Regina has providing a mini-chronicle of my treatments and condition throughout my treatment and recovery period. Four of her messages appear below.

From: Regina
>To: Friends of Joe
>Subject: Chapter Two
>Date: Sun, Aug 12, 2001, 3:10 PM
>

> Hello Everyone,
>
> For those who were not able to view the pic of Joe and granddaughter
> Cheyenne: Go to http://www.successfulrestaurantdesign.com/two_baldies.htm. I
> guarantee a smile.
>
> We're launching into a new chapter of Joe's cancer treatments. Last Thursday
> he had a double-whammy procedure in Boston: a biopsy of the cancer on his
> tongue and the installation of a PEG feeding tube in his stomach. The GREAT
> news is that his cancer appears to have shrunk 90 to 95 percent. However,
> the experience at Bringham & Women's hospital left a lot to be desired. Like
> no pain meds for six hours and a nurse who had zero experience with a
> feeding tube. I won't go on. Happily, we fled the hospital, and the heat,
> mid-day Friday. And Joe, ingenious as ever, came up with a solution for his
> leaking feeding tube (don't ask!).
>
> Right now Joe is resting fairly comfortably thanks to pain meds, after a soy
> drink and a bowl of kale soup for lunch. He does not have to use the feeding
> tube until swallowing becomes difficult due to the radiation, which will
> happen in a month or so.  He's on soft, bland foods due to the surgery, but
> nonetheless gets a lot of pleasure smelling bottles of hot sauce.
>
> Joe starts chemo-radiation treatments on Monday, five days a week for seven
> weeks. We get the radiation locally, and also go to Dana-Farber in Boston
> once a week for a chemo infusion. The doctors have consistently warned us
> that this is going to get tough. The effects are cumulative, kind of like a
> bad sunburn that keeps coming on after you've left the beach.  The fact that
> Joe responded well to the chemotherapy bodes well for the radiation,
> although unlike chemo, the side effects aren't variable. But this is what it
> takes to kill off the cancer, and we're ready.
>
> Keep those good thoughts coming, and enjoy the rest of the summer. We'll
> keep you posted.
>
> Reg & Joe

Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2001 2:10 PM
To: Friends of Joe
Subject: The Joe Glow


Just a brief update on Joe after the first two weeks of chemo-radiation.
He's doing well. In fact, his blood tests showed that his kidneys were
functioning so well that the docs at Dana-Farber gave him an increased
dosage of chemotherapy. Don't ask me to explain that one!

Joe continues to be happiest when life feels "normal." He has enjoyed visits
with friends and family, working at the computer, and weekend excursions to
the beach for clam chowder and a little ocean fishing. Fatigue and a swollen
and sore tongue have been the primary side effects of the radiation so far,
along with a rosy glow on his neck and the bottom half of his face. He's
still eating by mouth, although soups and soft foods go down best. While he
continues to cook, he's also teaching me. I have mastered the fresh-chive
and sage omelet with soy cheese, and even as I type, he's down in his office
compiling soup recipes for me.

Talking has become difficult for Joe, so I'll be answering the phone from
now on. If you get the answering machine, please leave a message. Don't
hesitate to e-mail him directly at jfdurocher@mediaone.net.

There are five more weeks of chemo-radiation to go, and I'll e-mail another
update in a few weeks.

Not a day goes by that we don't count our blessings and among them all of
our friends, colleagues, and family who are rooting for us.
Reg & Joe

At 09:27 AM 09/29/2001
>Hi Everyone,
>
>It has been a while since the last "friends of Joe" update, because after
>the terrible events of 9/11, it seemed almost frivolous to communicate about
>one person's struggle to survive. Our sympathies to those of you who lost
>friends or loved ones.
>
>On that day, Joe and hundreds of others were on the chemotherapy infusion
>floors at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, watching the unthinkable unfold on
>television as the poison pumped through their bodies. Joe says that the wave
>of feeling was almost overwhelming: so many people with a terrible disease
>felt like they were the lucky ones, because they were being given a chance
>to live.
>
>Joe continues to do amazingly well under the circumstances, and it's a big
>psychological lift to us both that there is just one more day of radiation
>to go! That's right, the nine weeks of chemotheraphy and seven weeks of
>chemo-radiation are almost over. Not that Joe isn't beat up: he is on very
>strong pain meds 24/7, his white and red blood counts are low, swallowing is
>extremely difficult, his tongue and gums are swollen and sore, etc., etc.
>BUT, he is still eating two small meals a day, which amazes the doctors, and
>sleeps well most nights. The tube feeding and hydration is a cinch. He has
>lost weight, but only 11 pounds in the past seven weeks, and still weighs in
>at over 200.
>
>The side effects from the radiation are cumulative and expected to intensify
>over the next few weeks, but we are so happy that there will be no more
>radiation or chemotherapy or blood tests or x-rays or trips to Boston until
>October 17. Then, no doubt, a new battery of tests will be scheduled to
>access Joe's condition, etc. etc. We'll keep you posted.
>
>More than ever, in light of 9/11, we appreciate every moment.
>
>Reg and Joe

