Bob Dach

Dear Family and Friends,

For the last two years we have gone back and forth about setting up this site.  Initially our hope was that by now Bob would be completely cured of cancer and our lives would be back to normal.  Well, as it turns out, Bob's cancer fight is not over and will likely continue for quite some time.  Most of you know the history, but here's a short recap for those who do not...


On June 18, 2014, I rushed Bob to the emergency room with severe stomach cramps.  The ER doc informed us that Bob had colon cancer and scheduled surgery for the next day to remove a tumor blocking his large intestine.  After a bumpy recovery in the hospital, Bob endured six months of chemotherapy, finishing just in time to celebrate his 50th birthday, January 14, 2015!  At that time he was feeling good and optimistic that the cancer was done.

Unfortunately, followup CT scans in July, 2015 showed several very small tumors in Bob's lungs.  In August he started a new chemo regimen that would last for six months.  This time Bob decided to take matters into his own hands and get serious about the fight.  He began working out for two hours everyday and he completely changed his diet.   For those of you who know Bob well, the diet part was huge!  His favorite food was fruity pebbles cereal and if he drank a glass of water a year that was a lot!   He  took processed foods and sugar out of his diet and cut way back on red meat and many of the carbs that we all love (bread, pasta, white rice).   

In March 2016, Bob had another CT scan that showed the tumors were still in his lungs.  Although they were very small and slow growing, one was large enough to biopsy.  So back to the hospital for another surgery.  The new diet and working out paid off!  He did a three mile walk and two hours of yard work the day he was discharged and ran in the kids 5k the next weekend! :) The biopsy confirmed that the cancer in his lungs originated in the colon so the doctors had a better idea of what they were dealing with.  They recommended Bob take time off from treatments until August.

Last Monday Bob went for another CT scan and learned that there are many more tumors in his lungs (we lost count) and two enlarged lymph nodes in his abdominal area.  :( 
The good news is that Bob feels great, he has an incredibly positive attitude, and a great sense of humor... Thank God!!  The other really great news is that Bob now qualifies for immunotherapy trials!!  Bob has been researching these trials and talking with friends and doctors at Providence and OHSU about the best approach.  Right now we are waiting for appointments with new oncologists who will hopefully get us some of that medicine that saved Jimmy Carter!  If all goes as planned Bob will be back on treatments by late September and closer to really being finished with cancer forever!

Through all of this we have been blessed with amazing love and support from all of you, our family and friends.  Please know that all of your prayers and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated and that will help get us through it.   


Thank you so much for always being there!  We love you lots!!


Mary

PS:  Mary is much more eloquent than I am, so I appreciate her keeping this site updated.  Give me a call or text whenever you like, I'll do my best to respond. I'm still working, trying to save the fish and help the Indians and everything that used to make me laugh makes me laugh harder now...and not much pisses me off anymore :-)  When this is all over I'm going to Easter Island for a visit - I hear they'll make your head out of stone and stand it on a beach.  What could possibly be better than that?