Second Round Of Chemo Update

So, Rob had his second round of chemo on Monday. It was a big day, starting at 6:30am with his arrival at the surgery center. He had the port placed in his chest, which will now be used to have blood drawn and to administer future rounds of chemo. After the port placement, they did a quick chest xray to make sure that the port was OK...it was! Even in Rob's haze of sedation, he requested to see the xray and asked about the size of the tumor. Of course, the technician did not want to give us any info about that tumor. (more about that in a minute.)

From the recovery, Rob went straight for chemo....6 hours of chemo! He slept for the most part. Besides the sedation from the surgery, he also had a pretty large dose of benadryl..so, no playing cards with me that day...I was on my own to entertain myself! Chemo went well, he felt pretty good with the exception of a brief moment with a hot flash and near passing out. The nurses quickly came to his aid and stopped the medications for a few minutes until he felt better.

Yesterday, Tuesday, Rob had an exam with Dr. Braden...Rob has gained 8 pounds!! The Doc was very pleased with this and said that the steroids are working. Hooray! So...again Rob asked about that quick xray they did on Monday...wondering if anything had changed in the size of the tumor. (Keep in mind...the xray was taken after only 1 round of chemo...Rob had not yet received the second dose of chemo.) Dr. Braden checked out the xray and it was noted that the tumor "had decreased in size." Thank God for this!!! We are very excited about that news. We don't have measurements because the xray was taken solely for the purpose to review the port placement, but we at least know the radiologist noted a decrease in the size of the tumor. This is such uplifting and GREAT news! We can only thank God for this, as we know he is working in such beautiful ways right now to heal Rob.

So, Rob is doing well. He is tired and doesn't have a lot of physical strength right now, but he has a great attitude and is very upbeat. His body is sore and achy from the injection they give to boost his white blood cells. This effects his bone marrow and causes aches and pains for several days, but again...we know it is working! So, please continue to pray for Rob and his complete healing. We also ask that you please pray that Anthem insurance and St. Francis hospital can resolve their differences and we are not forced to change doctors and hospitals during all of this.

Thank you all for your love and support. Our family and friends mean the world to us and we could not get through this without all of you!

"Wait for the Lord's help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord's help." Psalm 27:14

Burning Down the House

Last night we burned down St. Elmos Steak House with Rob and Suz before hitting the David Byrne concert. Rob snarfed shrimp cocktail (with horse radish that'll take your head clean off), a blue cheese wedge (skip the tomatoes), navy bean soup, a bone-in filet (with mushrooms), cheesy mashed red potatoes, some cheesecake and chocoloate cake with a cup of decaf for dessert...and a couple of beers to wash it all down. Whew! And the concert was really tight...so tight in fact Rob had to unbutton his pants.

What a blast!!! An evening we won't forget. We love you.
Lynn & Rudy

"Some things sure can sweep me off my feet. Burning down the house."
--David Byrne, Talking Heads
Speaking in Tongues album, 1983

Update

The last several days have been great for Rob. His energy is slowly returning and so far...no problems with his appetite. Rob is eating everything and has a HUGE appetite these days. I think we better take stock in Stouffers Red Box because he seems to crave those and our freezer is packed with many Red Box options.

We have had beautiful weather and even took a trip to Brown County State Park over the weekend for a short walk around the lake and a picnic lunch. Rob still tires easily, but it is so wonderful to see him enjoy the days and feel well enough to want to be outside a little.

Today, Rob will head to the hospital for some blood work in prep for the Port placement on Monday. On Monday, we will arrive at the hospital at 6:30am for the surgical procedure to place the port and then head to the second round of chemo. Monday will be a long day for Rob and the beginning of another challenging time for him. BUT - we will also know that he has 2 Chemo sessions down and hopefully only 4 more to go after Monday!

So, we plan to make the most of the next few days before Chemo and enjoy the fall weather.

Life is good. We are living each moment to its fullest and taking advantage of the good days. We are thanking God for the days that Rob feels good and we are thanking God for the healing process that he has already started in Rob's body.

"We live by what we believe, not by what we can see." 2 Corinthians 5:7 We believe in God and his power. Our faith and the love and support of our family and friends will carry us through this time in our lives.

Love, Susie

Bald is Beautiful

So, Rob shaved his head this weekend. Not only does this give him a number of great options for Halloween, but it makes him downright cool. Note this excerpt of a question in the October issue of GQ.

