Thanks and God bless
Greetings and Salutations,
This is Jack here, back to leading as normal and as full a life as I can while undergoing the treatments that I have to go through that will bring me back to full health and a future filled with more adventures and explorations, ideas and creations, friends and follies. So stay tuned.
As you probably learned from the last newsletter sent out by my webmaster Mike Quigley, I’ve been diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and also what is called superior vena cava syndrome. I was in the VA hospital for several weeks but am now home as an outpatient. So far the treatments have been going very well, better than expected actually. I just finished a second round of chemo last week (two more to go) as well as my first radiation treatments (only 33 more to go). As you can guess these treatments are a little tiring but on the whole not so bad as you might think. I’m in pretty good spirits, experiencing no real difficulties (except for a radical change in my sense of smell and in my taste buds which makes a lot of food taste just awful–but this will pass as the weeks go on). I just try to live each day as best I can and to be thankful for all that is good in my life.
Hundreds of emails, get-well cards, and telephone calls have come in within the past few weeks, from all over the world, from friends and strangers alike, and although I’d love to respond to each one, it’d be a bit difficult right now but I’d like to thank everyone who wrote or called. I appreciate your thoughts and concern much more than you can know, than I can tell. It means the world to me to know that people care; they really do. And I do, too. God bless you all.
Welcome to 
Kate says:
December 11th, 2008 at 5:16 am
USHUAIA OR BUST!!
MikeQ says:
December 12th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Jack, through all this I’ve been so focused on trying to find something I can “fix” that I just today realized that I’ve never taken the time to tell you how I feel. I guess Ellen is in the same boat (me always assuming my actions will speak the words). FWIW, I love you with all my heart. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for you (except maybe Comic Sans as the font for a book title). You challenge me constantly. To my “why?” you’re the daily dose of “why not?” With the exception of Ellen and my wonderful kids there is not a person who has had a more positive and inspiring influence on my life. As Katie wrote, Ushuaia or bust. We’ll get there.
Clive says:
December 13th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Welcome back Jack!
Tim King says:
December 19th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Good to hear you’re back in the saddle…or the giraffe, I suppose. From a fellow radiation survivor, hang in there, it really is worth the trouble, although some days you may wonder. You will continue to be in my prayers. Tim K.
Reg Power says:
June 7th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I just found out about your illness last week. Peter Mehegan alerted me.
As the third alumnus of the Mary T. Alumni Assoc., I have to apologise for being so tardy in wishing you well. I’m glad to hear you are responding well to treatment. KEEP AT IT.
Reg P.
maggie merriman says:
October 24th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Love your website. The very best I’ve ever seen! Easy to read, informative and FUN! Just like you are. Great talking to you today. As Dave Bascom would say, “Hang in there baby!” Wishing you all the very best. You deserve it. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Hang in there and lets go fishing next year on one of those “secret streams” in beautiful Montana.