8 months!

Eric is officially 8 months from surgery and diagnosis! This is an awesome anniversary to celebrate and we wanted to celebrate it with all of you! 

While reaching the 8 month mark, he is doing so well that it takes a lot of effort to remember that he is only 6 weeks status post his most recent surgery. He is healing up like a champ. Has returned to running, hiking, biking, working at a reduced level, and most daily activities. Although the past 6 weeks has not been easy, Eric continues to steamroll past the challenges placed in front of us. 

The past 6 weeks has been jam-packed reading lots of research, questioning everything, searching for options, exploring those options....riding a roller coaster of hope considering promising options only to experience a drastic plunge the following day when options were taken away. Together we considered every possible clinical trial and treatment that Eric might qualify for, looked all over the country, looked at a many options as possible, spoke to various trial coordinators, only to find that some trials closed recruitment just a day or two before we found it or that Eric really wasn't a candidate. Many people have helped us along the way doing lots of leg work, looking at options, reading scientific literature, talking to experts, etc. All of which helped us out of the analysis paralysis we found ourselves in throughout the early and mid part of November. 

Working with Eric's team members and various other people, we finally reached a plan. A plan that is the best for Eric. He started a new chemo just before Thanksgiving. We weren't sure what to expect, but luckily his side effects were managed well enough that we were able to enjoy a quiet Thanksgiving full of lots of love and great food. While our plans were forced to change, and we dearly missed the framily we were supposed to celebrate with, we winged it, made our own day, ran a 5K together, and had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of smoked brisket and love!

The current plan is for us to continue living life to the fullest extent possible, enjoy the beginning of winter, and to continue to work through the medical plan step by step. The next step of the medical plan is to exercise patience while awaiting the next MRI which will help decide if we stay the course or if we need to tweak the game plan, again.  

So here's to 8 months and many more!