Q: I’ve been losing my hair for a while now and am thinking of shaving my head. But unlike most guys, who use electric clippers, I’m thinking of going bald. Yul Brynner style. You got any friends who pull off this look? Seems cool but also a bit daunting. Got any advice?

A: If you have a nicely shaped head, the total shave is unquestionably preferable to hirsute male-pattern baldness. Yul Brynner made the first breakthrough, and by the time Michael Jordan hit his peak it was definitely considered sexy. And in an era of many unfortunate hairstyles, it’s a paragon of classicism.

So Rob, your new hair style makes you cool and classic. Make the most of it and, as Mr. Spock would say, "live long and prosper."

Super Friends

Thomas and Sam hanging out in their Halloween costumes with Sharpy. These kids are buff just like their Dad. :-)

Feeling Pretty Good!!

Rob is doing quite well this week. He had a great weekend with a visit from our friends, Tom and Sara. We also participated in the Light the Night Walk on Saturday evening, which Rob attended. He didn't have the energy to walk with us, but he at least got to be a part of the evening and see so many great friends and family...all there in honor of him!


Yesterday and today have both been good days for him. He is up and moving around more and even felt like sitting on the deck with us while the boys carved pumpkins with their Uncle Joe and cousin, Jenny.

Rob is scheduled to see the surgeon on Thursday as a follow-up. I imagine this is just a quick check to make sure his incision is healing the way it should be. On Friday, Rob will have a consultation for outpatient surgery to have his Pic line removed and a port put in his chest. He will start receiving chemo through the port and this should be more comfortable for him as the pic line provides some challenges with sleeping, showering, etc. We anticipate that the outpatient surgery for the port placement will take place next week.

Please continue to hold Rob in your prayers! Rob has a big fight ahead of him, but he is strong, faithful and ready to beat this thing.

Keep fighting, Rob...you are amazing and doing a great job!! I love you with all my heart - today, tomorrow and every day of our journey.

Love, Suz

"I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Double Rainbow

Rob...

This appeared in our yard this week for us to share with you!

Love - Amy, Mike, Mary, Molly and Michael

Luck of the Irish

This is a story about a clover plant I've had since Rob's birthday (St. Patrick's Day.) It flourished for the first few months before it slowly started losing clovers, to the point it got down to just 4 or 5 of them. As one of them would die off, miraculously a little sprout or two would pop out of the dirt just in time to replace it. This has gone on for over two years now. This plant has come back from the brink so many times I've lost count, including surviving little bugs tiny bugs I discovered once living in its soil. Then, a couple of months ago it got down to just one clover. As it started to die, I was sure a couple more sprouts would pop up. But they never did. I waited a long time before finally, sadly, pulling the last wilted clover from the dirt. This left the pot completely bloomless for the first time ever. For several weeks I just looked at the dirt everday, hoping for a miracle. I even moved it to a new spot hoping to improve its chances. But nothing. I stopped checking on it after a while, resigned to the fact that the clover plant and I had had a pretty good run. It sounds silly I know, but by now it had become about so much more than the plant. Last week while I was on the phone with Susie, hearing about the latest news from the Dr. that Rob's bone marrow was normal and he was only Stage 2 with a high survival rate, I happen to look over at the windowsill...and saw this little sprout.

You've got the luck of the Irish Rob...and so much more. I look forward to celebrating many more of your birthdays with you, which is after all, as you like to say...a national holiday.

Love,
Rudy

Meeting Place for Light the Night Walk

Hey Everyone - thank you for registering to walk with us tomorrow. We are going to meet inside Victory Field, section 110 at 6:15pm on Saturday. I will have my cell phone if you have trouble finding us. 908-9880.

Looking forward to seeing all of you!!

Susie

David Byrne

Rob - I know Susan told you about the tickets to go see David Byrne and Brian Eno in a couple weeks. When we saw him last at the Vogue say 8-9 years ago, he came out for an encore wearing a pink fuzzy suit. Here's a photo of him in that suit to get you geared up for the show. "I've changed my hair style so many time now I don't know what I look like." DUDE!

