tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20985363338370738252024-02-19T01:32:48.634-08:00The Ultimate Marathon....When diagnosed with SNUC (Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma ) on September 1, 2015 John began the "Marathon of His Life"...read updates and posts to see how he faces this challenge head on!John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-50434240307329027862016-08-07T01:28:00.002-07:002016-08-07T01:43:29.501-07:00"TEAM"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Under 19 Provincial Team</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When John first started running it was for reasons that most of us do, he wanted to get back into shape and it was the easiest form of exercise that didn’t require any commitments to some gym or program. He also discovered that he actually liked running and that it helped him to take his mind away from life’s stresses. However, as much as John’s new passion for running took over his focus, he found that he missed something that he had always been a part of as an athlete; belonging to a “team”. John grew up playing soccer, baseball and basketball and his experiences on these teams allowed him to understand the significance of what it meant to be a teammate, more importantly, a good one! As a runner you get to decide if you want to push your limits in a race, or back off and take it easy, still whatever decision you make doesn’t affect the other racers, just you. The same cannot be said for a team sport, in fact, it is quite the opposite; your actions and decisions not only affect you, but essentially they affect the entire team. The beauty of team sports is the ability to think outside of yourself, and work together with others for a common goal. It is knowing that each role an individual has on that team means something and that no one individual is successful unless his team is behind him. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John’s love for basketball and the success and failures that he has experienced playing this sport has taught him many life lessons beyond the game itself; lessons he does not take for granted, especially now! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today John’s “team” of specialized Doctors and nurses are no different then the teammates he had in sports...they each have a specific role to play in his treatment, they posses varying talents and expertise, and their common goal is their focus on John’s health and well being. John could not succeed without them and when he has experienced setbacks, they are there to help us find another way. These past several weeks have had it’s share of ups and downs...John successfully tolerated the first 4 rounds of his chemo treatment but as of late his bone pain has became more prominant. At this point we still do not know if this is the right type of chemotherapy to slow down the growth of his cancer. Recently, it was discovered that somewhere along the way, John fractured one of his ribs. This has significantly contributed to the boughts of an already unbearable pain that he endures due to the cancer. As a result </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">his daily mobility is now</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">drastically limited. This pain has been fierce and constant and has shown no signs of easing up despite every effort to increase and change up his medication. John is now back at Richmond General Hospital where his medical team has been working on finding the best solution to help alleviate his pain. On Monday John is scheduled to receive radiation therapy to his ribcage unless scans show other problem areas that need to be addressed. Throughout this ordeal John has once again shown incredible strength and resilience but his fight to take hold of this disease battles on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">During the past few months John’s family and friends have been organizing an amazing weekend that pays tribute to his love for basketball and the incredible friendships he has developed over the years. It is an opportunity to celebrate community, comradery, competition and the sport that has helped to shape the person John is today. We are both overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support that you have all shown towards our family during this past year! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Hopefully John will be strong enough to attend this event to</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> celebrate life and reconect with all of you :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thank you for being a part of our team!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For more information about this event on August 19 & 20 please visit </span><br />
<a href="http://www.johndumontclassic.ca/">www.johndumontclassic.ca</a><br />
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John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-110047064359345922016-06-22T21:17:00.000-07:002016-06-22T21:27:12.367-07:00Time...<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Time, it is the measure used to determine how successful or
sometimes unsuccessful a race has been. For John, he is all about his time…calculating
how fast his splits were per kilometer was extremely important to him and gave
him a goal to work toward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John often
wore a wristband during training runs that had specific time intervals written
down so that come race day, each kilometer was meticulously mapped out. To John
every second in his race mattered and he wanted to make sure he was doing
everything possible to keep himself on track. This gave him a focus and the determination
to stick with a plan and finish each race in the time he had expected himself to.
