The following are emails I sent out to family and friends regarding Glenn’s condition.
10/24/2008
Dearest Family and Friends,
As many of you know, Glenn has been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a bone marrow cancer. He had been suffering severe back pains and was admitted to the hospital with acute kidney failure last Thursday, Oct. 16. I am happy to say that Glenn’s condition has improved significantly over the past week. He has received dialysis treatments and stabilized his kidney function. Although he is still receiving dialysis, it appears his kidneys will eventually return to functioning properly. As for the bone marrow cancer, Glenn has already received two chemo treatments and has had few side effects at this time. He was released from the hospital last night. He will continue dialysis for possibly another week and continue his chemo treatments as an outpatient.
Glenn looks great compared to what he looked like a week ago. It has been an amazing recovery from the kidney failure. I attribute it to the blessing of friends and family who have prayed for him unceasing. God has truly blessed us. Glenn is a young, healthy guy. We are working with wonderful doctors who have been extremely positive and optimistic about his recovery. Multiple Myeloma is a rare cancer and usually is seen in older patients. Glenn is a fighter and has a beautiful life ahead of him.
We cannot express to you all how much your prayers have meant to us. We have been overwhelmed with the love and support we have felt from so many of you. With your prayers and with God’s grace we will overcome this obstacle in our life.
Bookworm (10), Jedi(8), Lego(6), and Princess(4) have been doing great. They know of their father’s illness but do not fully grasp the seriousness of it all. I am thankful for their childlike innocence that frees them from worry. They have been staying with my parents in Stone Oak (San Antonio) for the past week and having a blast. They have been taken to the park by their Aunts from Alabama and Oklahoma and entertained and toted around town for soccer practice and church activities by their Uncle from College Station. Their grandparents from Alabama have spent time with them too. They are watching lots of TV, drinking orange soda and receiving lots of love – life is good for them. They will be returning home after we settle Glenn and hopefully find our new normal.
Glenn is ready for visitors, but if you come by to say hello, please be mindful that Glenn is now susceptible to illness. We ask that if you are sick or coughing that you wait to visit Glenn when you are feeling better. It will also be important that everyone who comes in contact with Glenn washes their hands. His body is already fighting a battle. It doesn’t have the energy to fight off other illnesses too. I sincerely appreciate you understanding the precautions involved in helping in Glenn’s recovery.
His recovery and fight against his cancer will be a gradual one, but he makes improvements everyday. Many of you have generously offered to help us during this time. I have set up a Care Calendar that will enable those of you who are able to assist us to sign up whenever it is convenient for you.
To access The McLaren Family’s personal CareCalendar site, visit
http://www.CareCalendar.org/logon/8586
and enter the following information in the appropriate spaces:
CALENDAR ID : 8586
SECURITY CODE : 4536
I want to apologize to everyone who has called and I have been unable to contact personally. You all mean so much to us and your calls comfort and reassure us that God has blessed us and will continue to care for our family. Thank you for all your support and love. Please continue to pray for Glenn. I have felt the peace of Christ with us through this very difficult journey. It is with him that we will continue to have hope and enjoy the blessings that surround us.
God bless you.
11/04/2008
Dear Family and Friends,Glenn has been home about a week and a half now and he has steadily improved in his mobility. He’s getting around using a walker and is still very weak, but seems to be gaining strength. Our biggest challenge right now is getting him to gain weight. He seems to be losing weight in spite of our efforts to beef him up. It was explained to me that Glenn is a truck filled with bricks right now and uses up more gas than his tank holds. His body is fighting the cancer and is working harder than ever before. We are working with a dietician and will continue to give him a dream diet … lots of everything with a pound of butter. 
Glenn’s parents from Alabama were staying with us until last Friday. My parents stayed with us two nights and now we are on our own. Their help was wonderful. They were my laundry help, my grocery shoppers and my kid entertainers. I really appreciated the help while Glenn was still needing alot more attention. He’s up more now, spending time on the computer and outside watching the kids play.
As for treatment, Glenn has now had 4 chemo treatments and 5 radiation sessions. The radiation will last 5 more days and is targeting the cancer tumors that have placed pressure on his lower back. Hopefully the treatments will alleviate the pain and give him more mobility. The chemo will be an on-going treatment with 4 treatments within 2 weeks and then a week off. The good news is he is finished with dialysis. Although his kidneys are not 100%, they are on their way to full recovery. He is thankful that treatment is over. The sessions lasted 3 hours. Not a fun way to spend your time.
We have continued to have an outpouring of support and prayer. It is all greatly appreciated and remains a comfort to us. I’d like for you to please continue to pray for Glenn’s recovery and for our family’s future.
Blessings to you all.
11/17/2008
Dear Family and Friends,
Today marks one month of Glenn’s Multiple Myeloma diagnosis. It feels like a long time has passed and yet the memory of that first night in the hospital is very fresh and still very real for me. Glenn has improved dramatically. He is getting around great and now is only using a cane for the just in case. He looks great and received his final radiation treatment last Tuesday. His pain has been minimized although he is still on medications to keep him comfortable. His strength is coming back and he is anxious to get moving again.
His chemo cycles will continue for another 3 or 4 cycles and then we will begin the stem cell transplantation process if he proves to be a candidate. His oncologist is confident he will be a great candidate for the analogous transplantation which will be using his own stem cells. This process will be a “hard part” in his battle against his cancer. The chemo they use will be more severe and affect his body in the more traditional ways. He’ll most likely be hospitalized for some of the time and his immune levels will drop significantly and put him more at risk of infection. We are very hopeful that this process will be the answer to many prayers. We are still learning about this process and will be meeting with his transplant doctor in coming weeks to confirm his eligibility. We’ll keep you posted.
The kids and I have been trying to squeeze “school” into our outside appointments and now that Glenn will only be needing treatments twice a week we will hopefully get back to work. The kids are still enjoying their extra visits with friends and family and are looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas. We are delighted our kids are happy and still seeing the brighter side of life.
So many people have reached out to us and we are so grateful to you all. It has been wonderful seeing old friends and talking with strangers who have become new friends. Glenn has truly enjoyed his visits with everyone. He seems to light up and really enjoy seeing you. Laughter is the best medicine and I see it in his eyes. Thanks to all of you who have shared your meals with our family. I’ll be honest … cooking is not my thing and not having to come up with a dinner these past few weeks has been a welcome relief. My family has never eaten so well!
I want to remind all of you that your prayers are your greatest gift. Glenn’s success thus far has been because of all the countless prayers our friends, family and sweet strangers have offered for him. We thank you for this gift and pray that God will bless each of your families in return.
Blessings.
12/06/2008
