FCR in the Rearview Mirror!

Crazy Rachel gets air on Rice Lake :-)

Nephew Joseph DiCicco shows off a Northern Pike :-)

Hello friends, today is Sunday August 7th - let me catch you up on the last 3 weeks or so.  As you know I started my last of 6 treatments on July 11, so I recovered while watching the British Open - the third time during my treatments that I recovered while watching a major golf championship.  I'm hugely grateful to have the FCR treatment behind me, but it is another test of my faith because while it was uncomfortable and somewhat disruptive, it was a sort of security blanket because it was keeping my disease in check.  In a sense now I'm on my own, at least for a while.  I need to respond by remembering that I am NEVER alone, and that "He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world" (in this case, my cancer).  And, that my fate is not in the hands of chance, or modern medicine, but in the Lord's.  This gives me great comfort.

Sister Jill giving a touching tribute to her husband Mark on his 50th Birthday

A day trip to the Porcupine Mountains on the shore of Lake Superior - behind us is Lake of the Clouds

Coming up we have a very busy schedule - I will be on a business trip to New York this coming week;  Renee's birthday (a big one) is this coming weekend; then after a normal week, I'm off to Europe and the UK for the week of the 22nd;  then I head to Houston to see Doc Keating on the 30th and 31st. There I will get a 'final score' for the FCR treatment, i.e., how much of the leukemia - if any - is left in my bone marrow.  From there it's to Atlanta for a day (business - though I plan to have dinner with a dear pal I haven't seen in more than 10 years) - and then after a couple of days' rest, off to Colorado for a week of fly fishing with my Dad, father-in-law, and brothers in law.

Sunset on Rice Lake

The family is well, and we've had a blessed summer.  Two weeks ago we were in northern Wisconsin for a week with my parents, sisters, and their families - I hope you enjoy the pics.......

until next time....Dan and fam

July 13 Update

The Moore-Russell Beach Trip 2011

Greetings Friends and family - it has been an eventful month, with business trips, weekend fishing (in California), our bi-annual beach trip with Renee's family and thankfully no medical issues.  This will be a short post, just to update you on my treatments...just today, I just finished my last dose of chemo for a while - the 6th treatment came right on schedule - no delay due to low neutrophil count this time.  Here's a neat little blessing - 3 of my 6 treatments have fallen during the weeks of this year's 3 major golf tournaments - the Masters in April, the US Open a month ago, and now the British Open this week - this is a wonderful little blessing because it gives me something to do, that is really never possible otherwise - lay on the couch for 4 days and watch every minute of the tournament and not feel a bit guilty  :-)....We have another family reunion coming up next week with my family in northern Wisconsin, so I will post after that.  Medically my counts look great, and I will be going to Houston at the end of August to get another bone marrow biopsy, analysis and consultation with Dr. Keating on next steps.  Thanks as always for your prayers and support.  Everyone here is doing well......let us know how you are doing and how we might pray for you.......Dan and Fam

No News is Good News

Kenyon "the Graduate", with proud Mom and Dad - last night

Hello friends, I'm back on the air after almost 2 months away.  The good news is that there has not been very much to report in terms of my CLL.  The first half of the treatment had more twists, turns, unknowns, and really, more suspense than this second half....we learned in the first 3 treatments that my disease was responding, at least in terms of my white cell count, and at the mid-point - in Houston 2 months ago - we learned that my bone marrow showed some improvement.  As we go through these last few treatments, my expectations are that we will not learn much of importance until I go back to MD Anderson 6 to 8 weeks after the 6th and final treatment to learn the "final score" of this first battle in the war.  That next trip to MD Anderson will likely be towards the end of September.  Meanwhile, my counts bump up and down based on the timing of my treatments and my neutrophil booster shots.  My lymphocytes fluctuate from around 1,000 to maybe 5,000, and my neutrophils from as low as 300 (2 weeks ago) up to 3500 (a week after my monthly shot).

Treatment #4 was May 2-4, and I was going to start #5 on May 31, but my neutrophils were down at 300 - this doesn't surprise me or Renee anymore, nor does it concern us.  I'll be back in the clinic tomorrow to try again to start #5.  My general health remains excellent, despite a slight increase in the post-chemo side effects. 


The big change in my life is that I went back to work at IBM on May 13th.  I am working 'full time', however I am being careful not to overdo things, especially while I am still under treatment.  This time of year is a good time for me to be getting back into the routines of work, as there area lot of people flexing in and out for long weekends and also taking their summer holidays.  Renee and I have two major family reunions to look forward to in July - one with my in-laws at North Topsail Beach over the July 4th week and one in Northern Wisconsin at a lake with my family.  Golf balls will be struck, fish will be caught, and family bonds will be strengthened........much to look forward to, and I promise to post pics.


