to communicate, the best way is to e-mail me at sheehan@cape.com. I print out all messages which are specifically earmarked for Mark. And, if you want to be added to the list of those who are notified every time I publish a new post, send me an e-mail requesting to be added to the list.

Add One More to the Disabled List!

2007-08-07T15:45:00.000-04:00

The above picture was taken Tuesday, August 7. Mark with his safari hat, sunglasses and one bandaged hand and the other with a black glove all issued to him for sun protection before he left Deaconess. Along with Gary who resorted to shaving his head when he had just a few hairs remaining. He looks so much more like Mike with his head shaved that 2-1/2 year old Nick thought him and Mike were both Mike!

My father, Dick McBrine, who will be 80 in Sept. and is generally healthy, was admitted to Deaconess yesterday, the Farr building that Mark left Friday! His heart problems have been increasing and he will have many tests over the next week but so far they say it is atrial fibrilation and fluid in his lungs.
Meanwhile, Gary had so little hair left that he shaved his head completely and he has his final chemo treatment tomorrow. He is elated to be finishing up and will start radiation in about a month.
On the home front, Mark, who has always regarded precautions and rules as challenges he must defy or disregard, was burnt in the first hour he left the hospital Friday driving in the car on the way home! He had on his hat and glasses but didn't cover his hands despite his wife's urgings, pleadings and warnings!! By Saturday, his hand had grown to more than twice its normal size, turned purple and was breaking out in huge blisters. We thought he had cellulitis and when his face started to swell as well, we decided it was time to go to the ER Sunday afternoon. The doctor insisted it was a burn, ripped off the layer of skin and put Mark in enough shock, pain and fear to adhere to the rules of staying out of ANY sunlight in the future. We drove immediately to TOYS R US and got some baby shades for the windows and rigged up a dark area in the back seat for him while he attends daily radiation which was started Monday. This has caused enormous pain, we have to change the bandaging twice daily and he is on another antibiotic.
He had been fever free for about 3-4 days but spiked a fever again yesterday but only 100.5 so not as high as last week and we will just keep an eye on it. He is back to being totally exhausted and sleeping most of the time now. However, Kevin came home for a five night stay last night and Gary, Kristina, Mike, Steph, Barbara and Nick are all coming tonight so he will join in for a few hours and have some fun and laughs I'm sure. He goes to radiation every day this week and sees the oncologist Friday about future chemo treatments so I will report back by this weekend.
Thanks for all the cards and good wishes. Especially Barbara O'Hear our most faithful card sender, Gina Lai who made us some fabulous lasanga and chowder, Sarah Dowling who has stopped by a few times with fish she caught, blueberries she picked and clams she dug and Neil and Nancy Arkuss who cleverly sent a sunflower arrangement to make up for the lack of sunlight!

Rigorous Radiation Starts Monday

2007-08-03T17:00:00.000-04:00

Once we got over the bridge returning home, our Cape oncologist, Dr. Aviles, called and told us that Mark could be seen at Cape Cod Hospital radiation dept. if we could make it there in an hour. We stopped at the Mashpee CVS to pick up a new script the Boston doctor's had prescribed but found it cost $1,200 for 14 pills and required a prior approval and only the pharmacy in Falmouth had some. By the end of the day, the pulmonary and oncology doctors on the Cape decided it was completely unnecessary and that Mark should just remain on the antibiotics he had been taking.
We made it to Cape Cod Hospital by 1:30 and immediately saw the radiation doctor who heads the dept. and is covering for our regular radiation doctor. He spent more than a half hour TALKING to us, going over scan results on the computer, etc. He marked Mark's right chest to begin radiation Monday, August 6. There will be a very rigorous 6-7 week regimen of daily treatments that will probably burn the skin as badly as the radiation did last fall. And, in addition, Mark will probably experience problems swallowing and with swelling in his neck, etc.
and have to resort to a liquid diet after a while. Fortunately, milk shakes are one of my few specialties!
It will be a tough period but Mark is definitely up for the fight, elated to be home, and so grateful for the wonderful care and attention he receives on the Cape. We spent more time on the phone and in person with Cape doctors THIS AFTERNOON than he did with all the doctors combined for the 10 days he was in Beth Israel Deaconess! So, he appreciated them more than ever and thanked them profusely while complaining about the care in Boston. He will also probably start some chemo treatments in a few weeks after his pneumonia is more under control. The scans show a pooling of fluid laying on the bottom segment of his lung (which is the pneumonia) and this may also be masking more tumors at the lower part of the lung but the main concern at the moment is keeping the airway open. The tumor is beginning to grow back already and should be squelched by the radiation which is what the immediacy is all about. This radiation is on the opposite side of Mark's body than the radiation he received last year. The radiation will cover most of the right area over to mid-chest where they radiated on the left side last year. After this round of radiation, neither side of his chest will ever be able to be radiated again. There is no cancer in his liver or any other body parts at this time and so we are hoping that the radiation is as effective on the right side as it was on the left side last year and buy him some more good times like we had last winter, this spring and at Mike and Steph's wedding.
Scooter welcomed us home and Mark was totally exhausted from the day's saga so he crawled right into bed and fell asleep with Scooter at his side!
Unless something unforseen happens, I won't update again until mid-week around August 8th to report on the status of radiation, etc. Meanwhile, thanks as always for all the well wishes and pats on the back for our endurance dealing with our week of medical mishaps! The week seemed to strengthen our resolve to fight but to keep the battle on Cape Cod!

Kick in the Ass

2007-08-03T01:14:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was the most upsetting and hopeless day yet. The doctor arrived early and although Mark thought the final procedure was supposed to take place that morning, without explanation, the doctor said it was Thursday. Mark continued to run a high fever. The supervisor of nurses spent hours listening to and attending to our concerns and was prompt in investigating where the breakdowns in communication had occurred and that was satisfying. Much of the problem stemmed back to one particular nurse and poor communication from the world reknown doctor and his team. But, at nighfall Mark was just totally burnt out and weaker than ever. We were scared that the antibiotics still weren't addressing the pneumonia symptoms and therefore he would not be eligible for treatments that were vital to ridding him of tumors. We had a sad, pessimistic night.
He finally had the final step in the photodynamic therapy Thursday morning. The doctor called me when it was completed and delivered the shocking news that the tumor blocking the airway had grown back again in LESS THAN A WEEK and was COMPLETELY blocking the airway again! Gary and Mike drove up and we all had a meeting with the doctor at 5 pm Thursday. He drew pictures on the blackboard, explained exactly what the problems were and addressed all our questions. The kicker was that what had transpired with the regrowth of the tumor had negated the benefits of the photodynamic therapy HOWEVER because it had been injected into his system, he still had to stay out of direct sunlight for 6 weeks!!!
The new course of action is to get radiation ASAP and chemo when he is cured of the pneumonia which should now able to escape since his turmor and airway have been cleared again. He didn't even spike a temp. today. However, with the quick growth of the tumor, he must get radiation IMMEDIATELY. So, we are headed home and are hoping to start radiation either Friday or Monday. He has also been prescribed a new antibiotic in pill form which should better address the pneumonia.
Mark felt so much better after the airway was cleared again and has a renewed respect for the many oxygen patients he has treated over the years because it is so scary to not be able to breathe. So, although he swore he would never, ever endure radiation again, he is willing to undergo another rigorous round in hopes that it will clear his right airway and lung as well as it did his left armpit last year. Now, he swears he will never, ever return to the hospitals in Boston for treatment again no matter what the doctors recommend after the horrendous week of calamity we endured.
We are looking forward to Kevin's return for a visit next week and I will update the blog with the treatment plan at the beginning of the week. We will be back on an erratic schedule, sleeping late, erratic naps for Mark and running around to doctors on the Cape so it would be appreciated if communication was limited to e-mails and any messages you want Mark to receive will be printed out for him if you write to me at sheehan@cape.com I have a list of people that I e-mail whenever I update the blog and if you would like to be added to the list, please send me your e-mail address.
We are elated to be returning home and keeping Scooter company!
Nancy

This is a Nightmare

2007-08-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

The care that Mark has received at Deaconess in the week he has been here has been so deplorable that I feel like contacting Michael Moore and asking him to add another scene to his film SICKO. Today it all came to a head when Mark ran his daily 102-103 temp which started earlier in the afternoon than it had been starting and we could not get a nurse to come to the room for 40 minutes and she only arrived after I went to the front desk to complain. Then she lied and told us that she had contacted Falmouth Hospital for test results that we had requested at noon, when, in fact, she had completely ignored the request. Last night, his BP was down to 70/45. And, all of this was after several incidents in the past week in which doctors have written scripts and requests which have not been followed, medications which never arrived on schedule unless we begged for them, etc. You would just be APPALLED at what has transpired...or what hasn't!! We are even considering an ambulance ride back to Falmouth Hospital to be treated by Dr. Shuttari, his pulmonary doctor, after they finish the final photodynamic therapy treatment tomorrow so that he can get a better quality of care.
It takes a lot to push Mark over the edge, but he finally"lost it" and we began requesting supervisors, etc. who were attentive and openly admitted that they had screwed up numerous times. I could go on and on with incidents but will leave it at that. In any event, Mark has been running a high temp every day and still has pneumonia symptoms despite the new IV antibiotics which were finally added two days after they were supposed to be started. He has now been on them for 36 hours and his symptoms are worse than ever and temp going higher than ever. He gets weaker by the day and the HUGE concern he has is that the oncologist can not start chemo until he has gone 3 days without a temp and meanwhile, the tumors are growing and spreading.
Wednesday is the final photodynamic therapy treatment and they will "wash" the airway and see if they can get a better idea of what is going on and what is causing the problems. Of course, after we began to complain to the "higher ups" they began to order all sorts of tests, x-rays, cultures, etc. that should have been done a week ago and doctors and nurses were at our beck and call. Basically, they have been all pumped up about doing this fairly new photodynamic therapy and using him as a guinea pig and have had no interest at all in his pneumonia which is why he was sent to Boston to begin with!
So, we just don't know what tomorrow will bring, we still don't know what time the final surgery is scheduled and we don't know whether we are coming or going. I'll fill you all in when we "get a grip"!!