Today's Report

It has been a few days since my last Rob report. Yesterday we visited Dr. Braden and he offered us information and consultation on Rob's stage of cancer. He has labeled this Lymphoma as Primary Mediastinal Large B Cell Lymphoma. Rob is in Stage 2BE. Mediastinal refers to the location of Rob's tumor. Stage 2 is because of the size of the tumor, B indicates Rob is experiencing symptoms (i.e. night sweats, coughing, some pain in the chest, fatigue, etc) and E means that there is extranodal involvement (that area of the chest -where the tumor is - has many lymph nodes). The prognosis is 70-80% survival rate. Dr. Braden felt it may even be slightly better for Rob because the tumor is localized. This is great news!!!

Rob's next Chemo treatment will take place October 27th and will occur every 3 weeks for a total of at least 6 cycles, possibly 8.

Rob is doing well...the last couple of weeks have been hard for him...some pain, some weakness and fatigue. He is however in good spirits and ready to kick this. He looks great (of course, I am biased!) and has very good color.

I continue to worry about Rob, but I know that he will get through this. I know, if anyone can beat this, it is Rob. He is not one to give up and he LOVES a challenge. So, yes....God has given us a challenge and even though at times I feel like we really received the short straw this time...I know He does not give us anything we can't handle. I also know that this is one of life's lessons and God is teaching us to trust in Him and place all of our fears, worries and anxiety in Him. And although this is so much easier to say than it is to actually do, I know we are surrounded by so much love, support and prayers that we can face this challenge, conquer it and become even stronger

"He brought me out to a wide-open place; He rescued me because He delighted in me."
Psalm 18:19

Thank you for your continued prayers, love and support.

Love, Susie

Stay Strong, Rob

Rob, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at as you face this journey. Stay strong and positive as much as possible.

Hi Rob!

Hi Rob,

I learnt of your tough journey and the excellent progress you're making from Brian. I am glad to see you have so many wellwishers and I am not surprised because you are a great guy! In the short time that I have known you, I have to come to like and respect you as a person and colleague.

I want to thank your wonderful family for making extraordinary efforts to keep all those who care about you informed on your progress via this blog. You are all going through some very tough times and its inspiring to see the courage and love you all show individually and as a family.

I wanted to you to know that I think of you in my prayers everyday and wish you a speedy and full recovery. All of us can't wait to see you back at work :-).

Good luck and get well soon my friend!!

PK

He's Still God!

Dear Rob, I just learned of the journey you and Susie are facing. I will keep you and your family in my daily prayers. I believe God's word ... All things are possible to those that believe (Mark 9:23), and I look forward to hearing of your successful journey. I realize you will be going through some tough times, but the Lord has blessed you with a support group of family and friends that many only pray for. God Bless You and I'll see you and Susie Saturday Sandee

Rob,
Here's hoping you are feeling stronger by the day and that the chemo is starting to do the work of getting rid of that blob of !@*&!!! in your chest area! So glad to hear you do not have any cancer in your bones. We think of you everyday and are praying for you and your family.

Amy, Randy and Mattie

Enjoying Tuesday evening

Ron and I enjoyed our evening with Susie, Rob and boys. It was an added bonus to be able to visit with both Nance and Rich. We had a great time playing with Sam and Thomas. Rob's color continues to be good and his positive attitude and sense of humor remain in great form. Heaven is being bombarded with prayers from friends, family, and friends of family. There must be millions of prayers going up for you! We love you! Ron and Jo Ann

Just a lottery ticket...

Was pleasently suprised this morning with a text from Rob.

It said...
"Yesterday was the hardest, but feeling good now. Call me or come down whenever."

So of course I wanted to see him, I hadn't seen him since before he started this journey...
So after letting him know I could come by, I replied "Can I bring you anything?"

To that Rob simply replied...
"Lottery ticket. Other than that, all good."

Just wanted everyone to know he's still Rob.

Today's Update

Praise God!! We have great news today...the bone marrow biopsy results are in and the cancer is NOT in Rob's bones. This is so wonderful!!! We meet with Dr. Braden on Thursday and will learn more about the stage of Rob's cancer.

Rob is doing well today...tired, but in good spirits and up and moving around a little. His friend from work dropped by and that definately lifted his spirits. They are sitting and talking computer stuff as I write this.

I also wanted to let everyone know that we are getting a group together to walk in the Light The Night Walk this Saturday, October 11th. We would love for as many of our friends and family to join us. If you would like to walk with us or simply donate in Rob's honor, please visit http://teams.lightthenight.org/TeamGallagher You can also register to walk and be a part of Team Gallagher at this site. It is a short walk along the canal and it starts around 7pm. I will post a meeting time and place soon. The route is stroller friendly too.

