Easy Skankin'

Did I ever mention that I love Marc? Here's a collection of my most recent and favorite pictures: 

With Dylan (TJ and Laura, your kid is adorable)...

and with Carly (Rob and Kelly, your kids are also adorable. Vermonsters make cute babies!)...

and this ancient gem from Liz (thank you!)

of us...

and of both of us wearing these ridicules spectacles!

Clearly, The Dude abides...

xoxo

zip-pity zap zap

Whelp, it's time to kick some cancer ass. After a few snafus we're finally connected with the right doctors, and we've opted for the double punch attack. During the next six seeks, Marc will be looking at this 

every day, as he walks into CVPH for his radiation treatments. It only takes a few minutes and initially, side effects are minimal. However, he will eventually start losing some hair, and he might start feeling a little worn out. But that is only half of the double punch attack. For the next year, Marc will be taking chemo pills that look like this: 

As one might imagine, the side effects of these little nuggets are not so pleasant either. But, the cancer has to go and it's encouraging to know that these treatments have worked for others. We're both banking on the notion that in a year the cancer will be gone and we'll both be looking back, laughing; together. 

Marc has been incredibly positive, brave and strong throughout this whole ordeal.  Everyday, I am amazed by his courageous outlook and Zen approach. He's enjoying life to the fullest, despite everything that has bombarded him during these past few months. I'm trying hard to follow his lead. Of course, the steady flow of Phish summer tour sets has helped A LOT. - Thank you Life Boy!!! 

Actually, this would all be much more difficult without the influx of love and support from our friends and family. Thank you all, for the frequent phone calls, emails, thoughtful gestures and supportive perspectives. 

We're not out of the woods yet, but we're well on our way. 

...In the mean time, we'll try to take it easy and avoid little mishaps like this: 

!!!!!!!!! :)

It's June 12th!

Geez, you're all probably wondering where we've been since the last post.  We've been enjoying a the late spring, riding our bikes, and Jen has been working hard on her Master's Thesis (when she's not working, or obsessing over her garden!).  We've had way too much rain up here over the last month or so, which is a bit of a shock considering how arid the last two summers have been.  Hopefully things will dry out soon so we can get back to normal.

So, the tumor that they took out of me turned out to be a bit nastier than we had all hoped.  It is what is known as a Grade Three glioma.  That is fancy doctor words for "cancer".  It didn't really come as much of a shock to me, although hearing it is a little dubious.  The next step is chemo and radiation.  The radiation treatments will last for 6 weeks (every day except weekends), and the chemo (which is in pill form) will last for an entire year.  I'm told there might be a bit of nausea involved, but the main side effect is being generally "wiped out" by the end of the day.  Other than that, I can carry on as usual (except I still won't be able to work).  That means biking, outdoor activities, an occasional cocktail and so on.

I've heard many success stories regarding this kind of treatment, people who are healthy tend to tolerate it well, and I recently met a guy while out on a mountain bike ride whose story is almost the exact same as mine.  He is a bit older, but underwent treatment for a Grade Three back in 2007 and has been cancer-free ever since.  He even completed an Ironman Triathlon a year after wrapping up treatments (for those who don't know, and Ironman consists of a 2 mile swim, a 112 mile road bike ride, followed by a goddamn marathon).  Stupid if you ask me.  I'd rather mountain bike for 3 hours then drink beer and eat buffalo wings the rest of the night.

So that about wraps it up for now.  I'll check back in when I know when the treatments will start, and we'll keep everyone posted.  Feel free to get in touch!

May 20th update

I'm glad to say that over 2 weeks (17 days, actually) have passed since the operation.  Some time over the last week, the "craziness" subsided and I'm finally starting to feel pretty normal.  My mind is working well on a cognitive level, and my left side motor skills are feeling close to normal.  All in all, I'd say that I'm at 80-90% back to where I was before the surgery.  I'm feeling so well in fact that I convinced Jen to let me ride my bike yesterday...on actual dirt singletrack, not just up and down the driveway!  Having the ability to get back on my bike will be the best thing to come along since this all started.

I have many more doctor's appointments yet to come, and we have yet to get the full pathology reports from what they removed from my brain.  When we get the full and proper information, we will post the news up here, but until that time, we don't want to put up partial or false info, so continue to check back.

There are a countless people out there who have gone way out of their way to help us through this. I don't want to forget anyone and hurt anyone's feelings,  so I'll forgo naming names of all the friends who have "been there" and have showed us not only how many great friends we actually have, but who have showed us the true meaning of friendship.  If you think you even might be on this list, then you are right, you are.  People from as far away as Utah and Oregon and people who live not 10 minutes away.  Lots of folks in Central and Western New York as well as Vermont, Oklahoma, and even England have weighed in.  It has been great to hear from you all, so let's keep it going!

Lastly, I would like to name a few family members who deserve awards for making through all of this with us.

Todd Loiacono and Michelle Foster
You guys brought me burgers and fries when I was in the hospital.  That's what got me over the hump

Susan Loiacono
You fed me some nasty applesauce when I was in ICU.  Thanks for coming all the way to spend some time out here

Steve and Diane Loiacono
Sorry you hade to go through all of this.  No words can thank you guys for all you have done and continue to do.  Thank you

Jennifer Patching Loiacono
You've been through way more than I have, and thank you for seeing me through all of it.  The best is yet to come.

Kaya and Eddie Loiacono
You're dogs, so you'll never grasp how much being with you guys has lifted my spirits and healed my wounds, but thank you!

well, I'm sure glad that's over

I guess it's time to weigh in since it's been over a week since the surgery.  I was right about one thing, that it was the "easy" part.    I should probably spare most of the details of the post-op shittiness, but trust me when I say it was shitty. and it's still shitty.  The pain is manageable,  the chaos I feel inside my head right now is not.  Think "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" or "Being John Malkovich,  For real.  When they discharge you from the hospital, they don't tell you that the hardest part is still coming.

I'd like to say that at this time, there would have been no getting through this without the constant support and love from my family.   I'll never know what it's like to have to go through this with a son, brother or spouse.

The constant love and affection of my wife Jennifer has been the sole light at the end of what is probably the longest tunnel ever.  She is devoted and caring and has had to put up with way more shit than any woman should ever have to.  She had to put up with my shit long before this fiasco began, and I aim for her to never have her deal with it again.

To Jen:

There's moonbeams we can dream on, when the working day is done.
And there's stars we can wish upon, at the setting of the sun
The sunsets we cry over put our troubles on the run
But more than all these miracles above, good people we've got love
Everybody needs love, love, love love
Just like they need the moon and stars up above.
~Eddie Hinton

I love you, Jennifer

Lazy K

We're Home! 

Friends Like These...