Good News & Bad News

2007-07-30T00:26:00.000-04:00

The good news is that Mark had a visit from a doctor Sunday morning who claimed that he did not have to be in complete darkness as he had been previously advised. He just must stay out of direct sunlight for 6 weeks. That was a huge relief!
The bad news is that Mark keeps running a high temp each afternoon from about 4-6 pm, gets chills and then is hot. These are all symptoms that the pneumonia persists despite the fact he has been on two antibiotics for over two weeks and a new stronger one was added intravenously on Saturday. At the moment, the pneumonia is more cause for concern than the cancer.
I returned home for a night but will be back in Boston for the duration of Mark's hospital stay, however, I am not sure that I will have internet access. At the moment Mark is due to return home Thursday or Friday after the 3 stages of the photodynamic therapy are completed but that will be contingent on the status of the pneumonia. If there are any dramatic changes and I do not have access to the internet, then I will have Gary update the blog.

We're In the Dark!

2007-07-28T20:53:00.000-04:00

Well, the kids have been saying we're in the dark for years and now they are right!! Mark had the procedure yesterday in which they inserted the dye for the photodynamic Therapy Treatment. You just wouldn't believe the hunting hat, black knitted gloves and REALLY black glasses they gave him to wear if he goes outside in the daytime!! He also will have to wear long sleeve shirts and a scarf!! It is truly unbelievable and would be so hard to emerge. We are also working on covering a few windows at home in his bedroom and kitchen area so that he will be able to walk around at least half of the downstairs when he returns. This complete avoidance of light will last 6 weeks so I got him plenty of books, a scrabble game and decks of cards along with some reading lights. He is talking about getting outside lights to garden at night!! Gary is suggesting he will turn into a vampire!! What an adventure! He is supposed to start some chemo and possibly radiation as well when he returns home so he may not feel like doing anything anyhow.
He will be in the hospital until the end of next week. His pneumonia is still brewing and his temp is going up to 103 sometimes during the day so that is a real concern. They are going to start a new intravenous IV antibiotic and have been giving him nebulizer treatments too. However, we are less than happy with the staff, lack of attention to the pneumonia and feel that we have to beg for proper attention and treatments. Maybe that is because it is a weekend. The only good result of the insertion of the dye is that it requires him to be in a private room for the duration.
So there is a big sign posted outside of his room stating that it must be kept dark and there is just one dim light on the other side of the room beyond his curtain. He can watch TV and read with a book light.
He is scheduled Monday to have the second part of the photodynamic treatment which is the bronchoscopy inserting light and that procedure will be repeated on Wednesday. His spirits are up and down depending on how sick he feels. I will update you again midweek.

Procedures and Treatments on The Horizon

2007-07-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

First of all, our business 30th anniversary party exceeded my expectations. It was fantastic to see many business associates from our early years, have the staff gathered together and see close friends and family all enjoying themselves and looking at old photos we had posted around the room. The location at Heritage Museums and Gardens and catering by Casual Gourmet couldn't have been better. We were all sad that Mark was not able to attend but he was there in spirit. I was incredibly proud of my family and staff as I listened to accolades throughout the evening. And when I arrived at Mark's hospital room at 9 pm and gave him the details, he was just as proud and so appreciative of the many people who attended to make it such a successful celebration. He had had a broncoscopy earlier in the afternoon and from 4-7, when he knew the party was taking place, he said he just angrily stared at the clock at the foot of his bed, mad that he couldn't be partying with us. After I told him all about the party, I jumped into his hospital bed with him and we read the book of thoughtful, and sometimes hilarious, sentiments guests had written into a book we had available for guests to send notes to him.
Yesterday's broncoscopy revealed that the tumor had indeed already grown back into his airway since they had blasted it away on June 18. So, this afternoon, they did a rigid broncoscopy and "roto rooted" it away again. He was 100% better and 200% happier after the procedure was done and he could breathe again!!
Starting tomorrow, he is embarking on a new treatment called photodynamic therapy. You can probably get a better explanation on the internet but it is my understanding that tomorrow they will inject a dye. A few days later, they will do some internal light treatment and a few days after that they will repeat the light treatment. People come from around the world to be treated for airway problems by his physician, Dr. Ernst of Deaconess B.I. So, Mark will be in the hospital in Boston for about another week. The "catch" with this treatment is that he can not be in any light for six weeks, direct sunlight or even strong interior lights. They will also be treating his pneumonia with high doses of antibiotic injections. Then it is expected he will return home and start on chemo which they have been delaying for the past month because of his pneumonia. There is also a chance that they will do radiation again. His left side was radiated last Fall and can never be radiated again but the problems currently are in the right lung so that radiation could be employed again.
You would think that Mark would be so fed up with all the treatments but he is so much happier this afternoon since his airway is no longer blocked and he says he is just so "sick of feeling sick" that he is willing to do whatever it takes to feel stronger again after four hospitalizations in a month.
I will update you again in a few days. Meanwhile thanks to all who contributed to making our 30th anniversary celebration so meaningful and enjoyable!!

Unfortunately, Mark Can't Attend Business Anniversary Party!

2007-07-24T23:57:00.000-04:00

Mark's symptoms have worsened in the past few days and it was obvious that the pneumonia was causing problems again. He went for a regularly scheduled x-ray Monday, but by the time he got to his regularly scheduled oncologist appointment at 6:15 pm Tuesday, it was clear to him that he was going to end up in the hospital. They think the tumor in the airway has grown back and is impeding the recovery from pneumonia. His breathing was more labored than ever before, he had a temp again and felt generally lousy so between that and the results of the previous day's x-ray, Dr. Aviles sent him directly to the Falmouth Hospital ER. The waiting room was a madhouse but he was put in a cubicle quickly. It was decided early on that he would be sent to Boston, however, it was four hours before they had tests completed, etc. and the ambulance arrived to transport him. Unfortunately for Mark, he was not going to be directly admitted to Deaconess but would have to go through their ER before being admitted...surely another few hours waiting! I slipped him a pain pill before he took off in hopes that he would get some sleep on the way. He was feeling so poorly though that he was more than willing to go and said he didn't want to come home until they were able to rememdy this cycle of the tumor blocking the airway and contributing to pneumonia. He also really needs to start back on some chemo treatments because there are several small tumors in the lung but Dr. Aviles has been putting that off in hopes of remedying the pneumonia first.
It is heartbreaking that Mark won't be able to attend the 30th anniversary for the business being held at Heritage Museums and Gardens Wednesday from 4-7. Afterall, it is a celebration of what we started out of our little rented ranch house in 1977. It was started at a time of desperation when Mark lost his job two months after we relocated to the Cape so he could work for a homecare provider who ended up in jail for fraud. I have been working on a book about our beginnings and the first few chapters will be distributed at the party. It's called OUR FIRSTBORN WAS A BUSINESS.
We intend to keep the celebration upbeat despite Mark's absence and we will have a get well poster for attendees to sign and send messages to him in the hospital. I will go to Boston after the party and will visit him and stay at a hotel next to the hospital until he is able to return home. As sad as I am that he can't attend, I know that he is where he needs to be to feel better. I was distraught before he went to the hospital this evening but actually feel better now that I have accepted he can not attend the party and he is being well taken care of.
I will try to update everyone by the end of the weekend but it is now expected that he will be operated on in the next few days to reopen the airway to the right lung again and that will help remedy the pneumonia. This is his fourth hospitalization since June 15.

More Promising News

2007-07-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

Mark's antibiotics seem to be helping and he has been awake and up and about much more in the last few days. So, he is feeling more optimistic and has more stamina to tackle the upcoming tests and treatments. I'll update the blog with results by Friday, July 27.

Discouraging Lack of Progress

2007-07-16T19:57:00.000-04:00

Mark did make it to the Hospice auction and, as always, we had a good time but it took a lot of effort for him to attend and he was anxious to return to bed the minute we returned home. He has barely left his bed since we got home from the auction Friday night. He still seems to be suffering the effects of pneumonia, slept the entire weekend, was short of breath and generally burnt out.
Today, we went to the oncologist, Dr. Aviles, for a regularly scheduled appointment. It appears that there will be many tests, doctor's visits and procedures in the next few weeks. Dr. Aviles suspected, from listening to Mark's lung, that the tumor is back in the airway and that when he goes to Boston for a broncoscopy next Thursday, July 26th that they will want to go in and remove it again. Meanwhile, Dr. Aviles is getting anxious to get Mark started on chemo treatments again but has held back due to the pneumonia. Mark is going to have an x-ray to see the status of the pneumonia next Monday and will see Dr. Aviles on Tuesday. Our business' 30th anniversary celebration is next Wednesday and the following morning Mark is scheduled for a broncoscopy at Deaconess Beth Israel where we now suspect that they may keep him for further procedures to clear the airway as they did last month. Dr. Aviles is hoping to start Mark on a chemo pill starting Monday, July 30th.
Therefore, Mark is clearly headed into a new phase of diagnostic procedures, treatments, and doctor visits and, after three hospitalizations in the past month, he's understandably discouraged as well as totally exhausted. We are hoping that the antibiotics he is still taking for the pneumonia will eventually relieve him of the symptoms which have zapped his energy but there seems to be lung/tumor/cancer involvement that may be contributing to the pneumonia so the symptoms may persist. It seems to be a little more complicated than his previous problems, less isolated and more difficult to sort out the cause and effect.
I will try to update the blog again by Friday, July 27th at the latest.

Cancer Changes Your Perspective!

