I don't know if any of you know Tom Massarro from Centre County, PA or not. I think he lurked hereabout on Gang. He had a small archery shop near PA Furnace or Warriors Mark, I believe and had a small outfitting biz, too.
I just got word that Tom is battling Leukemia. I'm sure he'd appreciate everyone's prayers for strength, healing and perseverance.
I understand he's starting the 2nd go around of treatments!
Lord in your mercy...
Prayers sent for Tom.
prayers from Louisiana way ...mark chambers
Prayers for healing
Prayers sent....
prayers sent
Prayers sent from GA
Thanks, folks. I've sent him an email, but the update I got through his work office indicated he was heading back Tuesday for 2nd round of chemo... so I think I missed him. He was in for 3 weeks. If his office mgr makes good on her promise, I'll get updates forwd from his wife to the office...we'll see. I know he appreciates prayers even though he doesn't know about them at this time..after all, prayers aren't for the person, it's us going to Christ to intereceed.
Thank you and blessing for all named in this forum and those not posted but who need prayers.
Prayers sent for healing--I KNOW they WORK!--1Longbow
No new updates have come forth. I suspect he's battlin away at Geisinger Medical up NE PA with his 2nd round of Chemo...
I know the prayers are appreciated!
Tom is a good guy. He was the first fella I made a purchase off of when I discovered this site. He had a Widow,I had cash.We met in Centre Co. I left with a Widow, Tom left with cash.
Wow,you just never know do you.I find myself scratching my head a lot lately.
God,I pray that you be with this bowhunter buddy of ours.Get him thru this tough time, and use us however you need to, to help him. Toughest thing to do God is to not worry ourselves silly about it.We have to remember it is all in your plan.Thank you for being here for us when things like this happen.
Tom, mark chambers here , Im praying for ya buddy! Peace, mark
praying that God will give him strength to get through this battle,Ralph
This just came in from his secretary. Looks like ole Tom is doing ok...
Gary and Tanna,
After learning that the first round of chemo hadn't put Tom in full remission, we were terribly disheartened. When we got the news this week that the second round of induction chemotherapy had put him there, I was jumping for joy and we both breathed a huge sigh of relief. The options facing Tom if this second round had not worked were very worrisome.
We're not out of the woods yet, but this is an important first step and puts us on the "standard track" for beating this thing. Tom will have three rounds of consolidation chemotherapy (one drug at the same high dose as last time instead of two) to clean up rogue cells. He goes to Danville next week for 5 days for the first round. We are banking on the fact that he will be able to recover at home after each, since these treatments are less intense than the first two and Tom's response to his previous treatment (where 90 % of patients end up with infections but he didn't) was so remarkable. The break the doctors have given him between his last induction therapy and the upcoming consolidation therapies has been much needed and has helped him regain his strength. Tom is feeling better now than he has in months and is beginning to look like his old self (or like his old self minus hair and 20 pounds).
We are incredibly hopeful and ready to move on to this next phase.
Ann
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This is great news for Tom and his family!
Prayers that things continue well for him in his battle with cancer.
Tom, Keep the Son in your eyes!
Prayers continue from Georgia.
In HIS service
Dave
Praise God and prayers continue
Prayers sent
Looks like a few wrinkles developed for ole Tom Massaro.
He could use some more prayers according to this update from his wife:
Tom returned from Danville last Saturday after 6 days of chemotherapy. This time, they gave him one drug (cytarabine) at a high dose but cut out the second drug (daunorubicin) that reeks havoc on his heart. This is the first of 3 consolidation therapies that he'll receive. Each therapy cycle from start to finish, including recovery and before he begins the next treatment, should be approximately 4 weeks. Tom felt pretty good when he first came home, but has been feeling very tired since yesterday. I'm assuming his blood counts are dropping fast as expected. He goes back to Danville tomorrow for a transfusion to give his blood a much needed boost.
We have learned a few other things, some good and some not as good. The cytogenetics results from Tom's bone marrow biopsy show that Tom's leukemia has a chromosomal abnormality that works in his favor-i.e. more favorable prognosis and potentially greater response to chemotherapy. That is good news. The caveat is that this same type of leukemia can migrate to the central nervous system, unlike most other types of AML which stay put in the bone marrow and bloodstream. As a result, in addition to 3 consolidation treatments, Tom will need to receive 5 treatments of intrathecal (in the spine) chemotherapy through injection. I'm certain this treatment can't be pleasant, but we're trying to stay focused on the positive part of this news. The plan the doctor has laid out is for Tom is to recover from his first consolidation treatment by early July, get intrathecal treatments once (or twice for some weeks) in July/early August and then finish up with the next two consolidation treatments in August and September.
