A shot from last weekend’s trip to Sequoia, which Abby and her family took with Merlin’s sister Gwyn and her fiance Bill. Not pictured: the newest addition to the family, Hammy the Hamster, who came along in – wait for it – a luxury RV I mean travel cage. Owen and Merlin have been very busy creating habitats and other delights for the new guy…er, rodent.
In news of The Cancer, there’s some good stuff and some not-as-good stuff. The highlight: after months of delays at the labs due to the “Angelina Effect,” the genetic testing came back and Abby is negative for BRCA 1 and 2. Woo hoo! Also, the first three rounds of chemo did stop the tumors from growing any larger. Unfortunately, a recent ultrasound clarified that they have also not gotten any smaller (so much for the happy oncologist). This means a change in plan: after the fourth round of the current chemo drugs tomorrow, Abby will switch to a different concoction for the remainder of treatment. Good times! The new drug regimen will have four rounds, two weeks apart. It will suck more but be over more quickly, in other words. After that Abby is done with chemo and it’s on to fun stuff like surgery and radiation (but hey, no barfing! Grateful for small blessings).
Abs is ready. Josh is cranking up production at the matzoh ball soup sweatshop. My parents are getting serious quality time (not to mention occasional visits to waterslides) with Owen and Julia. And the many, many friends, neighbors and relatives who have been helping from near and from far just ROCK. We appreciate you so much!
Thanks for the update. Hang in there Abby! Sending love from Boston. ~Caroline
So grateful for the good news, though we’re all holding out for the very best news… Hope the new regimen does its thing and soon.
Sending the usual mega doses of love, patience, healing that is allowed to be sent over the Inter Nets!
Sending gratitude, also, to Abby for hanging in (the only option, right?) and Team Abby for being there (ditto!)
Love
Susan
love the photo.
And seriously, you guys hauled a hamster on the vacation. Well who am I to talk, I used to haul the dog on the sailboat. 🙂
Thanks EVERYONE for the loads of support in every way — shoulders to cry on (or punch!), food, magazines, books, babysitting, poems, words of inspiration. I love you all so much.
And yes, Owen is the very happy friend of our new pet (practice for a dog at some point) hamster, “Hammy” (are all 6 year olds so literal? 😉 who COULD NOT be left behind according to Owen. While singing car songs, one asks you to sing out the members of the family, so Julia shouts out: “Julia! Owie! Mommy! Daddy! Hammy! IPad!”
Dear Abs, Pat and I are thinking about you constantly, and are sending good vibes your way. I am in Westboro tonight. I just spent five days backpacking in northern NH finishing up the 165 mile Cohos Trail which ends at the Canadian border, where I was this morning. Love, Uncle Dave
Abbs,
I think Julia has a head for marketing: singing in the car about the family , including the iPad, right after the Hamster? (nothing person, Hammy). I think Unkie Dan, MBA, is just the man to pitch this to Apple. If he can sell contact lenses to chickens… porque no?
Good to hear from you, Abbs. Sending
mega doses of love. You are always in my heart and mind, holding you close
Abrazo fuerte
Aunt Sooz
Hi Abby;
Best wishes are sent your way from the East Coast!
We have followed brother Dan and sister Cynthia’s reports on your webpage and extend every good wish that the new regimen of treatment will be fully successful and you will be 100% well.
Love,
Cousin Eric and Honorary Cousin Cindi Blumsack