Hi Everyone,

This is MaryLynn, Eric's wife and chief chauffeur these days, writing the blog.  If Eric tries to sneak in and change something, I hope it shows up that it is him and not me.  Is there a way to do that?  Also, if anyone knows how to turn on some kind of spell-check, let me know.

Sorry about the morbid log-in.  With a name like Eric, everything nice was already taken.  I will be posting whenever something new or interesting comes up, so feel free to check back every few days.  I will probably be a little facetious at times, and maybe a little irreverent, so if that bothers you, read another blog that is more uplifting.  This first entry is way too long, and I promise to be more brief after I get you all up to speed.

People have wondered how someone who exercises as much as Eric does, eats as well as he does (other than the Diet Dr. Pepper), and is so all around amazing could have cancer.  Who knows?  Life does not come with any fairness guarantees and I can't answer that question.

People have also wondered how my own personal energizer bunny found out he had bone marrow cancer.  Eric donated blood March 8, so everything was good up until then.  In late April, Eric started feeling a little tired and rundown.  He was still swimming a mile and walking an hour 6 days a week, but it was leaving him a little more tired than usual.  Since Eric had just finished Lent, he thought that might be the explanation.  In a bid for more junk food around the house, Eric tried to blame our healthy meals and my obsession with whole grains and low sugar for making him tired.

On May 7th we went for a 10-mile hike in the Redwood Mountain area of King's Canyon National Park in the Sierra Nevada's.  Eric let me lead the way, and complimented me on how well I was doing and how fast I was going.  Boy did I feel great!  Look at me, leader of the pack!  I feel kind of dumb now that I know that the only reason it seemed like I was going fast was because Eric had severe anemia due to bone marrow cancer.  It was a cool, drizzly day and when we finished we were both cold and shivering.  I commented on this to Eric because I don't think I have ever seen him shiver before.

Eric had a birthday on May 20, and continued to complain about being tired.  I suggested he go to his doctor.  Since Eric had a physical already scheduled in July, and pretty much hates sitting around waiting for doctors, he refused.  After his birthday he was convinced that having turned 59, it was probably just old age.  Right.

Eric has a strict regimen that he follows, and swims with the same people at the pool and walks with the same people at lunch.  He knows how fast he goes in comparison, and he could tell that something was just not right.  Eric finally called his doctor on May 28th and moved his physical up to June 6.

On May 30th, Eric stood up quickly at work and almost passed out.  He called his doctor right then, and was able to get in that day (within 20 minutes).  His heart was great, lungs were great, blood pressure was great, etc.  As Eric was leaving work that day, he received a phone call from his doctor telling him that his blood work was showing that both his white and red blood cells as well as his platelets were low and he was severely anemic.  The doctor told Eric that he would arrange for him to see a specialist the next morning.  We are really grateful that Eric's doctor has been so prompt and aggressive on our behalf.

When Eric arrived home and told me what the doctor had said, he then told me, "If I were to die today, I would do so knowing that I have been blessed beyond measure in this life."  Since those were my exact thoughts also, we have started on this cancer journey in harmony.  We have felt peace and comfort, and very little fear or anxiety.  Of course, it may well be that we are merely in denial and nothing truly "bad" has happened yet.

The specialist got Eric in first thing May 31st.  They weren't going to do a bone marrow biopsy until the following Monday, but Eric talked them into doing it that afternoon at 4:00.  His skills as a negotiator sure can be handy!  We had two wonderful friends give Eric a priesthood blessing before the biopsy.  Unfortunately the medical staff were not able to aspirate any bone marrow but were only able to take a small bone sample.  It did not contain enough marrow for the lab to get an accurate DNA analysis.

Tuesday, June 4, in the late evening, we learned first from Eric's primary care doctor, and then from the specialist that Eric had bone marrow cancer.  It is not leukemia, but they don't actually know at this point which type it is and what stage it is.

Eric had a second bone marrow biopsy on June 6.  As with the first, he opted to be awake during it, and was able to hear the amusing discussion concerning his bone marrow.  The doctor told me afterward that it was like trying to aspirate chunks of concrete and he had never seen anything like it before.  The people in the procedure room confirmed this to Eric.  They do aspirations every day and had never experienced this before.  So they brought in an electric drill and took several big bone samples, hoping to get enough attached marrow that they would be able to get an accurate DNA sample.

This morning Eric had his first blood transfusion.  We met up with a former neighbor that Eric used to home teach, as she was getting a different type of infusion.  We had a great visit with her, so pleasant that it made the 4 hour procedure seem like only 3 1/2 hours!  Eric was his usual jolly self and had everyone in the room entertained.  An elderly nurse pulled me aside and told me she just loved him.  So even in the hospital I have to fight off the older women.

Throughout this whole process Eric has been amazing.  It is hard for someone with as much energy as he usually has to sit still, but the fatigue has kept him running at my speed, which makes it easier for him to rest and relax.  And it makes it easier for me to keep up with him.  He has a positive attitude and even having a large drill applied to his backbone hasn't bothered him or caused him much pain.

We have been out walking quite a bit, and every time we go out it has been amazing the people we meet.  We have reconnected with so many people from our past and it has been wonderful to catch up on how they are doing.  We feel very blessed in all that has happened so far, and look forward to seeing what blessings our Heavenly Father has in store for us.