2007-07-12T17:36:00.000-04:00

I was reading over some notes I made a year ago when Mark was in the diagnostic phase throughout the summer of 2006. Initially, he was told that he probably had lymphoma which was upsetting news, however, there is a very high cure rate. When the diagnostic process was complete in September of 2006, we were DISAPPOINTED to learn that he didn't have lymphoma but stage 4 squamous cell cancer that had metastasized to to his right lung. Then, Gary got diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in April of 2007 and we didn't panic as we may have a year before because we had learned so much about the high cure rate of lymphoma the summer before when we thought that was what Mark had. Then, last week, Mark and I were very depressed with his deteriorating condition because we thought the cancer had spread and the future seemed dismal. When we learned that he had pneumonia earlier this week, we were EUPHORIC because that accounted for all the terrible symptoms that we thought were signs of cancer invading his body! When I ask Gary how he is doing after chemo treatments, I am pleased to hear that he just feels tired. I'm so grateful that he has never gotten nauseus from treatments! If you had told me two years ago that my husband and son would have cancer at the same time, I'd be visiting my son at chemo treatments on the way to visit Mark, in the hospital with pneumonia, I would have thought "No way! I'm checking into the closest mental asylum!" And, yet here I sit, perfectly happy, looking at my computer screen for hours gazing at slideshow pictures of Mike and Steph's wedding! We are all more resilient than we give ourselves credit for when we're actually put to the test! Of course, massive doses of prozac does help!
Mark was in the hospital for two nights and the man I dropped off was a different man than I brought home this afternoon! After 24 hours on antibiotics, steroids, muscle relaxers and nebulizer treatments, he was completely transformed into a healthy guy who just happens to have cancer. After 48 hours in the hospital, he was more than eager to be discharged and although his x-ray wasn't completely clear, the doctors felt that his condition had improved enough to go home.
So, he is home, feeling better than he has been in weeks and planning to attend the Hospice Auction tomorrow night and just take it easy sitting at a table rather than getting into the silent auction frenzy! He will visit the oncologist Monday to talk about future treatments and visit the pulmonary specialist after another x-ray in a few weeks. After three emergency hospitalizations and a wedding in the past month, we are anxious to relax and return to our dull lives of visiting doctors every few days for regularly scheduled appointments and keeping the pharmacy at CVS in business!
I'll write again next week when we find out where we are headed from here!

Pneumonia

2007-07-10T23:10:00.000-04:00

Mark has felt worse in the past week than he has felt since last Fall. He has been extremely weak, exhausted, coughing, and running a fever off and on. He had his regularly scheduled CT scan Monday the 9th and we contacted the doctor to alert him of Mark's condition. Dr. Aviles called back Monday night at 9 pm and said he had seen the scan and coupled with the symptoms we had described, he believed that Mark had pneumonia. He advised us to go to the ER at Falmouth Hospital this morning and get admitted to the hospital and begin IV antibiotics treatments. Although I thought Mark would refuse after suffering so much and feeling so depressed in the past week, he said he felt so lousy that he would let me take him anywhere! So, we spent five hours in the ER today, he was finally admitted and to a nice private room with much less chaos than the Boston hospitals! Tonight, he was visited by the pulmonary doctor, Dr. Shuttari and the oncologist, Dr. Aviles and both concur that the diagnosis is "gunk" trapped in his lower airway and building up with no ability to escape. It is definitely pneumonia and the plan is to keep him in the hospital for a few days and treat him with antibiotics and a muscle relaxer to reduce the headaches, muscle strains from coughing and pain in his shoulders. He is feeling a little better tonight and is pleased to be in a much more peaceful environment than he was in Boston! We are both extremely relieved to have the diagnosis of pneumonia because we had suspected that the cancer spread quickly and we were very depressed. So this was a much more uplifting diagnosis and we are confident that Mark will start feeling a lot better after he is rid of the pneumonia. He does have to start on some type of chemo regimen soon but we will deal with that after the pneumonia is cured.
Meanwhile, it was Mike's 26th birthday so Mike and Steph, Kristina and Gary, Barbara and Dave and Nick all came over for a roast beef dinner and birthday cake celebration and it was great for me to have a fun filled diversion after the past depressing week. So, although Mark is in the hospital and we missed him tonight, it was an uplifting day for all of us and we are confident that Mark will be feeling better and be able to attend our business' 30th anniversary on Wednesday, July 25th at Heritage Plantation!! Coincidentally, last year Mark missed our favorite occasion of the year, the Hospice Auction, because he had his first procedure to diagnosis the cancer. We were looking forward to his returning with me this year but it is Friday night and that is not looking too promising at this point!
Gary has another chemo treatment tomorrow which means that his chemo regimen will be over pretty soon. He is doing great, getting good lab reports and feeling more energetic after recent treatments than he did in earlier ones. He is reveling in the excitement of opening an additional business retail location in Falmouth down the street from the hospital. It's a stone's throw from Mark's hospital room!
I'll report back on Mark's progress over the weekend.

Respite!

2007-06-29T14:45:00.000-04:00

Mark has felt terrible, been bedridden and had severe headaches ever since he returned from the hospital in Boston. Today was his doctor's appointment with Dr. Aviles, the oncologist, and it was the first time that he hadn't had a headache in days. He needs to begin a new treatment regimen but Dr. Aviles wants to give him some time to recuperate from the past two weeks before he proceeds. Therefore, he is now scheduled for a CT scan on July 9 and will return to Dr. Aviles for the results and decide a treatment plan on July 16. One possibility that Dr. Aviles is considering is chemo in a pill form called XELODA which Mark could take at home instead of administering anything intravenously but that course of treatment is tentative and may depend on the outcome of the CT scan.
Dr. Aviles is eager to find a treatment that will kill off the cancer cells with lessor adverse side effects than some of the former treatments Mark has received. He forsees the battle to kill the cancer cells in the lung and airways to continue and he is attempting to find a treatment that will be effective but not destroy Mark's quality of life. Dr. Aviles is very attentive and wonderful at explaining the situation. He says that Mark's body is a battlefield and the cancer and the treatments are fighting for control over his body. It is very much trial and error and several types of treatments may be in the offing, possibly with some breaks in between to enjoy life and possibly return to Puerto Rico for a short visit.
I will report back on Monday, July 16 after we meet with Dr. Aviles, receive the Ct scan results and the next treatment regimen is determined.

We're Home!

2007-06-27T17:03:00.000-04:00

The MRI didn't show anything wrong at all so Mark was released from the hospital around 12:30 today. He has a script for muscle relaxers for his neck which they think is the source of his headaches. The headaches started right after last week's surgery in which they manipulated his neck into awkward positions to perform the procedure to get the tumor out of his airway so the manipulation and variety of drugs they administer can cause headaches. The muscle relaxer is to help ease the tension around his neck and shoulders.
Mark is now scheduled to see the oncologist on Cape, Dr. Aviles, Friday and we are told that he will start new treatments of erbitux or chemo next week to attack the smaller tumors in his right lung. Then the doctors in Boston have him scheduled for another bronchoscopy for the end of July. They claim that the tumor removed last week will probably grow back and they are suggesting either radiation or a procedure specifically for tumors in the airways called photodynamic therapy. This would follow the chemo or whatever regimen is decided Friday. So, there are sure to be various treatments throughout the summer but it is unlikely that they will require any overnight hospitalizations. It sure is GREAT to be home! Those hospitalizations are incredibly disruptive and noisy and inevitably Mark gets the roommates with the most problems. They sure do not provide an arena for any rest, relaxation or sleep! Mark was awakened at 1:30 am for his MRI then awakened every hour til 6 am when his newest roommate started a round of phone calls so Mark had to give up on sleep. We are both exhausted! Gary had chemo today and he headed home exhausted as well. I'll update the blog this weekend after we visit Dr. Aviles.
It sure has been a challenging two weeks but we really were able to put it all aside and enjoy every minute of the wedding weekend despite hospitalizations before and after! Now we just need a breather to regroup before we move on to a new treatment schedule. It was great to see so many of you at the wedding. Thanks for making it so much fun and memorable for us.

Lookin Good!

2007-06-26T20:34:00.000-04:00

Mark had a bronchoscopy this morning and it didn't show any progression of tumors so it is just the after effects of last week's surgery that is causing the congestion and spitting up the blood. So, the pulmonary team has completed their work with him. However, he is being kept for another night because they called in a neurologist late this afternoon to investigate the cause of the headaches. It is suspected that they are simply a reaction to the drugs, positioning, etc. of the procedure last week and that they will disappear soon, however, as a precautionary measure, they are keeping Mark in the hospital one more night and giving him an MRI. If that checks out well, then he will be released tomorrow. He visits the oncologist on the Cape Friday and it is expected that he will be put back on chemo. Then when that treatment is complete, they claim he will have to have either the photodynamic therapy or radiation.
Meanwhile, Gary got back good results today from his CT scan and physical. So, I'd say it is a
positive day for the "Sheehan Cancer Team".
I dropped Mike and Steph at the airport at 6 am today and am exhausted and spent much of the day in Mark's hospital bed!
I'll update again by Friday afternoon.

Another Ambulance Ride to Deaconess-Beth Israel

2007-06-25T22:03:00.000-04:00

We had a memorable night reminiscing about Mike and Steph at the rehearsal dinner in Newport on Thursday and were joined by about 50 others later in the evening for the pre-wedding cocktail party. Friday was the wedding and it was absolutely incredible. We all had high expectations and they were surpassed. It was fabulous and a great opportunity to have fun while seeing relatives and old friends that mean the most to us and we REALLY enjoyed ourselves!! Saturday was the brunch at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and that too went off without a hitch. Thanks to the miracles of modern drugs, Mark was able to enthusiastically get through the entire weekend with the help of his pain killers and he really held up incredibly well. We even stopped at Gina and Chuck's wedding for a few hours on the way home from Newport!
However, he was very tired Sunday, short of breath, had another of the headaches he has had in the past week and still coughing up some blood. So, we arranged to meet his Cape Pulmonary doctor, Dr. Shuttari, at Falmouth Hospital around noon Monday. Dr. Shuttari contacted the doctors in Boston that had operated last week and it was decided that he would return to Boston by ambulance.
Kevin and Katie met me at the emergency room and I dropped them off at Logan for their return to Park City and then headed to Deaconess again. Mark had arrived by ambulance and it was decided that he will have another bronchoscopy tomorrow morning, Tuesday, June 26, and they will try to find out what is going on and make a determination of how to proceed. I expect that he will be in the hospital for a few days and I will be staying in Boston.
Meanwhile, Gary gets his results of his CT scan tomorrow late in the day and has another chemo treatment Wednesday. So, he will be out of commission for a few days. We will try to update the blog as best we can. Check out his blog at www.gmsheehan.blogspot.com
I am picking up Mike and Steph at 5 am to drop them at Logan where they will depart from for their honeymoon in the Dominican Republic for 12 days. I will remain in Boston for the duration of Mark's stay and Gary and I will do our best to keep everyone updated on Mark's situation.
Nancy

Recuperating

2007-06-18T22:02:00.000-04:00

Mark was operated on late this morning and they got the tumor which was blocking two of his three airways into the right lung. They removed it with an instrument which they describe like a rooter and pulled it out. This was purely a surgical removal to open the clogged airway and does nothing to address the tumors that remain in Mark's lung. The procedure was considered a success although the instrument did cause a bit of bleeding when it scraped the wall of the lung. Mark had a horrible headache and was spitting up blood so the doctors and staff recommended that he stay overnight just to be extra cautious but they expect he will be fine after a night of monitoring.
He will return home tomorrow, Tuesday, and the doctors claim he will be recuperated and well enough to leave for the wedding Thursday afternoon. However, once all the wedding festivities are over, he will visit his oncologist, Dr. Aviles, and it is expected that he will begin a new regimen of chemo or back to erbitux and possibly radiation although Mark says he doesn't want to endure radiation again. The surgeons in Boston are already suggesting future procedures to follow chemo in case the tumor grows back in the airway again which they claim is very likely. So, it looks like there are options for all sorts of treatments in the future but for this week, we will focus on the happiness that Mike and Steph are bringing into our lives at this difficult time. We plan to forget the word "cancer" for the weekend and enjoy our time with family and friends celebrating the marriage in Newport!! We will all rally and plan to have fun!

