Michael & Heidi's Info

Swim Chronicles

2012-02-03T21:14:00.003-05:00

Meet Connor. Freshman in highschool. For years he played baseball and soccer. But when highschool came along, it was clear that the local experience in those two sports would not be enough to get him on the HS team. So we made a deal. If he did swim team, he could buy himself an Xbox and all the first person shooter games he wanted. Little did he or I know thatit would result in him having a shot at earning a varsity letter as a freshman after swimming 16 hours a week since September 6th. Now on the eve of JV champs, Connor is in the shape ofhis life and shaved and ready to go fast in Canton tomorrow. So proud of his efforts and zero complaints. Thanks to Dan McGovern for pushing him in summer swim team to go for it and Matt Davis and staff for getting him through his first season.

Cancer Never Wins

2012-01-22T13:56:00.002-05:00

I have a childhood friend, Fritz, whos sister Jane has been battling rectal cancer for years now. She writes an amazing carepages update which is often filled with very powerful, insightful thoughts on living with cancer. I want to post a quote from Jane I read today which I think is important and makes a strong point. Here it is:

"So I battle. Not with cancer - I have a problem with that word, "battle," when it comes to the cancer experience. It is an obvious and useful metaphor - battle, war, warrior, soldier - I get it. But then what happens when one passes? We say they "lost the battle" or "after a long battle with cancer" or words similar. Believe me, anyone who has had cancer doesn't need to be saddled with being named a "loser" in any sense of the word. What does that make cancer? The victor? Yuck. Cancer is never victorious."

I liked to say battle cancer. But I just might change that thinking based on Janes comments. I will still say survivor, because to me that denotes winning. Heidi gets her 1 year scan results back tomorrow and I am happy to say I can attend the appointment with her to support whatever we hear. It is one thing to be along with the cancer survivor to hear the results, it is completely different to be the cancer survivor getting the results. I will try to remember that.

Reserve Grand Champion for Isabelle

2012-01-19T13:04:00.003-05:00

You have to love a sport where second place is called "Reserve Grand Champion". It seems only dog shows where you can win "Reserve Winners Bitch" for second place rivals this. So that is what Isabelle did a week ago on Kitty. As you can see from the photo she competed in 5 classes 3 Walk, Trot, Canter over crossrails and then two flat classes. She got two firsts, a second, third and fourth. The sum total of points made her second best on the day. This was done on her new saddle which she is so proud of and now has displayed in her room. So the slippery slope of the equestrian world is luring us in. We are now looking into her riding on an IEA team in the coming months. That is the equivalent of the school riding team.

Quiet Christmas

2011-12-27T08:28:00.004-05:00

We are spending this entire Christmas break at home. For one thing, our kids prefer to be at their own home on Christmas morning in front of their own tree etc. I like making them wait on their own stairs the way my parents made me wait. The music gets put on, the Lionel train sounds coming from the family room. Most importantly, the coffee is brewing so mom and dad can make it through the morning. I chose the Nutcracker for this morning, as it is a great background track and does not take away but adds to the scene.

We start by opening the stockings. It has gotten less formal as the kids get older. Now I simply sit on the couch with them as they pull out the small gifts which are no longer wrapped. Lottery tickets, gum (for the white things in your head that bite), usually a dollar tucked in the toe (so they don't start the new year off broke). I guess the lottery tickets have replaced that at least for this year. For generations it was one stocking at a time with all this little banter from Dad describing the gifts. I saw pictures on Facebook this year of a friends adult grown sons sitting on their stairs and I loved it. Oh, I forgot to mention the one gift that gets opened on Christmas Eve, new pajamas which we all wear. Heidi does a great job of getting this all together.

Every one gets gifts in our house. The dogs, the cats, no one gets coal, except me. I got coal in my stocking this year. Chocolate coal. They all think that is pretty funny. It tastes good. So we sit here enjoying our green Christmas with temps in the high 30's and low 40's. Great for running but not for snow sports. Which is OK because Connor is swimming two times a day everyday but Christmas and New Years.

I think I like a quiet Christmas. No travel, no pet sitters, our own beds and quality family time.

2011-12-23T07:11:00.000-05:00

Good News - Bad News - Christmas 2011

2011-12-19T16:26:00.010-05:00

Coburn’s 2011
Good News Bad News : 16th Edition

Good News: Full return to “old school” photo card and letter this year.
Bad News: It took two photo shoots to get pics we all could agree were right for the card.
Good News: Michael and Connor again visited Fritz and his boys in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for four days of skiing in February.
Bad News: Last day in Jackson produced -41 without the wind chill, grounding our plane.
Good News: Isabelle continues to ride horses at Chagrin Valley Farms and has gotten pretty good and looks like a champ in her riding outfits.
Bad News: We are now hearing talk of leasing horses, buying a saddle…this is bad, expensive news. Is horse ownership in our future?
Good News: Annelise played both Field Hockey and Lacrosse in Middle school this year.
Bad News: She stopped swimming to accommodate these other sports.
Good News: Connor finally got his X-Box and all the first person shooter games you could want.
Bad News: He signed up for High School swim team as part of the negotiations.
Good News: The kids all swam for Hudson Park Estates neighborhood swim team again.
Bad News: Kids weren’t too excited about early morning practice on summer break.
Good News: Heidi walked in the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in San Diego in June with her friends Sonya and Karen.
Bad News: Heidi was not fully trained as she was still recovering from gallbladder surgery.
Good News: Our first summer vacation was to a dude ranch in Central California with Jackie and all of Heidi’s siblings and kids. Two rides a day, games and lots of fun.
Bad News: Square dancing. Something kinda weird about eating burgers surrounded by grazing cattle.
Good News: Our second summer vacation was a cruise to Mexico to celebrate Jack’s 80th birthday along with all of Heidi’s siblings and kids.
Bad News: Jack could not make it due to health issues for his wife Linda (she is fine now) but we all went anyway. Wore pre-planned t-shirts proclaiming “Celebrating Together”.
Good News: Our third summer vacation was with Michael’s side of the family, 17 of us in a house together for a week in Indiana leading up to a massive Murphy Family reunion with 70+. We are lucky to have such great families and opportunities to travel.
Bad News: Three family vacations in 2 months is a lot and our pets barely saw us this summer. Credit cards are still smoking. We missed the Pan-Mass Challenge.
Good News: We held another successful Tick-Tock Triathlon with 200 kids registered.
Bad News: Our kids can’t get out of this activity until they pass 18 years old.
Good News: Michael and Connor went with Steve Malerick and his boys to Ontario for a fly in fishing adventure on a 1948 DeHavilland Beaver plane.
Bad News: We went primitive with tents, no electric, no running water, latrines …
Good News: Heidi went to Atlanta for a girls’ weekend with her friends Dorothy and Sonya. They had lots of laughs and saw Duran Duran and Yacht Rock (google them).
Bad News: Where is the guy’s weekend? Heidi says, “what about Jackson Hole and fishing?”
Good News: Heidi, the girls and Kevin Malerick went to Harry Potter at Universal Studios in December. They had a fantastic time.
Bad News: Butter beer, 10 feet of churros and new wands add up to a lot.
Good News: We are spending Christmas at home this year as our own family around the tree.
Bad News: Connor will be swimming 2 X per day everyday but Christmas and New Years as it is hell week for the swim team.

