Hello all.
Since Scott is not in this week, and all goes well, I believe I will be in the office for part of the day. If you need me, please stop and knock (or just stop by and say 'hi.'). I will be working on MWRTEC (what a surprise).
The second reason for this email, is to let you in on the latest developments with Sarah. She is fine, just a lot of big changes in her chemo therapy. We went to the hospital yesterday and came up with a number of surprises. I wrote a long diatribe on Facebook last night for friends and family and received a lot of interesting (and positive) comments from them. After thinking about it today, I thought I would cut and paste the comments that i wrote in FB last night for you to read. This should give you some insight on what we have been going through over the last seven months. What you are about to read is nothing new. We often ran into problems like this, just not so many all in one day. No comments are necessary. Just thought all would be interested.
The opening of the post is responding to a couple of previous comments from friends.
See some of you tomorrow.
M.
Facebook post (1/25/11):
"As to Sarah getting better, yes --whatever it takes! However, today was the worst possible day to throw this major curveball at us.
We had been up since 4:45 am to drive two+ hours on snow-covered roads. We walked into clinic, everybody was "a buzz" that Sarah was FINALLY at the maintenance mode. Got the tour of the new hospital. Sarah had a spinal tap and had one of her hardest times "waking up" from the Propofol. She was queasy and needed Zophran to calm her stomach. Vinchristine (chemo) was given through her port and she was deaccessed. The medicines were ordered at the pharmacy and ready to be picked up. We were minutes away from fighting the icy roads back home (only this time in daylight) when the PA came in and said the doctor needed to talk to us. When the doctor came in and sat down to talk to me "eye-to-eye", I knew something was wrong.
The two (fairly new) studies that were going on had sent a notice this morning to the hospital saying that the studies were closed and they had ALREADY come to their conclusion. The kids on Sarah's study, the normal way to treat A.L.L., needed to be switched to the new method. And with that, Sarah's group needed to "catch-up" with the other group, thus, they needed high doses of Methotrexate administered to them. She will need to have four, four-day (minimum) hospital stays over the next 2 months. She will have the drug (as well as several others, including more spinal taps) and stay in the hospital until it has exited her body. We decided that the best way to do it is go in at 8:00 am on Thursday for the spinal tap and not leave until Sunday (at the earliest).
MJ and I have moved "heaven and earth" to get us to this point, and the doctor agreed to let us start this on Thursday, 10 February. This allows us to be free for both the conference that I am putting on (MWRTEC), and, more importantly, Sarah singing in La Boheme. The other three dates for her stay are: Feb 24th, March 10th and March 24th.
As for clinic, they are convening ALL the children's oncologists and bone marrow specialists this Wednesday to discuss the results of the study. In the middle of their discussion is Sarah! She is on the crack of the study's results, so they need to brainstorm to see if this is truly the correct way to go (though our oncologist is fairly sure that they will go down this avenue). The bigger picture is, this changes a LOT of how they will treat all new A.L.L. patients. The biggest question, "how come the study came to a close so soon." I believe the doctors expected the study to go quite a bit longer.
The one interesting thing from this is, the overall time frame is still the same. Sarah will finish with ALL medicines on:
23 September 2012. Yes, they have a definite date for us (which I just found out today).
PS - the last time she was subjected to a lower dose of oral Methotrexate, she got sick and lost all of her hair. This time it will be given at even higher doses, thus the hospital stays."
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Room for 2 needed
Hello all from Grand Rapids!
Today is Sarah's LAST DAY of hardcore chemo. We have a short break and then go into "Maintenance." This is a WHOLE lot easier for all of us. Sarah will have to take oral chemo for two years and have spinal taps once a month. BUT THAT'S IT!!
Anyway, the real reason for this email. We have two people coming to visit, check us out, and audition for CMU. One is looking for a grad school for this coming year, the other for the year after that. Does anyone have space to put the two up? They need housing for this Monday and Tuesday nights. One is Andrea Miller. She is a tuba player who is graduating from Univ. of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. If accepted (and she decided to come), she would be our grad assist for the next two years. The other person traveling with her is another member of the Eau CLair studio. I am drawing a blank on his name right now (yes, a guy), but he is a junior looking for grad school for the fall of 2012.
If you have the room, please respond "Reply All" when answering this email. Also, I will need someone to "look after them." I am asking one of Mary Jo's grad students to take them around to classes, but they will have down times and need a tour of the university.
Thanks and hope the semester started off great.
Dr. Cox
Today is Sarah's LAST DAY of hardcore chemo. We have a short break and then go into "Maintenance." This is a WHOLE lot easier for all of us. Sarah will have to take oral chemo for two years and have spinal taps once a month. BUT THAT'S IT!!
