Family and friends,

After having a second craniotomy (brain surgery) to remove tumor in March of 2021, Andy has begun proton beam radiation treatment in Boston. He will have 30 radiation treatments total, and is taking oral chemotherapy concurrently throughout radiation. The plan is for chemo to continue for another 5 months after radiation. 

A little history for those curious: in 2010, Andy was diagnosed with a brain tumor after a series of clonic tonic seizures. He had the tumor removed, and it was thought at that time to be an oligodendroglioma. Monitoring every 6 months revealed that after 10 years of no/slow progression, it was time for a second brain surgery. Original tumor cells when compared with current reclassified the original tumor type to a grade II astrocytoma (because of genetics found in tumor cells). Tumor cells from the 2021 surgery indicate the tumor to be a grade II astrocytoma still. This time, because of Andy’s tumor showing that it will grow back, age and other factors, it was recommended for radiation and chemo after surgery versus the watch and wait approach we took in 2010. 

Please keep our family in your prayers, send us your healing energy, and positive thoughts! They are each so very appreciated. I will do my best to update throughout the next 5+ weeks of radiation-both to keep people who would like to know informed and help me to get some of my thoughts down while Andy is away from Ila, Amos and me for much of the proton radiation treatment time.