Carcinoid Cancer google alert

2011-12-19T15:31:00.002-05:00

One thing I found helpful is to create a google alert for Carcinoid Cancer and then whenever something new appears on the web, like this blog post, you will get an alert to it. Today I got a comment from someone on a post from a year ago. Her mom was just diagnosed and she found our story encouraging. That is great.

Like mother like daughter

2011-12-06T14:33:00.002-05:00

Isabelle our 12 year old has been actively riding horses for 5 years now. Her progress is really coming along. She is now up to an 18" - 2' class and really looks confident and happy on the horse. Her mother, Heidi, as well as her grand mother and great grandmother on my side were all "horse women". There is some magic that takes place between a rider and horse and it is often girls of this age who just like to hang out at the barn and take care of the horses. Heidi puts a lot of time into making this happen and someday, Isabelle will really appreciate it.

Swimming gets serious

2011-11-27T16:15:00.002-05:00

Connor is a freshman at Hudson High School and has gone full force into swimming. As a kid who only swam for 6 weeks each summer on our neighborhood team (forced) and never goes to the pool for pleasure (he hates chlorine), he is doing great. I have already heard him say that he will likely swim all 4 years. This requires swimming 6-8 practices a week with each practice lasting 2-3 hours. He is really committed when you look at the tradition he just endured where all the boys bleach their hair and then shave it in February. Great job Connor.

As if Carcinoid Cancer were not enough, it's Movember!

2011-11-19T11:01:00.003-05:00

I have a friend who just got diagnosed with Prostate cancer. I was growing my moustache for fun and then it all changed. What was a convenient excuse to keep my corporate buddy's from razzing me too much became a real cause. Help me raise a few bucks for a cause to cure Prostate Cancer. I still will raise $10,000 for Carcinoid cancer during next years Pan Mass Challenge, but this one needs my and your help too.

Go to this link to donate: Even $1 helps the cause.

http://mobro.co/MichaelCoburn

The Benefits of Cancer Support Groups

2011-10-07T07:48:00.004-04:00

A reader of the blog asked if I could post an article he wrote on the topic listed, here you go:

The Benefits of Cancer Support Groups

Cancer is one of the most common health problems that people face today. In fact, studies have shown that 30 percent of women and half of men will get cancer in their lifetime. There are groups that can help support you when dealing with this awful disease. Whether you receive a diagnosis of a common cancer like breast cancer or a very rare diagnosis like mesothelioma, there are groups that can help you gain the knowledge to help fight back.

People who receive a diagnosis of cancer will have their lives changed forever. Having cancer means that one will have to endure endless doctor visits, painful treatments and a reduced quality of life. People who have cancer often feel hurt and angry. They wonder why they had to be afflicted with such a devastating condition. It is not healthy for people to keep their feelings bottled up. Talking to other people and writing those feelings in a journal are two healthy outlets for expressing one's emotions.

A person may turn to his or her loved ones for support, but friends and family are not always helpful. It is very easy for someone who does not have cancer to say something like " I understand how you feel completely." However, the only people who truly understand the heartbreaking effects of cancer are those who have lived through it themselves.

Those who do have cancer do not know what it is like to undergo painful treatments. They do not know what it is like to lose all of one's hair. People without cancer also do not know what it is like to go to bed at night and wonder whether they are going to wake up in the morning.

It helps to have a group of people who are going through the same ordeal. The key to overcoming the painful and negative effects of cancer is to have support. The best support that a cancer patient can get comes from other cancer patients. Support groups also allow patients to discuss their feelings with other patients.

It is important to note that cancer can be overcome. There are millions of people who have survived cancer. Those who are undergoing treatments would also benefit from talking to people who have survived cancer. Sometimes, it is best for people to hear encouraging words from those who have been down the same road and made it out on the other side.

Words cannot describe the havoc that cancer wreaks on one's body. However, having a support group of cancer patients and survivors can help a person overcome the devastating effects of that ordeal.

By: David Haas

David Haas Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Guest Blogger - http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/ Personal Blog - http://haasblaag.blogspot.com/

Family Vacation #3 Bass Lake Indiana

2011-09-06T06:40:00.011-04:00

CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE

Mom and her 4 kids clockwise from left: Karen, Kevin, Cassie, Michael, MomAll the grandkids who were there.

Michael, Karen, Heidi and Mark (Karen's husband) after the 5 K. Mark took 5th overall.

Mom's sibs: back row Mike Murphy, Cathy Shea, Rick Murphy

front row: Trish Borla, Ronnie Rubino, Mary Anne Coburn

The Murphy family reunion took place in late July with nearly 80 of my mom's family on hand including her 5 siblings and most of the cousins and 2nd cousins. Bob and Trish Borla hosted at their lake house in Knox, IN. My mom rented a nice house in Culver about 9 miles away and we 17 spent the preceding week there in Culver and joined the events on the big weekend. Heidi and I brought bikes for the whole family and managed an 11 mile loop around Culver lake in the near dark but we made it. Then in the Bass Lake Days festival events, Heidi got 3rd in the 5K walking division and took 2nd overall female in the 8 mile bike loop of the lake winning a nice trophy. I managed 3rd in the bike race losing to a 68 and 64 year old in the sprint. The kids had a great time tubing and jet skiing while I used all of the 3 sailboats my Uncle has on hand there. We even got some fishing in with my son Connor and nephew Jason. Our summer of heavy vacations is done.

Buffett comes to Cleveland

2011-07-24T05:49:00.003-04:00

It had been 8 years since Jimmy Buffett had been to Cleveland and more like 21 years since Heidi and I had seen a show. So last Tuesday we had an awesome time on the lawn at Blossom Music Center 8 miles from our house seeing him put on a rocking show. Check out his encore here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAf95h0rliU

Family Vacation #2 - Mexican Cruise

2011-07-16T15:19:00.005-04:00

Cozumel our ship on the left: Isabelle, Annelise, Lily, Holly, Grace, David, Heidi, ConnorThe kids at Progreso, Mexico: Lily, Grace, Annelise, Isabelle and Connor
At Sea on our balcony: Fields family
Coburn family
Coburn kids: Annelise, Isabelle and Connor in the Mississippi Delta

We have just returned from a great 5 day cruise from New Orleans to Mexico. Unfortunately, the reason for the cruise was to celebrate Heidi's dad, Jack's, 80th birthday. Linda, his wife, had to have surgery and they were unable to join us so we went with Holly, Heidi's sister, and their family. We had three staterooms connected by balconies which was so enjoyable. Our 6 p.m. dinner became a great deal of fun as Bruno and Eddy did magic for the kids each night and if dinner wasn't enough the kids took full advantage of the 24 hour icecream and Pizza. I bet they had 4 icecreams per day, but they did take the stairs each day instead of the elevators. I have included a few pictures including our port stops in Progreso and Cozumel.

Family Vacation #1 - Rankin Ranch

2011-06-14T19:48:00.004-04:00

Riding the creek!
Heidi on Lightening at the lead position.
On Walker's Basin on our meadow ride.

We just completed a long weekend at the Rankin Ranch in Caliente, CA. We were there with Heidi's mom Jackie and Heidi's siblings John and Holly. We had our kids along and Holly and David had their girls Lilly and Grace as well. We stayed in cabins and rode horses 2 x per day. We also did our share of trout fishing which you can see the trophy caught by Connor by clicking here.

