Guest entry

Hello all from daughter #2, Caroline. Just wanted to give a little update from a my perspective.

I arrived in Minneapolis from Philadelphia yesterday afternoon and went straight to the Mayo Clinic to find my parents anxiously awaiting the test results, which they had been doing for the previous two hours. After the nurse finally called them in, I was honored and a little nervous to tag along and meet with Dr. Nichols to hear the long-awaited plan for surgery.

This entire experience has shown me now more than ever that my parents are two of the strongest people I know. My dad has endured more physical obstacles than one can ever imagine, yet he continues to push forward and is determined to get better and be cancer-free. And my mom is the emotional rock for all of us. She puts everything into caring for my dad, constantly educates herself on his condition, speaks for him when he cannot speak for himself, maintains the continual flow of nutrients into his feeding tube and still manages to update the rest of us with this genius blog.

Since my dad's diagnosis on January 5, I have known that we are all going through this together--our entire family and large circle of friends. But my parents have really been in this as a 2-person team. It all came to the forefront when in the doctor's office hearing test results read. My dad started asking the doctor's assistant questions and not once did he say "I" or "me." It was always "we" and "us." My mom may not be physically sick but she is experiencing this nasty cancer right there with him. It is in fact a "we process."

To repeat what my mom always says, thank you so much for the love and support sent our way. It is humbling to hear of all the people who have reached out and helped my parents with anything and everything. We love you all!!