Update

2007-06-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

Mark's surgery was pushed back until today (Monday) at 11 or 12p...Nancy will do an update tomorrow once we know more about how it went, how he's doing, when he'll get home, etc.
The procedure should run smoothly and we're all hopeful he will be home later tonight or tomorrow.
-Gary

Dashed to Boston for tumor removal

2007-06-15T16:36:00.000-04:00

Today, Mark had his bronchoscopy and it revealed that his right lung airway was almost completely blocked, 2/3 occlusion and it was stated that there was a danger not to take action immediately despite the wedding being a week away. So, Gary and Mike came to the hospital and it was decided that Mark would be sent to Boston in an ambulance to have a world reknown doctor, Dr. Ernst at Beth Israel - Deaconess, operate, perhaps over the weekend, to remove the tumor in the next few days. He should be home at the beginning of the week and able to attend the wedding. He called me when he arrived at the hospital and said that he had a state police escort from the split in Braintree going into Boston with the sirens going and all and when he arrived at the hospital, the staff already knew about the wedding!
Kevin and his girlfriend are due in for a week for the wedding on Sunday, Father's Day so it will be nice to have them closeby too.
I am heading to Boston now and will try to update the blog again by Monday.
Nancy

Over Reaction!

2007-06-09T13:49:00.000-04:00

After three weeks of Erbitux treatments, Mark's course of treatment was halted because he was having such a severe reaction of pimples, itching and exhaustion. He had another CT scan and blood work and we returned to the oncologist yesterday for the verdict. It appears that the Erbitux may have shrunk the cancer that was advancing but there are still concerns about what is going on in his lung and the pipes leading into the lung. Mark continues to suffer the side effects of the Erbitux although it has been more than two weeks since his last treatment. He is very tired much of the time and still itchy and has a rash but he has been able to get in some golf and gardening.
It was decided that he would meet with Dr. Shuttari, the pulmonary specialist he saw last summer in Falmouth and be reevaluated and considered for a visit to more specialists at Beth Israel in Boston. Mark had so many bad experiences in Boston last summer that he considers that a last resort. He still panics at memories of the doctor suggesting he have his arm amputated and the screaming "cellmate" when he stayed overnight!!
He will meet with Dr. Shuttari on Tuesday, June 12 and we will report back with further
testing results when they are available. For now, we are planning to revisit Dr. Aviles, the oncologist, on June 29 and decide on the next course of treatment.
Gary has a fantastic attitude about his Hodgkins Lymphoma and is almost half way done with his chemo treatments and has been very faithful in keeping everyone up to date with his blog http://www.gmsheehan.blogspot.com. If you haven't visited it yet, please do so. He is an inspiration to all and we are so proud of how he has handled the business demands as well as the
cancer fight.
Meanwhile, the next few weeks are filled with birthdays, graduation celebrations and Mike & Steph's Grand Greek Wedding in Newport on Friday, June 22. We have much to look forward to and the excitement of it all is overshadowing the family's health concerns.

Big Day for Father/Son Team!

2007-05-02T15:59:00.000-04:00

Gary had been diagnosed with stage II Hodgkins Lymphoma on the Cape. Monday, April 30, he had his appt. in Boston with a lymphoma specialist at Dana Farber and also received results for the pathology which the Cape team had sent to Boston to be read by one of the top specialists in the country. The reason that there had been some confusion is because people generally have either classical or non-classical Hodgkins Lymphoma and it is now confirmed that Gary has signs of both. The recovery/cure rate is still very high but it means that he will definitely be treated with radiation after he completes chemo which started today and will continue once every other week for four months. It also means that he will be followed up after treatments for a ten year period. The treatment center is only a few miles from our house so we stopped by and visited him during treatments this morning. He is now home following his first four hour teatment and feeling a little nauseous . He is very faithful about updating everyone through his blog so check it out at http://www.gmsheehan.blogspot.com/
Mark confessed yesterday that he has been spitting up blood for the past few weeks. He has also been short of breath so between that and his loss of energy in the past month, we did not expect good results from his tests when we visited the oncologist this afternoon. However, he was relieved that he does not have to go back to radiation or chemo right now. The nodule in his mid-chest, right lung area has grown since his last CT scan so Dr. Aviles (who is now Gary's oncologist as well and assures us Gary will be absolutely fine after treatments) wants to be proactive and attack it before it grows anymore. It was decided that he would start intravenous treatments of Erbitux for at least the next few months. His once a week treatments start tomorrow at the same place he and Gary go for chemo. Coincidentally, Erbitux is the drug that initially had poor clinical trials so Martha Stewart sold her shares in the company. However, when she was serving time, more recent clinical trials proved to be more promising and Dr. Aviles believes it is the right drug to attempt to stop the growth of the tumor growing in Mark's lung. The primary side effect of Erbitux is that it may cause facial rashes. There are a few other possible side effects but they are very minimal compared to chemo.
Meanwhile, we are all trying to remain optimistic and focus on Mike & Steph's wedding June 22 and arrange treatments so that Mark and Gary will be feeling well that week. It is an off week for Gary and Mark will stop treatment beforehand and be reevaluated after the wedding to see how effective the Erbitux is and whether he should continue, discontinue or switch to another treatment. Gary, Mike and Kevin had an incredible, fun filled trip to Vegas with about a dozen friends last weekend for the bachelor party while a few of my close female friends and family members gathered for Steph's wedding shower in Norwalk, Ct where she grew up.
As always, we appreciate your support, prayers and positive vibes. We remain very optimisitc about Gary's complete recovery and Mark's ability to keep stopping those cancer cells in their tracks! I will update you in about a month to let you know how they are both doing.

Gary's sad news

2007-04-16T11:05:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, April 11, Gary was diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma. We had a month to prepare ourselves after his fiance, Kristina, noticed a lump on his neck as they were embarking for vacation. He returned from vacation and started doctor's visits and tests March 5, the day we returned from Puerto Rico, and our suspicions were confirmed last week. We are extremely optimistic because this type of cancer has a very high recovery rate and we suspect he is at stage one because he does not exhibit any other symptoms. He will undergo more tests and get second opinions at Dana Farber in the next few weeks and we anticipate he will start treatments by mid-May. Meanwhile, at the end of April, he and his brothers and their many friends will still enjoy Mike's bachelor party in Las Vegas. Gary has started his own blog to keep everyone updated on his cancer. http://gmsheehan.blogspot.com/
Meanwhile, Mark has been feeling great, for the most part, since we returned from Puerto Rico. He has been "obsessed" with his gardening and landscaping and has had more energy than he has had in a year but now and then he's exhausted and must remain in bed for a day. He completed a month of sessions with the physical therapists and has recovered most of the range of motion in his arm. In fact, he even played golf with Gary and Mike a few weeks ago.
His next round of tests are this week and we will have results May 2. So, tune back in that week and we'll share Mark's results. Gary will regularly post updates on his blog concerning his own testing and treatments.
We met with our staff to make the announcement of Gary's cancer the day after his diagnosis. It was the second such meeting we've had in nine months! However, we are all very optimistic about Gary's prognosis and know that the super staff will rally behind Gary as will his wonderful group of close friends throughout the country.

Great News!

2007-02-02T12:57:00.000-05:00

Mark returned to the doctor today for the results of his CT scan and blood tests he had earlier in the week. Dr. Aviles said there are two very tiny nodules, one in the original spot in the left under arm area and one in the center of his chest, near his right lung. Neither is worth addressing at this time and the blood tests were excellent as well. When we inquired why Mark still is so exhuasted all the time, he again stated that the rigorous treatments he had would have killed most people and that it may be the end of summer before Mark returns to somewhat normal energy levels. The only problem which needs to be addressed now is that Mark never regained full range of motion in his arm after treatments. So, he is visiting a physical therapist this afternoon in hopes of learning some exercises he can do on his own. We returned from a month in Puerto Rico last weekend for these tests and now that he will not have to return for more tests for three months, we intend to return to Puerto Rico again for a month as soon as we can arrange a flight!
We had a really nice gathering with the whole staff of CAPE MEDICAL SUPPLY yesterday
for our annual meeting and were touched by their kind words while reminiscing and tickled by thier humor! Hopefully, they won't leave the company and go on the road as a comedy troupe! Mike and Steph have now returned home from CA. Mike started working at the company three weeks ago in the financial division and seems to really like it. Him and Steph are elated with the spacious apartment they got in Pinehills in Plymouth. Gary and Kristina are planning a rare, but well earned, Sandals vacation at the end of February. Kevin is in Europe for six weeks training and racing and trying to rendez-vous with his girlfriend. There is a dearth of snow there, just like in the northeast so they are experiencing all sorts of difficulties due to the poor conditions He returns at the end of February and we hope to catch some of his races in
the northeast in March.
Thanks for caring, for praying and for keeping Mark on your radar screen. We appreciate all the inspiration we've received to enjoy our retirement and we intend to do just that! The blog will be updated after Mark's next series of tests in mid-May.
If you need to reach us while we are away, we will have a laptop and you can e-mail
sheehan@cape.com

Moving Forward With Optimism

2006-11-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

Mark's burn has miraculously healed and his skin looks healthy! There is just one tiny place under his arm that is still raw and painful. He is weaning off all the pain killers, has more energy and even drove a car for the first time in three months. So, we are going to seize the opportunity to visit our condo in Puerto Rico for ten days. If all goes well, we will return for a longer period in January.
Mike asked his girlfriend of 6 years, Steph Savas, to marry him while he was home for Thanksgiving so we have the excitement of a wedding to look forward to in June. Mike and Steph will be moving from California to the Plymouth area in January when Mike plans to join Gary in running the business. Mark and I still own the business but are officially retired and will have no more day to day responsibilities. So, we had much to be thankful for at our family's Thanksgiving celebration last week and shared a day of true gratitude and rejoicing with family and friends.
At this time, we are going to enjoy this reprieve and don't expect any further developments until we receive the results of the CT scan in mid-February. The blog will not be updated until that time unless something unexpected happens. There were 5,000 hits on the Mark Fights Cancer blog in the last four months. We recognize how fortunate we are to have so many caring staff members, friends and relatives and we are very appreciative of all the support you have bestowed upon us. Your cards, e-mails, prayers, gifts, and positive vibes definitely helped us through this difficult time and we will be forever grateful for your inspiration and encouragement. We sincerely hope that you will all enjoy a fun filled Christmas and holiday season.
Please check the blog in mid-February of 2007 when we will update you with the next round of tests. Meanwhile, we are moving forward with optimism and gratitude.