Big Gig in November

2011-06-04T00:16:00.002-04:00

Well I am doing something sort of fun in November. I am a participant in a Secret Service Summit here in Cleveland. I will be talking about the 2 years of work my teams have been doing to deliver world class customer service.

http://www.secretservicesummit.com/

Stay-Cation for Spring Break

2011-03-27T12:32:00.008-04:00

We stayed home in Hudson for Spring Break. Since we have 3 vacations planned for this summer, we have to conserve. Heidi made a really nice bunch of outings for the kids and I joined them on Wed and Friday for various adventures. They saw the M.C. Escher exhibit in Akron, the Crawford Auto Museum, Great Lakes Science Center and even went to the FarmPark only to find it closed on Mondays. The weather was in the 30s or colder the whole week which was the main downside. We ate at Melt and had amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. We also took in the Westside Market on Friday morning with the Piels.

Westside Market Great Lakes Science Center Static exhibit. Japanese soda at Westside market

Fruit stalls, Westside Market

Annelise, Isabelle and Connor

(I don't think Isabell is taller than Annelise but this picture sure shows it that way.)

Gallbladder removal...check

2011-03-13T10:21:00.006-04:00

Coburn Family: Michael, Annelise, Heidi, Connor & Isabelle (click on photo to enlarge)

Heidi successfully had her gallbladder removed on Friday to address a side effect of the LAR Sandostatin injections she has been receiving for over a year to battle the multitude of Carcinoid Cancer tumors in her liver. She developed gall-stones as a common side effect and Friday she had her Gallbladder removed laparoscopically by a highly competent Vice Chairman of Digestive Disease at the Cleveland Clinic. We battled a pretty nasty late winter snow storm to arrive for the long "outpatient" surgery at the Clinic. All went well and we were home by 7 p.m. with friends taking on the kids for the afternoon and some sleep overs. Thanks guys.

Heidi is resting and recovering well. She ranked this surgery between the hemi colectomey and the surgical hernia repair as far as pain and recovery. A steady stream of Oxycodone with Aceteminophin is helping move her through the weekend.

This has meant a 3 month break from Sando injections but they are likely to resume in the next 6 weeks. We have seen stabilization and even some shrinkage from the steady Sando treatments.

Heidi is positive and very tough when it comes to facing her cancer. It makes it that much more manageable for the rest of the family. Go girl!

Photo is from our trip a few weeks ago skiing at Peek n Peak, NY.

Jackson Hole Ski Movie 2011

2011-02-07T00:08:00.001-05:00

Jackson Hole, Wyoming 2011

2011-02-05T07:16:00.004-05:00

View from Fritz's house

Our group in Rock Springs Bowl with Cody Peak (10,118 feet ) in background

This post will focus on our 7 day trip to Jackson Hole to see and ski with my childhood friend who I reunited with through facebook two years ago, Fritz Wieters and his boys. Connor and I went for the second year in a row. It was much more comfortable this year as we knew Fritz again and the routine. His boys were really looking forward to it as well as they don't get to spend 4 days with their dad that much let alone ski from 9 to 4 every day and miss two days of school. Connor missed 4 days of school but he earned it with nearly straight A's for two marking periods. One B and he made the high honor roll.

Connor and I had an amazing trip. We arrived on Thursday at noon and Fritz picked us and our 6 checked bags (free on Continental as were the tickets due to miles) in his crew cab pick up. Fritz and his goatee covered bottom lip looks the Jackson part. We went to lunch at the Snake River Brewing Company and then we dropped him at his office and we went and picked up the three boys from their respective schools. Otto (15), Cameron (11) and Quinn (6). It did not take long til we picked up back where we left off last year and did some shopping around the famous elk antlered arches of downtown Jackson.

Suffice to say that the skiing was great with temps from 22 to 31 degrees above zero (that will be important to remember later in the trip) but only a total of one new inch of snow fell on top of the 27 feet they have already received. We skiied everything but the expert chutes on the mountain and even went beyond the ski area boundary on one day for two runs through an adjacent valley where you leave through a gate at the top of the resort and ski back in at the bottom for an amazingly empty and peaceful trip thorugh Rock Springs Bowl. This is legal but you should carry an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe which our group did. The avalanche hazzard was rated low due to no recent snowfall and all went well.

Did that for four straight days and even caught the first tram on two days where you stuff 100 skiers in a big red box (our family rode the previous edition of this tram which held about 55-60 people) and zip to the top of the mountain in 9 minutes gaining 4,139 feet of vertical feet for the longest descent in the lower 48 states of skiing. It is all black and double black diamond skiing off the top but actually very managable even when Connor was on his snowboard (1 day out of 4).

That all went well and when it was time to go home, all that midwest weather just shut down any of our connecting flights if we had left Jackson and gotten to either Chicago or Denver. So we did not even go to the airport, I just rebooked us for the next day. Fritz gave us his truck and Connor and I drove up into Grand Teton National Park for a look around. The temps were in the -20 and it was blowing 30 at the summit of the ski area making for a -81 with the windchill. Saw Moose, Fox, Big Horn Sheep and Elk on the national refuge. On our departure day, we woke up to -31 and had to hope it would warm to -20 or better for the planes to run. By 1:39 p.m. when we departed it had warmed to -10 with full sunshine. There were windchill advisories for the ski area and I counted about 6 skiers on the hill with the spotting scope at Fritz' house. So all in all, we got lucky on the conditions considering what we could have faced. Even though we came home a day late, Connor did not miss any more school because Hudson had a snow day on Wed.

Thanks to my amazing wife, Heidi, who made this trip guilt free for us and suffered a gall bladder attack while we were gone and now has confirmed stones via ultra sound and will likely need surgery to remove her gall bladder shortly. This is a typical side affect of the chemo therapy Heidi has been undergoing which has delivered up to a 10% reduction in the tumors in her liver. But this has really sapped her energy this January so I guess it is nice to have answers. Heidi will suspend her Sandostatin injections until the gall bladder is addressed.

Heidi gets a really great Christmas present!

2011-01-05T19:39:00.002-05:00

Today's doctors appointment confirmed the preliminary radiologist's report that the tumors in Heidi's liver have remained stable or shrunk by up to 10%. This is a great thing and can be attributed to the Sandostatin LAR injections Heidi has been getting monthly for at least 6 months now. This is really a fantastic piece of information and we are celebrating. Heidi does not have any major side effects of the injections and the tumors she does have present in her liver are not impacting her day to day life. Thank you to everyone who always asks...How is Heidi doing. Heidi is doing great today.

Mom, Cassie and Marianne Moore divin Bonaire

2011-01-05T16:55:00.002-05:00

Pretty cool to see my mom diving with her granddaughter Marianne Moore in Bonaire. Mom spends 11 weeks down there and has logged over 1,000 dives.

Mom and Cassie enjoy Bonaire

2011-01-04T10:54:00.004-05:00

Well I got this great Facebook post from my sister today with this picture of my mom and her enjoying themselves in beautiful Bonaire. Thought it would be nice to share.