It's a long long treatment process but the end is, hopefully, in sight Overall, Tom's spirits continue to be good. Understandably, though, he has his ups and downs. The yo yo effect of beginning to feel good, being brought down by the next chemo treatment, recovering and beginning to feel good only to face another treatment takes its toll. Still, I continue to be amazed at Tom's strength, his resolve and his positive attitude. We continue to find something to laugh and smile about each day and remain full of hope.
Ann
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Tom, keep the Son in your eyes!
Prayers and positive thoughts/vibrations sent from south Georgia...
Prayers from virginia.God bless.
I just got this from his secretary at Penn State U, where he works. This was hard to sit and read...but as Tana put it, it goes to the horribleness of this disease.
Please continue to keep Tom and all our challenged brothers and sisters here and elsewhere in prayer... There are so many forces working against the Good in the world.
A week or so ago, Tom called the office and we all got a chance to talk with him. He sounded good and was very positive about the upcoming treatments. This note was a surprise since he was doing so well. It reminds me of the horribleness of this disease and the amount of suffering someone goes through, like the cancer and the treatments aren't enough. Please continue to keep Tom and Ann in your thought and prayers. tanna
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Hi Tanna,
I hadn't expected to have any updates for a while since Tom has been handling his chemo treatments so well and there was no new news to report. That changed on Sunday. Tom was 13 days into his 1st consolidation treatment and, despite feeling a little "off", was doing well. On Sunday, he woke up late and complained of being tired. We assumed his hemoglobin was getting low. He went back to bed and woke up at 10 AM feeling feverish. His temp was 103. While we've been warned that an infection can come at any time once the white blood cells drop, Tom had no infections with his last treatment (a more rigorous chemotherapy) and we felt confident that he would get through this one infection-free too. As a result, we weren't as prepared as we should have been. Our bags weren't packed as they had been after the last treatment and the gas tank was empty. We made it to Danville by 12:15 PM. Tom was immediately admitted and started on antibiotics. Several hours later, his fever spiked at 105; he broke out into a profuse sweat; and his temp dropped down to normal. By dinner time, Tom felt reasonably well and we assumed the worse was over.
I first realized something was wrong when the nurse, taking Tom's blood pressure, looked curiously at the BP gauge, removed the cuff, came back with a replacement cuff to try again and then asked a second nurse to perform the test to see if the results were correct. Tom's blood pressure had plummeted and was getting dangerously low. The obvious concern was septis. Tom was transferred to the ICU so he could be given drugs to get his blood pressure under control and where his vitals could be continuously monitored. The first drug administered, even at full strength, did nothing. Finally, a combination of two other drugs did the trick. His blood pressure came up and stabilized. It was a scary few hours. On Monday, he was weaned off the blood pressure meds and his BP stayed where it should on its own.
Tom was moved out of the ICU yesterday and back to his original room. I never thought I'd be glad to have him back in the hematology ward, but it was a welcome relief after two days in the ICU. I returned to State College last night but Tom will remain in Danville until his white blood cells recover and he can take care of infections on his own--likely Saturday or Sunday. I talked to him today and he's in good spirits. He had a solid eight hours of sleep last night and, although weary, is relieved the worse was over.
When talking to the doctors before I left, I fretted about the extra time we had taken getting Tom to the hospital. They assured me that the 45 additional minutes didn't make a difference but that if we had been 2 or 3 hours later the outcome could have been very different. We'll never be so complacent again.
Once Tom returns home, he should start feeling stronger over the next several weeks as his blood counts begin to return to normal. Hopefully, I won't have any more unexpected updates any time soon.
Ann
Man that is so troubling news to hear, Tom is a great person and I had many conversations with him when he was on our staff here and doing the bowfishing thing. Have not talked with him in a few years, but certainly am praying for his recovery. I know he has many more hunts and adventures to pursue in life. Blessings to you Tom and look forward to your full recovery! Mark
That is a pretty tremendous testement, Mark.
I've forwarded links on to a home email that his wife set up for him. I do not know if he's gotten anything I've sent. With his schedule of treatments and the way they suck the life outa people, he might not have the energy...and yet, we just don't know.
I'm going to step out in faith here and take a risk.