The best news yet!!

2006-11-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

This morning we saw the radiation doctor who said that it appears that Mark is cancer free except for a tiny spot where the original turmor was. The tumor has completely shrunk and is now mostly dead skin so we will meet with the surgeon to decide whether to have it removed. Also, the physicain cancer group on the Cape will discuss the situation at their meeting next Friday, November 17 and report back. The doctor actually used the expression "in remission" which surprised us but it was later clarified by the oncologist.
This afternoon, Gary accompanied us to the oncologist who agreed that the cancer seems to be gone and you could consider it a"semi-remission" but he was not at all optimistic about how long that would be the case. He thinks it is still there in some places but not visible on the scan. It is still stage four squamous cell cancer. Today's results are the best that we could hope for following the treatments Mark already had but the cancer is sure to reappear elsewhere. He will have a follow up CT scan and revisit the issue in early February.
Mark ended up back in the emergency room last weekend due to the severe pain from the burn area under his arm but the rest of the radiated area has healed extremely well. He is still in bed a lot of the time due to the high dosage of pain medications for the raw burn in his armpit but was put on a new pain medication last weekend specifically for nerve endings that has helped more than other pain relievers
The oncologist reiterated that the radiation and chemo Mark had were EXTREMELY aggressive and would have killed someone who was older and not in top shape physically. Mark said he thought they WERE going to kill him some of the time! It will still take a while for the skin situation to be repaired and for him to recover from the treatments. He will try to gradually reduce the pain medications as the armpit area heals over the next month.
We really don't know what to make of the news other than it is good for the time being and the treatments seem to have "bought Mark some time". It appears that we are just completing "round one" and that it may be a while before "round two" starts but the doctors have never lead us to believe that it is curable and so to be "cancer free" and "treatment free" for a time is a relief.
We will try to update you again in a few weeks when we are better able to absorb this news. We may even try to pull off a trip to Puerto Rico in early December! Meanwhile, thanks so much for all the birthday cards, prayers and wonderful gifts Mark received for his birthday. On to the next year and the next fight...

Brief Update

2006-10-25T18:14:00.000-04:00

Treatments ended two weeks ago but Mark is still bedridden most of the time. The radiation treatments he received were much stronger, concentrated, and more frequent than others you may have heard about and therefore, he has third degree burns and open wounds on the front and back and under his arm. It is EXTREMELY painful. He almost ended up back in the hospital today but eventually saw a wound specialist that helped a lot. Between these skin issues and recovering from the rigorous schedule of chemo and radiation treatments, he has no energy and is in no better shape than he was a month ago. But, who would have any motivation with the amount of pain medications he takes?! We apply a strong presciption of cream, he takes many powerful pain medications and many other meds to counteract the side effects of the pain medications. They say it may be another 4-6 weeks before the skin heals.
The tumor is definitely smaller and less painful. We will have more information on where the
cancer may have spread after we get the PET scan on his birthday, November 8 and the results by the week of the 13th. I will update the blog at that time. The doctors fully expect there will be cancer elsewhere and there will be more chemo but perhaps not until after the holidays so Mark can have a period to heal and gain some strength.
As always, thanks for your prayers, positive vibes and caring e-mails. Thanks especially to the staff at RHCI for the gorgeous flowers and also to Sandy and Chuck Robinson for the edible arrangement. We have never seen anything so clever and enjoyed it immensely!!

Hallelujah!!

2006-10-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

Treatments are completed for now and they ended just in time as Mark was totally fed up with the whole regimen. It is extremely difficult to have chemo and radiation at the same time but that is what he has been doing since September 11 when he got out of the hospital in Boston. He had his final chemo treatment Tuesday, October 10. He had such a bad reaction to the treatment of October 3 that he ended up in the emergency room that Friday night for three hours. But, it was time well spent as he was so dehydrated and in so much pain and was in much better shape by the time we left. They arranged an extra office visit this week to run an IV and give him anti nausea mediations and morphine so we could avoid another trip to the ER after the final treatment Tuesday. So, he went this morning and is back in bed snoring now! It sure takes courage to go back for chemo week after week when the reactions each week get increasingly bad. He cut back dramatically on pain killers last week because they were causing so much difficulty with constipation and nausea and has done a little better without them. He is still bed ridden most of the time but we do occasionally get out for a walk and even saw the movie DEPARTED which was violent and bloody but so enthralling with fantastic actors that we actually forgot about the cancer for a few hours!!
Yesterday was Mark's final day of radiation. If you saw the area they radiated on his chest/underarm every day for a month, you would just cringe! It is absolutely burnt to a crisp and now beginning to weep and ooze. It will be a long while before his skin rebounds but we are hoping that it helped shrink the tumor. The doctors claim it definitely is smaller and his arm is more mobile but he does still often have severe pain in the area so we don't really know what to think.
Mark will have a PET & CT scan on his 58th birthday, November 8 and we will get the results on Friday, November 10. These test results should be very revealing and give us a better idea of what the future may bring. The radiation doctor says that Mark will not ever be able to have more radiation on this particular tumor again although he could have it on a tumor that may crop up elsewhere. The oncologist seems to think that after he sees the test results, he may like to go after any other cancer that still exists with chemo but there is a possibility that he will be able to put this off until after the holidays. Mark will consider further treatment if he gets a month or two to recuperate from this past regimen and if they can assure him that it will significantly increase his life span. Although it is stage four cancer, we have no prognosis whatsoever at this point so we look forward, with trepidation, to November 10. If Mark is not in too much pain in the next few months, we could even consider a brief visit to the condo we just purchased in Puerto Rico last April. However, for now, he is too weak, on too many medications and in too much pain to consider going very far from home at all. He still isn't feeling sociable and hasn't called or seen anyone for a few weeks. Perhaps after a week of recuperating from treatments, he will gain some strength and be more welcoming.
Meanwhile, I have a new respect for nurses. I have been so busy with my charts, medication schedules, driving to appointments, applying salves, getting scripts refilled and trying to make eating enticing that I haven't missed the uniform business I sold a month ago at all. I hear the nurses' unions complaining about having more than 8 patients at a time. I don't know how they handle more than one!!! Although there have been countless offers of help that we sincerely appreciate, we really don't need help at this point. Mark is content to have just me and the kids around and I'm so used to being busy that I'd probably fall into a slump if someone stole my job!
One of the most shocking aspects of this illness is the high price of drugs. I'm so grateful to be able to afford them and my heart goes out to those who are less fortunate at such a difficult time. For example, there is one anti-nausea medication on the market called "Zofran" and there is no generic for it. Mark takes 2-3 a day so a refill lasts a week or ten days. The co-pay for it is $100 and if our insurance didn't cover it, and they tell me most insurances don't cover it,
it would cost $1,035 to buy it. Furthermore, I don't know how anyone would survive the effects of chemo without it. This is just one of the many pain killers, appetitie stimulants and lotions
he uses regularly.
Well, as always, your e-mails are very much appreciated. They seemed to get ahead of me the past few weeks and I didn't respond as often as I would have liked but I do always print them out and show them to Mark. All of your kind and generous offers are sincerely appreciated and we are sorry to keep turning them down but the day may yet come when we need your help. Meanwhile, all your positive vibes, nice cards, and prayers make a difference in our outlook.

Inquiring Minds Want To Know...

2006-10-04T19:38:00.000-04:00

Not much has changed in the month since Mark got out of the hospital but inquiring minds want to know what is going on so I'll try to give you some idea of what's up. Our lives seem to have changed the day Mark went into the hospital on September 8 and have evolved into a series of doctors appointments, pills and treatments with a little fun thrown in now and then. Mark is on 8 medications, half are for pain and the other half are for the side effects of nausea and constipation caused by the pain medication!! I now have to keep a log of medications and food to keep it all straight. I get Mark up around 9:30 and give him pills to make him hungry and prevent nausea so that he can eat breakfast about an hour after that followed by pain medication on a full stomach. The dispensing of pills goes on a cycle like that until late at night. If Mark is having a good day, we try to go out for a walk at the canal or Craigville Beach so he can get a little exercise. Many days he is just not able to get out of bed at all other than for treatments. We go to radiation at 4 pm Monday thru Friday. On Tuesdays, Mark has chemo mid day for a few hours. For the past few weeks, he has felt fantastic on Tuesday and Wednesday and very sick in reaction to the chemo on Thursday and Friday but this week, he has not felt as good as in previous weeks after chemo. Sometimes he has cravings for something like a MacDonalds hamburger, grape juice or ice cream and other times, the very mention of food makes him sick. He is like a skinny pregnant woman constantly
swinging from cravings to nausea. Initially, he started losing weight and eating can be a battle but we really kept on top of it in the past week and his weight was actually up this week!
His spirits are pretty good but he rarely feels like talking on the phone or seeing anyone other than his sons. The staff at work hasn't even seen him in two weeks and they miss him!
He misses being able to just live an ordinary life, going to work, golfing, gardening or driving his car which he hasn't been able to do for more than a month. However, the treatments will be over in mid-October and he is optimistic that he may be able to resume some activities then.
He is still in constant pain with the tumor under his arm, therefore, he is heavily medicated particularly in the past week. The doctors say that the tumor has shrunk some. His skin is bright red on the front and back of his body where the tumor is and it's very itchy much of the time. This week's round of blood tests showed he was anemic so they added a new medication to his chemo. We have been able to go out to eat a few times but definitely not daily like we used to. I think the money we're saving on restaurants is going to co-pays for medications and doctor visits!
We have no idea what the future will bring. The doctors say that his tumor can continue to shrink for a few weeks after he finishes radiation so they will wait a while before they administer more scans and tests. Therefore, I doubt we will have any answers at all until sometime in November. The oncologist has indicated that he thinks he will start another round of chemo depending on the results of scans. I think we will also have to contend with a surgical removal of the tumor. But, for now, we are taking one day at a time and do as much as we can when Mark is able to. I've done over my dining room into a bright cheerful office/den and I spend a lot of time at the computer and I've returned to Curves. We still enjoy watching episodes of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and we rented THANK YOU FOR SMOKING on the first day it came out in DVD because we had enjoyed it so much in the theatre. It is so irreverant and hilarious, rent it!
Gary had a "hole in one" on the fourth hole at New Seabury a few weeks ago! He has been the General Manager of CAPE MEDICAL SUPPLY for the past few years and we're announcing this week that we have appointed him as President & CEO of the business. He has many exciting plans and future goals for the business. Mike returned to L.A. at the end of last week. He is currently unemployed, living on his savings and is contemplating what he wants to do with the rest of his life. It's not an easy time for any of us to make plans. Kevin was struggling with his math class but has dropped it and is focusing on the history and business classes he enjoys along with staying in shape and training for the ski season. He is off to Sacramento this weekend to MEET THE PARENTS! He has met Katie's mother but not her father until now. This blog entry wasn't too exciting but I hope it has satisfied your curiousity. Maybe we can have a blog celebration when Mark finishes this round of treatments in mid-October! Meanwhile, thanks for all the e-mails, cards, prayers and humor you've sent our way. It brightens our days. We even got a beautiful basket of mums from the VNA this week. Mark had been on their advisory board for years and just "retired"! We appreciate all your positive thoughts and uplifting words.

