September 29th, 2023

Dear Friends & Family,

Thank you for the outpouring of love our family has received over the past 12 days since my initial journal entry. We are truly grateful and blessed to have so much amazing support. 

I don't have any major news for you, but Anderson is doing well and tolerating his daily oral chemo, especially with the help of the prednisone. Some days he is tired and mostly rests, but some days he runs errands, gardens, plays music or we grab a quick dinner out. His energy is limited though. He is still ever present for our boys as they navigate his diagnosis - giving them advice or watching football (or baseball) with them. There's always sports on in our home! Our lives are very much "in the moment" these days as it's hard for us to plan ahead when Anderson may or may not feel well that day.

Anderson spoke with his Oncologist, Dr. Daud by phone this week. The plan is to stay the course of treatment until his next brain MRI, which is scheduled for mid-October. At that point we will know more and I will update you after that scan. Cancer is mostly a waiting game to see if treatments are working. Our lives revolve around his next scan and the weeks in between are filled with trying to eat as healthy as we can, reducing stress and enjoying every moment.

If you're interested in more details of that phone call, Anderson was instructed by Dr. Daud to decrease his intake of prednisone (slowly) and increase his chemotherapy medicines. It's extremely important that he get as much of the Tafinlar/Mekanist (his course of BRAF+ inhibitors, aka "targeted chemotherapy") into his body as possible. As I've said before, we need the chemo to work its magic in his brain, but the brain is a very tough place to treat due to the blood/brain barrier. We are praying for the spread of the Melanoma to stop in his brain with this increase of chemo, but we know that spread can potentially happen. That part of this disease is what makes it so very scary and unsettling. Like many other cancers, Melanoma is an extremely smart one - it hides and disguises itself to trick the immune system. That's why you should schedule yearly skin checks with a dermatologist and never hesitate to go in to see them again (and again!) if a suspicious spot pops up in between visits. Please also check under your nail beds for any dark spot or lines - Bob Marley passed away from untreated Melanoma originating from his toe. Melanoma can pop up anywhere and is the most serious type of skin cancer, which develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin - the pigment that gives your skin its color. 

With that said, we know so many of you are also feeling the heaviness of the situation along with us. Thank you. We can feel your love and prayers! I wish I had more news for you. We are just in a holding pattern until the next scans. We remain hopeful, yet this is one heck of a journey to get through for our dear Anderson. We are thankful that he has the will and the right attitude. And also, he has the best cheering section in the Universe! We continue to hope, to pray and to enjoy each day. 

I promise to post next here on this PostHope site when there is ANY news, but you can expect an update around mid-October. In the meantime please know we are doing our best to keep you in the loop and again, this site is the best way to get updates and leave messages. If you've written us by text and we haven't replied, we apologize - it's just that we are overwhelmed and processing everything going on all while trying to maintain our family and busy household. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for all the love and support you have shown us. We appreciate your prayers more than we can express. It helps us to feel less alone and that in itself is very healing.

with endless gratitude,

laura xx