Life is Good.

(Huntsman Cancer Institute - ground was broken for new wing on bottom left of photo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSpz1rFgPNs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmpDsSBESus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0KyzSEmzPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oaEDKv3Jf4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEnXhhJ5DCc&NR=1

Above is a link to an interview/special about a man whom we have never met, but who has figured prominently in our lives. His name is John Huntsman Sr., founder of the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He is a very wealthy man who has given, as of the figure I heard this morning, half a BILLION of his own dollars towards this. We are the recipients of his generosity, and are in the process of watching a whole new section of the hospital being built into the side of the mountain HCH rests against. Please, if you have a problem with Glenn Beck, set it aside for us, and watch this for the story of the man who has funded the saving of many lives, including Blaines. It is broken up into five parts, thus the five links, but it is well worth the time.

Having said that, we must now report on our news. Blaine underwent restaging last week (bloodwork, PET scan, beloved bone marrow biopsy), and today we received the results. Are you ready? Completely clean. Completely. Can you believe it? The PET scan also showed evidence that his bone lesions were now healing. That is the GREAT news. However, since his cancer was so VERY aggressive, and there could still be cancerous cells hiding in his body that will mature over the next several months, he will undergo a rigorous Consolidation Chemo regimen until May to knock those out and prevent this thing from ever heating up again. He will receive the same protocol he received at Dartmouth before we brought him here, every six weeks until May. That will be four cycles of what's called VTD-PACE. One chemo light, one steroid, and five (yes 5) chemo heavy drugs. These will be delivered 24 hours a day over the space of four days. He will not be inpatient, however. He will be hooked up to a back-pack which will deliver the medicines through two IV lines. That starts tomorrow. Sleep will be interesting! But they've done this many, many times, and we are confident that they know EXACTLY what they are doing. There are side effects, but we've seen them before, and they are aware of how Blaine responds to the different drugs. And, he has recovered. We expect that he will do so again, with faith and prayer. We are so very blessed to have him here with us, and so very thankful to ALL of those who have made that possible. I think that calls for a very, very...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From all us Savages to all of you.

PS - Congrats, Nicki and Craig! When's the big day?

Merry Christmas!

'Twas the night before Christmas
and all through the house,
Only Mom was stirring, Quiet as a mouse.
The stockings laid out, presents wrapped with care,
Kyle hardly sleeping, excitement in the air.

When all of the sudden, he woke with a start,
headed downstairs, to check it all out.
Go back to bed, you need your rest,
We need to sleep, we'll give Santa your best.

The Savages are all under one roof snug and warm,
We have been blessed by your friendship, love and concern
Dropping off presents, sweets and much kindness,
We find ourselves grateful for this seasons happiness.

May all of you on both sides of the country, or wherever you may be, have a safe, blessed, and Merry, Merry Christmas.
God Bless each and every one of you.

Love,
The Blaine and Marleigh Savage Family

What a year...

Every holiday season we receive cards from family and friends, often reviewing the events of the past year. As I sit here looking out over the new snow fall, I keep thinking about what a year this has been for the Savages and the significant life changing events of 2009.

- My Mom passed away: after battling diabetes and knee issues for years, my Mom was diagnoses with Inflammatory Breast Cancer. It was very aggressive and by the time it was found, it was too late. She stayed optimistic and never gave up. It has now been 8 months since she passed away and we are still trying to adjust. I know things are well with her, that she is engaged in the work on the other side... but we still miss her.

- Last January, I started to have some back pain- that I thought was just a strained muscle. This turned out to be not a strained muscle, but a tumor that had lodged itself onto and had compressed my spine- leaving me unable to walk or with very little feeling from about the bottom of my ribcage down. Surgery quickly followed and the tumor was removed. It has now been 10 months, and I still feel the effects of the paralysis but things have improved significantly and I'm optimistic that someday soon I'll be able to hike, ski, and play basketball (somewhat) again.

- The tumor on my spine was analyzed/diagnosis; Multiple Myeloma. This is a blood cancer with a high mortality rate. It has no cure yet, though it can be put into remission. To date, I’ve undergone several rounds of chemotherapy, two bone marrow/stem cell transplants and am currently in remission. Looking forward, I will undergo maintenance chemotherapy. Again, I'm very optimistic that everything is going to work out. The goal is to keep my cancer in check (hopefully for many years) until a cure can be found. As we talk with many of the patients at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital (HCH), it is encouraging to hear their stories. Many have been in the program for years. I would also like to add how grateful we are for the medical team at HCH. Dr. Tricot, I feel saved my life. All the prayers, blessings, fastings led us to him and his staff. The aggressive nature of my cancer needed an Oncologist who is very aggressive. Many cancer centers around the country don't recommend having tandem transplants because it is too difficult on the patient, but it is exactly what needed to happen for me. Dr. Tricot is a pioneer in the field of Multiple Myeloma and I thank God that we have been led to him.

- In order to be near the Huntsman Cancer Hospital we relocated the family from New England to Utah. It has been difficult taking the kids out of the only home environment they've ever really known and transplanting them into a brand new one. New schools, new friends, new Church Ward (congregation), new home... I'm proud of how well they've adjusted. They jumped in with both feet, with rarely a complaint. They miss New England, they miss their friends but they are involved here and are making friends. Josh worked hard and made the High School basketball team (who is ranked #1 in the state for their division) and he is doing well in school. Alexis also worked hard and made her freshman basketball team. She also works hard socially; she has made some good friends here and enjoys hanging out with them. She is involved with choir and also with staying busy at church. Kyle is doing well... he is liking his new class and I think is slowly adjusting to his new environment. He really enjoys his cousin Seth who takes him horse riding. He likes to shoot guns and is looking forward to hunting this next year. But he still misses his buddies in NH, he talks to them as often as we allow. Dani has spent the semester in France. She returns today and we are so excited to see her. She has had a great time and we have lived vicariously through her. She has been to Italy, Belgium, England, Normandy to name a few. She'll miss it, but we are so glad to have her back.