As you can see from the photo, our son Kenyon has just graduated from high school - another big news item is that he was hired for his first job a couple of months ago at Arby's, which is going very well.  We are very proud of him.  Rachel is home for the summer and we are really enjoying having her around - she is making jewelry and would love to take your order at

http://www.etsy.com/shop/rachellorraine?ref=pr_shop


I remain confident about my future, not because of modern medicine, but because of my faith in Christ.  The Lord has all things under His control, and as I have said before, I see having an illness as a calling or a mission that I have been given, in the same way that raising a child is a mission.  I'm always thinking of movie or musical references (this is involuntary now), and I just thought of one - in "The Blues Brothers Movie", as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues are putting the band back together, they keep saying "we're on a mission from God".  And so am I.  I pray that you would be encouraged in your mission.  Thanks for your care, concern and prayers.

A short video clip of Kenyon receiving his diploma:

Treatment Update

Hi friends...it's a busy Saturday here in Raleigh and we're expecting some strong storms this afternoon.  I know many of you have been praying for my visit to MD Anderson to go well so thanks(!) for your support.  I traveled to Houston on Wednesday and spent most of Thursday in the clinic - about half my time focused on my current treatment and the other half focused on getting preparatory tests done for the stem cell transplant (which remains a "back-up" plan in case it is needed). 

The news on my treatment was good.  While my marrow still contains leukemic cells, comparing to the original bone marrow biopsy I had a year ago, something like 40% of the cancerous cells are gone, and something like 60% remain.  So the good news there is that the treatment is having an effect on the cancer in my bone marrow, as well as on my overall blood counts, which remain at near normal levels.  We would have liked to have seen a bigger impact, but we did not expect (speaking purely medically) that the cancer would be gone in 3 treatments - the nominal duration of the treatments is 6 cycles.  So, I will continue being treated and Dr. Keating wants me to go through the next 3 cycles and then have another marrow biopsy.  The definition of remission is that all cancerous cells in the marrow have to be gone, so that's what we will be praying for.  I will start cycle 4 on Monday, assuming my counts are OK that day.

Regardless of how much of the cancer the treatment eliminates, Dr. Keating continues to develop new treatments, and in fact has several 17p patients with stubborn disease that he has stabilized with a new family of oral drugs that are called "T-cell inhibitors".  He's very excited about these developments.

The GREAT news that I got on Thursday is that my sister Laure is a PERFECT stem cell donor match for me.  There are 14 "tests" for matching and we matched on all 14 points - so this is a GREAT answer to prayer and we are all just thrilled about it.  If I ever need a transplant, this puts me in the best possible position.  Woo Hoo!  Praise God!!

Your support, prayers, notes, and cards are deeply appreciated.  Love - Dan and Fam  

Masters Week Update

On the Veranda at Two Meeting Street Inn

Greetings friends, I see that it has been 2 weeks since my last update....my medical news is very good.  After the 3rd cycle of chemo which was March 14-16, I had a checkup on March 28, and Dr. Kritz, my local oncologist, pronounced my overall response to the treatments to be "great".  My team in Houston is also very pleased.  My counts are normal again, and I feel great most of the time - although yesterday, I came down with a fever.  Standard protocol for chemo patients who get a fever over 100 is to go get their counts checked to see if they are neutropenic, i.e., a very low neutrophil count.....unfortunately the only place I could get a blood count after  hours yesterday was an emergency room.  We were in at 7:15 pm and out at 10:30 pm....my neutrophils were strong, so my body will fight off whatever infection I have.  My fever is down today so we're expecting this to run its course in a day or two.

Renee and I spent 3 wonderful days in Charleston, SC for our 25th anniversary - the weather was not great, but we didn't let that stop us from walking around the old neighborhoods, taking some historic home tours, a carriage ride through the town, and eating some great local seafood.  We stayed at the historic and gorgeous 2 Meeting Street Inn, right down on the battery.  I am blessed in many ways, but after my relationship with the Lord, my marriage to Renee is the greatest blessing in my life.  We are so thankful for God's plan for marriage and family.  Here are some pics from the trip (you will see that I "snuck" out early for a little redfish action):

Renee on the Front Steps

10 lb Anniversary Redfish!!

  As indicated above, it is Masters week, and the Masters is probably my favorite sporting event of the year, so I will be in front of the tube for that - I will also be a guest at my niece-in-law's 4th grade class on Friday - Amanda Palmer Moore, Renee's brother's daughter, asked me to come to her class to talk about the solar system, so I have been working on that little project.  I may post pics!  The 'next big thing' is my trip to Houston next week for my mid-treatment progress check, complete with bone marrow aspiration and full analysis of what my marrow is doing/producing at a molecular/genetic level....It's a one day visit to the clinic, so Renee is not going to come with me (she would have if I had asked, of course), as we don't think this visit has much risk and stress in it, compared to my other 2 trips to Houston.  I leave on Wednesday the 13th and my appointments are on the 14th.  Of course we are praying for a great report there and I will keep you posted.  I hope all is well with you, and please let Renee and I know how we can pray for you - many of you are already on our prayer list, and we would love to add anyone who needs prayer support.  Dan and Renee

Chemo Cycle 3 - in the books!

