This Week

February 23, 2010
In a word... progress. That's what Tim is making, and this time it's forward! I think all of those years of training and conditioning his body for marathons and triathlons is paying off, because Tim Paine is still in the race!

This last week has brought some more good news. On Thursday, Tim officially "graduated" from home health care (see photo below). His Physical Therapist, Rob was happy (and a little sad) to send him back to outpatient rehab where he will continue to try and regain some strength and improve his function. It's definitely a slow process, but Tim is determined and ready. Especially after a surprise visit from Instructor Thomas (aka Boot Camp Jess) last weekend. He showed up and gave P.T. Paine some much needed inspiration and motivation. Thanks Jess! Now drop and give me 20!!

The other news we want to share is that Tim had his most recent MRI scans yesterday and the results were not terrible. The 4 tumors that had developed last October are still showing some progress in their "retreat", but there is an area of concern where a new tumor has begun. Our hope is that the Avastin, along with the many other treatments Tim is doing will quickly have the same positive effect on this one!

So for now, the fight goes on and he will continue working his way towards a healthy recovery. Please know how much we appreciate all of the love and support from everybody out there on "Team Paine". Not a day goes by that we don't feel that strength from each of you. We have been very blessed and would feel ungrateful if we didn't acknowledge and recognize God's hand in all of this.

LIVESTRONG!


February 8, 2010
Whoever said it's always darkest before the dawn was right. January was downright "black". But we are happy to report that February is turning out to be much brighter. Without going into all of the gory details, Tim's condition definitely got worse before it started getting better. Once home from the hospital, the real trouble started. His respiratory infection brought with it a number of problems including severe coughing, aching, congestion, wheezing and difficulty breathing... all of which made it impossible to sleep at night (or any other time for that matter). And if all of those things weren't bad enough, every time he would blow his nose it would start to bleed. And not just for a few minutes, we are talking for days and days! One of the side effects of the Avastin treatments are nosebleeds and then with his blood being thinned to treat the clot... let's just say our bedroom looked like a damn horror movie. It was not pretty and was not a good time and to be quite honest, was extremely scary for all of us. But in true Tim Paine fashion... he managed to pull through it and make it to the other side.

This last week has been filled with a lot of rest, whole-hearted physical therapy, trips to the barber shop and some wonderful and healing holistic treatments for both Tim AND Julie. Poor Julie took her own little trip to the hospital a few weeks ago. Come to find out, there is such a thing as sheer exhaustion. Either that or she was just sick and tired of her husband getting all of the attention. Whatever the case, we have been overwhelmed by the care from family, friends and neighbors and so appreciate all of the help and wonderful meals that have been brought in. Thanks especially to Julie's parents who have filled our refrigerator and cupboards and especially our hearts so many times now. We love you!

Our new favorite quote is by Willa Cather "Where there is great love, there are always miracles!" Tim is a true miracle and chooses every single day to defy the odds. He is simply amazing.

We are once again open to phone calls and visits... so please do not hesitate to call or come by. A phone call to make sure it's a good time would be best... but we would love to see you or hear from you. Thanks again for the love, support, prayers and strength!

LIVESTRONG!

Before his trip to see Bob the Barber...

After seeing Bob... sporting a nice goatee!

Most Recent News

January 19, 2010
Good news... thanks to Abby and Olivia breaking their daddy out of the hospital, Tim is back home! It was a huge relief when things finally shifted on Monday and he started showing some improvement. We have commented many times on how fortunate we are to live so close to the amazing caregivers, doctors and specialists at IMC. They have once again impressed and wow'd us with their skills, expertise and most of all... their human side.

The good news is that he is slowly getting better and he responded well to the method of blood thinning they decided on - which is a Lovenox shot in his belly twice a day. The bad news is that he will most likely have to be on these shots for a very long time and will have to be extremely careful not to fall or cut himself. The other bad news is that Julie (who is terrified of needles) is going to have to buck up and learn how to jam a needle into her husband's stomach. Yikes! You never know though, it could prove to be therapeutic for her!!

Next steps are first and foremost, a lot of rest for Timmy. Even though a hospital is supposed to be a place for rest, he didn't get much of it. He will also be working to clear up the infection in his lungs, improve his strength and function with home physical therapy and continue his Avastin treatments for the tumors.

Thanks once again to dear friends and family and the excellent care from his doctors and nurses, Tim has made it through another stage of this so-called marathon. We appreciate the care and kindness shown to us once again. Stay tuned for more updates as we go!

Above are the Paine Brothers, Freddie, Tim and Scott... watching skiing on Universal Sports in Tim's hospital room. Are they diehards or what!!


