Leeanne Addresses Offshore Community

Dear Offshore Racing Friends,

Thanks for all your hard work on our behalf. Throughout this whole experience it amazes me how truly good most people are when the chips are down for others. I believe that "what goes around, comes around" and that somewhere down the road we all get paid back accordingly.

Doug is still standing and smiling. His sense of humor has inspired a lot of us. Inspite of his illness he still finds the funny side of his situation and takes time to laugh; otherwise we'd be crying constantly. Today, we meet with the head transplant doctor. She'll go over the results of all the tests Doug has had since we arrived. Tomorrow, he'll have surgery to remove his present chemo-port in his shoulder. Then, they will implant a Hickman catheter into his chest for the next phase of his treatment. He'll undergo mobilization chemotherapy 24/7 to make his body produce extra stem cells. Once he reaches an acceptable level, they'll harvest them, cleanse and cryo-freeze them until the transplant.

After the harvest, he will have to recuperate for one month. In mid-August he'll be hospitalized for 4 weeks in isolation. He'll be given a "killer" dose of chemo that will kill off ALL of his marrow. Two days later they'll reinject him with his cleaned up marrow. Once he starts showing signs of reproduction (week 3) they'll begin to prepare him to go back to the real world.

We have to still stay in Seattle for another month while he's monitored at the clinic. After that, if all goes according to plan, he'll get his walking papers to go home (possibly sometime in October). That's just about it in a nutshell. Doug thinks about racing, all of his friends and acquaintants all the time. He misses it and you all. He was loved to hear from all of you, if you have the time. Please email Doug at DKLSLEWIS@aol.com

Thanks for your inquiries. We will give you updates as we journey deeper into his treatment. Doug wants you to know that he thinks of you often and wishes you all safe racing!

Leeanne Lewis