Message From Gary

2006-09-24T18:25:00.000-04:00

My brothers came home and the whole family attended Dan and Natalie’s wedding.
Kristina even caught the bride’s bouquet! It was nice to reunite with relatives we rarely
see and we had a lot of fun. My Dad had a few good days last week but had not been
doing well for the days prior to the wedding. However, it was important to him and he gave it the good effort, persevered and was able to stay throughout the reception.

My folks have been put in an awkward position lately and it is beginning to stress them out so I want to help them out. My Dad does not want to receive phone calls from or have visits with anyone at this point regardless of how close a friend or relative they are. The past two weeks have been the worst of his life and he is extremely weak, in much pain, very susceptible to catching viruses, and just generally feeling lousy and unsociable. My Mom has brought him to the office and his brother’s house a few times when he felt up to it but it is rare that he has the energy for or interest in anything. It must come from him and be on a timetable that works for him regardless of others’
desires to see and speak to him. My mother has been cast in the position of being
a “gatekeeper” and it is becoming very uncomfortable and stressful for her. Believe me, my brothers and I are welcome any time and we stay on top of how both my parents
are doing and that is all they want right now. For the time being, we urge you to honor
my father’s wishes and restrict communication to e-mail at the blog or directly to my Mom at Sheehan@cape.com She prints out and shares all communication with Dad.
Mom also has my brothers and I and a few close friends with whom she communicates
daily so she is getting the support she needs.

The support their many friends and relatives have shown has been incredible and the messages of support and encouragment keep them going. When and if my Dad is able to put together a few strong days and feels a little more sociable, he will contact those he wants to speak to and we will alert you on the blog that he is willing to receive phone calls and visits but until then, please honor his requests. The requests for more at this time is bringing stress to a situation that is otherwise peaceful and healing and works well for Dad at the moment.

"Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired"

2006-09-20T10:58:00.000-04:00

When Mark left the hospital and started radiation the same day, he spiraled into his worst week yet. The final diagnosis was metastatic squamous cell cancer that metastisized to the right lung from the left lymph node. With the extreme pain from his tumor on one side, the lung post op pain on the other, exhaustion from recovering from the lung procedure combined with radiation on top of extreme nausea from medications and radiation, he felt like he had the worst flu of his life and was hit by a Mac truck! He was unable to eat and the thought or even the smell of food repulsed him. It was so bad that when he got to chemo yesterday, he asked the nurse to close a curtain in his line of sight so he wouldn't have to view the cans and boxes of food!
Yesterday was his first day of chemo and they added in something to relieve the nausea and also gave him a script for an anti-nausea medication. By the time he left his first three hour session of chemo, the nausea had subsided and an hour later, he insisted I take him to MacDonalds for a cheeseburger, fries and a coke and he actually ate it!!! I felt like a miracle was happening before my eyes! In addition, the radiation has already eased some of the pain of the tumor and he has a bit more range of motion in his arm. He had been put on a marijuana derivitive pill last weekend to increase his appetite and now with the anti-nausea pill, he'll be sending me out in the middle of the night to get Doritos, pizza and ice cream!! We are both feeling much more optimistic and have a new sense of determination to fight this disease in the past 24 hours.
Our old friend, Katie, came from Maine for a visit last weekend. There are not three old friends who feel more comfortable together and we even had a pajama party and watched "Five Easy Pieces" together. Gary is on a business trip and will return tonight with a million ideas of how to spend the business' money. Kevin will be arriving home from UVM in search of a math tutor tomorrow and Mike arrives, jobless, from L.A. on Friday. He quit his job and probably will become a professional poker player after his friend, Dave Iannotti, won $30,000 in a tournament last weekend!
We are all gathering for Dan Sheehan's wedding to Natalie Hawkins on the Cape. And, with my parents joining Mark's relatives, it promises to be a fantastic family gathering and couldn't come at a better time! Dan is embarking on this venture at 72 years old, Natalie trails him by just a few years, they already have 6 children and are not planning on having anymore! Natalie has three sons and one daughter. Her daughter is her maid of honor and has been in treatment for very advanced breast cancer, so both families have much to be thankful for in coming together this weekend in celebrating life and new beginnings. We wish Dan and Natalie much happiness, good health and days of fun and adventure in the years ahead.
Meanwhile, thanks for the new round of cards, e-mails, and well wishes. They are the happiest part of our day!

Escape from the Looney Bin

2006-09-13T20:31:00.000-04:00

Mark did not get released from the hospital on Sunday as planned. He had a temperature and was required to remain one more night. I picked him up early in the afternoon on Monday and drove him straight to Cape Cod Hospital for his first radiation treatment. Friday, he will meet with the oncologist regarding his chemo which is expected to start next week. He will have radiation five days a week for the next five weeks and chemo once a week during that period and possibly longer. All treatments will be done on the Cape. After this radiation regimen, we will return to the surgeon in Boston to decide whether the remainder of the tumor needs to be removed. There will be a PET scan and other tests at that time as well. The doctors have made it clear that we are unable to actually cure the cancer because it has gotten into the blood stream. We are attempting to contain it. So, apparently there will be repeated tests to detect where it may travel and suggested treatments to address issues as they arise.
Now both sides of Mark's body are sore due to the exploratory surgery in his lung on the right side. The tumor on his left side has caused agonizing pain in the past few days and Mark has been bedridden most of the time recuperating from the surgery and getting some much needed sleep. He is on pain medication all the time as well as a variety of post surgery medications and has been running a fever off and on.
He wants me to share his hospital nightmare with all of you so you can appreciate his relief in being home in his own bed. He came out of surgery at Brigham and Womens on Friday night and was put in a room with two women. One of them was highly medicated 60 year old woman who was hallucinating she was on some cruise and proceeded to take all her tubes out and try to escape. The staff finally noticed and eventually resorted to getting a 350 pound aide to sit with her until she passed out and stopped moving... until the following morning when she started to call everyone she had ever met in her life on her cell phone starting at 6 am. So, Mark heard the story over and over in excruciating detail with only a curtain separating them! Minutes after they got her to sleep, they wheeled in "Crazy Eddie" who was a 20 something crack addict who had been stabbed in the heart by his "friend" when he took the last hit of their coke! Crazy Eddie proceeded to scream and swear in pain as he demanded more drugs and eventually passed out after keeping Mark awake the entire night!
Throughout the weekend, every time the noise level dimmed, the nurses would come in and poke Mark with something or play with his tubes, take his B.P. or deliver a tray of unwanted food. He never slept more than a few hours from Friday evening until Monday night and was so relieved to return to his own bed in his nice quiet Cape Cod home that the only time he will leave is when he gets radiation treatments!
Mark does have much to look forward to though. This weekend, our friend of 30 years, Katie, will drive down from Maine for an overnight visit. Then, Mike is returning to the Cape September 22 for a week and Kevin will drive back from UVM so the entire family can attend Mark's oldest brother's wedding on September 23. Mark's brothers and their families will be there along with my parents so it will truly be a family reunion for everyone and we are all looking forward to it.
Tomorrow we pass papers in selling Barbara the uniform division of the business so that is one less responsibility we will have. In fact, with Gary's oversight and the incredible dedication of our hard working employees, the business has not caused us a moment of concern and we couldn't be more grateful to our entire staff for that.
As always we are enjoying the messages left at the blog, the cards Mark has received, the countless prayers you have said on Mark's behalf, and the many offers of help we have received. The blog has enabled us to reconnect with many and has meant a lot to us. Some people don't feel comfortable leaving messages on the blog. If you prefer to e-mail me directly, please do so at sheehan@cape.com. I am not a big fan of phone calls and Mark is sleeping most of the time so we do prefer e-mails.
Fortunately, this is the first time in my life that I don't have incredible demands on my time so I am free to take care of Mark full time and drive him to his appointments. My erratic driving is even distracting him from the cancer as he often feels that he is on the verge of a heart attack! I guess it was fate that this terrible disease arrived at a time we could fight it without other stresses and responsibilities distracting us. However, if the time comes that we need help, we know that there are countless people that we can count on. We know that your offers are heartfelt and you truly want to pitch in and we will take a "rain check" until the need arises.
As always, thanks for your concern. We never cease to be impressed with the number of "hits" the blog has received! With Love and appreciation, Nancy