December 2009
After 21 months of having an MRI scan and then bracing for the "bad news"... Tim finally turned the tide. His scans came back showing that the tumors (4 of them to be exact) are somehow retreating! Wow... what a change from his previous 9 experiences.

Although this news is promising and encouraging, we remain cautious and a little guarded as he still has a long way to go. With each tumor, every surgery, the chemotherapy and radiation, and especially the steroid treatments, Tim's body has suffered. He is weak and low on energy and his real fight is just beginning. He will start rehab next week to try and regain some strength and become active again. But we all know Tim... and there is no one more dedicated, committed or disciplined. He will be back on his feet (and hopefully the slopes)
in no time.

The Good Stuff!!

Despite Tim's cancer diagnosis and how it really does turn your life upside down... we are learning some valuable lessons. First and foremost, life goes on! As much as we wanted to crawl back under the covers every day... we didn't, and here are a few of the highlights from our fabulous adventures over the last few years:

November 2009 Football Game

Thanks to one of Tim's best friends, Angelo... Tim and Julie were able to enjoy a fabulous weekend in Cincinnati and the chance to see their first ever NFL game - the Bengals vs. the Ravens. It just so happens that Angelo's sister (Peg) is married to Head Coach Marvin Lewis. The weekend was spent at the Lewis home with Angelo and Janet Papastamos, Jim and Jackie McDowell, Chris Bleau and girlfriend Ellen, and many other hard core Bengal's fans! From tailgating to eating ourselves silly in the suite, we had a wonderful time and best of all, the Bengals won!!

July 2008 Canada Van Trip
Tim and Julie spent 10 days on the road driving through Glacier National Park and British Columbia, Canada. We took Tim's 1990 Vanagon on the trip of a lifetime. We went to all of the places Tim usually visits during the wintertime on his annual ski trips and were able to see them in the beautiful summertime. Julie even experienced her first helicopter ride - which was breathtaking. We're not sure if "we" or the "van" had a better time though. Tim said at least 100 times that "This is the kind of trip these vans were made for!"

Can you hear it?

August 2008 & 2009 River Trips
What a fabulous Paine Family Tradition we have started. For the last 2 years we spent the first week of August floating down the Green River through Lodore Canyon. What better way to teach your kids about nature than living out in it for 4 days and nights. We weathered some amazing rapids, some intense storms, flying tents, chubby bunny, and using a bano! Oh, and our kids learned that they can live without their phones and electronic games!! Go figure.

November 2008 Wedding

During a wonderful trip to Hawaii over Thanksgiving, Tim and Julie planned a very simple and intimate wedding on the beach in Kailua. With Tim's brother Freddie, our children and a minister... we experienced one of the most beautiful ceremonies that joined our family together forever. It was a truly remarkable day that we still talk about and cherish.

Gratitude

As we have reflected on this last year, we can't help but be humbled by so many things. If there is one thing that Tim and Julie have felt, it's love and support from so many family and friends. We know that we could not have survived this kind of ordeal, without the strength, hope, faith, prayers, visits, gifts, calls, texts, emails, etc. from everyone. It's been a very powerful force in our lives and we hope you know that we are aware of it, we feel it, we appreciate it and more than anything, we have drawn on it each and every day. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, we are beyond grateful to all of you who have done so much and given so much to the Paine Family. LIVESTRONG!

People ask us all the time if there is anything we need and Tim will say... "as long as my 3 girls are okay, I'm just fine." Well the Paine girls are doing great... Abby and Olivia are wonderful daughters and have taken very special care of their daddy. They are doing well in school and are currently playing basketball, taking hip-hop dance and avidly reading the Twilight books. And Michael, well we couldn't do this without him. He's been a great support to Tim and they love to give each other grief. They also share such a passion for cars and carry on great debates about everything from horsepower to handling. It's so nice that Tim has somebody to pass on his car wisdom to. Although we have to give Abby and Olivia credit, they too have the car bug and participate in many of the discussions. And thanks to Michael, they have become expert "wheel washers" from all of the car wash events in the Paine driveway!

Timeline / History

January 18, 2010
For anyone who has seen the movie "What About Bob?" with Bill Murray... then you are familiar with his silly lines about "baby steps to the elevator", or "baby steps to get on the bus", etc. Well, that's pretty much where Tim is right now. It's clear that his recovery is going to be a very slow and difficult process. Given the 8 months of hard treatments, surgeries and drugs, it will take his system and body time to heal and be able to build itself up again. So our new motto is "Baby Steps".

