Monday, January 30, 2006

 

Will and Friends

Click link above for a 3' 42" slideshow of Will as he wraps up his hospital stay and ventures home.
 

No more Duke

No, this is not the chant of a raving Tarheel fan (which I am not). I'm referring to my bi-weekly trips to Duke to receive photopheresis treatment. After talking with my Yale oncologist last week, we decided to cease those treatments as they have been ineffective at receding the rash. In fact, new rash spots (the manifestation of the lymphoma) has spread slightly to my calves. Instead, I will begin an oral form of Targretin in addition to the topical Targretin I currently use. The oral Targretin is more potent and has more significant side affects, including possibly increasing my LDL (bad cholesterol) and affecting my thyroid. I'll have blood work bi-weekly to monitor those items with the possibility of additional medication (think Lipitor) to counter those affects.

This news is good/bad: Good because I don't have to goto Duke. Bad because (obviously) the photopheresis wasn't effective. I knew that photopheresis is a relatively benign treatment, with little down-sides and many upsides. As I stated at the outset, my cancer was caught early in its life-cycle, I'm relatively young and there are many non-invasive treatments available (i.e. not chemo/radiation). We've exhausted one of those options and are now moving on to the next. I will be going to Yale in late March for my next visit with Dr. Foss.

Please continue to pray for my healing and for the emotional impact on me and Rachelle. We know we're on a journey. Please pray for wisdom and strength as we take the next steps. Thank you.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

 

William Sean McClintock

WSM pictures.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

 

WE HAVE A BABY

William (Will) Sean McClintock, 7lb. 2 oz., 19.5" long, arrived this morning at 8:42 am. Mommy, Daddy, and big sister Anna Scott are all doing well. Everyone is excited to have Baby Will here and look forward to taking him home at the end of the week.

Stay tuned for pictures!

Monday, January 09, 2006

 

Top 5

As Rachelle and I narrow in on McBaby #2, we had some fun over the weekend polling some friends and family on baby names. The top 5 (of the 12 possible names) are:

1. Calvin
2. William
3. Luke
4. Evan
5. Sean

We'll announce the "winner" tomorrow!
 

Baby Time

Tomorrow, January 10, 2006 will mark the arrival to McBaby #2. The name is still a mystery (even to us), but not the gender: It is a Boy. Of course, more than one OB has made the wrong call in the past, but we've been assured. Rachelle is having a C-section, which is how I'm so certain that tomorrow is the day.

Anyway, the point here is to ask (once again) for your prayers, that everything will go smoothly, that McBaby is healthy, that Anna Scott is cared for even amidst the relative chaos. Stay tuned for an update and some pics. Thanks!!!

Sunday, January 01, 2006

 

How You Can Help

Updated April 12, 2006:
Many of you have offered to assist us in some manner, and we've been overwhelmed with your generosity. And since you asked for suggestions, I will take the liberty of listing some ideas:

1) USAirways frequent flyer miles for our semi-annual (at a minimum) trips to Yale to see my specialist, Dr. Francine Foss. USAir is the only major airline that services New Haven, CT (HVN).

2) Hotel points for Marriott (30 Whalley Ave, 203.777.6221) or Omni (155 Temple St, 203.772.6664). Depending on flight schedules, we typically stay one or two nights. Both hotels offer special "Yale medical" rates.

3) An occasional meal. We were well cared for during my March Madness 2006, but a meal from time-to-time would be much appreciated.

4) Occasional baby-sitting. Get in line behind the grandparents, but even they can't help all the time! Staying with the kiddos would allow Rachelle and me some time to ourselves.

5) Financial gifts. It's difficult to mention this need, but the reality is that we've exhausted our annual medical flex dollars in just 3 months so any financial gifts are welcome. We have terrific insurance through Bank of America, but we still have significant out-of-pocket medical costs.

Thank you!

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