The Diagnostic Phase Ends

2006-09-09T00:09:00.000-04:00

After three months of doctors visits, tests that triggered ever more questions and doctors being baffled, we have finally completed the diagnostic stage with some dismal news. The skin cancer that was removed in February of 05 left a speck of squamous cell cancer remaining which was the cause of the ever growing tumor. Now, the cancer has escaped into his blood stream and traveled to Mark's right lung. This indicates an advanced and dangerous progression of cancer which will be treated on the Cape starting in a week to ten days with both chemo and radiation. The previous consideration of an arm amputation is no longer an option.
Mark and I arrived in Boston on Wednesday, September 6 and met with doctors and had two full frustrating days of tests, repeat scans, pre op appointments while getting lost in the maze of departments at Dana Farber/Brigham & Womens and even losing my change purse with lots of money in it.
Today, Friday, September 8, we arrived for several very invasive procedures performed by our thoracic surgeon. This evening, the doctor called to give the results. The fact that the cancer has traveled to Mark's right lung is not promising news at all. Mark was finally moved from the recovery room to his room at Brighams at about 10 pm. He has countless tubes attached to his entire body and his lung- which had been collapsed to do one of the procedures
was causing enormous pain and he is receiving pain killers intravenously. It is expected that he will be in the hospital until Sunday then return home for further recuperation prior to starting treatments in the next ten days or so.
I had intended to return to the Cape tonight but instead checked into a hotel around the corner from Mark's room.
As always, we are extremely grateful for all your well wishes, prayers and concern. We had a fantastic anniversary weekend with Kevin and his girlfriend, Katie, who flew in from CA to join us and Gary and Kristina, the Terrys and Iannottis and some of Gary's fun college friends.
Thanks so much to all who recognized our 30 tumultuous years together!!!
I am writing from the hotel lobby and will write more details when I return home early in the week. Please know that I do not receive e-mail addresses of those who write to the blog so I often can not respond to nice notes and comments but they are always appreciated.
Until next week, thanks for the many favors, cards, offers and kindnesses you've shown.
Love, Nancy

The frustrating, depressing saga continues

2006-08-29T19:49:00.000-04:00

From Cape Cod to Boston, Mark is leaving the entire medical establishment baffled! Today, Tuesday, August 29, we left the house at 7 am and returned at 7 pm with yet another new twist.
We thought we were going to see a surgeon about the possibility of amputation of Mark's arm. It turns out that a thorasic surgeon, Dr. Ducko in this case, specilizes in the pulmonary/lung area! He wanted to have another CAT scan to look at that spot on the right lung the doctors had initially seen and then dismissed and surprise number two was that he arranged for it this very afternoon so we didn't have to return another day. Surprise number three was that the initial little mass is now gone and was probably just an infection. The shocker was that there are now more inexplicable little spots on the right lung and some tiny ones on the left lung! Mark's theory is that every time we visit a doctor, we come away with worse news. He had anticipated that we would leave Boston with more information about an arm amputation but now he is back to the possibility of lung cancer and if that is the case, there will be no decision to make about an amputation! If there is cancer anywhere else in his body, other than the area of the original tumor, amputating his arm will not solve anything. Dr. Ducko sounded like the doctors on the Cape when he began uttering, "very unusual, baffling, a unique cancer, I am consulting with many others on this case."
We also got a call last week from the dermatologist we saw at Brighams a few weeks ago and he claimed that two of the biopsies from Mark's face were simply basil cells but the newest one on his cheek was a squamous cell cancer. That doctor is arranging for another surgeon to perform a procedure called Mohs surgery to remove them. In this type of surgery, they go in and scrape the cancer out, make you wait in the waiting room while they perform a biopsy on the spot and keep repeating this procedure until they are confident the cancer cells are gone. Mark is not yet scheduled for that.
Now back to the outcome of our visit with Dr. Ducko today...a week from Thursday, September 7 (three months after this journey of doctor visits began), Mark will go to Dana Farber for a pre-surgery consultation, a PET scan and his first MRI. This MRI is the first look at his brain and if they were baffled when they saw the rest of his body, wait until they take a look at his brain!! Friday morning, September 8, Mark will be admitted to Dana Farber for fairly invasive lung biopsies that will keep him in the hospital for three to five days. The tumor, which gets bigger and more painful by the day, is on the left side and this surgery is on the right side so the after effects are sure to add to his misery. The last PET scan was now a month ago and we must be absolutely current to determine where the cancer is and what our options are. However, at this point, we are beginning to wonder what difference it makes because it will probably be everywhere by the time someone decides to do something about it!!!!
Mark is very confused, extremely depressed and in a lot of pain most of the time. Despite all this, we are planning to celebrate our 30th anniversary this weekend with a few of our friends and some of Gary's college friends who will be on the Cape. Then, on Sunday, we will have a more private celebration with Gary & Kristina and Kevin & Katie. Kevin left for UVM last weekend but is returning with his girlfriend, who is flying in for the weekend, to celebrate with us. Mike and Steph are back in L.A. but will be with us in spirit. September 4 is our 30th anniversary and my parents 58th...we're a family of great endurance!!
We will update you following Mark's exploratory surgery the weekend of September 8th.

DEPRESSING!

2006-08-23T11:26:00.000-04:00

The Red Sox' disappointing series with the Yankees epitomized our weekend. We went to the Friday night game which was the longest game in history. Our limo had some problem with the air shocks and by the time we hit Bridgewater, it felt like the bottom of the limo was scraping along the highway and we were driving about 10 MPH. We pulled over at Burger King and the boys tried to help the limo driver fix it. Gary ruined a new shirt laying on the ground. After about a half hour, we got going again but the same thing was happening just as badly as we approached the North End. We were an hour later than we expected and if we had waited in the line to get into Reginas, we would have missed the game. So, we got two pizzas "to go" and stood at the corner eating them as we waited for the limo driver to retrieve us to take us to Fenway.
We were now joined by Kevin's friend so 8 of us piled back into the limo and drove about 100 yards before it became obvious that the problem was hopeless. The driver told us to take a cab to Fenway and he would try to resolve the air shock problem during the game and we were to call his cell. We flagged down a van which would only take six of us. Mark and I got a cab and I got to say that phrase from the movies "Follow that car"! Our cab followed the kids' van to Fenway without incident.
During the game, we contacted the limo driver who said he had recruited his cousin who would take some of us home and the limo driver would take some. He thought the reduced weight would prevent the problem. So, we gave up on the game EVER ending around midnight and the limo and the van met us. Mark, Kevin and I went with the cousin in his van and the others went in the limo.
At this point, I was still in good humor and thought the "ride" to Boston was a funny adventure. However, it has taken me five days to be able to appreciate the humor in our van ride home. But, in retrospect, it would be a hysterical comedy skit. Although he was from Cambridge, the cousin driving didn't know his way around Boston, couldn't see very well and was having Kevin help him find his glasses in the console as he drove erratically, mostly in the wrong direction saying he couldn't see. He came to a complete stop on Storrow Drive twice while deciding which way to go and we ended up north of Boston in Everett before he relinquished the driving and Mark took over, turned around and got us back to Cape Cod with him and Kevin in the back seat!
The limo fiasco seemed to set the tone for the rest of the weekend which included rain Sunday morning when the boys and Mark were scheduled to play golf. In addition, Mark was still reeling from the doctor suggesting that an arm amputation would be a possibility. It was all just too much and the darkness of dealing with cancer has set in. His tumor is growing all the time and continues to be painful and impact his arm mobility. He is now scheduled to meet with a thoracic surgeon next Tuesday, August 29, who apparently will advise us on whether amputation is an option and, if so, what it would entail. I will update the blog after that appointment.
Mike and Steph left Monday to return to CA and Kevin leaves this weekend for UVM. Kevin will return next weekend with his girlfriend, Katie, who is flying in. And, Gary, Kristina, Kevin, Katie and Mark and I will celebrate our 30th anniversary on Labor Day weekend.
Thanks, as always, for your outpouring of support and prayers. Your thoughtfulness and offers of help astounds us and we are genuinely appreciative.

Emotional Roller Coaster!

2006-08-16T20:46:00.000-04:00

For those of you who have not been involved since the beginning...Mark was told in early June that the lump was probably nothing. Then he was told that it was probably lymphoma, then he was told that it was stage four lung cancer, then the PET scan showed the cancer only in the area of the lump under the arm. Then we were told that it was squamous cell cancer that probably originated from the skin cancer removal in November of 2004 and that it was very treatable because it appeared to be all in one place. Radiation was temporarily arranged to start at Cape Cod Hospital next Monday, August 21 and chemo would start soon thereafter if the doctors in Boston agreed with the diagnosis. We expected to go to Boston and get the "go ahead" today from the specialists but we got thrown yet another curve ball!
First we met with a dermatologist, Dr. Werchniak, at Brigham & Womens who decided on the spot to take off several of Mark's small facial skin cancers. He agreed with the doctors on the Cape that the squamous cell tumor must be the result of the skin cancer removed from Mark's chest in November of 2004. Although it is rare for skin cancer to spread like this, he has seen it before. The only thing that has him baffled is the distance of the tumor, near Mark's armpit from the original site of skin cancer. It's odd that there is no sign of cancer between the tumor and the original site of the skin cancer removal in the center of Mark's chest. The stitches on Mark's face from today's skin cancer removals will be removed on the Cape so there is no plan to see Dr. Werchniak again.
Then we walked up the street to see Dr. Sarah Russell, a surgeon at Dana Farber. We were repeatedly told that she was running late and the 3:30 appointment did not take place until 5:45 but by the time we were done, we wished it had been an even longer wait to hear the news she delivered. We were very impressed with her and thought she was extremely knowledgeable and very detail oriented but it is difficult to sum up what she said. Basically, she needs much more information from tests previously performed that was not provided in the packet we brought. After she reviews more specifics, she will consult with Dana Farber's Thoracic physician to talk about that tiny mass that had previously been detected on the other side, Mark's right lung. If, after reviewing all tests and performing any additional tests that she deems necessary, there is no cancer found elsewhere other than the general area of the tumor under his arm then he will have the following options: Amputation of his arm right up to the shoulder. This is the only option which would probably stop the cancer altogether for good. Or, have chemo and radiation and most likely follow that up with surgery to remove the lump which will probably not disappear with this treatment. The bottom line is that this type of cancer is very aggressive and chemo and radiation only cures about 5% of cancer patients with this type of cancer. It is very likely that a piece of it will break off and travel elsewhere in the body and result in future bouts of cancer sprouting up in the future.
If you know Mark, it probably goes without saying that she hardly had the word "amputation" out of her mouth before he said "Well, you can forget about that"! I'm trying to urge him to keep his options open because every scenario seems to result in limited use of his left arm and he is right handed. It appears that, one way or another, his erratic golf game will be a thing of the past. It will be a few weeks before she gathers all the information about previous testing and consults with a thoracic surgeon so there is a lot of time to ponder and many questions that, we now see, have gone unanswered. I will update the blog when we get any other news. Meanwhile, we are looking forward to Mike and Steph arriving on
Steph's 26th birthday tomorrow. With Kevin's travels and Mike living on the West Coast, it is very rare that we are all together. We are seizing this opportunity to have a photographer come to the house for a family photgraphing session which the staff gave us as a gift at Christmas. Then ten of us are going to New Seabury to celebrate Steph's birthday. Friday, we are going in style to the Red Sox/Yankees game. A limo arrives at 4 to take 8 of us to Regina's Pizza in the North End and then on to the game at 8 pm.
We have received countless, much appreciated cards, well wishes and pledges of prayers. However, Gary's friends from Boston College united to deliver an unsurpassed gift of compassion. The group of male and female "BC Eagles" sent a portable DVD player, "Caddy Shack" and a Netflicks membership along with an absolutely beautiful card and a thoughtful written message that brought tears to my eyes.
Some of these friends are Yankee fans that have been ribbing Mark via e-mail about the Red Sox' dismal record lately. The combination of sincerity and humor has been greatly appreciated. So this is a "Shout Out" of sincere gratitude to Gary's thoughtful college friends, a few of whom were unfortunately born flawed with the "Yankee Gene"!!
I will write again when there is news to share. Meanwhile, thanks again for all your cards, prayers and entertaining e-mails. They have lifted our spirits!