If any know him and wish to try to share encouragement directly, this is an email his secretary shared that is supposed to be available to him: thekuduman@gmail.com
Prayers continue
Tom's secretary just sent me another update in Tom's own words:
Please continue to pray for him...sounds like things are going ok, but lots of challenges ahead:
(from Tom)
Hi Tanna,
No news on the shots yet as they start in earnest next week. They wanted to get me back to a solid recovery stage. All of my counts are way up the good white blood cells, hemoglobin and platellets are pretty much normal. The difference in this recovery stage and the last two is that I had two issues to recover from, chemo and infection. Doc is going to make sure that I am on anitibiotics during the "tank phase" in August and September to try and avoid what happened this last time. I can tell you pretty much that those last two are going to suck as they are almost back to back expect for only about two week recovery period in between. The good news is that the end is in sight. Tom
Another update for those who are praying for Tom Massaro and his cancer treatment.
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Tom got two spinal chemo shots last week, is getting one today and then two more next week. The process has ended up being a little more involved than we expected since the doctors discovered that his spine is "compressed" and they can't easily get the needle in the exact location without damaging nerves. Consequently, he goes to the hospital, instead of the clinic, so they can view his spine under an x-ray machine while inserting the needle. Even then, the procedure has been very uncomfortable and they inevitably hit a nerve going in which, apparently, is excruciating. To help me save my vacation days, he's been driving himself back and forth to Danville for these treatments. The doctors say that's ok so long as he rests for 30 or so minutes after each one before he gets in the car to drive home. The driving doesn't seem to bother him and he's avoided getting any severe spinal headaches so far but clearly feels the effects of these treatments afterwards. Having two of these treatments back to back last week was tough. He tires easily, can't focus as well and seems "off" for a few days after each treatment. We have been learning more about "chemo brain" which the doctors don't talk much about until you ask and which we're discovering is very real.
Tom's spirits are still fine but he's been a little down this week. I certainly can't blame him. He's so tired of finally getting back to some sense of normalcy only to get a treatment in one form or another that tears his body down and makes him feel lousy. He knows he is going to have a tough haul in August and September with two back-to-back consolidation treatments and has been doing his best to build up his strength and stamina to get ready for them--eating well, going for walks, taking naps each day and getting into the best shape he can so his body can tolerate the next series of onslaughts. I'm amazed at how upbeat he has remained throughout this ordeal and will certainly indulge him his few down moments knowing he always finds a way to rebound.
The support that you all continue to give is incredibly appreciated.
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Rec'd today through his office and shared by his wife.
Don't know how I missed out on this until now???? Any way, know that I'll be praying for the Master's touch. This as I have been told is a very horrible disease, and I wouldn't wish it on my wosrt enemy.
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I had the opportunity to talk to Tom briefly up at
Denton Hill. He looks good, and is looking this cancer sraight on with a positive attitude.He said he even shot a course. A few treatments to go yet.
Let's keep praying for a brother here,he is on the home stretch now.
Praying hard for you buddy,
Craig
Glad he could get up there. Tom and I would connect a few times each year either in his home area when I'd get up to visit and hunt in Centre County, or at his shop, which he sold. Only other place was Denton and I don't do that anymore.
Glad to get a eyes-on report, Craig. Hope he gets the links I send him to your folks prayers posted here.
My prayer's with him and family and friends
Prov 3: 5-6
This came in from Tom's secretary who's been keeping folks updated...
Praise God and Lord, keep the healing coming for our friend, Tom.
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Good Morning friends,
Just received a short update from Tom himself saying that the spinal injections are completed and his course of treatment has been changed for the months of August and September. Looks like the chemo will be administered in two 3 day cycles instead of the full 6. The doctors think this will be easier on his body and that he does not need the more aggressive treatment!
He sounds very encouraging and hopes to ease back into part time work in early October.
This is extremely good news for Tom – I will continue to keep you updated on his progress.
Praise God and prayers continue.
I will pray for Tom.......
I met with Tom just recently on a bow deal.He is really doing well and has finished his treatments at Geisinger for now.He will have to go back from time to time for certain tests but things are looking very positive for him. He is exercising and working on getting his strength and stamina built back up.He is looking good and was looking
forward to the opening day here in Penna.
Keep the prayers coming for a complete heal. God
certainly answers prayers.
Thanks,
Craig
Thanks for the hands-on update. I only get them through his secretary 2nd hand on a mailing list of Tom's supporters.
Always good to hear when anyone can beat down dreaded cancer. Tom's a fighter. If anyone can beat this, he can and will, With God's help. To Him goes the glory!
Prayers continue for Tom's healing.