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers for Rob and for all of us.

Love, Susie

Patience

Went to see Rob over lunch as he was getting his second dose today. This one takes 4-5 hours to administer, so he was just sitting in a recliner hooked up to tubes, trying desperately to get comfortable for a while.

Hang in there Rob...we'll beat this thing.

LIVE STRONG

I also made a donation to the foundation and had quite a few adult bands, and some kids bands sent directly to Susie. Should be delivered tomorrow.

I also had quite a few bands sent to me (which should be here tomorrow as well). So if anyone wants some feel free to email me adamsbrian74@gmail.com and let me know how many you'd like and where to send them and I would be happy to send these tokens of thought, prayer, devotion and support of our friend, brother, uncle, father, and husband....

Stay strong Rob!

LIVE STRONG

The team is on the march! We have fully decked ourselves out in LIVE STRONG gear from the Lance Armstrong Foundation website...shirts, hats, wristbands, even the dog leash...you name it, we got it. 

Thank you to everyone who is reading, posting, calling and praying for Rob and his family. Together we are a mighty team, and against us this thing just doesn't stand a chance!!!

Weekend Update

Rob is doing great this weekend. He is very tired and has moments of feeling a little sick to his stomach and weak, but overall he is hanging in there! He made it to Mass this morning and Fr. Rick couldn't believe it...the last time he saw Rob was before his biopsy. Rob was greeted by several of his softball buddies with lots of good wishes for a fast healing. There was talk of skipping team shirts next season and getting team hats instead! ha ha After mass, Rob went home for a nap and then rallied to make a short visit to the parish picnic. It has been a wonderful weekend...despite the battle that Rob is going through. He is strong, positive and trying so hard to stay involved with the boys and as a family.

Tomorrow we head back to the cancer care unit for the last step of his first chemo treatment. I will try to keep you posted as we move along through the week.

This is a picture of our weekend get-away at the Ankney's lake house the weekend before this journey began.

Thank you for your continued prayers for Rob.

Love and Blessings to all of you.

Suz

The Great White Hope

Here's a shot taken last summer when we rented the pontoon boat on Lake Monroe. The day was a total blast and we even manged to avoid a ticket from the DNR for public endangerment. The reflection off all that white skin was blinding. Something to look forward to doing again next summer when all the chemo is in the past.

Mentally Tough

Rob,

This picture was taken last weekend. You knew you had cancer and that was about it. Your facial expression says it all! Mental toughness has always, no question always been your strength. It is what makes you so good at so many things. Beating cancer is just one more thing to add to this list.

Pray, fight, win!

Go IU for you and Go Bucks for me!

Talk to you soon.

Your sister down South who loves you,

Amy (Aunt Moe)

Robears & Susie

Rob,

You are an inspiration to all of us. You are handling everything
with such strength, humor and most of all such grace. We love
you very much and if we can do anything to help you through
this, just ask and we will do all the we can. Stay strong and
just know without a doubt that you may have a long road
ahead, but when you get there you will not only be healthy, you
will be stronger physically, mentally and so blessed by God.

Susie,

You are a tower of strength...truly. You have had a lot to
deal with in the last 3 weeks and you have dealt with
everything so gracefully. Your faith has shown through
and has been the biggest of inspirations. You are blessed
to have such a wonderful husband and boys, but Rob and
the boys are extremely blessed to have you as well......in fact,
we all are. We love you so much and will help you in
anyway you need.

Love,
Jeff and Missi

He sleeps....

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust." Psalm 4:8

Today has been a great day! 1 Chemo treatment down and we are on our way to healing. Rob has had a day of rest and even enjoyed some sunshine from a chair in the driveway while the kids buzzed around on their bikes. He enjoyed Nance's potato and ham casserole and fell asleep on the couch about 8:30. Peaceful Rob...snoring and all. I just had to wake him to take his meds and eat a peanut butter sandwich ...wanted to be sure to get all of the doses in for today and to help keep his stomach from feeling sick. He is already snoring again...hopefully tonight he will rest better and continue to be free from any nasty side effects of the chemo.

We have packed our positive energy, healing thoughts and our Faith in God and we are ready to travel down this road to recovery and a new beginning.

More later....

Suz

One Giant Step

Rob:

Congratulations! By now you are done with your first chemotherapy treatment. This means you're on your way to getting life back to normal. The first step, yes, but perhaps the most important.

