The Day of Surgery

{JaNece Editor}  Mindy came this week from Alaska and has been helping our Dad feel better.  Jack had an appointment with Dr. Hill, a surgeon and he felt confident that he could do this surgery and fix the problem that was causing an infection.  After talking with Dr. Hill, Jack has decided to have a lapriscopic surgery to fix the leak in his colon in hopes that this infection will go away and Jack can regain some strength.  So today was the scheduled day of surgery.  He checked in at 8 and by 10 the surgeon came in the room saying, "GOOD NEWS!  No surgery.  After further labs and scans there is nothing to fix!  There is no leak in the colon and therefore he doesn't need the surgery."  We all sat there a little bit flabbergasted!  What great news!  He was on some pain pills that make him nauseous, and that is the battle we are currently fighting. Nothing tastes good and nothing stays down.  So our prayers are for his appetite to return.  We have witnessed yet another miracle.  We are so grateful!!!

The Drain (Literal and Emotional)

{JaNece Editor} These past few weeks have been FULL of emotion from everyone here in the Marshall Family.  I realize I have been a horrible updater, but no news is good news.  So, unfortunately, I have news.  :(  Several weeks ago, my dad complained of his back hurting.  He has been diagnosed previously with spinal stenosis  (click for more info).  He was in a lot of pain and was finally able to get an epidural, which in the past, has been helpful at relieving some of the pain.  This time, however, it did nothing.  So the pain continued until he was unable to move (or be touched) without wincing in severe pain.  Eunice wasn't able to help him get to the car, so she called an ambulance.  The first responders came, which were EMT's from Woodland Hills who knew Jack.  It was comforting to have them there, and he was in good hands.  He made it to the emergency room and was transferred (for the 3rd time) to the 7th floor.  He had a leak or hole in his colon (fistula) which was causing an infection and the severe pain he was experiencing.  They were able to drain it, but he was kept in the hospital for almost a week.  The doctors concluded that it was most likely caused by his cancer medicine called Avastin.  If we were to continue his cancer treatment, his condition would worsen.  So Jack is off his cancer meds, which means he is no longer on the Trial Study.  (And he was the last man standing on the study...)  Surgery was mentioned, but quickly dismissed because it was too invasive and the risk of infection was too great.  He was sent home from the hospital with hospice and a drain from his colon.  Not to mention, we are emotionally drained.  We have heavy hearts as we enter this new phase.  We appreciate all the care and concern shown towards Jack and our family.  He has been home for about a week an a half and is still in pain and mostly bed-ridden.  A few days ago, Jack's doctor called and told us that there is a less invasive microscopic surgery that could fix the fistula and leak in his colon.  There is no guarantee that Jack's health will return or that he won't have another infection or that the cancer wouldn't return.  But it has been a glimmer of hope in our dark moment.  They haven't made a decision, but many prayers are being offered and petitioning to the Lord.  Mindy will be flying in on Tuesday and Jared (who is out of town) will return on Thursday.  We are happy to be able to be together to help in this decision.  Thank you again for your concern and your heartfelt prayers.  We feel them and we know they are answered.  We will update again soon.

Stay Positive

{JaNece Editor} Where do I start? Lots has been happening with Jack and so I'll just catch up in one post. Several months ago Jack had a visit with the Dr. The report said that his lymph nodes had enlarged by 20% which could mean several things: the cancer is spreading, or he is fighting an infection of some kind (cold or something). He hadn't been feeling well and has lost some more weight. We all thought the worst and things were looking down. However, he had a scan 6 weeks later that reveled that the cancer hadn't spread and actually SHRUNK!!! It was only .01%, but it shrunk!!! We were all thrilled and excited. It gave us new perspective and even more reason to stay positive. It's easy to get down, but after we have experienced yet another miracle we will not give up hope. Jack still gets up early every morning and goes to work for the city. He has a million projects he's working on and is as busy as ever. Prayer works and we are so happy that the news was good. This is a picture of Jack pointing to his name which was written in tar by his workers. Everyone loves him!!!

