Update (March 31)

Jane completed Cycle 7 on Thursday, March 29th, and on Friday, March 30th, started Cycle 8 of the experimental clinical drug trials at MD Anderson.  Jane has been able to manage her way through most of the side effects with some success.  Each cycle lasts 21 days.  Jane's energy level and stamina typically wanes in the first week after the start of a cycle and gradually increases over the course of the next two weeks.  Jane will start Cycle 9 on or about April 20th.  At the end of Cycle 9 (or about May 11th), Jane will undergo another battery of tests to measure the effectiveness of the drugs and then, depending on the results, the doctors will plot a path forward.

Jane's doctors have cleared her to travel to Lourdes, France on a Knights of Malta sponsored pilgrimage from May 2nd to May 9th of this year.  Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrennes mountains in southwest France, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes which occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14 year old local miller's daughter.  
Following the reports that Our Lady of Lourdes had appeared to Bernadette Soubirous  on a total of eighteen occasions, Lourdes has developed into a major place of Roman Catholic pilgrimage and of miraculous healings.   Bernadette has since been canonized and is now known as Saint Bernadette of Lourdes.  Jane, together with her husband and two sisters, look forward to the Lourdes pilgrimage in early May and will include everyone in their prayers on the pilgrimage.

Many thanks and prayers to everyone supporting Jane and her family through the past seven cycles.   We sincerely appreciate the continued care, concern and prayers from all the family and friends. 

Continuing Rosaries

For many of you with school aged children this week is spring break from school.  We will continue to gather as before on Monday night and Thursday afternoon to say the rosary for Jane. We hope that you can join us on Monday, March 12th, as we pray in thanksgiving for the good report that Jane received last week.

Update (March 9)

Jane has completed Cycle 6 of the clinical drug trials today, which we started in October 2011.  The test results show that the tumors in the abdomen area appear to be responding to the new drugs as their is a slight reduction in their size and the remaining tumors are stable, that is they are not growing.

As a result, Jane has been cleared for three more cycles of the experimental drug trials which is great, positive news.  Cycles 7, 8 & 9 will each last 21 days and take us to about mid-June 2012.  At that time, Jane will undergo another battery of tests at MD Anderson to measure the effectiveness of the experimental drug protocol.

Jane feels great, with minimal side effects and her energy level is high.

We have many family and friends to thank for helping us so much through this process.  And the prayers, Masses and rosaries and support have been very humbling and very much appreciated.  We know that this will be a long journey and we know we cannot walk it alone.  Thanks to everyone for helping us.