--Lynn

Friday Update

Rob had a restless night last night trying to manage the pain from his biopsy surgery as well as the pain (in his rear, literally) from the bone marrow biopsy. The Dr. has confirmed that the type of Lymphoma is Diffused Large B Cell. We are still waiting for the staging...we should have this info by Monday or Tuesday of next week. We will also know at that time the results of the bone marrow biopsy. Dr says he feels that the staging will be early staging, just based on the blood work and scans so far.

Today, Rob started Chemo and so far he is doing well...weak and tired, but he doesn't feel sick. Hopefully he won't experience the nausea that sometimes comes with chemo. It took about 4 hours to complete the chemo today. The next Chemo treatment will be in 3 weeks and he will continue this for 6-8 cycles. We learned about the many side effects today, both short and long-term. Again, information overload.

So, this weekend will be a lot of much needed rest for Rob. Dr. Braden said he will probably feel like he has been hit by a truck for a few days as he is still recovering from the surgery earlier this week and now his first round of chemo.

Please continue to keep Rob in your prayers.

Love to all of you. Suz

Rob and Suz

Happy anniversary to both of you. I remember well that joyous day! My thoughts are with you G, and I know that these positiveness will help you through this! all my love,

Cancer is so limited...

It can't cripple love,
It can't shatter hope,
It can't corrode faith,
It can't eat away peace,
It can't destroy confidence,
It can't kill friendship,
It can't shut out memories,
It can't silence courage,
It can't invade the soul,
It can't reduce eternal life,
It can't quench the Spirit,
It can't lessen the power of the resurrection.

Sending our southern smiles as you celebrate your anniversary today.
We love you,
Amy, Mike, Mary, Molly and Michael

Update From Room 251

Just an update...the sun is shining in Indy and it is a beautiful day (and our 9 year wedding anniversary). What a great way to celebrate...Rob is being released from the hospital today! Once he is released we will go straight to the Ongologist's office (Dr. Braden) and he will do a biopsy of Rob's bone marrow. The results of this will allow Dr. Braden to stage Rob's cancer and confirm that it is not in the bone. Doc said that he did not feel that it is in the bone, but we need to know this information. Rob had the drainage tube removed a few moments ago and an Echo of his heart. Today, we will also know for sure the diagnosis of Rob's Lymphoma...at this time, the tests results are leaning towards Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma - Diffused Large B Cell. Tomorrow he will start chemo treatment. More updates to come as we learn more during our day.

"Some trust in their war chariots and others in their horses, but we trust in the power of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Love, Suz

Rob...CLAK here...

Hurry up and get well, I can't deal with the "coal mine" without you!

In all seriousness, my thoughts are with you my friend. Keep your chin up, and your thoughts positive (as you always do) and beat this disease with everything you've got!

You have touched so many lives Rob, you are truly a rare breed.

To Suz and the Boys, keep your thoughts positive and be good for Daddy....he will be back to his old self very soon!

I am here for you if you need anything chief.
Everyone at work is thinking about you and is pulling for you to have a safe, painless, and fast recovery.

Rob,

We know you'll keep hanging in there for as long as it takes.

You and your beautiful family are in all of our thoughts and prayers.

Love ya,

Nonie and Popo
(aka Joanie and Neil Greene)

Prelim Weds PM

Details later...but the Dr. came in this evening and gave us a preliminary rundown on things prior to more results coming in tomorrow. The short of it is Rob will have a bone marrow biopsy tomorrow, and start chemotherapy on Friday. He will have several of these treatments spaced three weeks apart to shrink the mass. He had a "PICC" (peripherally inserted central catheter) put in his arm where the chemo medicine will be administered. The Dr. showed us the different scans so we could actually see this big jerk. Rob said...well, we do grow things big in Indiana.

Stray Birds

DARK clouds become heaven's flowers when kissed by light.
From Stray Birds, number 249, by Rabindranath Tagore

Rob—the grace, spirit, and humor I see from you do truly lighten the dark clouds you are facing. Not just for you, but for everyone around you. You are an inspiration.

Stay strong my brother, and know that you are not alone. Susan and I are here for you, and for your family, and we always will be. You are loved, and nothing can ever take that away.

Culdesac is calling!

Need to get better fast because I recently heard that beer is healthy! We need to delve into this matter further...and what better place to do that than in the culdesac...however, we may need more than 4 oz. to find out for sure!

See ya soon chief!

Mike