Ryan Update - Small Victories

We must all celebrate small victories...

There is no doubt in our minds the noon good vibes and prayers, along with the new treatment regiment Ryan is on, have started to work.  You heard me right, WORK!  Ryan's tumor markers have started to lower.  This is a huge victory for us, one that followed with tears of joy and intense thankfulness.  Our CTCA Doctors and Nurses celebrated with us with hugs and handshakes all around.  

We needed to celebrate this with all of you, you deserve to share in the good news too!

Round One CA19-9 Markers: 3600
Round Two CA19-9 Markers: 5600
Round Three CA19-9 Markers: 17,000
Round Four CA19-9 Markers: 21,800
Round Five CA19-9 Markers: 9610

We continue to need your help in passing on the energy, we truly believe that it not only helps us, but works.  Ryan has felt great fatigue and has been reacting to one of the chemo drugs in the form of a rash, but other than those two things, we continue to do well!

Until next time...
Jen + Ryan

AJC Food and More

Thank you to AJC Food and More for the write up today.  We are honored to be talking publicly about the Giving Kitchen.

Ryan Update 3/19/13

Where we are in the fight.... in war, not every battle is won.

Friday (3/8/13) was the first major scan since diagnosis that determined our next steps.  Ryan has undergone (like a champion I might add) two full cycles of chemotherapy that resulted in a dead end.  The unfortunate circumstances show growth in his tumors and a significant rise in CA19-9 tumor markers.  We have made a change in his chemo treatment plan and have now started a new weekly cycle.  We wait... with determination, poise and humility.

All in all, we are doing great, looking at each day as a new start with fresh perspective.  We owe much of our strength to all of you for the well wishes and constant support you give.  We received a package in the mail a couple weeks ago from an Atlanta based first grade classroom with letters to Ryan on how to "feel better".  If I didn't know better, I'd go out and buy a Nintendo DSI, a giant teddy bear and a bag of gummy bears and call it a day.  We had another little girl write a story about Chef Ryan and his arch-cooking-contest-enemy Harris Cancer Muddball and sold bound copies for $5 each!  She made a killing!  From these letters to your generous donations and bountiful energy, we are fueled and immensely grateful.

Atlanta, you have rallied behind us and in a big, big way and now we are motivated to give back.  As some of you have witnessed at other events around town over the last few weeks (with Charlotte's Web and Bring Back Zach), we have started a foundation called The Giving Kitchen Initiative. You all get a sneak peek into this project and as we are ready to go live, more details will come!  We couldn't be more excited about the opportunity this will bring to help others in situations such as Ryan's. Through the tragedy of cancer we see hope, and with the help of all of you we will build this foundation with pride. Thank you all for the inspiration to push forward when times are hard and the courage to see through the veil of an illness to better days.

The Giving Kitchen Initiative supports the metro Atlanta restaurant community by lending a helping hand to industry members impacted by medical or other unanticipated hardship.  The Giving Kitchen Initiative also supports other charitable, scientific and educational projects to which restaurant industry members are in a unique position to contribute such as nutritional education for community schools or providing food to people in need.

We also have chosen to document our journey.  Along with an amazing production crew, we are capturing every moment we can through video, photography and story telling.  We felt compelled to gather Ryan's treatment, our daily life, meetings for The Giving Kitchen and more and share it with all of you.  We will keep you all updated on when the documentary is ready.  Below are a couple photos from last weekend.

 

 

To finish up, I sent out an update to our family and very close friends about a week ago and asked for a favor, something I do not do very often.  I asked for a "Prayer/Good Vibe" sequence chain to start.  At noon each day, please set your watch, smartphone, computer and brain to Pray for Ryan's Healing.  Whether it's a simple pleasant thought, an in depth prayer or a smile exchanged from you to another, that will supply us the energy we need to continue everyday with grace, fresh perspective and peace.  It doesn't hurt to ask you all, our Staplehouse friends too.

We continue down this path with you all by our side and appreciate every minute of what these days hold.  We will send out another update as things progress.  J+R

Team HIDI Store Live! + Support Charlotte's Web

 

 

Team HIDI Store Now Live!

That’s right!  Get all of your Team HIDI merch right here.  Mens and Ladies t-shirts, koozies, wristbands and bumper stickers are now available.  All proceeds go directly to Team HIDI.  Click on the store link here and start shoppin!

 

At SweetWater Brewery

Cancer touches us all.  Join in on February 26 to support our friend Charlotte.  Friends, Family and Chefs from around the region are coming together on February 26 at SweetWater Brewery. From 6-10 p.m. Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q will host 16 of the South’s top chefs, live music from Moontower, and a silent auction, all to rally in support of fellow Chef and Friend, Charlotte Nelson.  As some of you already know, Charlotte lost her battle early Saturday evening, February 9th. She was only 37.  All proceeds from the event will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  Tickets for this event are $50 and can be purchased here.