As I said earlier, it has been an eventful year. We've had our challenges but we've grown from them. A wise man once said: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable... (Orson F. Whitney).

Thank you again for all that you have done for our family. We have felt your love, strength and support. I hope you have a terrific holiday season.

Blaine

European Capers

That is Dani, and that water is the Mediterranean. As Dani would say, that is all!

Day +18

What a difference a week makes! Blaine is able to eat again, and as a result, is gaining energy. He is walking better, staying up all day, and even cooking occasionally. His weight is much lower than it was last winter, so we hope to put some muscle back on his frame. I don't know that he will be able to grow hair for a while yet, since he probably has at least one more round of significant (though not lethal this time) chemo to go. He was able to spend Thanksgiving at his sister's house with many of his family. It has been 10 years since we have even been on the same side of the Continental Divide as his family for the Holidays! It was a great day. Our friend, Clara, a student at BYU and a member of the Ascutney ward, was able to spend the day with us as well. What a treat.

Josh's basketball team smoked Orem High's team this week. Holy cow! These boys know how to play basketball. Alexis' team hasn't had a game yet, and Kyle's hand is recovering from a mild fracture he sustained in tryouts. He didn't play, but his team dominated in last week's game. Did I mention that boys basketball around here is REALLY GOOD? Dani is coming home in less than 2 weeks. Can't wait to have her on THIS side of the Atlantic. Well technically, closer to the Pacific. Weird.

Janet McDonald wrote the following on her blog, Singing Woods. "In America, the first Thanksgiving was a sincere act of joyous celebration. The Pilgrim company had survived the winter and harvested sufficient to feel themselves bountifully blest. "O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever" Psalm 107."

I echo her sentiment. Did you know that Europe doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, just North America? The pilgrims landed here, so the celebration was here. I wish the concept would catch on around the world, since we are all God's children, and it would be appropriate to render Him thanks together.

We're well and Blaine is improving. We are grateful for many things, and will thank the Lord above for all that we have been blessed with. Thanks for being our family and friends. May all be well with you and yours.

Day +11

Blaine has engrafted. His white counts are now back in the normal range. Though he is no longer neutrapenic, his new immune system is still very young, and not able to handle a lot. So we will reintroduce him into society (again) slowly, and begin lifting dietary restrictions. He won't be able to go out to eat for a few weeks at least, probably longer. Small price to pay. He is still very, very tired, and suffering from other side effects of the chemo. It will take some time to recover, but his immune system is on the way. We will talk to Dr. Trico the week of Thanksgiving, and go from there. No more Stem-cell transplants, if we're lucky, ever. He's not done with treatment, but he seems to be done with the worst. Maintenance chemo will be discussed at our appointment and we'll let you know what his analysis is of the success of the stem-cell transplants. That is, after all, why we came.

Brad and his friend Tony just drove cross country - again - to bring us our belongings. The truck wouldn't go over 65 miles per hour, and that was on flat ground or down hill. Wyoming is uphill. Then they couldn't get over 45 MPH. Bottom line, the trip took 10 hours longer than they planned. When they arrived, they were exhausted! We are so appreciative. Thanks to all those who helped pack up our stuff, care for our house, and get us and everything we own out here. What a blessing.

Speaking of houses, ours is still for sale! If interested, please contact Galloway Real Estate in Walpole. Just a shameless plug. :)



Dani was in Normandy, France last week, the site of the Allied invasion in WWII, I believe at Omaha beach. She took many pictures, but this one seemed to stand out.

Hope all is well with all of you.

Day +7

So far, this transplant has definitely been easier in some ways, and definitely harder in some ways. I will explain.

Worse because...
-Worst reaction to new chemo; very painful, but blissfully short-lived
-Serious throat pain, ongoing
-Less ability to eat and drink
-Digestive system misery

Better because...
-We are able to stay in Heber!
-His red counts have been stable, no blood needed. Wow!
-More energy on some days
-Did I mention we were able to stay in Heber?
-Less worry about the kids
-Blood pressure more stable, less likely to pass out
-Known quantity

His counts should start to rise anywhere between now and Friday. He plans to be well enough to attend a Thanksgiving dinner at his sister's house. We'll still have to cook a little differently for him, but he can have mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry, and Stove-Top stuffing. His Dad is getting him a small turkey roast, because they have warned us off a full bird and stuffing cooked inside one. He'll have to have extra pie and of course, ICE CREAM to console himself. No egg nog.

For me, I am grateful for a listening ear, or steam valve, in the person of Geri at Huntsman. There have been a few times when things were a little overwhelming, and each time when we arrived at Huntsman, this lady was there. She let me talk, vent, or cry until I felt better or less stressed. Imagine, me stressed! She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who's job is patient and family support, and am I grateful she's there! She is very good at seeing who is there each day, taking a look, and asking if they need to talk. Each time I've needed her, she was available. Good job, Geri, and good job, Huntsman! I highly recommend that patients, caregivers and/or families take advantage of such resources available where they are receiving care. They can help people talk about the things they need to in a constructive way. It helps!

Josh also made his varsity basketball team, and is now working for a starting spot. We are going to have a very busy basketball season, but hey. That feels just right.