Message to Bob

Hi Bob,

Thanks for your note. I appreciate your thoughts, and I also appreciate the fact that it's hard to figure out what to say about my condition. Get well soon??

I'm actually doing pretty well right now. After the initial illness finally cleared, I began feeling normal again. I've been significantly depressed at times (probably a normal reaction) which makes it hard for me to sleep very well, but otherwise Kathy and I are both doing okay.

I'll be seeing my doc again in a couple of weeks. We're going to discuss the next step in my therapy; to treat or not to treat! He's recommended a combination of chemo and monoclonal antibodies, the newest kid on the block. They're getting about 60% complete remission rates with this new combination. We'll see if I can successfully get into the remission group with these kinds of odds, after missing out on the should-have-been sure odds of getting a donor match with a sibling! If I can't get better with that treatment, there are any number of new possibilities on the horizon, currently in clinical trials.

I guess the good news for Deb is that she's off the hook for a kidney for Dan, and Doug's on the hook!

That's all for now. Hope to see you guys in August, but I really don't know if we'll be travelling at that time; I may be undergoing my therapy during that time.

Oh, yeah. Before we start any therapy, we're going on our long-planned trip to Germany later this month--business/first class, all the way, thanks to coupons we got after last year's fiasco. We're leaving on the 16th and will be travelling to several places in northern and old east Germany where we've never been before: Quedlinburg, Goslar, Fritzlar and Hamlin. I'm really looking forward to the trip.

Dave

"Schnack, Bob" wrote:

Dave (and Kathy) -- I know I (and Kelsey) been "silent" by email about your leukemia. I just haven't known what to say, and I don't want you to think that we don't care or don't have concern. We think of you often and hope for the best results from whatever therapies you decide to go with. And as I'm sure you know, Deb, Kelsey and I would do ANYTHING we can to assist or help out. Bob