But as we know, sometimes no matter how prepared and diligent you try to be,
you cannot plan or prepare for the unexpected. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few weeks ago, when more scans and tests results came back
we learned the unfortunate news that John’s cancer had not only metastasized into
his pelvis, but also into other areas in his bones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scans also showed that there were small
spots in his liver and in his lungs; to what degree, however, still remains
uncertain. In this unpredictable race that John is running, time is something
that he is not able to predict. The pace with which the cancer grows and the
hope that we have that his treatment will slow it all down has yet to be
determined. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want time to be more on
our side then it actually appears to be at this stage in the course but the game
plan continues to stay the same…the fight is still on and the will to keep on
putting one foot in front of the other remains steadfast. John has already
received 5 rounds of radiation to his pelvis and in the coming weeks he will
likely receive a few more bouts to other spots that have been causing him
pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has had a port inserted below his left collarbone, just under the muscle, so that his chemotherapy can be
administered intravenously at home and without the need for him to be continuously poked with needles. Unfortunately
as of late John was extremely sick from toxic calcium levels in his bloodstream due to bone breakdown from the cancer. He spent 2 weeks in the hospital getting medication to combat
this problem and with the help of his Doctors, John also spent this time figuring out the right dose of pain medication to
alleviate his discomfort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now that John is finally home he will spend the next
several weeks going back and forth to the hospital to receive chemotherapy
treatments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has a great team of
Doctors behind him and we are very thankful for their support and expertise in
helping John to navigate this leg of the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The time that is left in John’s most challenging Marathon continues to
remain an arbitrary number but we will continue to enjoy the journey, make every second count, and keep all hope alive! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John's First 10 km race @UBC - 2007</span></div>
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John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-75365935894944581832016-05-05T20:33:00.000-07:002016-05-05T20:33:18.012-07:00The Challenge Ahead<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John and I recently watched a documentary film on The Barkley Marathon. For those of you, like me, who have never heard about this race before you should try to find some time to watch it, it’s on Netflix and it’s fascinating! This Ultra Marathon challenges participants to run over 100 miles through Frozen Head State Park near Wartburg, Tennessee. It is comprised of a 20 plus mile course where racers are required to complete 5 loops in 60 hours or less. During the first 10 years that this race was held, no one finished and participants began to believe that no one could. The race is like no other, the terrain is unmarked, the elevation changes are drastic, there are no aid stations along the route and there are certainly no people lining the course cheering you on. After just one loop of this race 63% of runners do not continue and after only 2 loops, 80% usually quit. Since 1986 only 17 people have actually finished the race.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I attribute the current state of John’s situation to that of the Barkley Marathon. After battling so courageously through the last 7 months of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, and despite the success of eradicating the cancer from his sinuses, John finds himself only completing loop 1 in this very difficult race. A race that he actually had no intention of signing up for in the first place! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In March John’s first post treatment scans came back optimistically clear. No new cancer was detected and the “abnormal” images that did show up in his MRI were likely the result of scarring from the surgery and the high doses of radiation that John had been exposed to. His Oncologist seemed very confident and assured us that all looked clear in this region and scheduled a new scan to be done in mid June. In the meantime John was slowly starting to feel better, he was outside more often, was able to drive the boys to their sports and was trying to get his body back into shape by walking, and lifting weights. However at some point in this recovery process, John pushed himself farther then he should have. Suddenly, one morning he woke up to a pain in his upper leg. He thought he had pulled a muscle from over doing it. In the next few weeks he stretched and limped through the discomfort until the discomfort turned to a painful ache. I urged John to see a physiotherapist and after only one appointment his physio asked him to get an X-ray so that she could rule out any possible bone fractures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The results of the CT scan to John’s pelvis was not what we were expecting, in fact it was not even on our radar in the slightest and it was nothing we thought to anticipate or prepare for, but nevertheless there it was. Six tumors have invaded John’s pelvic bone; two of them are as large as 5 and 6 cm. We have been told the hard reality that these tumors are “inoperable” and that we will need to rely on Radiation to stop its growth and possibly shrink its size. John's original cancer, SNUC, had metastasized through his blood and is now in his pelvic bone, whether there are more tumors on other bones or organs in his body remains to be seen. John will need to have a CT scan for his organs and we are currently awaiting the results of his bone scan. In the meantime radiation on his pelvis will begin tomorrow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loop 1 of the “Barkley” began 7 months ago and was successfully completed, but loop 2 will now begin, and just like the actual race, he will be running this loop in the dark. John does not know what lies ahead, and he will have no way of seeing too far in front of him, so for now John must trust in the course and know that if he was able to complete one loop, then he certainly has the ability to complete another one. One step at a time, one day at a time, nothing will be taken for granted and nothing will stand in his way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today we enjoyed a beautiful day as a family up at Grouse Mountain and tomorrow John will begin the next chapter of this Ultimate Marathon. The challenge ahead will be difficult, but John is not about to quit!</span></div>