Here's to HOPE

{JaNece- Editor} As you know, our Dad was diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer over a year ago. He is fighting it and getting treatments through a clinical study with the Huntsman Cancer Institute. We feel so blessed to have him in our lives and cherish our moments and memories with him. My awesome sister Mindy (who runs like a mad woman) is running a race for The Huntsman Cancer Institute to raise money for cancer research. Here's what she has to say:

{ Hello friends! I have an opportunity to raise money for the Huntsman Cancer Institute which has helped my Dad fight his cancer. I'm running a race in August for the Huntsman Cancer Institute and the money I raise will go directly to cancer research. I'm so excited to give back to this amazing organization which has helped my family so much, and could someday help yours too! I hope you'll look the website and give - even if it's just a little. If each of you donate $5, I will meet my goal of $500. Thanks for considering! I know that this is not feasible for all of you, and I completely understand that. But I wanted you to have the opportunity. :) Thank you!!! Sincerely, Mindy Hymas }

Everyone is affected by cancer. Whether it is someone in your family or someone you know, we can all do a small thing to help fight it. Here is the link and here's to HOPE!!!

http://www.huntsmancancerfoundation.org/netcommunity/forjack

One Year Ago

One year ago doctors had some very bad news.

We didn't know what would happen.

We didn't know what to do.

We didn't know if there was anything we could do.

We were scared.

Yet what we didn't know was that 2 superheroes had emerged.

Out of the ordinary.

Two regular people who had superhero strength hiding inside of them

waiting,

until the world needed their powers.

One year later, we're celebrating superhero mom and dad.

For their strength, and their hope, and their miracle.

MOM has become a cancer expert, food nutritionist, healer, and most important of all

hope guru.

When we had tears, she battled them with

hope we hadn't dared look for.

She took our fears and asked us to be stronger than that

and pray for a miracle.

Do we dare?

Us?

An ordinary family - ask for a miracle?

Superhero Mom said yes.

So we did.

And we got one.

Just because we dared ask.

My DAD is tough.

Not your ordinary "my dad can beat up your dad" tough,

but tougher.

He had to look death in the face.

He had to have the courage to say,

"Nope. Not me. Not yet."

And then he had to deal with that Every. Single. Day.

Even though his body had betrayed him.

Even though his mind knew the odds.

Even though it felt so unfair.

And he did that. Every day. And his body rebelled. He felt sick. He felt weak. He felt tired. Yet every day he got up. And maybe he went to bed early, but he got up. And continues to get up. Every. Single. Day. That takes superhero strength.

And so here we are a year later. All together because really my parents are superheroes.

They knew we had more memories to make.

And so we are.

Yet again, a Miracle!!

{JaNece editor} I'm not very technical with medical terms, but to summarize ... Jack went in on Friday for his CT scan. The results came back on Monday and it seems that the cancer is still not spreading. It's not growing and the tumor that is there seems to be slightly shrinking. I know cancer is a nasty thing, but for now it's such a miracle and blessing that he is doing so well. He cut back on the dosage awhile ago (which has lessened his side effects) and it seems to still be working! He hasn't lost any more weight and is feeling pretty good. The doctor was very happy and it's great news!!!!!!!!!! So, thank goodness for clinical studies, time and miracles!!!

CT Scan Update

{JaNece Editor} Jack has continued to do his treatments, and they have actually cut the dosage down by 1/3. His latest CT scan says that the degenerative mass in the left upper lobe (lung) has not enlarged. In fact, it appears slightly smaller. WHAT GREAT NEWS!!! Due to the dosage being cut down, his side effects are not as severe. So, the treatments are still effective and working! We count our blessings every day for these wonderful miracles.

Jack has been as busy as ever, finishing (except for some detail work) a large gazebo in the front of the house. This was no small task, as you can see from the picture. We can't wait to enjoy it once the snow is gone.

Now he is working on a '76 CJ5 Jeep for Eunice to drive {personalized license plate and all}. Luckily he has everything he needs in his garage to accomplish such a task in the winter (heated floors, a bathroom, music and more tools than you can count).

He has continued serving in the Provo temple every Thursday with Eunice. They have been doing this for 3 years now.

We are so grateful for Jack's good attitude, determination and energy. And more than anything, we are thankful and hopeful.

Another Year Older...

{JaNece Editor} Jack just celebrated his 63rd (or is it 64th?) birthday with a bang!! {He was born on Halloween...} Every year since moving to Woodland Hills, Jack & Eunice create a "Spooky Walk" for friends and family to go through. This year it was in the big garage since there was still snow on the ground. It was awesome as always and had lots of spooky features including a fog machine, flying bats, gorillas, skeletons on Harleys & a ghost named Marshall Jackman. The grandkids were scared, but not for long because they all wanted to go through more than once. It was a fun celebration, the only thing missing was Mindy and Family. Happy Birthday Jack!!!

Tough Guy

{JaNece Editor} What can we say, this tough guy loves his Harley. (Don't worry, it's not real, but he sure had fun showing it off.)

A Miracle

{Eunice Editor} I wanted to send you the latest information about Jack. He has CT scans every 9 weeks to track his cancer. The first CT scan showed that his main cancer tumor had shrunk 30%. We were amazed at that! It was so unexpected because the drugs were defined as being able to just stop the growth of the cancer. They did not expect that his cancer would actually shrink!

