To all of you who have kept our little D. in your thoughts and prayers, and to those of you who have reached out to us in so many ways, I thank you. To my CSA friends and others who gave and gave some more, I thank you. You have touched us, with your kindness, your compassion, and with the strength that you have sent our way. What you offered in kindness directly helped with purchase of Neupogen, an injected protein that is helping him rebuild his white blood cell supply, which had bottomed out.

I cant express, in words, how your thoughts, messages, and deeds have steadied me in this time when I feel like I'm free falling. I hope you never understand what I mean, but I know that some of you do, unfortunately. Your notes and convictions have left me speechless, and those of you who know me appreciate how unusual that is!

I hope to repay your kindnesses to another in need, and more personally, over bread and libations while watching my three boys clang the steel with your children and grandchildren.

We have had a setback this week. His tumor has stopped responding to the even more aggressive chemo treatments, so our surgeon and doctors have advised immediate resection of his liver on Monday. They have degraded his prognosis. His odds now are 50/50, which is hard to type.

Please keep my little guy in your thoughts and prayers, and, if you would, lend a bit more courage to his mother and brothers.

I long for better news next week, but every time I've started to feel upbeat, the wits have been bashed out of me by turns of circumstance.