At 11:40 PM 10/22/2001
>Dear Friends and Family,
>
>We saw the docs at Dana Farber last Wednesday. The good news is that Joe is
>recovering splendidly from his chemo-radiation treatments. He's still on
>pain meds 24/7, but is slowly cutting down the dosages. He is eating by
>mouth, albeit somewhat painfully. He is sleeping less, spending more time at
>the computer, taking walks, and even starting to get in shape on the
>stationary bike. His speech is much improved, although he would not be able
>to sustain a passionate classroom lecture. Humidifiers and a constant water
>supply are his friends.
>
>But the bad news is that the docs can't be certain that there isn't some
>residual cancer on the left side of his neck, which is where the primary
>tongue tumor had spread. They still feel something there, which could be
>scar tissue or could be cancerous remnants. They say that even if diagnostic
>scans are negative, it's no guarantee, and neck cancer is particularly
>aggressive and resistant to treatment (now they tell us!). So, to get rid of
>any potential residual cancer, they do a surgical procedure that removes all
>the lymph nodes on the left side of his neck, from the edge of the jaw to
>the clavicle to the trapesius muscle to the midline of the neck. This will
>happen on November 26 at Bringham & Women's in Boston. Joe will be
>hospitalized for five days. After that, they say the recovery is fairly
>quick. There will be some muscle compromised in his shoulder and he will
>have difficulty raising his left arm over his head. Luckily, he is right
>handed.
>
>Joe has, typically, expressed this half-full philosophy: If the neck area is
>benign, that's terrific because it means the treatment was successful. If
>they find cancer, well, thank goodness, they got it out.
>
>Lest you think Joe has been doing nothing but sitting around popping
>bon-bons and watching action movies, he has put together a Web site about
>his cancer experiences, which the Dana-Farber staff is sharing with other
>patients in the clinical trial. Check it out at http://orbit.unh.edu/cancer.
>
>The community of support and friendship you've given us has really helped us
>through this, and it's great hearing back with your encouragement, kind
>words, and news on what's going on in your lives.  We know you'll be
>thinking of Joe on November 26. Don't hesitate to e-mail him directly at
>jfdurocher@mediaone.net.
>
>Reg & Joe

The following email were distributed after Joe was diagnosed with Metastatic melanoma

----- Original Message -----

From: Regina Baraban <rbaraban@comcast.net>

Date: Sunday, January 15, 2006 3:50 pm

Subject: Update on Joe Durocher

Dear Friends,

During the past nearly five years, Joe has recovered splendidly  from his tongue cancer treatments, 

and there have not been any recurrences. This update refers to another, unrelated cancer that some 

of you may not be up-to-date on.

About three and a half years ago, just after Joe¹s tongue cancer treatments ended, he had a deep 

melanoma removed from his back, and a sentinel node biopsy. All appeared clear but, because the 

melanoma had been so deep, the docs at Dana-Farber recommended that he get scanned there 

regularly, for three years, to make sure.

This past spring‹just at the three-year mark‹a scan showed a small nodule on his lung that turned 

out to be a metastatic melanoma that had spread through his blood.  It was successfully removed 

with laparoscopic surgery. Unfortunately, this is a stage-four cancer whose only treatment is surgery. 

However, the fact that it was a single tumor was good news, since multiple metastatic melanomas are

common. Also, Joe has been giving himself injections of a medicine which is a synthetic form of GM-CSM 

(naturally released by the body) that increases his T-cell count because research suggests that this could 

help his body to fight off future tumors. He has also been getting cat scans at Dana-Farber every three months.

Last week, when we went to  Dana-Farber for Joe¹s three-month scans, they revealed a bowel 

overlap (medical term: intussusception). He had been having intermittent stomach cramps  for a 

few weeks. Emergency surgery, including a small bowel resection (they removed about 5² of his 

small intestine), was performed at Brigham & Women¹s later that day. There was a small tumor, 

which turned out to be a melanoma, that had caused the bowel overlap. The tumor, along with a 

section of his small bowel, was removed and the bowel was  put back together. There were no complications 

and the surgeon was pleased  with the results. We came home last Monday and Joe has been recovering quickly. 

We go for a surgical follow-up in a few weeks, and  will also talk with his oncologist at Dana-Farber to see 

what¹s next regarding the GM-CSM injections.

We¹re very happy to be home and Joe is in good spirits. Keep those good thoughts and prayers coming 

our way.

Regina & Joe

Dear Friends,

We learned on January 4 that when you have metastatic melanoma, you hope for the best and plan for the worst. So on Wednesday of this week, Joe and I, along with our daughter Debra and grandson Jorge, packed overnight bags before we headed off to Dana-Farber for Joe's scheduled three-month CT scan.
 
The good news is: We did not have to stay in Boston for emergency surgery as we did in January. However,  the scans did detect three tiny nodules—each about the size of a grain of sand—in Joe's lungs. Yes, this means that the melanoma continues to look for new spots in which to set up shop in Joe's body. But the tumors are so small that after an extended discussion with Joe’s oncologist—Dr. Stephen Hodi, a leading melanoma researcher—we decided to go another six weeks and get a follow-up scan to see if the nodules have changed in size before deciding on a treatment. This will also give Joe time to recover from his brain radiation.
 
Joe’s next set of scans, both brain and CT, will be on May 31. At that time, the docs will be looking to make sure the disease in Joe’s brain is stable, will assess the size of the tumors in his lung, and will talk to us about further treatments. Last Wednesday, Dr. Hodi suggested that an oral chemotherapy called Temodar, which has had some promising results in clinical trials of advanced melanoma, might be the next step.
 
The only bad news—a relative term as we continue to redefine a "new normal”— is that Joe can't drive for another month or two. The concern is  that there’s a small risk of seizures due to swelling and irritation from the brain radiation.

Meanwhile, we had a great time at our celebration of life party on April 9. Go to:
http://Orbit.unh.edu/cancer

Click “celebration” and then “memories” for party scenes, and “melanoma” for Joe’s most recent additions to the educational part of the site.

Also, I’m enclosing an article published in the UNH student newspaper last week. Joe continues to inspire us all.

We’ll write again after the May 31 checkup. Until then, no news is good news.  We hope to take a little time off for R&R during the next month and enjoy springtime.

Love,
Regina and Joe

These, and other updates generated hundreds of supportive and informative emails from our friends and family. Their thoughts and prayers were every bit as important in my battle as the best medical treatments in the world.