Good News, Bad News

2010-12-19T11:16:00.001-05:00

Coburn’s 2010

Good News Bad News 15th Edition

Good News: You are getting this before Christmas.
Bad News: We have switched to electronic due to cost cutting measures.
Good News: Michael reconnected with a childhood friend Fritz Wieters and took Connor to visit Fritz and his boys in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for three days of skiing in January.
Bad News: Connor now thinks this is an annual rite and Michael wrecked his back on the last day of skiing when 18 inches of powder had fallen.
Good News: We all went down to Florida to see Jack and Linda for spring break. On the way we stopped in Atlanta for a night and visited the Coke museum.
Bad News: Atlanta hotel was hosting the “Furry Weekend” (google it) and Connor tried all 64 varieties of Coke including Beverly and proceeded to throw up.
Good News: All 3 kids participated in the summer swim team at Hudson Park Estates.
Bad News: Practice was every day at 7:45 a.m. for the first 6 weeks of summer and it was not a voluntary activity.
Good News: Heidi went out to Big Sur with some friends and did a fitness walk along highway 1.
Bad News: The wine and In n’ Out burgers destroyed most of the fitness gained.
Good News: Annelise seems to be a very popular girl in middle school.
Bad News: Dad is not ready for boyfriends and “going out” but then realizes he did the same.
Good News: Isabelle is now riding horses year round and has competed in two horse shows.
Bad News: Temptation to buy a horse could lead to financial ruin.
Good News: Connor loves winter and got his hair cut to a reasonable length.
Bad News: He is getting all grown up and is now taller than Heidi.
Good News: We did our third Pan Massachusetts Challenge and raised $9,000 for Carcinoid Cancer research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Great weather and a great ride. We took the party ferry 3 hours back from P-Town to Boston and had a blast.
Bad News: Heidi had bronchitis and knee pain that kept her out of the ride but not off the party ferry.
Good News: Heidi went to Paris with some girlfriends and really enjoyed the time away, culture and the finer things that Paris, France has to offer.
Bad News: Culture and museums got old after a few days and lost out to cafes and local vintages.
Good News: We spent Thanksgiving in Chicago and had fun with the family and the extended Murphy family. The boys drove 40 mph indoor go-karts.
Bad News: Michael’s little brother, Kevin, beat him in the friendly competition for fastest driver inspite of the fact that Kevin’s son was ejected from his kart during a high speed crash with the barriers (he was OK, Kev).
Good News: Heidi got her Christmas present yesterday. CT scan, unchanged from a year ago!

Love,

Heidi, Michael, Connor, Annelise & Isabelle Coburn
Heidi: mhcoburn5@yahoo.com Michael: michael.coburn7@yahoo.com

First Snow

2010-12-06T13:21:00.002-05:00

While I don't have pictures, you have to trust me when I say we sit in a winterwonderland right now. Instead of a run this morning, I got out my Cross Country skis and went right down the street and sidewalks of the town for a total of a 3.7 mile tour. It was a lot of work but also great to be out in the 19 degree weather and be perfectly warm. If had waited until later, there would be too much salt and asphalt patches to navigate. It continues to dump snow here with lake effect kicking in. It won't be long til our local ski hill opens up and the kids will be stoked for that.

Soccer, Field Hockey and Horses

2010-10-18T15:43:00.003-04:00

It seems our kids our keeping us so busy with their sports and we love it. Isabelle is riding often and really enjoys it. We even help take care of the horses when our friends are traveling. Believe it or not, that can even be fun. Connor is playing Soccer and is at the end of the middle school season. His team was very successful and came in second in the end of year tournament. Annelise made the field hockey team after never having played the sport and has scored two goals this season. Heidi and I just run from one thing to the next when I am not traveling for work. Fall colors have us thinking about skiing and snowboarding which we be here before we know it. Yesterday was the 3 year anniversary of Heidi becoming a cancer survivor. It passed without much fanfare as it should be.

PMC Success

2010-08-21T08:29:00.007-04:00

Watch our 2010 video by pasting this into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyXnxV7R4sU

We are so thankful that we had a successful 2010 Pan Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) bike ride this past weekend. Our sponsors, made it possible for us to join 5,100 cyclists pedaling over 761,685 miles as well as 3,100 Volunteers: 150 massage; 120 medical; 100 bike mechanics; 300 logistics; 100 communications; 100 trucking; 150 parking & traffic; 200 trash & recycling; 300 registration & information; 300 luggage; 1,200 food & beverage prep and service. Together we have raised more than $9,000 towards the $31 million that will be raised this year at the PMC. 100% of that money raised goes directly towards cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. Specifically, the $9,000 will go along with the $300,000 raised by team Caring For Carcinoid Foundation and directly support research on neuroendocrine tumors which is what Heidi is fighting. Our weekend was spectacular and will forever live in our memory as well as inspire us to return to the PMC next year for the 4th time. While Heidi was unable to ride due to an extended bronchitis and sinus infection (thankfully unrelated to her cancer) this summer and then a nagging knee pain once training began, she is even more committed than ever to ride next year. Training started yesterday with a 10 mile ride with my Mom and kids in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Heidi has visions of two of our children riding with her on a 47 mile loop of Wellesley. I did the two day 163 mile ride from Wellesley to P-Town and then both Heidi and I took the Ferry with 1,200 other PMC’ers back to Boston harbor, celebrating the whole way on the top deck with the live band. On Sunday,I was able to ride with PMC founder, Billy Starr, and his pack of very fast riders which included Magnus Backstedt. Magnus is a melanoma survivor, has a sister fighting breast cancer and is a former winner of a stage of both the Tour de France and Giro d’italia along with winning the very prestigious Paris-Roubaix one day classic in 2004. Needless to say, our pace on Sunday was 21.4 mph for the 80 miles traveled. Heidi did find a great way to contribute by moving complete strangers cars from Wellesley to Bourne and then another from Bourne to P-Town so their logistics could work for the weekend. She even transported an injured rider, his bike and bags to P-Town when he could not continue after crashing on Saturday. Heidi is feeling well and this PMC weekend really is satisfying in our push for a cure for cancer. Thank you so much for the donations and encouragement you provide us. All our best, Heidi and Michael Coburn

PMC Count down

2010-07-30T14:11:00.004-04:00

Well we are dealing with some challenges as we lead up to the Aug 7&8 Pan Massachusetts Challenge http://www.pmc.org/ . My mom is in the hospital and coming home today. She had some stomach pain and she is supposed to be our babysitter next weekend. We are ready to ride our borrowed tandem (pictured above) when the time comes. 5,000 riders will roll out with the tip of Cape Cod as their destination.

July 12, 2010

2010-07-13T08:58:00.001-04:00

Heidi, Connor and I went out for a short training ride on the Schwinn Duo-Sport Tandem. We need to get a picture taken and posted. I will work on that. We gained our balance pretty quickly and I think Heidi will get comfortable in no time. Connor on the other hand really only sees a bike as utilitarian and a means to get to swim practice and back home.

Staycation July 5-10

2010-07-06T17:21:00.002-04:00

Well, I am just taking a week off of work with no plans. OK I will watch the Tour de France for 2 hours everyday and try to ride everyother day. It is 92 degrees right now and I am heading out for Connor's baseball practice.

It looks like Heidi and I may be riding a tandem bike in the PMC event. She has a sinus infection and bronchitis which is causing her to lose valuable training time. I have a bike available to me from a friend in the bike club. I have promised not to go over 35 mph on the downhills if possible. We will be closer after this event or divorced.

Should be fun.

Coburn Family 2010

2010-06-05T08:07:00.002-04:00

PMC Fundraising...Done!

