The image above is from part of an article in the April 27th New York Times. The headline reads: Medicine Spares Cancer Patients From Grisly Surgeries and Harsh Therapies

It’s worth sharing because funding for cancer research is at risk and this affects us all.

The article goes on to say…

When a person develops solid tumors in the stomach or esophagus or rectum, oncologists know how to treat them. But the cures often come with severe effects on the quality of life. That can include removal of the stomach or bladder, a permanent colostomy bag, radiation that makes patients infertile and lasting damage from chemotherapy.

Research grants from decades of work may lead to promising treatments that won’t ruin patients’ lives in the process.

This relates to a conversation we had today with R’s doctor about cuts to funding to the National Institute of Health (NIH). R’s current medical trial will not be impacted because it is funded by the pharmaceutical company. However, R’s medical trial is possible only because the NIH funded many years of research and discovery before the trial ever began.

Things we take for granted today came from NIH, including the COVID vaccine, AIDS treatment, cancer treatments & cures, MRI imaging, and the discovery of the genetic code. These are a tiny fraction of what the NIH has contributed to humankind.

The U.S. government’s proposed budget for 2026 includes a significant reduction to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), potentially cutting its budget by 40%, from $47.4 billion to $27 billion. This cut would also involve consolidating the agency’s 27 institutes and centers into just eight, and eliminating several specific institutes.

The changes, if implemented, could jeopardize ongoing projects and hinder progress in areas like cancer research, infectious diseases, and other medical fields. Cuts to NIH will affect all of us either directly or those we love. If this concerns you, please take action to make your voice heard.

Now, onto what you’ve been waiting for—what’s new with R’s health?

He’s been on a second medical trial for 2.5 months. The primary goal is to shrink his spleen. If it has not measurably shrunk in 3.5 more months, the doctor says it’ll be time to talk about a transplant. Before a transplant could occur, they’d remove his spleen (splenectomy), but that would carry its own risks. At that point, though, they would have exhausted all feasible options.

If, say, in 3.5 months his spleen is still enormous, our hope would be to go on a previously scheduled vacation in the fall and aim for the transplant in late fall or winter.

Lots of variables…so we continue to wait and see. The lack of predictability has been a hallmark of this journey.

R is my rock, my protector, my best friend and the most upstanding guy, admired by all who know him (most of all me). He doesn’t deserve any of this, but he’s strong, and he’s going to be okay.