HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008 AND UPDATES

January 21, 2008

Jack is back in the hospital with another blood clot after he was attacked by a stomach flu. We have all had a version of this latest beast. It grounded me which is not surprising since I was running on overdrive and way past a reserve of any kind. This clot seems to be worse since they are not letting him out of bed for anything. I have been so sick that I have not gotten out to even see him. He is learning now that he can advocate for himself.

Yesterday, he declared to the nurse that he was becoming hearing impaired due to the decibel level of the IV alarm going off. She challenged him about decibels - wrong thing to do!!! He then informed her that he had been the safety officer in Chemical Engineering at MIT. She will likely not forget about decibels. Don't lose hope, Jack has not lost his cognition, thankfully.

I have attached our NEW YEAR 2008 letter that we have mailed to some who do not know of our circumstances but for those of you that have followed our events, we wish you the same blessings. The picture is not attached however to the blog because I haven't figured out how to do that yet!

Happy New Year Letter
Hello to all of our Friends:

This letter is way overdue but our lives have been very chaotic as you can read below. I want to begin by quoting from Psalm 90:12 – “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” The Lord has made this verse very evident to us this year.

We have had a breathtaking year that eclipses all other events in our lives. On August 22, Jack was diagnosed with grade 4 multiforme glioblastoma (the most aggressive form of brain cancer). The prognosis is bleak. Jack is currently in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation environments. He is essentially paralyzed on his left side. He has gone through radiation and chemotherapy. Initially, we were told the tumor was inoperable due to its location. It was on the right frontal lobe. It was the size of a racket ball (golf ball size). It affects motor function on the left side of his body. Jack has no function of his left arm and hand. He has difficulty talking due to the weakness in the left side of his face. Word production is difficult with only one side of your face muscles working. He can walk with assistance with a leg brace, a walker, and with someone by his side for balance. As you can begin to imagine, our lives our forever changed.

We have hit a number of “potholes”. Jack had a seizure and was hospitalized on November 14. After hospitalization, he was transferred to an acute rehabilitation hospital. After 10 days there, he developed 2 blood clots behind his left knee and in right groin. He had vascular surgery to place a filter in his groin to prevent clot migration. He is now on daily blood-thinner. Two days after that surgery, the doctors decided that they must remove the tumor and necrotic tissue in order to relieve pressure and reduce the amount of steroids he was taking. The tumor appeared to have progressed coupled with a large amount of dead tissue. When they removed his tumor, it was dead. This tumor type has tentacles so the doctors have told us it will return but so far there is no evidence of this happening. Three weeks out from surgery, he developed pneumonia and a sudden, acute drop in his sodium level. From what we were told, sodium levels are problematic with brain cancer patients. He spent Christmas in the hospital. He was returned to rehab where he had been making great endurance strides. Last week after he developed the stomach flu, his left leg began to swell again. He went back to the hospital where they discovered he has another blood clot. This one is worse. He is on an anti-coagulate via IV and he is not allowed out of bed even for the bathroom. We have been informed that brain cancer patients are also prone to blood clots as well. He will likely go back to rehab but we are hoping that he can soon return home with 24/7 care. He has not been home since November 14.

By the grace of God, his spirits are amazing. His ability for cognition is also amazing. Where the cancer is/was located does not affect reasoning, problem solving, and personality. We are most thankful for these blessings. The journey has been challenging and we are certain it will continue to be. We are most thankful that the Lord sustains moment by moment. Jack’s comment was “many people do not have the opportunity to have this much majesty and beauty in their lives. I feel very content; my cup runs over.” Our friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors have been caring, encouraging, comforting, and there for us. We have truly been embraced during this time of sorrow and joy.

Courtenay, Jonathan, and Megan are nearby now. Jonathan and Megan left friends, family, and jobs to return to Boston to support us through this experience. They bought a condo in Somerville and are six miles from us. They have all been amazing and an enormous blessing and encouragement to us. I continue to work with the help of fabulous office staff. Jack consults with his CEO of his company when he is needed. In the face of these events, life continues.

We trust that each of you will have a blessed 2008. We have no idea what tomorrow holds, we are confident that our Lord holds tomorrow. If you want to follow the Howard events, we have kept a website since the very beginning if you desire the details of our lives. It is http://howardupdates.blogspot.com. The picture enclosed was taken at Thanksgiving outside one of the rehabilitation hospital where Jack has been since his surgeries.

“May the Lord bless and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26.

Love and Happy New Year,
Carolyn, Jack, and family