Anyway, the real reason for this email. We have two people coming to visit, check us out, and audition for CMU. One is looking for a grad school for this coming year, the other for the year after that. Does anyone have space to put the two up? They need housing for this Monday and Tuesday nights. One is Andrea Miller. She is a tuba player who is graduating from Univ. of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. If accepted (and she decided to come), she would be our grad assist for the next two years. The other person traveling with her is another member of the Eau CLair studio. I am drawing a blank on his name right now (yes, a guy), but he is a junior looking for grad school for the fall of 2012.
If you have the room, please respond "Reply All" when answering this email. Also, I will need someone to "look after them." I am asking one of Mary Jo's grad students to take them around to classes, but they will have down times and need a tour of the university.
Thanks and hope the semester started off great.
Dr. Cox
Thursday, January 6, 2011
News on Dan Turchyn
Studio,
After an email from the Chair of the Department at Oakland University, I just found out tonight "officially" that Dan Turchyn has transferred to Oakland University. I know some of you had heard rumors about this last month, but the first I heard about this was only a couple of days ago, and unfortunately, from a couple of your colleagues and not from Dan, himself. This leaves us in a couple of awkward situations. Central Foundation is in need of a new player. The group is supposed to be performing at MWRTEC on a 1/2 concert. I will let you know VERY soon what my decision will be about this group. The Brass Band will also be in need of a new player. I would be willing to move people around (ex: baritone to euphonium) and/or add another person into the group. Let me know if you want to join or change instruments. I told Professor Williamson about this possibility yesterday. He will make his own decisions as what to do about seating arrangements in the major ensembles.
It is unfortunate that I found out about Dan leaving this way. I would hope, with all of you, if you were not to return to CMU, you would do me the courtesy of informing me when/if you were to make that decision. I never want a student to stay with me, or at CMU, if they are unhappy. I would not be upset --saddened, probably...but not upset. I obviously want to work with all of you, because I invited you to join me in the studio here at CMU. I know last semester was unfortunate and odd with Sarah being diagnosed with cancer (and with all my trips to Grand Rapids because of that). It was not the best semester of teaching that I have ever done. Obviously the health of my daughter trumped many things. I will say that when I come back in the fall, I will be refreshed and look forward to a great semester working with all of you.
Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful semester.
Dr. Cox
After an email from the Chair of the Department at Oakland University, I just found out tonight "officially" that Dan Turchyn has transferred to Oakland University. I know some of you had heard rumors about this last month, but the first I heard about this was only a couple of days ago, and unfortunately, from a couple of your colleagues and not from Dan, himself. This leaves us in a couple of awkward situations. Central Foundation is in need of a new player. The group is supposed to be performing at MWRTEC on a 1/2 concert. I will let you know VERY soon what my decision will be about this group. The Brass Band will also be in need of a new player. I would be willing to move people around (ex: baritone to euphonium) and/or add another person into the group. Let me know if you want to join or change instruments. I told Professor Williamson about this possibility yesterday. He will make his own decisions as what to do about seating arrangements in the major ensembles.
It is unfortunate that I found out about Dan leaving this way. I would hope, with all of you, if you were not to return to CMU, you would do me the courtesy of informing me when/if you were to make that decision. I never want a student to stay with me, or at CMU, if they are unhappy. I would not be upset --saddened, probably...but not upset. I obviously want to work with all of you, because I invited you to join me in the studio here at CMU. I know last semester was unfortunate and odd with Sarah being diagnosed with cancer (and with all my trips to Grand Rapids because of that). It was not the best semester of teaching that I have ever done. Obviously the health of my daughter trumped many things. I will say that when I come back in the fall, I will be refreshed and look forward to a great semester working with all of you.
Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful semester.
Dr. Cox
Spring Lesson Schedule
FYI from Scott Hanson -
The sign up sheet for Spring 2011 lessons is now hanging in its normal spot. His teaching hours will be:
Tuesday (he will get here for studio class) - 12:00-5:00 pm (ending at 5:00)
Wednesday - 8:00-5:00 pm with a lunch break from 1:00-2:00 pm
Thursday - 8:00-11:00 am (he will leave after studio class)
Central Foundation will schedule a coaching time with him sometime during the first week of classes.
Thank you,
Dr. Cox (for Mr. Hanson)
The sign up sheet for Spring 2011 lessons is now hanging in its normal spot. His teaching hours will be:
Tuesday (he will get here for studio class) - 12:00-5:00 pm (ending at 5:00)
Wednesday - 8:00-5:00 pm with a lunch break from 1:00-2:00 pm
Thursday - 8:00-11:00 am (he will leave after studio class)
Central Foundation will schedule a coaching time with him sometime during the first week of classes.
Thank you,
Dr. Cox (for Mr. Hanson)
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