With Friends Greg Schmieding and Mark Reineman at Cypress Point's famous 16th, Sept. 2010

Hello Friends, I thought a golf picture was appropriate (though this one is slightly dated) because I am in Florida at the moment and plan to play a little bit over the next couple of days.  I drove to Orlando this morning, arriving around 3 pm, in time for an afternoon nap.  This 3rd round of chemo was a lot like the first two, but there is a noticeable 'hangover' that is lingering a bit longer this time.  My low days were Friday and Saturday, which happily coincided with the NCAA basketball rounds 1 and 2, so there were literally 20+ games on over the weekend.  Lots of chemo recovery material.  Well, with all the anxiousness about my neutrophils leading up to the treatment, I got quite a surprise on Wednesday before my 3rd day, when my "neuts" hit 3900 - that was up from 1400 and even higher then they went after my booster shot on Feb 14.  So apparently my marrow kicked it into high gear on Tuesday!  I got another booster shot on Thursday just to be on the safe side.  My lymphocytes were also in good shape (ie, lower). 

Hopefully I will feel well over the next couple of weeks, and I will head to Houston on April 13th for a mid-course assessment of my progress disease.  As you know, a stem cell transplant procedure is being prepared for as a back-up plan, and the testing for my sisters' compatibility is beginning.  I'll keep you posted on that. 

My "big sis" Laure sent me a frozen Giordano's pizza by Fed Ex from Chicago to help me get through this treatment....I am blessed with 2 wonderful sisters!

Renee and I are approaching our 25th wedding anniversary - the date is March 29th.  We are planning a short getaway to Charleston for next week, so we are looking forward to that.  I was listening to some tunes on the way down here and I started thinking what were my "top 5" songs that are "our songs".....how sappy is that?  Here's what I came up with:  "She" by Elvis Costello, "Tupelo Honey" by Van Morrison, "You're My Best Friend" by Queen, "Your Own Special Way" by Genesis, and "Until the Night" by Billy Joel.  So there you go.  Go buy them on itunes and have a good cry  :-).  Honorable mention is a song that I doubt any of you have heard of, "Angel Eyes" by the Jeff Healy Band....but I found it on Youtube! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kag0TsZzxpw

I hope all is well with you, please let us know how you are doing via email or comments.....Thanks as always for your care, support, and prayers.........Love - Dan

Coupla' Rookers Cooking up a Storm on a Gorgeous Spring Afternoon

My sister Jill DiCicco

Greetings everyone, we had a great weekend because my younger sister Jill came down to visit from the Chicago area.  She has 4 boys ranging in age from 11 to 19, and her hubby Mark took over at home and gave Jill a weekend away.  By now you know what we Rooker like to do for fun - Rookers are Cookers!  Friday night we had an Indian feast, with Tandoori Lamb as the main course, with paneer and spinach samosas for an appetizer, a dise dish of naan bread and Dal, and a salad.....wow.....them saturday night, my young apprentice Rachel took over chef duties and we assisted her in making a wonderful beef bourguignon, and Saturday I grilled Red Snapper Chinese style........so we ate well.  Jill is a devoted and very committed follower of Jesus Christ and has been a wonderful support to me in the last year.  We had some great and very encouraging time together.

Jill was fervently praying for me, as were many others, as I went to the clinic this morning to get my counts.  There's a dichotomy to this treatment process, so if I may provide some background....on the one hand, I was told that 70% of patients with my disease characteristics achieve a complete remission (CR) with this FCR treatment.  On the other hand, low neutrophil counts are a side effect that can render the treatment ineffective, (actually excessively toxic to the neutrophils), and it can fail for that reason.  Therefore my low neutrophil counts, while they can be successfully dealt with in many instances, sometimes they cannot be corrected and treatment has to stop (and another one tried).  All that to explain why I get nervous when they are low and treatments have to be delayed.  Reviewing my Bible verses at these times is extremely helpful.  Still, I was anxious this morning.  I got good news at 8:55 am - my "neuts" were up to 1400 - my marrow had recovered and fired up production on its own (the neulasta shot I got on Feb 14 had worn off), this time, just a few days later than it did after the last cycle.  So - I was in treatment by 9 am and day 1 is in the books.  Praise God from whom all blessings flow! 

There's one other prayer burden that I will mention - it is quite possible that I will at some point require a stem cell, or bone marrow transplant.  If the current treatment is successful, this may not be for several years, but the prayer request is that one of my sisters (both of whom have been featured now on my blog), would be a donor match - a perfect match.  There is a one in 4 chance for each sibling to be a match.  We've talked about statistics, but we believe that God could miraculously "match" one of them even if there are not a match today.  He's done much more miraculous things than that, like create the Universe and raise Jesus from the dead!  The matching process will be starting soon, as a precautionary action.  I will keep you posted on this, but if you would add this to your prayer list I would be very grateful.

I am so blessed by your prayers and encouragement.  Whatever God's plans are for me, I know He hears prayers and answers many of them, and I trust Him completely.  I hope this finds you well.  Love - Dan