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John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-48491024928692730912016-01-19T22:29:00.002-08:002016-01-19T22:29:50.345-08:00The Finish Line...but not quite finished!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Johns's very First Marathon - Vancouver 2010</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a number of emotions that are attached to the finish line…there is that sense of completion, accomplishment, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, heartbreak, disappointment, elation and joy. Marathons have a way of exposing your weaknesses while also highlighting your strengths. The finish line may mark the end of the race, but for some it can also mark the beginning of a longer journey ahead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last day of John’s final chemo cycle ended on Dec. 31, 2015. It was a perfect way to say goodbye to what has turned out to be quite the challenging year. It marked the end of his treatment plan and hopefully the end of any further cancerous growths throughout his body. Walking out of the clinic on that last day was a satisfying feeling for the moment, but the battle does continue even though John will no longer be subjected to the daily doses of radiation or chemotherapy. More recently John was hospitalized due to a high-grade fever and very low white blood cell counts, which the body needs to help fight any possible signs of infection. He spent 4 nights in the hospital wing of the cancer clinic where he received several litres of saline to combat his dehydration along with 4 pints of blood to increase his hemoglobin counts. John is now battling pneumonia for the third time and is his body is still going through the wringer from what has been a very aggressive treatment plan. But he is a true fighter in every sense of the word, and he will not let these set backs take away from the progress that he is inevitably making, regardless of how small it feels at times. It is often hard to believe that the body is capable of enduring so much punishment yet able to still come out healthier and better than ever before. If anyone can prove this to be true, it certainly will be John. The focus now is to ensure that John’s body is healing and that he is on the right path to a full recovery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John has run several races now and after each one he has looked ahead to the next one. He dissects aspects of his run that he can improve upon while also acknowledging what has worked. He has researched and learned a great deal from those who have had more experience, performed better, trained effectively or had pieces of advice to share. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the coming months I anticipate that John will begin to build a new “training regimen” for himself, one that contributes to the success of this race that he will continue to run. As the saying goes, John may have cancer, but cancer does not have him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We want to thank all of you who continue to support John throughout his journey. All of you have contributed in so many ways, particularly in lifting his spirits during some of his most difficult days! There are miles and miles yet to go when we consider what will be required for John’s recovery in the coming months. The first set of scans that will give us any indication that this has all been a success will not be until March, so although his feet may have just crossed that finished line, the race is far from being over!</span></div>
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<br />John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-51387663023806705002015-12-19T11:30:00.000-08:002015-12-19T12:49:40.505-08:00The WALL<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you embark on the goal of running a marathon, the much
discussed and often feared phenomenon that you train hard to avoid is “Hitting
the Wall”. For any runner that has come face to face with this said “wall”, his
or her experience is all somewhat different but inevitably it is the same. Basically the body has exerted all the energy
stores it has and as a result the body shuts down and must go into survival
mode. Fatigue, dehydration, muscle
weakness, dizziness and mental exhaustion, are all indications that a runner
may be heading directly into the wall.
In many instances this occurs when the race is nearly finished, and the
runner only has a few miles left to run. However, the wall is an unpredictable beast and
getting past it requires everything you’ve got, and then some.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John has completed 33 rounds of radiation treatment, and he
just finished his 3<sup>rd</sup> cycle of chemotherapy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a slight delay with his chemo
treatment because John’s white blood cell count a couple of weeks ago were too
low to continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His body has been
through the ringer and with the side effects of his treatment and the various
drugs and medications taking their toll, hitting that proverbial “wall” has
been unavoidable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been hard to
watch John’s strength whither away as he fights to beat this awful disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The body can sometimes fail you when you need
it the most, and even if it’s not happening to you, it’s a terrible thing to witness.
