David gives us an update!

Hello all-

It's David--I thought that I would give Lisa a break from her memoirs and give an update as to how TeamBoyd is doing. I know that I will not be as eloquent as she is but I will try my best!

Before anything I want to thank everyone for their support--whether it has been a call, an email/text/card --you will never fully know how much it has meant to me. They have helped me through some hard places and continue to keep my spirits high!! And a HUGE THANK YOU to my wife--I thank her each day but I wanted to publicly announce how awesome she is!! She is MY inspiration throughout this battle. If you know her--you know what I'm talking about--if you have yet to meet her--well she's kind of a big deal!!

I am back home after finishing what was my last round of RICE Chemo at Athens Regional and have started my attack on getting my body and mind ready for whats to come. I started riding the bike again (Lance Armstrong watch out) and soaking in a bath trying to rid myself of the toxins from the RICE. I will tell you that a warm bath after riding a bike in 100+ degree heat is not the idyllic scene one would imagine,but it is what it is. My appetite is good and we have been incredibly lucky to have had meals delivered that have spoiled us (thank you OPC and TEAMBOYD ). As expected my platelets have dropped down, and I am getting transfusions pretty much daily. This was to be expected and happened every other time but I rebounded and expect to this time as well.

Many of you have asked about what the next step is in beating this. Heres the game plan--

August 8 & 9 - going to Northside for a battery of tests--PET Scan, CT Sans, echo cardiograms, bone marrow biopsy and even a lumbar puncture--I know, I know--some guys have all the fun! I'll be back home after that for the week. On the home front, Izzy is starting kindergarten!

August 15- Educational Day--I imagine this will be reviewing what all is involved in the procedure, meds, follow up and I'm sure that we'll get the statistics and probabilities of this--I'll probably zone out like I did in High School because as Lisa said "we threw out probabilities and statistics a long time ago"...I'll snap out of that overload haze and only need to know the answer to one question--"Is this possible?"--that's all I need to know!!

August 20- I start my high dose of Chemo/ Radiation-- this will be in their clinic and I will be blasted with as much as they can give me. This is intended to get rid of all the cancer but unfortunately will also wipe out all of the "good stuff" in my body as well. I'll be apparently pretty puny (so they think! ) so that the new stem cells can do their thing.

August 26- I get the Stem Cell Transplant (thank you Wesley for taking the reigns on this and donating!) The procedure is apparently anti-climatic and like a simple blood transfusion. From this point on I will be an inpatient at Northside until my counts and body start to recover. Once they feel like I am responding then they will "release me back into the wild" somewhat. I will have to stay within shouting distance to their clinic and be going back everyday for up to 100 days (typical) for meds, blood and be monitored to see how my body is taking to the transplant.

Cancer has been compared to a Marathon --I think this is probably pretty true (seeing as I have never actually run a marathon) and I feel like I have been in training for what's to come. I know that we have the most incredible support team that has ever been assembled and that whatever comes our way we'll make it through it.

"I don't want easy...just possible"

With you guys by our side --ANYTHING is possible!!!!

GO TEAM BOYD!!

David