Cory ’s Story

Site created on August 24, 2022

Welcome to Cory’s CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope, encouragement and jokes.

On August 1st during a follow up MRI at Juneau Bone and Joint Center (JB & JC) for the left shoulder and arm pain Cory had been experiencing we learned that there is a bone marrow replacing mass in his humerus (upper arm) that has extruded into the muscles surrounding the bone. Since that day it has been a long road of uncertainty, but we choose to celebrate wins. Beginning with a call, 4 days later after having JB & JC send the referral to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, they had him on the schedule for an MRI, CT assisted biopsy, followed by a PET scan. The scan showed not only the humerus was affected but they also found that he has another mass on his right hip along with some smaller spots throughout his body. They then did genetic testing to find out what the masses were to determine the treatment plan.

In mid August, we found out Cory has aggressive large b-cell lymphoma. We are told this is treatable to eradicate and heal from so we are believing in complete healing. He has also been accepted into a clinical trial on top of his RCHOP chemo. It’s an international trial in its 3rd and final stage of testing with 880 participants across Europe,  Cananda, USA, New Zealand and Australia.  Treatments began on September 7th.  We’ve been so unbelievably supported by the Lord, our families, our family of friends, and complete strangers as we’ve been running at top speed to get clarity of his diagnosis and treatment plan. We can’t thank EVERYONE enough for lifting up our hearts and giving us strength and hope through our devastation.


Cory is going to be living next to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for his treatments. We had hoped he could live with family but instead of one infusion every 21 days,  he now has an infusion every week. Additionally, his immune system will be incredibly compromised, especially if  he is in the experimental group which also comes with potential for very serious side effects that require he remain close to the hospital. As a result, the decision was made that the best healing plan was to find an apartment near the clinic, live in near isolation, protect himself, feel crappy, and telework as time and energy alow. Between myself, Cory’s parents, Nicki Bunting, and a few family members, we will be his caregivers. I hope to travel back and forth from Alaska for each treatment cycle. My kids are in great hands and hearts with our Skagway family while I’m away and my class of students is also set with great substitutes- life and learning will carry on.

PLEASE feel free to keep in touch with Cory, text him jokes- especially Dad jokes, photos, and we appreciate all love, light, strength and prayers coming his way.
Cory 907-612-0343 Really- lots of jokes!

Thank you for your love, support, and prayers.

If you have any healing suggestions like nutrition, podcasts, music, ANYTHING we are crowd sourcing ideas. Feel free to text him or personal message me. More to come soon. He is good. I am good. Kids are coping well. He is SO positive and filled with hope. Thank you again to everyone who has been lifting us up with food, cleaning, fundraising, helping us prep for winter, prayers, thank you so very much. We are so blessed.

Mary Thole

Newest Update

Journal entry by Katie Ortega

Greetings to all💗 yesterday was Cory’s 6th and final chemo treatment in his lymphoma RCHOP treatments. For the next two Wednesdays he will have his clinicial trial chemo treatments that are tafcimitifab (something like that). Then from Jan. 7-Feb. 7 his body is given a month to reboot his immune system and process the remaining chemicals in his body. On Feb. 8 he will have another CT and PET scan to determine if any further treatment is needed- hopefully and often people are considered in remission at this point because cancer is no longer detected. If this is the case, he shifts into scans every six months for several years. 

If there is any evidence of any cancer, we take that fork in the road and we are grateful there are options. 

This is where we are today, celebrating we made it as we were assured by our friends, family, and medical team that we would. He did have scans after his first three treatments which showed about 80 percent of the cancer was gone and it was completely gone from his ribs, vertebrae, lower arms. He only had a small bit left in his upper arms and pelvis I believe. Now we are nine weeks post the scan with 3 more regular treatments and 6 more clinical trial. 

We are hopeful and we are grateful. More than anything, we feel so blessed with his healing, our support, our faith and strength, and his medical team. We hope to see Cory back in Skagway soon💗 now to fall into our holidays together❤️💚❤️💚

Mary
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