This time, that same cancer tumor is the same. Which is good news because it means it hasn't grown! The really good news is that the other cancer nodules and lesions, and places where the cancer had spread from the beginning, are all GONE! There is no cancer any more in his lymph glands, no nodules throughout his lungs. There were 9 places that they were tracking the cancer and they are ALL gone, except that one tumor. It is really truly a miracle! Even the doctor who was "cautiously optimistic" about the 30% shrinkage is pretty excited now. Jack is very aware that yes, he still has cancer. But we have been given the blessing of hope and optimism. We thank you ALL for your prayers in his behalf, and for your love and concern. It means so much to us.

Motorcycle Man

This is what Jack is up to lately.

"Faith is such a principle of power. God works by power, but this power is usually exercised in response to our faith."

--Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Christlike Attributes", Ensign, Nov 2005, 100

A third

{Editor Mindy} Can you imagine if your debt was reduced by a third? What if your pants shrunk by 30%? Wouldn't it be wonderful there was a delicious chocolate cake and instead of a piece of it, you were offered a third???

Yesterday Dad went to the doctor where he was informed that after 6 weeks of the treatment his tumors have shrunk by 30%. SHRUNK! By a third!!! We are in such awe. We have been fasting and praying for the tumors to slow down or maybe stop, but shrink?! I didn't even know to pray for that!

Back when my dad got diagnosed, my mom asked everyone to pray for a miracle. She didn't just ask, either. She believed it could happen and acted that way. She has been so strong and optimistic and faithful. And here it is! Prayers work. Miracles happen! The doctor said he was "cautiously optimistic." My dad's results are the best within his peer group of the clinical trials. We know there's still a lot that can happen. We know it's still a long road. But we also know that we're part of this miracle happening. Just like all of you - friends and family - are a part of it. THANK YOU for all your prayers and fasting and putting his name in the temple, and everything else you are doing. It's working! Keep it up!

Uh Oh! Side Effects

{JaNece editor} I was talking to my mom the other day and she said that my dad was getting a really bad rash on his face. It hurt to have his glasses on and his face was red. This is one of the side effects of the drug. And do you know something? He stopped coughing. He feels better and the rash is there because the treatment is working hard to stop that cancer. It is a good sign and we'll find out May 7th what the treatments are doing. Yeah for side effects! :) I was recently reading up on one of the drugs that Jack is on and found this about rashes:

"Rash occurs in the majority of patients. This resembles acne and primarily involves the face and neck. It is self-limited and resolves in the majority of cases, even with continued use. Interestingly, some clinical studies have indicated a correlation between the severity of the skin reactions and increased survival though this has not been quantatively assessed. The Journal of Clinical Oncology reported in 2004 that "cutaneous [skin] rash seems to be a surrogate marker of clinical benefit, but this finding should be confirmed in ongoing and future studies. The newsletter Lung Cancer Frontiers reported in its October 2003 issue, "Patients with moderate to severe cutaneous reactions [rashes] have a far better survival, than those with only mild reactions and much better than those with no cutaneous manifestations of drug effects."

Fun Facts about JACK

{JaNece editor} I thought it would be fun to post fun facts about Jack. So, here goes:

• He was born on Halloween, and what a fitting name he has to go with his date of birth.
• He has been known to eat his cereal with half and half instead of milk.
  
• His favorite snack to eat is popcorn and pespi. (He still has the huge yellow popcorn bowl that he's had since I can't remember when.)
• He has a huge car fetish. Corvettes and Mustangs. Have you seen his 3000+ sq. ft. garage that he built himself with car parts up to the ceiling?
• He used to be a huge original Star Trek junkie.
  
• He is the hardest worker I've ever known. He only sits down to eat or sleep.
• He used to always get after us kids by saying, "socks off or shoes on" when we were outside. Guess what I say to my own kids now?
• He can build great fires. (Grass fires, camping fires, fireplace fires.)
• He has the smoothest, whitest legs. We used to tease him when we'd go swimming or to Lake Powell. And he's got a major farmers tan on his arms.
  
• He used to play with chemicals as a kid. Ask him why he has glasses.

Information on Clinical Treatment

For those of you wanting to know more about the treatments Jack is on, he is involved in a research study that uses Bevacizumab (Avastin) and Erlotinib as a first treatment for Metastatic Non-squamous, Non-small cell lung cancer. Both are approved for the treatment of lung cancer but they have not been used in this specific combination together and by patients who have not received conventional chemotherapy. So there you have it.

