F*********CK Cancer!!!

We have known for a long time now that Roger has terminal brain cancer, but we have been successfully “living anyways.” For the past 16 months, Roger has beaten the odds. The newly FDA approved cancer medication he was taking had successfully stopped the cancer from growing. We knew all along that this medication was not a cure, but a tool to buy more time. And we have been able to revel in the opportunity to live and play despite his diagnosis. We have had an amazing year of adventure, family, friends, and reaching new milestones. Plus we got to settle into our dream cottage in Canada.

At the beginning of October, Roger’s MRI brought the cancer reality back into the forefront. His cancer appears to be growing again. And he was starting to show some neurological signs such as difficulty with word finding and more slurred speech. We jumped into high gear and have been reaching out to get second and third opinions about next treatment steps to try to slow the growth of the cancer again.

All along we have been working with an incredible program run by nurse navigators who have helped us connect with national level medical experts that treat this specific, rare cancer. We want to give a huge shout out to the Chad Tough Defeat DIPG Foundation for all their support in getting us into top level care.

They helped fast track Roger into care with the Director of the Brain Tumor Center at Penn Medicine. We had a great appointment with him this week and Roger will continue his cancer care at their center in Philadelphia. Roger will start 2 weeks of radiation therapy in about a week. He will also receive an infusion of a cancer medication every three weeks to manage brain inflammation and assist with shrinking the tumor. So we will be commuting between the cottage in Ontario, our house in Bend, and Philadelphia A LOT for the foreseeable future. We are still planning to head back to Bend, Oregon for the December holidays.

So please send Roger all your love, support, prayers, and good vibes as we enter into this next chapter of treatment and grappling with living with a terminal cancer. I know Roger has touched so many people’s lives in so many amazing ways as a friend, father, brother, son, uncle, colleague, educator, leader, principal, teammate, and a recovery partner in the stroke and cancer communities. Feel free to reach out to him and share your love and support. We will try to connect with as many folks as we can in Ontario and Bend because Roger loves a good hug, laugh, and chat. The support of his community means the world to him!!

This post was written by Wendi, the next one will be written by Rog, so get ready to laugh, cry, and feel inspired to live always!