2010-06-02T09:03:00.004-04:00

A huge thanks goes out to all who supported us in our 3rd year of fundraising for the Pan Massachusetts Challenge. We are now within our goal as we are also donating to close the gap and Nestlé will match the donation dollar for dollar. Our combined totals will be over $9,000 when all is said and done. We so appreciate the generosity. This brings our three year fundraising total to $34,000!

On August 7 & 8 we will ride 163 miles over two days with 5,000 other riders. It is a great event.

On other news, we spent Memorial Day weekend in Chicago with Michael's family and had fun at the pool, playing Texas Hold'em and the adult boys went and raced high speed indoor go karts which was a lot of fun. We took a family picture which was much more pain free than prior years. The bummer was it was our first family picture since my dad died.

Ready for summer. Once Memorial Day weekend hits it seems like a crime that the kids are still in school.

PMC 2010 Here we come 163 miles, 2 days $8,400 raised for research!

2010-04-29T16:43:00.003-04:00

Heidi after completing the Big Sur 9 miler last weekend

When my wife, Heidi, was diagnosed with Carcinoid cancer 2 1/2 years ago, I was very open with the process to all I knew, that's what I do. In return, you have all been so supportive of my family and me. Time for an update. Heidi still has cancer in her liver (20+ tumors). There are, at present, no great cures for this cancer. She is currently receiving monthy chemo-therapy type injections of Sandostatin, a drug from Novartis, which have shown to slow the growth or even shrink the tumors in some patients. Heidi's last scan of the liver showed that of the three largest of these tumors, two stayed the same size and one had shrunk by 2 mm in diameter. This was after a previous period of some growth being noted. That is great news!

On the positive front, Heidi is feeling great and has no ill effects from the treatment. Our kids (age 13, 11 and 10) don't spend their days thinking about their mom's health. We have not given cancer any power over our day-to-day lives. Heidi is amazingly strong and even supported another woman through her battle with cervical cancer recently. She just finished walking 9 miles of the Big Sur Marathon course last weekend in Northern California. Now our focus turns to training to ride our third Pan Massachusetts Challenge on August 7 & 8th across Massachusetts. This year we will take on the two day full version of the ride for a total of 163 miles. This is our main way to fight this cancer. Raise funds specifically targeted at finding a cure via the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, one of the top institutions in the country. I invite you to help us both reach our fundraising targets which totals $8,400 between us! The generousity we have seen in the past is amazing and we would welcome any support you could give this year. So far, in our prior two years of riding we have raised nearly $25,000. These funds are specifically spent on Carcinoid Cancer research, there is no other place we can make such a direct impact. 100% of donated gifts go directly to the research, no administrative costs.

If you know of someone who would like to support us, please forward them this link.

How to give:

Michael & Heidi - click the link:
Click on +Sponsor more than one rider with one donation
then click + Search by Name...
My name should already be populated and you add Heidi's by using her gift ID of HC0036 or her name and fill in the amounts.
We both have a committment of $4,200 each so splitting your contribution would be of most benefit!
If you do need it our gift IDs are HC0036 and MC0320.

Here is the link:
https://www.pmc.org/egifts/default.asp?Add=MC0320

Thanks you so much for your continued support,

Michael & Heidi Coburn

So long Snow!

2010-01-16T17:22:00.002-05:00

We have had very wintery weather here for two solid weeks. Now it is melting and Isabelle and I made a snowman today.

Stratton Success

2009-12-25T17:57:00.002-05:00

We made it home from Stratton in about 8 1/2 hours of solid driving. Our Malerick / Coburn caravan was fun with the talk-a-bout radios keeping the cars in constant contact. We even managed to leave the house by 6:10 a.m. and no blow ups or tantrums. The weather got milder and milder as we moved west. We had a ton of fun and in contrast to the rain we had today in Ohio, the cold weather was much better for skiing than 37 and rainy would have been.

Now we had Christmas this morning and we tortured the kids by making them wait while Heidi and I showered, made coffee etc. They posed for their picture on the stairs which will make it onto our montage of a New Years card along with the Good News/Bad News letter we finished authoring today. We had no family and no plans today so we just lounged in our pajamas and the kids played video games while Heidi and I traded naps. Heidi is making the mother of all Christmas dinners and convincing herself that cooking is very over rated. We are having a no bake pumpkin pie, roasted chicken and salmon, spinache souflee, mashed potatoes and some fantastic Sanford Pinot Noir. Merry Christmas!

Water Works

2009-12-20T17:06:00.003-05:00

We had a cold fun day of skiing. It was like 16 degrees but felt like 2 with the wind howling. The best part was we came back to the house and had running water. The skiing was so/so because they have not had that much snow but mostly because it was cold. We did all manage, the nine of us, to cram onto the gondola for a wind free ride to the top. Tomorrow we will try out Okemo and hope for better snow conditions. We are having fun and enjoying the real wood fireplace of the house we are in.

2009-12-20T07:20:00.004-05:00

We have arrived at Stratton, Vermont. We are staying in a nice 4 bedroom house with our buds the Malericks who have two boys age 12 and 14. The 10 hour drive was made much better by our caravan with painted window messages on the cars declaring our destination. We even left on time at 5 a.m. per Mr. Malerick's instructions. One small problem is the water is not currently working at our rental home. The owner is feverishly working on a solution, meanwhile we are going skiing. More later.

Good News on Carcinoid

2009-12-18T18:34:00.002-05:00

Great visit to the doctor today. The tumors in Heidi's liver are stable and one has even shown itself to be slightly smaller. It reduced from 2.1 cm x 1.8 cm to 1.8 cm x 1.8 cm. This is great news and will make our vacation much more relaxing. We celebrated with a nice afternoon lunch at Downtown 140 in Hudson.

Carcinoid Cancer Scan update coming today

2009-12-18T05:50:00.002-05:00

It is early Friday morning and I have taken the day off as Heidi will get a comparative result back today from the Cleveland Clinic appointment regarding her tumor size. Since she has been on Sandostatin for the last 6 months we are very interested to see if her liver tumors have grown (which they did last time), shrunk or stayed the same. Appointment is at 11:30 EST so stay tuned.

Carcinoid Update on Heidi

2009-12-03T14:32:00.002-05:00

I was reminded today, how scary it was to hear that my wife had cancer (not nearly as scary as it was for my wife, I guess). I got a call just now, from a woman who was just diagnosed the day before Thanksgiving with Carcinoid similar to Heidi's. She found our blog through the www.caringforcarcinoid.org website and called my cell phone. I am so glad she did. Because the first thing I did was scour the web when Heidi was diagnosed. You find a lot of bad stuff out there on the web if you look for it. It is great to talk to someone who is living with cancer. According to what I read, Heidi would have already left us based on the "data". Thankfully, that is not the case. Heidi is doing well. While there are still cancer lesions present throughout her liver, they occupy less than 5% of the total volume and they were growing the last time we checked, albeit slowly. She went on Sandostatin which is a monthly injection of a drug which has shown to slow the growth and even shrink the tumors. We have our next check and results at the end of this December.

We have ridden two Pan Mass Challenges with the Caring For Carcinoid Foundation and raised $25,000 for direct research on neuroendocrine tumors at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. That is empowering.