To read more on Bevacizumab, click here.
To read more on Erlotinib, click here.

Treatement- Session 1

Jack started his first treatment last week. It took about 90 minutes with one injection and a pill that he takes daily. He said the treatment went well and he has had no negative side effects. He goes back in 3 weeks for another treatment session, this one lasting half as long as the last. On his 3rd visit, he'll have a CT scan to see if there is a difference in size of the tumors and will continue on with treatment sessions. He feels pretty good and is living life as usual. Both he and my mom feel good about his treatments and hope for the very best results. My mom is helping him eat more healthy (no more popcorn and pepsi...well, not as much anyway). Thank you to all those that fasted for Jack today.

PET Scan

{Editor- JaNece} Jack went to the American Fork Hospital to get a PET scan done yesterday. (For those of you that don't know what a PET scan is: A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan is a unique type of imaging test that helps doctors see how the organs and tissues inside your body are actually functioning. The test involves injecting a very small dose of a radioactive chemical, called a radiotracer, into the vein of your arm. The tracer travels through the body and is absorbed by the organs and tissues being studied. Next, you will be asked to lie down on a flat examination table that is moved into the center of a PET scanner—a doughnut-like shaped machine. This machine detects and records the energy given off by the tracer substance and, with the aid of a computer, this energy is converted into three-dimensional pictures. A physician can then look at cross-sectional images of the body organ from any angle in order to detect any functional problems.)

• They didn't talk about the results of the PET scan, but Jack took the results, along with his previous CT scans to (what he thought was) the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the U. But the hospital that scheduled the appointment actually sent him to the Utah Cancer Institute to see Dr. Harker. In this confusion, the office said they did not show that he was coming and that there was no record of him whatsoever AND that Dr. Harker wasn't even in today. They were however very nice and apologetic. It was very discouraging at first and my mom didn't understand why they were sent there. But as my mom always says, "there is a reason for everything." My parents talked to one Dr. there who was willing to take time for them and was very kind. He took time to sit with them and tried to answer any question they had. It turns out this is where the clinical study is administered. They were recommened to see Dr. Harker at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, who is said to be one of the best, highly recommeded, very knowledgeable and compassionate doctors.

• After they left the UCI, they received a phone call from the Huntsman Cancer Institute saying they had missed an appointment there with Dr. Akerley, who is actually the creator of this clinical study that Jack in considering. And even if they HAD made it to the appointment, they would've been send home because there was a gas leak at the U and everything was shut down. Since Jack missed the appointment, they scheduled another time to come in, but then Dr. Akerley actually talked to Jack over the phone and answered any further questions he had reguarding the study. One question my dad asked him was, "If one of your parents had cancer, would you want them to do this study?" The Dr. said that he absoultely would and that the study is not using unknown drugs, it's using drugs that haven't necessarily been used together (one drug is to build up the immune system & the other is to stop the cancer from growing).
  

• The Dr. asked Jack if he would be willing to participate in two more scans that aren't to help his (Jack's) case, but to help others and the clinical study. My dad of course agreed.
  

You can check out Dr. Akerley's background here.

To answer any questions you have about clinical trials, click here.

For information on the Huntsman Cancer Institute, click here.

We continue to feel very blessed and very hopeful. Jack is going about his normal activities and is still the family joker. We appreciate your love and concern. We know that prayer & fasting brings blessings and answers. Our family is having a special fast for Jack on Sunday and you are welcome to participate if you wish. Thank you!

Fast

{Editor Mindy} Today we decided to fast. This is a big deal for my girls who have only fasted one other time and it was for their cousin Owen. But we know fasting works and so we decided to do it. Well, it was hard for these growing girls the moment they woke up. I knew if we could just get to church, we would be fine because it would keep them distracted from food. WRONG! In primary today, not only were they passing out candy, but the primary presidency had baked cookies so not only were the freshly baked cookies being passed out in primary, but the whole church had the delicious auro. My poor girls! But they did it! I am so proud of them! I think it counts for double since the temptation was so intense. :) They love their Papa!

Pesky

{Editor: Mindy} It's always been hard living far away from my family. And especially in times like this where my Dad is sick, it's even harder! When I told Dad I wished I was there, he asked why, what would I be doing? I told him I would make sure he was eating and drinking my special drink I have for him. He said, "You'd be pesky! If you were here, you'd be pesky!" I was laughing so hard because it's so true. I'd be pesky. And he's blunt enough to tell me so. So I guess my Dad is secretly (or maybe not so secretly) happy I'm not there to pester him. :) I'm coming in 10 days so watch out Dad!!