Ryan and I have been asked to speak at this event.  We will do so proudly.  Just as you have done for us, come out and show your support for another community member.

Ryan Update 2/12/13

We are entering the first week of the second cycle of treatment and all is going well.  So far no side effects!  I guess you could call this the calm before the storm.  We are getting so much energy from cards and emails that continue to pour in.  The TeamHIDI fundraiser was easily the most amazing thing we have ever experienced.  We felt that somehow this city seemed new in that moment.   Never before have we felt such unity and love from the Atlanta restaurant scene and that we could be a part of it was an honor.  Our only regret is that Ryan's current diet prohibited him from eating and drinking the amazing spread!

We tried to make it around to everyone for a visit but we know we missed most of you. To those we didn't get a chance to visit with, thank you so much for being a part of the evening and we love you!  We are in a good spot for perspective right now.  In the twilight of a cancer diagnosis you can make out very little.  It's a strange landscape with little in the way of comforting textures and sounds.  But as the dawn light slowly leaks in, you find your pulse and you gather your courage.  We have had all the time we need to find our "north" and gear up for the journey.  It would be crazy to say we know what to expect, but we are now equipped with a renewed faith and a point on the horizon with which to keep us on course.

 

We have a tremendous team behind us at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) and are working closely with them to make sure that Ryan's body is responding to the treatment path we have chosen.  

 

Keep an eye out for Staplehouse news as we talk about the next course of action with the restaurant... a dream of ours.  We are looking forward to getting back into a rhythm and seeing faces around our table!

 

 

 Thanks again to everyone for the support.  We hope to see you soon.

Ryan Update 1/21/13

14 days since our last update.  Here’s what we’ve been up to.

A blur, is an understatement.  We are narrowing down treatment options with only one more hospital to visit, MDAnderson in Houston, TX (we leave today).  Last week was extremely fast paced as we had a 3-day consult with the staff at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Newnan, GA and directly after that headed to The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  At this point, we have received more than a handful of opinions from Doctors all over the country (including Emory, City of Hope, UC San Diego and several Alternative Doctors too) and feel that our path is becoming more clear and that is something we are grateful for.  Clarity.  

We have had a lot of family come in and visit for a few days at a time.  They helped us research and most importantly lent a helping hand.

We anticipate starting treatment by weeks end and plan on attacking the cancer on many fronts.  With a foundation of chemotherapy, we will also layer in a supplement regiment with a strict diet.  It’s important to understand that this pursuit is a war and not just one battle.  Once we see results (and we know we will) from our initial efforts we will then go into a 2^nd phase of treatments.  Our goal… stabilize, reduce and hope for surgery. 

Our spirits continue to be high and we are fueled largely in part to your support, love, well wishes and prayers.  Thank you for everything you are doing.  The cards and emails.  The phone calls and notes on teamhidi.org.  The donations.  The meals.  The gifts.  The hugs.

‘Round Up for Ryan’ has extended far and wide including, Muss& Turner’s, Local Three, Empire State South, Five & Ten, The National, Bacchanalia, FloatAway Café, Abattoir, Brick Store Pub, Leon’s Full Service and Cakes & Ale.  UNREAL!

A charity hike, ‘Hike for Hidi’, occurred on Saturday the 19^th in San Francisco by great friends Ray & Bridget of Primal Fitness.  Even Ryan’s younger brother who lives in Sacramento, made the trip to SF to be part of the experience.  There are other events happening all over the country from, California to Indiana and here at home (all events can be found on teamhidi.org).  We are amazed and honored to be this fortunate.  

We will close this 'Ryan Update' with a letter that he wrote to his M&T family.  It puts a lot into perspective.

I’ve leaned some interesting things about the human race over the last few weeks.  My heart is speechless from your generosity.

Jen and I just spent the last few moments reflecting, and crying. We are now in the final moments before our treatment path embarks, and are realizing how big of a fight, and how big the odds are stacked against us.

Over the last three weeks, it has been easy to push the fear down inside. With the barrage of doctor appointments, blood and urine tests, family in town to help with treatment planning sessions, tons of letters of support, dietitian meetings, reading countless documents to make sure we know all we can, and then the last little bits of the quiet evening before sleep when Jen and I just stare at each other... minds racing.

It all comes to a head in the coming week.

The wave of love, prayers, contributions and well wishes is so warming to our souls, that I feel I've already won... I've already won guys.

I've already won.

My thanks, and gratitude is eternal, I'll carry it through whatever time God sees fit for me to have on this planet and into whatever is next.  But fight like hell I will. I take into battle the energy of a thousand people who have reached out over that last few weeks. I'm ready for this challenge, and a great part of that preparedness I owe to you!

On behalf of Jen and I, thank you from the bottom of our hearts M&T family!

Ryan

 

Dare All and Prevail

Be firm and be faithful.  Desert not the right.  The brave become braver the darker the night.  Then up and be doing though others may fail. Thy duty pursuing.  Dare all and prevail.