I know John is frustrated with his body’s betrayal and it does not seem fair
that his once fit and sturdy frame is now weak and fragile. However, John
continues to fight; he may not be able to eat much these days and in the past week has struggled
to stay upright for long periods of time, but he is fighting through it and
doing his best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the last month many
of you have cooked us meals, baked treats, made homemade juice, soup and sauces
or mailed gift cards and money, all in the effort of helping out John and our
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have been extremely
touched and overwhelmed by this generosity and display of love and care for us.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Support is a wonderful thing; it is the
brace that holds you up when you cannot stand on your own; John’s support
network is large and strong!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maintaining a positive outlook has not been easy, but John
knows that the strength to keep looking ahead and moving forward is the only
control he really has if he intends to get past “this wall” and finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John has never given up in a race, even when
he has felt that “wall” closing in on him, he has kept his head up and
continued to put one foot in front of the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2011 John ran in the Napa Valley Marathon, in the last few miles of the course John “hit the wall”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was his first experience where his body
was failing him and he didn’t think he had anything left in the tank to finish
the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He began walking hunched over
trying to maintain focus when out of nowhere a stranger began to yell at him
with great conviction, “Stand up!” “Keep going, you’re almost there!” “You’ve
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are almost
there…one more round of chemo and then John can finally cross that finish line
knowing that regardless of the challenges he has faced in this race, he has
never given up!</span><o:p></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Goodbye to John's Radiation Mask! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIx0AFuvObxq9n9NwBb3IxJMckIQs0o8AxjiAFlCKbAY-mwVWw44BJHwWumGmANSi7Hexn7enfyHvOeV4gmehO43d_df-5KISRF0p72GzJzuQZsaMrBTL2GT2KKlfM8TJJcFNUTcaS9kr5/s1600/IMG_6413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIx0AFuvObxq9n9NwBb3IxJMckIQs0o8AxjiAFlCKbAY-mwVWw44BJHwWumGmANSi7Hexn7enfyHvOeV4gmehO43d_df-5KISRF0p72GzJzuQZsaMrBTL2GT2KKlfM8TJJcFNUTcaS9kr5/s320/IMG_6413.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-81662458333203482442015-11-15T01:55:00.000-08:002015-11-15T11:00:41.165-08:00The Grind...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZpeEigTTJqDOrYoz_M5Sze_0aacnqhtiS9xkqVvUuhklizO-0l6sHZwYz1ssuvniyJh2OwNxEbSIIpAE_8ly4pEz2-oHJPgi8Uy2_vbrcZZF3leCeAPiU3u-eIb1DqI3v3A3s3XXEaO2/s1600/IMG_6328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZpeEigTTJqDOrYoz_M5Sze_0aacnqhtiS9xkqVvUuhklizO-0l6sHZwYz1ssuvniyJh2OwNxEbSIIpAE_8ly4pEz2-oHJPgi8Uy2_vbrcZZF3leCeAPiU3u-eIb1DqI3v3A3s3XXEaO2/s320/IMG_6328.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John at VGH Emergency for an allergic reaction to his Chemotherapy drugs :(</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even though millions of people have successfully completed a
Marathon, each race is different and each racer goes through their own unique
experience. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is no easy feat to cross
that finish line and it is certainly not a race for the average person. Both
the training and discipline it takes to get through the race is a constant
grind and there are always obstacles that must be over come along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Marathon of John’s life is a race with many
obstacles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is like no other course he
has come up against before. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As prepared
as John could have possibly been for this, it has been a challenge for him to
anticipate when he would eventually come across these obstacles and to what
degree he would have to endure them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
hair loss came faster then he would have liked, I shaved it all off when it
started to fall out by the handful, so now John looks like a serious badass!