Thanks for Dirt Bikes

2009-11-30T17:21:00.004-05:00

We had a dream day on Saturday following Thanksgiving when all the boys went out and road dirt bikes at a friend of my brother Kevin's. It was 55 degrees and clear. We had a total of 3 bikes and had a great time running around. Connor said it was the most fun he had in his life. Two weeks before, the rock climbing was the most fun he had in his life.

Boy Scout Climbing Adventure

2009-11-18T11:12:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, Connor and I had a great trip to Kentucky and went climbing. Here is the 9:59 minute video of that little adventure. Great time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cP6-tM31Ac

2009-11-16T11:37:00.002-05:00

I was in Switzerland for a week long meeting in September with the other heads of customer service for Nestlé from around the world. This is me on a break going out for a run in front of our lake front hotel. It was a great meeting, made even better by Heidi joining me afterward for a 12 day tour of Europe. We are doing well and Heidi is feeling great. We have another results Dr. appointment coming in the next month to see how the Sandostatin treatments have worked on the tumors in the liver. I feel so lucky that we have continued a "normal" life post cancer diagnosis for Heidi. Now is a tough time for me as we approach the one year anniversary of my Dad's death from cancer. At this time I was spending a lot of time in Chicago last year. We will go to Chicago for Thanksgiving and all but Karen and Mark will be in town. I had an amazing rock climbing trip with my son Connor and the Boy Scouts this weekend 6 hours south of Cleveland in Kentucky at Torrent Falls. More on that later.

PMC post script and link to movie!

2009-08-30T22:24:00.003-04:00

Well I guess I never really posted how well the Pan Massachusetts Challenge Charity Bike ride went because I was working so hard on my movie of the event. You can best view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTvaC4P5ZH4

They both did a great job riding 85 miles and feeling great about the whole event. I drove the support vehicle and managed to get in 55 miles of my own chasing them around on the bike, not to mention the 105 I put on the car. $12,000 has been raised by these two so far and that puts them in the heavy hitter category for the race. Heidi is feeling great and now talking about doing the whole thing next year. Should be great.

Michael

Sigrid comes to Hudson

2009-08-26T11:18:00.001-04:00

Beginning this Friday, we will be hosting a 47 year old woman named Sigrid at our home through Sept 9th. She from Hudson's sister city, Landsberg. Pretty cool thing is that when Heidi and I go to Europe in September, our return flight will be from Munich and we will visit Landsberg for our final two days. We are doing a 25 mile bike tour while Sigrid is here and all of the kids will come too.

Pan Mass Challenge round two

2009-07-31T12:50:00.003-04:00

Heidi's dad Jack, Heidi and I are here in Boston ready to take on the Pan Massachusetts Challenge tomorrow for the second year. The two of them have raised over $12,000 for Carcinoid Cancer research and are really looking forward to this ride. Jack is 78 and is a 4 time cancer survivor himself along with double knee replacement and heart bypass veteran. He is one tough dude. We made the 10 hour drive from Cleveland after Jack and Linda (his wife) came up from Florida. My mom, Mary Anne, also flew in from Chicago and is very capably taking care of the children back in Hudson. She has taught them the card game hand and foot which was an old favorite of my mom and dad.

Check back for more posts and photos after the ride.

Thanks to all of you who donated to this cause. The money goes directly to research at Dana Farber Cancer institute for Carcinoid Cancer research ( Heidi's cancer). Heidi is feeling great and is looking strong on the climbs... a bit like Alberto Contador when she flys up the hills.

Great Visit from Mom

2009-07-08T16:12:00.003-04:00

Click on picture for full view.

My mom just visited us for a week. Heidi and I got a way to a resort about 3 hours away for the first time since 2006 as a couple. It was awesome, we hiked at Ohiopyle and then toured Fallingwater, the property designed by Frank Lloyd Wright pictured above. Mom is back in three weeks when we head for the Pan Massachusetts Challenge.

Sunday in June 50 mile bike ride

2009-06-14T17:56:00.005-04:00

Heidi and I did a beautiful bike tour today with 700 other riders. It is in Amish country and the weather was perfect. No wind, 73 degrees, sunny skies. This was Heidi's life long ride in preparation for the Pan Mass Challenge on August 2 when she will go 83 miles. We wore our matching PMC jerseys from last year and got many comments on that event. Check out some cool photos from the ride.

Heidi is 46 Today!

2009-06-10T22:42:00.002-04:00

Well, I said to Heidi turning 46 sure beats the alternative...not turning 46. Funny how you look at life when you get a lightening bolt of a message that all is not guaranteed. Of course we all really have that same message coming. We just don't all heed it. Heidi is training very hard on the bike along with her training partner Alane Malerick pictured with Heidi here. We rode 40 miles this past weekend and Sunday we go for 50. She is doing great and while she complains about how hilly Ohio is, I am sure it will pay off for hilly Massachusetts.

All is well. Hope the same can be said for you.

Cheers,

Michael

Baseball, Softball, Riding & Swimming

2009-05-28T07:22:00.003-04:00

Click photo to see larger view of Isabelle and Frederik (no she is not riding the Great Dane)

Even though it is only spring, it feels like we are in the full swing of summer. Above you see Isabelle getting ready to go to her horseback riding lesson. Frederik the Gread Dane is standing with her and is not part of the riding program. Isabelle is also in softball for the first time. Annelise is doing Hudson Explorer Aquatic Team (HEAT) swimming program and it is quite serious and she has become a good swimmer like her grandmother. Connor is finishing up soccer and big time into AAA little leage baseball playing for the Yankees. I never thought I would be wearing a Yankees cap around town as I am an assistant coach. Heidi is riding like crazy in preparation for the Pan Mass Challenge on August 2,3. Her milage is up to about 30 miles per ride now and growing. I am trying to get through my allergies and the accompanying asthma...I'll be fine. All in all we are doing well.

Minimal Growth ... is still growth

2009-03-13T15:10:00.003-04:00

Well, what had become fairly routine (for me) trips to the oncologist every 3-6 months gave us a bit more news than we were used to today. As you may know, while Heidi's primary tumor was removed in Oct of 2007, there was spread to the liver of over 20 lesions. 4 of those are essentially measurable in terms of 1.5 x 2.0 cm each. These 4 lesions (tumors) have shown some growth with the results of the last CT scan (1-2 mm on each measure). This is the progression of the disease and while a bit disconcerting is not the end of the world. It does cause us to consider next steps like starting what is called Sandostatin Long Acting Release (LAR) which are monthly shots that Heidi would get to attempt to slow any progression of the cancer. There have recently been studies out of Germany which have clinically shown this to be the case. The hard part is that there has also be some evidence that over time the effectivness of this drug can diminish. So we don't want to start it too early. Which begs the question, is this the right time. We will do some more tests to see if there are chemical markers on the rise along with the tumor growth to help us with the decision.

Is it March already?

2009-03-12T13:07:00.003-04:00

Yes it is March and the weather is starting to turn. I would say for the better but we have been so focused on skiing this winter at the local hill that we don't want it to end. The bulbs we planted in the fall are starting to poke up through the mulch.

Heidi has recovered nearly fully from the January surgery but it was longer than expected. She is now back on the bike and treadmill as we focus on August 1-2 and the Pan Mass Challenge. I slipped a 20 mile ride in last Saturday evening as the temps reached around 66 degrees. It felt great.