Unfortunately the last week has brought a few setbacks. Tim has not been feeling well and actually has an early stage of pneumonia. And if that wasn't enough, during the CT Scans they were doing on his lungs, they found he also has a pulmonary embolism (or blood clot in the lung for the lay person). So he was admitted back into the IMC hospital last Thursday for treatment. It's a tricky business treating a PE (pulmonary embolism) on a normal person, but for a cancer patient (especially a brain cancer patient) it gets even more complicated. Tim is at a higher risk for brain hemorrhaging and so they have to be really smart, careful and slow in thinning his blood and trying to dissolve the clot. As much as he hates being stuck in the hospital (despite the good food) he is getting terrific care and hopes to come home soon. He really does love the food there at the hospital, almost as much as Julie's little sister Jamie!

We will continue to post updates on the blog so that you can stay current on his condition and treatment. He loves you all and our family truly appreciates the strength you continue to provide us. Thank you very much for the support.

November 2009
In keeping with his trend, Tim once again did not respond favorably to the chemo/radiation therapy. A November 6th MRI showed that not only did the left front lobe tumor double, but more tumors have developed. His treatment plan has changed completely. He will start on a new drug called "Avastin" that will be administered intravenously twice a month. Avastin has shown a lot of promise with brain cancer patients and statistics show it can really help about 35% of the people who take it. Our fingers are crossed!

Tim is doing everything he can, including dietary changes, herbal brews and supplements, craniosacral work and Reiki. We know that this is in God's hands, and so keep the prayers, and strength and positive vibes coming. He needs them more than ever!

September-October 2009
More bad news... After spending the summer recovering from his June surgery (which was very successful) and doing chemotherapy to try and keep more tumors from growing, Tim was told on September 8th that there are 3 new tumors. This time in his left and right frontal lobes.

Tim had another craniotomy (medical term for brain surgery) on his right frontal lobe to try and resect the 3 new tumors. Dr. MacDonald was able to reach and remove the 2 in his right lobe, but could not "safely" maneuver through to get the other really ugly one in his left lobe. Tim is recovering extremely well - yet again, from this surgery. He once again surprised doctors and in 4 days left the Neuro Critical Care Unit and went home. I think it was the maple bars I kept sneaking in to him! ;)

He will begin another round of chemo AND radiation to try and shrink the tumor they couldn't get to. Good luck Timmy!

June 2009
We are sad to report that the 6 weeks of radiation therapy Tim just underwent was not successful. The tumor actually doubled in size.

Tim will undergo a very difficult brain surgery on June 2nd to try and remove as much of the tumor as possible. Good luck Dr. MacDonald... may your hands be steady and your mind be brilliant!

The surgery went very well. Tim's body and mind are somehow very tolerant of this kind of trauma. He is recovering and trying to talk his doctors into sending him home early.

Although he's doing well and they were able to remove almost all of the tumor, the pathology report did come back showing the cancer as a Stage IV GBM (Glioblastoma Multiforme). That's as aggressive and bad as it gets. We pray he will not relapse for a very long time.

March/April 2009
We knew this day would come. As much as we had hoped it would stay small and quiet forever, Tim's tumor has become active and is growing. After much consideration, he will begin radiation therapy to try and shrink the tumor.

November 2008
After a routine MRI scan, the tumor seems to still be somewhat dormant.

September 2008
Tim had a neuro surgeon (Dr. MacDonald) do an open biopsy to see what grade and type of tumor he had. He did very well with the surgery and came home from the NCCU after only 2 days. The pathology report shows the tumor as a Grade II Astrocytoma. Could be better, could be worse. We will continue to move forward and hope for the best.

May 2008
Tim had a routine scan that showed the tumor to be the same size as it was in March. As scared as we are, we are happy that it's not growing fast or doing significant damage.

April 2009
Upon further tests and exploration, Tim has been diagnosed with a brain tumor in his left temporal lobe.

March 2008
On March 9th, during a normal ski day with his daughters, brother, nieces and friends at Alta, Tim suffered a seizure and was brought down the mountain in an ambulance. After 2 days in the hospital and every test imaginable, they discovered some kind of abnormality in the left rear lobe of his brain. Two different doctors said it could be infectious, tumoric, or a possible stroke. He has been referred to a neuro oncologist by the name of Ali Choucair for further treatment and diagnosis.

Book Recommendation

One of the greatest things we've done during this experience has been to read and educate ourselves on not only cancer related things, but overall health and how important it is to take care of your entire "terrain".

We were so impressed with the Anti-Cancer book by David Servan-Schriber that we highly recommend it to everyone. It's well worth the read in learning about important ways to take care of yourself and prevent unnecessary disease and health problems. Click here to learn more!