Back in the ring

As many of you know, Todd is recovering at UPENN Hospital from an intense surgery he underwent on Monday. For the past 3 months (during his break from chemotherapy), Todd has been suffering from severe stomach pains and Monday's surgery was to determine the cause of the pain.

I wish more than anything else in the world that I had better news to share with you all. I don't. Very unfortunately and sadly, Todd's cancer came back to his abdominal cavity quite severely. The surgeon couldn't remove the tumors as they were too numerous and too adhered to the abdominal walls. He stopped the surgery and came out to tell me the news. Thankfully, I had my dad with me to lend a second pair of ears.

I am still trying to process everything and will write a more detailed update soon. For now, Todd is going to focus the next few days on recovering in the hospital and healing himself from the surgery. I am going to quarterback this thing as best I can and I have several meetings scheduled with oncologists on Friday to come up with a game plan.

Back in 2004, shortly after Todd's initial diagnosis, he asked me "What's the positive that's going to come out of all of this?" I was blown away by his mental strength. Now, six years later, post-surgery by only a few hours and still not fully able to comprehend the news, Todd told me that he's been training hard these past few years to get his body and mind ready and trained to fight whatever obstacles come his way.

Although the road we're about to go down will be difficult and present many hurdles, I can tell you all now that Todd and I plan to fight like hell to do whatever it takes to beat the odds once again.

Thank you all so much for your prayers, thoughts, and wishes. Even though I am not responding, I want you to know that your calls, texts, e-mails, and messages are very much appreciated.

Love,
Amanda