We have sent out the letters for support for the PMC ride and have set a target of $10,000. I am confident that we will reach the target and drive more and better research for a cure for Carcinoid Cancer. Here is the link to donate to the cause. www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?Section=story&eGiftID=HC0036

Surgery...no problem

2009-01-15T15:39:00.003-05:00

Heidi came out of another surgery yesterday very well. The procedure was to repair an incisional hernia which was as a result of the hemicolectomy surgery of 15 months ago. Heidi came home yesterday which was better than planned. I have been off these last two days taking care of her. All is well. Heidi is registered for the PMC 153 mile route for Aug 1-2 of this year. I will be support and chase her around with the kids. We are staying with my friend Jaymie Janse from Ocean Spray who lives near the 1st day ride end point in Bourne, MA.

Happy New Year

2009-01-08T11:11:00.002-05:00

This is my blog. It is not something I do alot but I started it when at my parents house and found it to be fulfilling. Read what you want enjoy the pics. I am looking forward to a great 2009. I hope your is also awesome.

Gone from my sight.

2008-12-17T11:10:00.007-05:00

Last night, my dad died. I got the tearful call from my mother which awakened me from a sound sleep at near midnight EST. It was actually welcome relief. He stopped having real interaction and any quality time after the Thanksgiving weekend. He would have preferred to have left earlier but his body was not done living yet. When I was in Chicago with him and the family for two weeks at Thanksgiving, I read the following in the Joliet Hospice pamphlet on death.

Gone from My Sight.

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!""Gone where?"Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!" there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is death.

by Henry Van Dyke

I thought it was great and hopeful.

Heidi kicking a#% at PMC 2008

2008-12-16T09:18:00.004-05:00

Click on photo to enlarge!

A good visit to the doctor

2008-12-16T08:50:00.000-05:00

It sure is nice when you almost forget to post a trip to the doctor with positive news regarding Heidi's cancer. It is now what we expect when we visit the Cleveland Clinic. No change in the CT scans of the liver tumors from 2007 compared to 2008. The Dr. even said he could easily confuse one for the other. Also the blood and other cancer marker tests have shown no change in activity. Heidi is focusing on her fitness as we all are at this time of year. We will begin training for the Pan Mass Challenge soon! We are trying to figure out the logistics of going to Chicago for my dad's services (when we don't know) and then for the wedding and then to Florida to see Heidi's Dad and Linda. We have a few animals to deal with in the mean time. The doctor further told of another carcinoid patient who stopped seeing him because the tumors just never changed and then 5 years later he showed up and there was still no change in the tumors. We are hoping for this type of outcome.

Christmas Elves

2008-12-10T18:56:00.000-05:00

Well, last night, my daughter Isabelle laid out some paper towels under the Christmas tree with some Nestle mini morsels on top of the paper towels. When I asked her what it was she told me the story of the Christmas elves who will come and eat the chocolate and stay until Christmas. Sure enough, this morning, the chocolate was gone and the elf was there sleeping under the paper towel. Isabelle could not be more excited. It was fun to watch. Now our neighbor's kids are putting out these paper towel beds under their tree tonight. What fun.

2008-12-09T10:24:00.000-05:00

I wish for peace for all at this time. I just talked to my mom and it seems there is peace in the house. Michael

A wish for Santa

2008-12-08T13:39:00.001-05:00

Click on photo for larger view.

Well Isabelle, my 9 year old daughter, seems to have found the key to the city. Use Santa for the ultimate trump card on how to get what you want for Christmas. Check out her letter to santa with her wish list.

Heidi's Cancer Story

2008-12-04T13:31:00.000-05:00

Here is all the data from the other site I had been keeping since Heidi was diagnosed with Carcinoid Cancer on Oct17th, 2007.

We have completed the Pan Massachusetts Challenge charity bike ride for 2008 and the three of us together raised over $11,500.00 all to be directly used on Carcinoid Cancer Research.
Additional fundraising will begin in early 2009 completely focused on the Pan Mass Challenge. www.pmc.org
The Story:
On October 17th, 2007 Heidi was diagnosed with metastatic Carcinoid Cancer of the small intestine with spread to the regional lymph nodes and both lobes of the liver. The primary tumor was removed on October 18th, 2007. The remaining (18-20) tumors in the liver will be monitored for growth through MRI every 4-6 months.
As a 45 year old daughter, wife and mother of 3 children ages 11, 10 and 8, Heidi has a lot of living left to do. She is feeling great! Through research funded by Caring for Carcinoid Foundation (CFCF), we believe a cure can be found to make a difference in Heidi's life and the lives of thousands of others living with Carcinoid Cancer. www.caringforcarcinoid.org for more information. For more information on Michael's Dad's battle with cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) click here: www.joesinformation.blogspot.com
To send a message to Heidi: mhcoburn5@yahoo.com
To reach Michael : michael.coburn7@yahoo.com
Latest Updates:
Friday November 7, 2008: Heidi is feeling well. We had a nice celebration with about 20 people to mark the one year of survivorship. Joe, Michael's dad is not doing well at present.
Monday October 6, 2008: As we approach the one year anniversary of Heidi's diagnosis with Carcinoid Cancer, it is amazing to think about the events of the past year. GOOD NEWS>>> Heidi's latest blood and CT images all came back as stable with no activity or growth on the tumors in the liver. The kids are all back in school and Heidi is knitting like crazy. You just can't have too many scarves you know. Michael's Dad is not doing so great as he is getting very tired from the chemo regimen he is currently on. Other than that we are soldiering onward. Enjoy the journey!
Thursday August 7, 2008: Still buzzing from the incredible weekend in Massachusetts. Heidi has signed us up for a 65 mile ride on August 30th in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park so our training continues. I lost a co-worker in her 50's to liver cancer yesterday Cynthia Eatmon. I only found out the day before that she was sick with cancer. All the more motivation to fight this disease that will touch one in 3 of us. My Dad, nephew, son and I head for Canada this Sunday for 4 days of remote fly in fishing 3 hours north of Toronto. It should be a great time with my dad who continues his battle with cholangiocarcinoma. Heidi is doing well and all my co-works continue to ask about her and I am happy to tell them that all is well.
Tuesday August 5, 2008: We did it! We finished our collective 269 miles of riding in Massachusetts and raised over $10,500 for help eradicate cancer. It was awesome! Go here for a look at the water stop at mile 42 of John and my ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYXzVfHglFc . Next year I am doing the whole 192 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown. Heidi and I are already signed up for 65 mile ride on August 30. This was a lot of fun. Thanks to all of the support from all of you.
Wednesday July 30, 2008: We leave tomorrow for PMC. Our photo shows us as we are ready to celebrate the over $9,000 we have raised for the direct research on Heidi's Carcinoid Cancer. Full report upon our return.
Sunday July 13, 2008: Cycling is at the forefront of our focus now as we count down to the Pan Mass Challenge (www.pmc.org). Heidi and I went out and did 25 miles last weekend and then Heidi and her friend Alaine did 20 on Friday. I have been doing a Sunday group ride each Sunday averaging 35-50 miles. Heidi is feeling well and the latest visit to the doctor showed no changes. We will continue on a cycle of every 6 months for scans to monitor the 18-20 spots in the liver. Thanks for all your support and good wishes.
Saturday June 6, 2008: I guess when things are going well you don't post for a while. I actually had created an update and then got logged off before I saved. We went to a conference in Harrisburg in late April and there are all kinds of things going on in the area of research on Carcinoid. Heidi is doing well as evidenced by the bike photo at top of page. We are training for Pan Mass Challenge and have both nearly hit our fundraising goals (link above). Heidi's brother is the one who needs help and you can search for his profile on the www.pmc.org website to donate. All these cancer diagnosis and the loss of a good friend at work caused me to go out and buy a Honda S2000 convertible as a gift to both my father and Heidi. Dad has an aggressive bile duct cancer and has always wanted a sports car so I just went and did it. Heidi gets it back at the end of the summer...she can't wait. I will try and link the great video that my brother in law Kirk Moore took and edited of this event on this site but if you want you can just load this into your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYp9Ni_-rwA
Saturday April 19, 2008 - Yesterday, Heidi and I rode 12 miles on our first outdoor training ride of the year getting ready for the Pan Mass Challenge. We really enjoyed it. Heidi did great. As you can see from the picture, the fitness continues to get stronger. Today Heidi went to a patient survivor group for her specific Carcinoid Cancer. There were 25 other survivors and it was great to see all these other people who understand what Heidi is going through. She even went out to dinner with a few of them. Dr. Menisha Shah from Ohio State University was the speaker and talked of lots of potential treatment developments and ongoing research. The kind of research that our Pan Mass Challenge ride works to fund.
Saturday April 12, 2008: The results are back comparing the recent CT scan of Heidi's liver with one from 6 months age and the doctor can so no visible change in size. This is great news! We are so happy. On April 26, we are driving to a Carcinoid Conference in Harrisburg, PA where Heidi's doctor, Matthew Kulke, will be speaking among others. This will be the first time for Heidi to be among many Carcinoid Survivors and it should be a good trip. The kids will stay with friends locally.
Friday March 28 - We have returned last week from a great week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We snow skied every day M-F and had tremendous conditions with 24" of powder falling while we were there. Fresh snow daily. Everyone skied great with difficult terrain dominating the mountain we were all able to improve our courage. The vertical drop is 4,139 ft, the largest in the USA. Heidi is feeling great. Her training for Pan Mass Challenge continues nearly daily. We got good news at our visit with Dr. Pelley this week. The blood tests show no increased activity and the Octreotide scan confirms that the cancer is only in the liver. Dr. Pelley also reported that he had seen patients this week who were diagnosed in 1988 and 1992. We continue to be hopeful that this amount of time gives the doctors time to find a cure or effective treatment for this Carcinoid Cancer.
Another highlight of our trip to Boston was that we went out to dinner with Nancy O'Hagen and Lauren Erb. Nancy is the founder of the CFCF and also a carcinoid cancer survivor. It was great for Heidi to meet such a talented and vibrant person with the same disease as her in Nancy. Both Nancy and Lauren battled a snowstorm to pick us up and make us feel immediately at home in a far away place. We appreciate them and CFCF even more now. We are now getting ready to do the Pan Mass Challenge, Aug 2-3, 2008 on the Caring for Carcinoid Foundation team.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think would be interested in a progress update!
This page maintained by Michael Coburn (818) 269-5634