Yankees May suck but fans are AWESOME!!

2006-08-06T19:07:00.000-04:00

In response to our last entry seeking tickets for the Yankees/Red Sox series
when Mike and Steph are here, we got a call from Steph's father, Tony
Savas, offering us eight tickets for that Friday night!!!! Tony grew up in
NYC and lives in Norwalk, Ct but he sures has a kind and generous heart
despite living in Yankees terrotory! Tony and Steph's mother, Liz, will
join us the day Mike and Steph arrive to celebrate Steph's 26th birthday at
New Seabury. We are all soooo excited!!! Mark has been very uncomfortable
and in a lot of pain with his lump all weekend and rarely got out of bed but
Tony's generosity has sure eased the pain!!!

Update

2006-08-05T12:38:00.000-04:00

Mark saw the surgeon who did the biopsy, Dr. Flynn, on Thursday. He is
still so sore in the area they did the biopsy and it's difficult for him to
sleep or be active at all. He is now on antibiotics to kill any infection
that may be in that area and has painkillers for the pain. Dr. Flynn said
that the radiation and chemo should shrink the lump and if there was too
much left after therapy, he would remove it but it is a very invasive, risky
surgery in the armpit area and it would be best to wait until after
chemo/radiation to remove it if necessary.
On Friday, we met with the radiation doctor, Dr. Canaday. He suggests 6
weeks of radiation and Dr. Aviles will be administering chemo during that
same period. Next week, Mark will go to Cape Cod Hospital to do the prep x-
ray, etc. for radiation. However, nothing will be done until we have gone
to Dana Farber for a second opinion.
All the local doctors are still scratching their heads, using the word "odd"
and have never seen a progression of skin cancer develop and spread into the
lymph system like this. They are very forthright in saying they are
baffled. Mark is enjoying being so unique and stumping everyone!!
We got the appointment at Dana Farber for August 16. Mark will meet with
two differnt specialists that day. All his records have been sent to them
so hopefully he will not need to go thru the battery of tests all over
again.
On the family front...Gary and Kristina LOVED Puerto Rico and had a
fantastic, but too brief, vacation there. We are so excited that Mike and
Steph are coming August 17-21 and we are hoping to get 7 tickets to a Red
Sox/Yankees game that weekend. Does anyone know how we could get them?
Kevin returned from Park City and will be home until about August 24 when he
will leave for UVM.
Thanks again for all the prayers, cards, e-mails and website viewings. Your
expressions of caring have been so heartfelt and meaningful and truly are
helping us through this seemingly endless "Diagnostic Period". They are
like ammunition in helping Mark keep up the fight!! We don't explect any
other news until after the visit to Dana Farber so check back August 17.

Optimistic News!

2006-08-01T20:12:00.000-04:00

Today, Tuesday, August 1, 2006, we got the best news that we've heard in
months. I suppose if we had heard this news in May, we would have been
devastated but some dismal recent opinions from doctors has now elevated
this news to the fantastic column! We met with the oncologist, Dr. Aviles,
for results of the PET scan. It appears that the cancer is concentrated in
just one place right around where the initial lump appeared. There is still
a tiny questionable mass in the lung but not enough to consider the lung as
the primary souce of the cancer. In fact, the source of the cancer is still
somewhat of a mystery but the best guess at this point is that it originated
with the squamous cell skin cancer Mark had removed in November of 2004. It
is highly unusual that skin cancer would spread into the lymph system as
this has but at this point, there is no other explanation.
The remedy will be radiation at the cancerous area along with chemo therapy
to target any cells that may have gotten into the system. There is some
possibility that a surgeon will recommend that the initial lump be removed
before proceeding. The area of the lump has been very sore and continued to
grow since the initial biopsy on July 14. So, Mark was given some
antibiotics to address possible infection and pain killers to address the
pain he feels and which often keeps him up at night. Initial predictions of
the oncologist is that there will be a six week regimen on Chemo and
radiation and possibly longer on the chemo. We will meet with the original
surgeon who did the biopsy on Thursday and the radiation specialist on
Friday, August 4.
The oncologist is also arranging for a second opinion at Dana Farber. The
whole thing is so baffling that he didn't know which type of cancer
specialist Mark should go to. So, he had to discuss the whole situation
with the Dana Farber staff and it was recommended that he be directed to a
physician that specializes in skin cancer. They will schedule an
appointment by the end of the week.
Other good news: Gary and Kristina are absolutely loving Puerto Rico and
having a blast on their vacation. They return Friday, August 4. Also,
Kevin has almost completed his drive home from Park City, Utah and we expect
him to walk in the door momentarily. Mike and Steph are planning a visit
sometime in the next month and are greatly relieved by this uplifting news
as we all are.
I will update you after our visits to Dana Farber if nothing significant
evolves before then. They may want to keep Mark as a guinea pig because of
his rare situation!! Leave it to Mark to have everyone baffled with his non-
traditional cancer progression1!
Meanwhile, thanks SO MUCH to you all for your prayers, your support and your
concern. It is amazing how many have visited the website, sent cards and
expressed concern in many ways. It has meant the world to us to know there
are so many rooting for Mark!
------- End of Forwarded Message -------

Other Stuff

2006-07-27T09:04:00.000-04:00

As I read the posting here it occurred to me that people may not realize what Mark’s actually doing these days, which is pretty much the same as always. We played golf yesterday afternoon and had a great time on a beautiful Cape Cod summer day. He worked for a while today, before checking out early to relax and enjoy the weather.
I just want to be sure people are aware that he’s up and about, and though he has quite a few doctors’ appointments, many of which end up leaving some discomfort due to poking and prodding, he is doing very well overall.
Thanks to all of you who have left so many positive messages for Mark, and the whole family, and Nancy will be sure to keep things up to date when there’s news to report.
Hope to see you all soon,
Gary

Tuesday, July 25

2006-07-25T18:45:00.000-04:00

We had hoped for some answers in the past few days but the test results are
not revealing much. Yesterday, Mark had a breathing test and they said
there was only a little diminished capacity in his lungs, however, it was
still in the normal range.
Today, the biopsy results from the lung taken last Friday did not show any
cancerous cells. All involved physicians have discussed it and have no
answers. It does not mean that the cancer didn't originate in the lungs,
just that the particular cells they took are not showing it. But, previous
scans have shown that there are masses and abnormalities in the lung. It is
highly unusual for it to originate as skin cancer and then develop into the
lumps in the lymph nodes but it is very remotely possible. Mark did have a
skin cancer removed a few years ago in the center of his chest. There is a
slight chance that they will never find where the cancer originated.
So, until we get the PET scan results next week for the test which will be
taken Thursday, July 27, all we have to work with is that there are
definitely squamous cells, which means that he definitely has cancer. We
know it has traveled to the lymph nodes and didn't originate there. But, we
don't know where it started and won't know where it currently is until the
PET scan gives us that information.
Meanwhile, Mark intends to start the process of getting appointments at Dana
Farber in hopes that we can get more information and second opinions quicker.
Wish I had more to tell you but will update again by August 2.

Friday, July 21, 2006

2006-07-23T10:09:00.000-04:00

Rob brought Mark to Falmouth Hospital for his bronchoscopy (sp?) early this morning. I (Nancy, henceforth) picked him up about 10 and I spoke to the doctor over the phone because he had been in to talk to Mark but Mark was so drugged that he had no recollection whatsoever of even seeing the doctor!
Dr. Shuttari, the pulmonary specialist, said that he got a good piece of the mass in the lung and it does appear to the naked eye that it is lung Ca.
However, we will have to wait until Tuesday for a more definitive biopsy report.Mark remained very sleepy throughout the day and is resting comfortably. He may even play golf this weekend if the area of the biopsy from last Friday isn't too sore. He has a full week scheduled next week with a breathing test Monday at Falmouth Hospital, the results on the biopsy on Tuesday and a PET scan on Thursday at Jordan Hospital. I will keep you posted as results come in next week. We anticipate a new round of testing at Dana Farber the week of July 31 to get second opinions, decide on treatment, etc.

First Post

2006-07-20T15:05:00.000-04:00

We established this web-site as a place you can come to at your leisure and learn more about what Mark is doing, how he is faring, where his medical travels may be taking him, and hopefully some other fun anecdotes about the family.
We appreciate the support of everyone and count ourselves as truly lucky to be surrounded by such a special group of friends and family.
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers and we look forward to celebrating a successful win; as Mark said to the employees of Cape Medical today - he looks forward to learning how to beat cancer in his 50's, as he learned how to start a business in his 20's, ski in his 30's, golf in his 40's. This presents a new and unique challenge, but one he is ready to tackle head on.
Thanks to everyone and see you all soon,
Gary