The radiation has burned the skin of his face and scalp from the inside; as a
result John has had to deal with some very painful headaches between his eyes
and has extremely sensitive skin. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
mouth is riddled with sores, and his salivary glands are not very active, which
makes it hard for John to not only chew and swallow food, but also to simply
enjoy the flavor and taste of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other
crappy side effects include the skin peeling off his hands and feet, nausea,
constipation and constantly feeling fatigued.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These are things he knows he cannot control and must simply learn to tolerate…the
mantra, “this too will end” is ever present in his vocabulary. Yesterday John
was scheduled to complete the third treatment in the second cycle of his
chemotherapy plan when it took an unexpected turn for the worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John suddenly had an allergic reaction to the
drugs about half way through the IV drip so an ambulance had to be called to
bring him to Emergency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John received epinephrine,
oxygen and a steroid to help him breath and open his airway. They also took a
chest x-ray that unfortunately showed he also has pneumonia to content with now
too...needless to say the first half of this race has not been easy, in fact it
has been a grind!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although today essentially marks the half way point of this
race, the grueling reality is that it will not get any easier…fortunately, John
is no stranger to toughing it out during a race, he has hit those proverbial
walls before and knows that no matter what the case may be, he is capable of
getting to the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are no
words to describe the uncertainty of the course John still has left to run, but
as long as the finish line is in sight, I know he will eventually make it
there. John has 2 cycles of chemotherapy left to go and has completed 15 of his
33 radiation blasts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is an up hill
battle for sure; a battle John knew going in would challenge every part of his
mind, his body and his spirit to keep going and to keep believing that in the
end, it will all be worth it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John gets radiation from Monday-Friday... the process takes about 15 min. The fibreglass mask that was moulded to fit his face is used to hold John in place and is bolted to the table so that the radiation can be delivered with pin point accuracy! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cole supporting his dad at one of the treatments :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The inevitable Hair Cut!...I'm a pretty good Barber if I do say so myself!</span></div>
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<br />John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-3863641047966326962015-10-21T01:29:00.000-07:002015-10-21T16:23:37.796-07:00The "Aid Station" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The "Aid Station" is a very important aspect in a Marathon and in any race there are generally a number of them along the 26.2 mile course. Some of the "aid stations" provide water, some provide food for extra fuel, and some stations are equipped with First Aid in case there are any physical issues a runner might experience throughout the course. Without these "Aid Stations" one would never be able to finish the race, it is a component that runners have come to rely on in order to finish strong and with the best possible outcome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday John made his first pit stop at the "Aid Station" that he will rely on for the next 3 months...the BC Cancer Centre is where all the "magic" will take place and where John will receive the care he needs to beat this awful disease we call CANCER!! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I arrived at the Centre at almost the same moment as John and his sister Margot and I took the elevator up to the chemotherapy ward with them. As soon as we walked in John was directed to the room where he would receive his treatment....it was a sunny room with several oversized reclining chairs that seemed comfortable enough for the likes of someone as tall as John. There was already another patient in the room receiving his treatment, and an elderly woman who sat reading quietly by his side. The nurse that greeted us was upbeat and friendly and had a very positive demeanour...so far it was shaping out to be a pretty good start. The best part about "aid stations" are the people who run them...they are generally the kind of people that are there to encourage you and assist you in any way they can. This was the kind of nurse John was fortunate enough to have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 6th floor of the Cancer Centre is where John's chemotherapy takes place and it will serve as an important "aid station" for John throughout his "race".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are 2 different drugs that John has been prescribed by his oncologist and it is suited specifically to fight the type of cancer he has. He will be receiving these chemo drugs intravenously throughout the course of his treatment...with each appointment taking just a little over an hour from beginning to end...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's amazing when you think about it...what an hour of time can do....like help save a person's life! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today John will return to receive his second dosage and tomorrow he will receive his third and final dosage for what will complete one cycle of his treatment. John will require 4 cycles of chemotherapy that will span over the next 12 weeks. Three weeks separates each cycle to give the drugs time to do its job, but also time for John to regain close to normal "blood levels" before beginning chemo all over again. In addition, John will also begin his radiation treatment tomorrow. This will run every day for 6 1/2 weeks... taking weekends off to give John's body a chance to recover.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We know there are several side effects that comes with chemotherapy, John has been given the long list of things that he "could" or "might" or "should expect" to experience... but this will all be taken in stride. John was anxious to start treatment, but he is also relieved that this phase is finally beginning. There is an end goal in sight that we have never taken our eyes off... so having to endure what could, might or should happen during this phase is all par for the course...John is ready for what is to come....and if you know him well...you know he is capable of getting through anything!!</span></div>
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John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-46938728009879618592015-10-12T11:23:00.003-07:002015-10-12T16:06:06.535-07:00Much to be Thankful for….<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are nearing 4 weeks post surgery and on this Thanksgiving
weekend it seems appropriate to acknowledge how extremely thankful our family
feels right now. John has been
recovering slowly but surely since he left the hospital, taking it one day at a
time to get stronger and healthier. The
surgery was the start that we had all been hoping for and it has greatly set
the tone for what should turn out to be John’s best race yet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the past few weeks John has had several appointments
with his surgeon, radiation oncologist, medical oncologist, dietician, counsellor,
dentist and opthamologist. They are what
make up his team! Each one of them will
play a vital role in ensuring that John is on pace and that he is doing what he
needs to for a successful finish to this race.
