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Help Mark Beat Cancer!
As a life-long sailor and entrepreneur, Mark has often thought of himself as nearly indestructible.. and infinitely resourceful.. always able to adjust course as needed and find the way, whether it be in business, with creative endeavors, or on the race course!
"The only way out is through.. Plan your work and work your plan.. You can do anything you set your mind to”.. his list of “words to live by” is long, and these nuggets of wisdom have helped him maintain a quiet confidence through all the ups and downs of the years.
But this bit of "puffery" was knocked out of his sails last month when we read the Doctor Visit Summary online:
"Patient found to have stage IV metastatic colon cancer".
What?! How was this possible?! Although it did begin to explain the months of working at half-steam and tiring so easily, as well as the rapid weight loss (30 lbs in 4 months!).. we began to think more about these words and their implications.. for everything.
Mark had struggled with IBS, Crohn's, and other gastro-intestinal issues of varying sorts for much of his adult life, including an emergency appendectomy a few years ago, but this was certainly a gut punch.. literally and figuratively. The oncologist told us he may have three or four years left, at best.
Ok now, wait. What about all of our plans for a National Park tour once the beautiful bungalow we restored was sold? What about the regattas we had planned to attend all around the country as part of a “Sailing Across America” documentary concept we were cooking up? What about finally having just a little of that long-sought-after time and space to “breathe”? Was all of this being systematically stripped away, just like the pounds that seemed to be vanishing each time he would catch a glimpse of his reflection in a storefront glass?
Every day is now consumed with just trying to take in enough calories to maintain a fighting weight, to prepare for the long journey ahead, to manage the pain that radiates from different places within the ribcage. Morphine at 8am, 4pm, and midnight, oxy for the breakthrough pain that hits hard and randomly, and still other pills to help with the side effects.
While Social Security will cover some of the needed treatments going forward, we have also been exploring promising complementary protocols which can significantly increase "survivability" but which will not be covered, and time is of the essence with this particularly aggressive cancer.
We are incredibly grateful for the community of friends and family, new and old, that has already begun to take root around us. We hope by sharing our story with you and inviting you to be part of this journey, in whatever way you feel most comfortable, that we can build an even stronger community for all of us.
So please, share your own "words to live by".. your well wishes and prayers.. inspiring stories.. All of these, along with your financial support, will help ease Mark’s path as he takes up this fight, and will be appreciated more than mere words can ever express.
Please consider making a gift to our “Help Mark Beat Cancer!” effort.. every little bit counts.
“We’re all in this together”
(another set of “words to live by” that’s going on our list!)
As a life-long sailor and entrepreneur, Mark has often thought of himself as nearly indestructible.. and infinitely resourceful.. always able to adjust course as needed and find the way, whether it be in business, with creative endeavors, or on the race course!
"The only way out is through.. Plan your work and work your plan.. You can do anything you set your mind to”.. his list of “words to live by” is long, and these nuggets of wisdom have helped him maintain a quiet confidence through all the ups and downs of the years.
But this bit of "puffery" was knocked out of his sails last month when we read the Doctor Visit Summary online:
"Patient found to have stage IV metastatic colon cancer".
What?! How was this possible?! Although it did begin to explain the months of working at half-steam and tiring so easily, as well as the rapid weight loss (30 lbs in 4 months!).. we began to think more about these words and their implications.. for everything.
Mark had struggled with IBS, Crohn's, and other gastro-intestinal issues of varying sorts for much of his adult life, including an emergency appendectomy a few years ago, but this was certainly a gut punch.. literally and figuratively. The oncologist told us he may have three or four years left, at best.
Ok now, wait. What about all of our plans for a National Park tour once the beautiful bungalow we restored was sold? What about the regattas we had planned to attend all around the country as part of a “Sailing Across America” documentary concept we were cooking up? What about finally having just a little of that long-sought-after time and space to “breathe”? Was all of this being systematically stripped away, just like the pounds that seemed to be vanishing each time he would catch a glimpse of his reflection in a storefront glass?
Every day is now consumed with just trying to take in enough calories to maintain a fighting weight, to prepare for the long journey ahead, to manage the pain that radiates from different places within the ribcage. Morphine at 8am, 4pm, and midnight, oxy for the breakthrough pain that hits hard and randomly, and still other pills to help with the side effects.
While Social Security will cover some of the needed treatments going forward, we have also been exploring promising complementary protocols which can significantly increase "survivability" but which will not be covered, and time is of the essence with this particularly aggressive cancer.
We are incredibly grateful for the community of friends and family, new and old, that has already begun to take root around us. We hope by sharing our story with you and inviting you to be part of this journey, in whatever way you feel most comfortable, that we can build an even stronger community for all of us.
So please, share your own "words to live by".. your well wishes and prayers.. inspiring stories.. All of these, along with your financial support, will help ease Mark’s path as he takes up this fight, and will be appreciated more than mere words can ever express.
Please consider making a gift to our “Help Mark Beat Cancer!” effort.. every little bit counts.
“We’re all in this together”
(another set of “words to live by” that’s going on our list!)
