[Dialogue] Family News

[Beret Griffith]

Dear friends and colleagues,

About a month ago Ron was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, Stage IV. 
In early July he developed itching all over his body, which we were 
tracking as an allergy because of a recent fairly serious allergic 
reaction to something undetermined. He was treated for an allergy for 
about three weeks. One night he was talking with our daughter-in-law 
nurse and she asked if he'd had his liver enzymes checked. He hadn't 
and went in the next day for a blood test which indicated his liver 
was way out of whack. About that time he also became a bit jaundiced. 
We were at the cabin when the doctor called about the liver test 
results and he said to get to an emergency room as soon as possible. 
We went a Mayo affiliated hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin where he 
had a CT scan. A tumor was discovered. He had a further test in Eau 
Claire and a cancerous lymph node beneath the liver was also discovered.

We headed back to Northfield and to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. 
After some excitement at the possibility of aggressive chemotherapy 
and then surgery, a laparoscopy indicated the cancer has spread 
fairly extensively. He is now getting chemotherapy and goes once a 
week for three weeks with a week off, for two cycles. At the end of 
October he will have a CT scan to determine how the chemo is working. 
He has had two chemo treatments with no side effects. They give him 
steroids before chemo so he actually has quite a bit of energy. 
Weight loss and summer tan make for a healthy look.

We've been in the midst of several family celebrations and take time 
from the medical universe to head for our cabin in Wisconsin. The 
medical crew at Mayo is outstanding, multi-cultural, skilled, filled 
with wisdom and humor and we are grateful to be an hour from 
excellent medical treatment.

This is a sea change in our lives. We are taking it all in, living in 
the present and appreciating the support of our  family, friends, and 
the Northfield community.

We each have our current favorite quotes. Ron's is from Sandy Schuman 
a long time IAF colleague:
Meaning is all we want.
Choices are all we make.
Relationships are all we have.

Beret's is from our very own David Dunn:
Life is indescribably full,
Unfalteringly real,
and unfailingly good.

With gratitude,
Beret and Ron Griffith