Intense, 1+ Month -- ready for attack on 7/3!!!

Wow!  Friends/family really came together over the last 1 Month or so -- helping with food, kids, activities, levity, and research.

I'll tell you -- the research was/is a bitch.  There is no "right" answer.  Everyone responds differently to treatment, and yet it's incumbent upon me to make some pretty important decisions.  The family all pulled in the same direction, got a ton of options on the table to weigh through, and we're good to go with the 7/3 start at UCSF for a 6 week intense treatment followed by other treatments.  Sure, doctors normally expect some side affects like nausea, fatigue, and other items -- but we'll kick butt over it.  And, it'll be great to have a lot of you locals close by to let out some steam and have a blast

2 of my wild and crazy and super-smart East Coast cousins said to me early on "This is your personal ride".  They both came up with the phrase independently -- really!  It took me a while to figure out what they were telling me, but I think I figured it out.  There are so many decisions that need to be made relatively quickly -- with relatively little real data.  Some of you may make decisions differently than what I did.  That's OK -- we're both right ;)  I really appreciate all the conversations, comments, and stories -- and they certainly do factor into my decisions.

On the family side, we've been able to escape for a couple days to Monterey, and saw some dolphins, otters, sea lions, and s'mores.  And, this week, my buddy Leland (friend from CAL who spoke at our wedding) is coming up for some fun from Australia/Los Angeles.  Brother Ken helped order a massage chair for you to sit in when I babble your ears off -- and it should be in soon.  The trampoline is gone and we're getting ready to do a little backyard landscaping.  And, we have a new car on order!  All super exciting stuff!  The kids are continuing their summer fun of Cheerleading camp, hanging with school friends, swimming, camping with Uncle Ken, etc.

Recovering well -- trying to get treatments started

(6/20 from Stu):  All continuing to progress well on recovery.  Great meeting yesterday with treatment doctor who gave us a ton of confidence.  And, I never had to use my short-term readers much before, but now I need them more -- he said it was normal as I was coming off some medication and should correct itself.  Nice!

I'm feeling good enough that I'm asking the doctors why we need to wait so long for treatments -- so I'm trying to push it ahead, but continue to run into no one being able to move it forward (even though I'm pushing other appointments up).  We'll keep pushing.  IMHO, it may be Bristol-Myers who is the company behind the clinical trial.  My point is that the surgery went well -- now let's build on that right away and not wait! 
We continue to look at optional clinical trials, which might mean a chance in hospital if UCSF doesn't get things going sooner, and we find a more interesting trial to participate in.

In any case I'm having a great time at home!  I love that so many of you have come by to visit, as it makes things far more interesting for me! This next week, we are hoping to get to:

• Throw out the trampoline and do general yard clean-up
• Plan out some backyard improvements -- thanks Suzanne!
• Doing lunches, teas, and even a little wine
• Planning a local vacation
• Planning out a new car -- thanks Phil Chou (as well as the consulting help from Paul, Matt, etc)!
• Thinking of other fun ways to spend good times together.  (My doctor says that I'll be a little tired during treatments, but stuff before and during treatments include:
• Alameda pinball museum
• Driving fun cars near the beach
• Fishing
• Hiking
• What else??

Done with 2 surgeries, and now onto treatment

(6/13, from Stu):  Recovering from the surgeries nicely and now just waiting to start the treatment plan.  Even though I'm feeling good, they want me to continue to recover some more (and prepare whatever they need to prepare) -- and then they are going to blast the pie out of me (radiation, chemo, maybe an experimental program) of what couldn't get removed from the surgery through the middle of August.  (The pituitary isn't our focus -- we're focusing on the glioblastoma).

Everyone has been so supportive throughout this process.  Thank you.  I'll try to get some Thank You notes out this week (Jaida has already started!) (Side note from Sandi: As Jaida and I set about writing down the names of those who have helped us over the last few weeks, we found our list to be longer than there were days since this all occurred! Wow!!  We are so lifted up by you all.  Thank you!! Back to Stu now....)

With the wait for the treatment to start, I have some time on my hands -- so gimme a call if you want to hang, go play, etc.  I'm up for pretty much anything, but am thinking about sticking with this:

• I get to drive -- I actually may get a new car since the BMW won't pass smog in a couple months
• I won't drink -- it's actually pretty darn hilarious watching y'all drink
• Good food
• Lots of exercise -- but no biking
• Entertaining movies -- now that they took the pituitary tumor out, I'm not the worst Elefant tearing up during Disney
• Crazy fun -- I'm definitely open to suggestions.  Sandi and I are doing at least 1 thing a day (and others are welcome too!):
• Filoli
• Cantors Museum
• Hakone
• Car driving
• Indoor skydiving
• Beach day
• Fishing
• Hiking with Buddy
• No real working -- I feel fine, but the doctor suggests that I don't work for a while until after my summer treatment.  ESG has been awesome. (Note from Sandi again - ESG crew has been SO AMAZING!! Thank you for the notes, the donuts, the little texts and calls!!)

Awesome to spend Thursday for Stella’s graduation lunch.  A little bummed that I couldn’t attend Jaida’s and Stella’s dance recital, but maybe they’ll give me my own version at home ;)

Today, I get checked out from UCSF.  And then, continue with what comes next.  Right now, just enjoying the beautiful day and relaxing.  Certainly, with all of your thoughts and prayers, I’ll power through nuances that come up.  Looking forward to spending time together, re-counting old and new stories together, and looking forward.  

