Update from New York

Sean had his consultation on Monday with Dr. Feldman and everything went pretty much as expected. They just went over his records and past medical history, and Dr. Feldman explained the study to us. Basically what is being tested is a drug that inhibits the enzymes that promote abnormal cell growth. If this works, and Sean responds, he may be on the medication for the rest of his life. The regimine is 3 pills in the morning and 3 at night, which is a small price to pay for being healthy. Today we went into the cancer center for Sean to have some tests done. So far he's had bloodwork, an x-ray, ultrasound, and CT scan. What they are looking for is A) a measureable tumor somewhere in his body that is 1 cm or greater and B) baseline numbers for data. We have an appointment tomorrow morning scheduled with one of Dr. Feldman's colleagues and I expect that we'll find out what the results of everything show and whether or not he is eligible for the study. If he is eligible, they should be able to start him on the study before we leave for home. He'd need to come back every 2 weeks for the first 2 months, but the only once a month after that for a year. The study lasts a year, but like I said, if Sean has a good response to the treatment, he could be on it for the rest of his life.

This is all in a nutshell, but details right now are too exhausting to put down. We'll keep trying to post as much as we can. It's been a long road and we do the best we can. Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and support. We'll see you all when we get home!

Karen