Very Quiet when you are not there

2008-12-03T05:38:00.000-05:00

As I knew it would be, it is tough not being in Chicago with my Mom and Dad. My sister Karen is there through Thursday. I check and tweak my Mom and Dad's blog daily. Adding a counter, adding a picture, re-ordering the photos on the side bar. The volume on the blog is high. I know that many of my friends and co-workers are checking it daily. It really is a nice way to keep people informed where they don't have to constantly ask me. Although I find many will read every entry, then ask me "how is your dad". Then say ... I know I have read the entire blog. I so get it. It is a new reality we live in with the amount of information available. I think the blog is actually taking the place of sitting in a coffee shop or the living room with good friends telling them what is going on. There are greater distances in our lives these days. Families can be close and live thousands of miles apart. I know mine is. So that brings me to the point of needing a blog update. I really want to see one everyday. Even if it just says, Dad is comfortable and said this today.

One of my dad's parting comments to me when I left was, thanks for making the effort. Meaning he realized how long I had been there and all the little projects we had all undertaken. He would really be proud to know that the leak my brother Kevin and I created when we replaced the dishwasher was fixed by the plumber by simply tightening up the brass fitting underneath the sink. See my parents main blog for related story.

Back Home Again in Ohio

2008-11-30T21:57:00.000-05:00

Well 7 hours later we are back home in Ohio. It was easier to say goodbye to Dad and Mom this time. I still don't know if it is the last time. I do think it is likely. After two weeks, I needed to see my own bed for a while. Plus going back to work will be good too. It was a special time. We got a lot done.

Here is a photo from 2002 of my brother Kevin and Dad working in the Woodshop...his favorite place other than Bonaire.

Leaves

2008-11-23T21:29:00.000-05:00

My Dad is getting ready to leave. He once sang a song in his Barbershop Quartet, the Soundtracks, that brought the audience to tears called "Tying the Leaves". It is a very old song about a little girl who is sick and the doctor thinks she will die in the fall...when the last leaves fall. Her little friend understands this and ties the leaves onto the tree so that his playmate won't go away.

Listen to it here: http://moredomainsforless.com/audio/leaves.mp3

Lyrics:

I'M TYING THE LEAVES (SO THEY WON'T COME DOWN)

(E.S.S. Huntingdon / J. Fred Helf)Byron Harlan - 1907Also recorded by:Grandpa Jones

Playmates were they, girl and lad.
She's home today, he feels sad.
Doctor who calls, whispers low:"When the last autumn leaves fall, then she must go."
Lad, with a tear, climbs a tree."I'll keep her here." murmurs he.
Cop on the beat, loudly cries:"What are you doing lad?"

He replies:

CHORUS
"I'm tying the leaves so they won't come down,
So the wind won't blow them away,
For the best little girl in the wide wide world,
Is lying so ill today.
Her young life must go when the last leaves fall.
I'm fixing them fast so they'll stay.
I'm tying the leaves so they won't come down,
So Nellie won't go away."

Playmate, come out and play with me… Nellie, don’t go away..

CHORUS

My Dad

2008-11-20T08:03:00.000-05:00

I love this shot of my dad in my hunting vest. It is at my house before we left for the fishing trip in August. He could not stay warm.

Back in Ohio

2008-11-15T12:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I got the pictures downloaded at 5:30 a.m. and shortly there after saw my Mom was already blogging. I updated their blog with a cool slide show from yesterday. Here is the family pic we took.

The Worlds Most Interesting Man

2008-11-15T07:52:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, my dad started mimicking a Columbian Coffee commercial where the guy gives his opinion on various subjects. The answer is always a dramatic...No!

He likes that one a lot.

How do you say goodbye?

2008-11-14T23:29:00.000-05:00

Well, time for a blog. That is short for Web Log if you did not know it. So here I go. We just got done "saying goodbye" to my Dad in Chicago. I may see him again, but I don't think he will be as aware or the quality of the conversation will be as clear. It was beautiful and sad. This is the "gift" cancer gives you. The chance to say goodbye. But who wants to say goodbye to a 68 year old? Not me. Not my 66 year old mother. But it is part of living as my dad told my 9 year old daughter yesterday. It is OK.

To dig deeper you can see a very extensive 2 year blog of my parents at www.joesinformation.blogspot.com