So far, after another CT scan and PET scan, John shows no sign of
“disease” that can be visibly detected (nothing greater than 5mm in size)
throughout his body. While this is fantastic news, we are still optimistically
cautious given the nature of SNUC and the aggressive tendency it is known to have. However, the surgeon and oncologist are very
happy with John’s present state, he is one of the lucky SNUC patients where
surgery was not only a possibility, but where the removal of the tumor in its
entirety along with the margins surrounding it, was a complete success. This gives us all great confidence going into
John’s radiation and chemotherapy treatment that will occur concurrently; 6
weeks of radiation along with 4 cycles of chemotherapy will be administered
over a 12 week span. Although the start
date for this has yet to be confirmed it should begin within the next few
weeks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For now John is getting back on his feet, eating well and
gaining some weight for what is to come, he is also trying to enjoy being
mobile, taking the time to watch the boys football games and visiting with his friends
and family. His energy level is still lower than he would like it to be and not
feeling like “yourself” has been extremely frustrating for John at times, but a Marathon of this nature is not going to be easy. Each mile from here on in will be different
then the last, some miles will be smooth sailing on flat road with the breeze
at his back, while others will be gruelling with steep terrain and head winds
pushing him down. Whatever the case may be, John has this!! He is a fighter and will do anything it takes
to finish this race! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, on behalf of our family, I wanted to say thank you, which doesn’t even seem
adequate for the extraordinary support so many of you have shown us whether it
has been rides home for the boys, meals you have made, treats you have sent,
gift cards you’ve mailed us, well wishes you’ve given, phone calls you’ve made, text messages you’ve sent or emails you have written, all of it means so much! We know we are not in this alone, we know that there are countless people who love and support us every step of the way…and we
know that whatever lays ahead, we will be able to face it with all of you cheering him on!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-4979983875366948532015-09-22T21:29:00.004-07:002015-09-22T23:01:44.559-07:00Keeping Pace....<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably one of the most important aspects to John’s
Marathon training is finding that sweet spot where he can sustain his energy
level throughout the race. This way, at the end when the finish is in sight, he
can step on that gas pedal and give it all he has left in the tank. During his runs he meticulously keeps track
of every minute and every second from one mile to the next and disciplines
himself to stay on track. On race day
John wears a wristband that shows him what the time splits should look at each
mile marker so that he doesn’t get too far ahead of himself, or fall too far
behind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are at day 5 post surgery and John is right on Pace!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today the Doctors have decided that he is well
enough to leave the confines of the hospital walls and continue healing in the
comforts of home! His surgery went very well and the surgeons are extremely
pleased with how everything went.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a
12 hour surgery there is a lot to get through and there is always the
uncertainty of the unknown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John was
fortunate to have an excellent team of Doctors who were prepared, motivated, and
highly skilled. They went in fully understanding the importance of getting
every last speck of cancerous cells in order to give John a decent shot at beating
this "thing" we have come to know as SNUC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These Doctors have helped John set the pace for what is next in the many
miles ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race has just begun and
we know they will be here to make sure that at each mile marker John’s splits
are looking good and his pace is on track to where it is suppose to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a lot yet to accomplish before the inevitable
treatments of radiation and chemotherapy begin: Dr.’s appointments, a PET scan,
meetings with the cancer clinic’s dietician, dentist, counsellor, oncologists
and so forth…but for now, John can find contentment in the rhythm one finds in the early stages of a race... and for this one; sleeping in his own bed, eating
“real food”, gaining his strength back, and being continuously showered with love and support from his 3
boys, countless friends and caring family might just be that perfect rhythm he
is looking for!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The course he is on is
still unknown so he will have to tread lightly, however, there is definitely an
optimism and the anticipation that all will be as it should…and really, why the
heck shouldn’t it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Post Surgery: Day 2 - Recovering well</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 3 - Walking about! Day 5 - Going Home!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Day 5 - What Matters!</span><br />
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John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-83180431254335126862015-09-18T01:32:00.002-07:002015-09-19T00:06:37.245-07:0012 Hour Surgery...Check!When the alarm went off at 4:00am this morning I knew that it was go time! John was already up and in the shower....During the early morning hours of any of John's big races, he would typically get up around this time to "carbo load"...ironically enough he was also given the same instructions in order to prepare for the surgery. It was like any other race day and the familiarity of this ritual gave me confidence and hope that this was going to be a Good Day!<br />