Very fun to watch the Warriors wrap it up last night. 

(From Stu, 6am 6/8):  checking in for my 2nd procedure.

Yesterday was great - I got to go to lunch for Stella’s graduation lunch (missed the ceremony though), Went shopping with Jaida, and watched a family movie.  (I thought I’d be stuck at UCSF, but they let me go after a little while).

Today should go well. I’m out this time, so not much for me to do except think about my smiling family, pretty flowers, Fred’s Screaming Eagle, etc.  I should wake up about 3pm, and will recover Friday night and Saturday.  Should be celebrating the Warriors win then and will party with you.

Unfortunately, no lab tests yet. I suspect that they are waiting until I have this other surgery done, get it’s analysis, and combine it with the frontal lobe from last week.  It’s a little frustrating, but I guess I get it. FWIW, I won’t be posting my lab analysts, but I thank you all for your prayers.

Incredible Sports Day

(From Stu on 6/6/18):  What an incredible day.  Alex Roosakos and Keith Harris met me at the Giants day-game, and we saw amazing baseball.  Pablo Sandoval (SF-Boston-SF) hit a home run at the beginning.  SF was down 2, but came back in the Bottom-of-the-Ninth with 2-out and tied it up.  (Note:  My buddy Matt Berry used to have a video game system on baseball in college, and we all got so good, no one could score.  But, when one of us had an exam, we would let the other guy hit it out of the park with 2-out in the Bottom-of-the-Ninth -- letting us go to confidently off to the exam).  And then, the Giants win (with Sandi's favorite player -- at least from the back side).  Simply incredible.

And now, the Warriors win game #3.  Love it.

Tomorrow is "procedure" day, and then the next day is the surgery.  Apparently, I may not stay up at UCSF tomorrow, so I don't think we need much company.  Stella graduates tomorrow, which is awesome and I'll get to see video.  Friday is surgery -- so just recuperating time after that.  And, I think I'll be released to Los Altos on Saturday.  Let's just keep in touch and touch base in Los Altos.

My rest of the week -- Stella graduation, Mom's b-day, Jaida dance!

(From Stu):  All good this week -- no big set-backs.  I will go in for my second procedure on Thursday at 9:30am.  It's a bit of a bummer bc I'll miss Stella's graduation, Jaida/Stella's dance, and other post-graduation fun -- but unless my wily ways of convincing my doctors to delay me about 4 hours, I'll have to miss these events.  (When I get there, I wait for many hours -- but I know they don't want to wait on me).  Should be back to Los Altos on Saturday night.  (Jaida/Sandi will be visiting me - thank you to the Bakers for loaning your SF Apartment!!!)  It should be a 6 hour procedure, and I think just seeing people back in Los Altos is better -- so no need to visit UCSF.  (If you are in SF, Jaida/Sandi may want to walk to the Park, etc).

The rest of this week:

• Mom's birthday celebration -- quick walk/hike
• Try to check out Jaida/Stella's dance practice (bc I'll miss the performance due to UCSF appointment times)
• Maybe goto Wednesday Giants day-game (give me a text if you want to come along -- I'm waiting until tomorrow to see if prices drop, but hopefully me, Alex, and Ben can sit right behind home plate)
• Cheer on Warriors
• Then, go up to UCSF and be back in Los Altos hopefully by Saturday

The girls look quite beautiful for their last week of school (make-up for Jaida's dancing, Stella's graduation nails, etc).  Exciting week!

stu

Off to a good week!

(From Stu):  Yay!  Start of the new week, and the girls are excited for their last week of school.  Stella graduates from 8th grade on Thursday -- very exciting.

My situation is going way better than I expected.  Sure, I got a little bit of minor bruising, but I'm tapering off of medicines and getting ready for what is coming next this week.  A few things this week -- the formal date for my 2nd surgery (Friday 6/8), test results, and operating plan.  While I have extra time to myself (thanks ESG for a little Rest-and-Relaxation), I'm trying to explore some opinions on a variety of topics:  dietary options, crazy/fun things to do, different perspectives of people around the world, etc.

Thank you again for all the gifts, food, helping out with the girls, etc.  You all mean so much to all of us, and I may write (yes, physically) a note to you.  We're around this week -- if you are in town, want to recall some of our stories together (the Elefant Family tends to exaggerate stories for effect), share some advice/prospective, etc.

Special thanks over the last few days for my buddy Leland (from LA/Australia) and Mike Van Horn (from Portland) for flying into town.

xoxox,
stu
cell:  650-776-6559
(Note:  Starting Friday 6/8, I may not be able to rapidly get back via text).

Open for visitors!!

Hey there,
Stu is at home resting up for the next surgery. Looking forward to calls/texts to Stu's phone if you want to talk with him.  Visiting is ok too, just check in before coming over.

We still don't know anything except the MRI from the last surgery came back that they got most of the tumor out. 

No date for surgery.  No visitors needed at the hospital this next time, as it'll be quick with lots of tests/sleeping and meetings with doctors.

More to come when we know more.... or just call Stu :)