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Check in time for surgery occurs between 5:30-5:45 am. When we arrived at the hospital I was a little taken aback by the amount of people already patiently waiting to check in, however, it was race day after all and these other runners were also preparing for a race of their own. The check in process was quick and efficient and in no time John and I were escorted to the "holding bay" where the nurses took care of much of the pre-surgery prep. We met with John's Anesthesiologist, who turned out to be the "Head" of the entire department... with that in mind we both had even greater confidence going into this then we already had before...John was going into surgery with the BEST possible team assembled and we couldn't have asked for anything better! By 7:30am it was time to give John one last kiss and the reassurance he needed that all would be okay...it was going to be a long day for all of us who love him, but only a moment in time for him. I left John feeling confident and excited to see him reach that first mile marker in the race...he was on his way!<br />
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Surgery as expected took 12 hours...having fantastic friends with connections working on the inside, I was able to get positive updates throughout the day which put my mind, and many of yours, at ease! The waiting game after work was longer than I had expected...yes I went to work! Those of you who know me understand that this was the best place for me to be. Staying busy all day didn't allow me to be swallowed up by the "what ifs" of the surgery....being in the company of a couple great friends and some much needed wine also helped me pass the time with ease until I received that highly anticipated "phone call".<br />
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Listening to the Surgeon and hearing him reassure me that everything went as planned and that he couldn't be more happy with the outcome of John's surgery, was like that feeling you get when you know you are "winning" in a very tight race...Pure Elation! I know we will be finding out more details in the next few days but for now this is the best news we have had in a while! When you begin a race as long as a Marathon it is important to feel good right out of the gates....and today we all feel PRETTY DAM GOOD!! I don't think that the love and support that John, myself and the boys felt today can be outmatched! For this I am truly grateful and feel blessed and lucky to have all of you lining the streets and cheering John on through this challenging part of the course! What would he say about all of this?..."Piece of Cake!" xoxo<br />
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John 2 hours post-surgery!!<br />
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<br />John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2098536333837073825.post-36742721168167473602015-09-16T23:38:00.001-07:002015-10-12T22:27:28.374-07:00The Starting Line....<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight is the night before John, my very brave and courageous husband, will endure a long and laboured surgery to remove a golf ball size tumor from his sinus cavities. For those of you who have not yet heard the details of how this all came about, let me back track for a moment...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In June of this year John began to notice the occasional bloody discharge from his nose. Pretty typical for someone with nasal issues, especially during allergy season, however, through the course of the next few months the bleeding became more frequent and eventually constant. Obviously this sounded off a few alarm bells but not the kind that seemed serious. After a great trip to Las Vegas to watch the boys compete in a basketball tournament and a few days away in the heat of the Osoyoos sun, John went to a walk in Clinic to get his nose checked. At this point the bleeding from his nose was like a constant dripping faucet. The Doctor took a quick peek at John's nose, asked him a few questions and cauterized the vein he felt was the culprit. Two days later his nose was now bleeding more than it ever was before so he went back to the clinic where the same Doctor realized it was more serious than he had initially anticipated. From here the wheels were placed in motion and after a series of blood tests, CT scans and a biopsy, it was determined that John has cancer. As for the specific type... well we have come to learn that it is Sinonasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma, or SNUC for short. This is a rare cancer and presents to be highly aggressive and invasive. There is also not a lot of data about this cancer due to it's rarity. That said, the Doctors are confident that once John undergoes this surgery to remove the tumor and then is subjected to Radiation and Chemotherapy, his chances of crossing that finish line is that much greater!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.... Thursday, September 17, 2015 marks the first step in the Marathon of John's life! Like previous races John has run, he will be challenged every step of the way, but like all the races he has run, he will have everyone who loves him cheering him on! </span><br />
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Thank you to everyone who has been by our side from the moment John and I found out this awful news. Your visits, text messages, emails, phone calls, prayers, and kind gestures of food, rides, books, and more importantly, unconditional love have made these past few weeks bearable for all of us! Know that when John is wheeled into that O.R. tomorrow morning the strength that he has gathered from all of you, his friends and family, will give him the extra oomph he needs! Let the Race begin....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">xoxo Trixie</span></div>
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John R Dumonthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07091336148208272290noreply@blogger.com6