Keep us in your thoughts.....

[Hankl]

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011 7:45 AM, PDT


We FINALLY (last evening) received the results from the aspiration biopsy taken last week, and we received the good news that it's not cancerous.ea!!...Something to celebrate for sure!!! More later, but thought You'd want to know right away!! Thanks for your continued good wishes and prayers!! Karen

Hank

[Hankl]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2011 11:14 PM, PDT

Thanks again to everyone for the good wishes for Andy. The biopsy results were certainly cause for celebration. I also have to give big kudos and thanks to Andy's niece Gina, for riding along with Andy on Tuesday to his last (another celebration!!) radiation treatment.

When I look back at the last three months, it's been one big roller coaster ride, and we couldn't have gotten through it without all of you. Andy and my life took a big turn with the diagnosis of his having a brain tumor, and the learning curve has been virtually verticle. What I've learned in these last months is that, while this diagnosis has been indeed been among the biggest challenges either of us have ever faced, we've found that the power of love, kindness and friendship outweighs any challenges presented to each of us.

Many of you have faced challenges just as difficult as our road ahead, and some of you have faced situations even more challenging, Please know that we draw upon your kindness and words of support, and that just knowing there's a small army of folks out there thinking of us, truly helps us get through each day.

Thanks to Elvira and Fred for visiting Andy the other day, and to Bill Robertson for steadfastly visiting Andy a couple times a week. Andy truly looks forward to your visits, and I can't thank you enough for your kindness.

With any luck, we've turned the corner and things will begin moving forward even quicker. Thanks again for your kindness! Warmest regards, Karen

Hank

[Hankl]

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2011 6:40 AM, PDT


It will be another busy week for Andy. He has a follow-up appointment with the doctor that inseredt the filter in his leg to prevent the blood clot from travelling, and then of course, he has his daily regimine of physical and speech therapy.

He's been slowly feeling better every day, however, we had a small set-back over night with the development of a low-grade fever. Looks like another UTI, so it's back on the antibiotics.....Hoping it will clear up quickly.

On the racing front.....We took the Coupe to Thunderhill and ran two enduros this weekend. We had some awesome help from fellow Factory Five Challenge Series and FFR Coupe Forum friends, including John Card and his wife Tracie, and FFR Challenge Series drivers Tim Konkol and John Marsey. My daughter Tracy helped as well, and our two grandbabies, Evan and Kendall came along too. With these awesome folks assisting in the pits and on fuel stops, we had a great run!. Really awesome people for sure!!! The car ran great, and we were on the podium in both races! Everyone missed Andy for sure, and kept him in their thoughts all weekend. It was great to be back in competition, and we know he would have been proud!!

Thanks again for you your continued kindness, thoughts, and prayers....Warmest regards....Karen

Hank

[Hankl]

August 18, 2011

Tex and Maxine......Thanks so much for your endless love and boundless support....Your daily notes of encouragement, and all of the memories you've shared from the good times in the past are very much appreciated.

This week has been filled with follow-up appointments to determine the next steps in addressing the abdominal mass, as well as preparations for a regularly scheduled trip to the oncologist next week. Results of the aspiration performed two weeks ago indicated the mass they found (approx 1 inch in size) is not cancerous, however, the doctors still feel the need to determine the nature of it. The appointment on Monday was a visit to the doctor who initially evaluated the mass while Andy was in the hospital. After reviewing his current condition, and re-evaluating the CT scan, the doctor recommended not performing additional surgery at this time. Andy's not strong enough for surgery right now (the radiation, antibiotics, and surgery have really drained his strength, and surgery when you have an infection is just not a good idea), so the approach willl be to monitor the situation through regular scans to determine growth or changes.

Andy was slated to go for an MRI of the brain tumor area today, as a follow-up to radiation, and to determine the baseline for chemotherapy. Unfortunately, after he was transported to the appointment, the MRI folks determined they couldn't do the imaging, as they didn't have enough information on the filter which had been inserted in Andy's leg...They couldn't contact anyone to confirm if it was magnetic or not, so no MRI today, which means no trip to the oncologist next week.....Grrrrr.......If anyone is interested, in the course of this journey, I've discovered just about everything that's wrong with American health care...I don't oftern write about the day to day frustrations which are the reality of this journey (what's the point?), however, they have been a constant....It's only been from the kindness of family and our good friends, as well as the love and support of everyone here that we've all gotten through this to date.

To further complicate matters, I am in the process of changing jobs, which is adding a whole new level of complexity to things.....My family and our race team already know this, but my new job is taking me to Northern California. Still working on so many details, but for now, Andy will continue his recovery in So Cal.

On a positive note, the Monterey Historics are happening this week, and Andy's '59 Corvette was transported from the Riverside Raceway Museum yesterday, and tonight it awaits display on the greens at perhaps the most prestigious gathering in the world of motorsports. I will be in Monterey tomorrow, accompanied by fellow Team Thunder Valley Racing co-driver and good friend Rick Anderson for The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering. http://www.quaillodgeevents.com/pages/thequail.cgi

Andy's had some up and down days this week, and we're hoping that knowing his Corvette is on display in Monterey will lift his spirits..We continue to hold hope that with the radiation complete, that he will gain some strength and begin to feel better.

Our neice Gina, Andy's brother Mike, and our good friend Bill Robertson have all been a real gems through all of this.....You cannot know the eternal gratitude I feel for your love and kindness with Andy. Thanks again to everyone for your love, prayers, and good wishes. Warmest regards....Karen

Hank

[Hankl]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2011 10:16 PM, PDT



The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering
Just returned from Monterey, and all I can say is what an amazing day! The '59 looked great out there on the greens, among all those fantastic automobiles, and I know Andy's going to love seeing the pictures and hearing all about this great day!

The race cars of the Riverside International Automotive Museum, the legacy of racing legend Phil Hill, and a celebration of the anniversay of Jaguar were all features of the day...As we walked around the acres and acres of beautiful cars on the fairways and greens, we counted ten Bugatti Veyrons, three Pagani Zonda Sports, more than fifty Ferraris, dozens and dozens of Jaguar E-Types, countless numbers of Mercedes, including several Gulwings, and the list goes on and on......Quite simply an automotive enthusiast and car lover's dream....Had a chance to climb into Paul Newman's racecar too!!..What an honor!

I posted two more pics in the Photo Gallery for now.....Awesome day!! Really wish, more than anything, that Andy could've made the trip. He certainly was close in our hearts all day...Best regards..... Karen

Hank

Andy's 1959 Corvette at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, August 19, 2011, Monterey, CA

[Hankl]

August 24, 2011
It's been three months since the initial surgery, and I can't begin to describe the journey. Andy's hanging tough though, and in spite of some set backs (quite a few actually), he continues to inch along in progress.

The medical folks finally sorted out the issue with the filter, which was placed in Andy's leg to prevent the blod clot from travelling to his lungs/heart. The decision has been made to do a CT scan instead of an MRI of the tumor area, as the filter is not conducive to a magnetic scan.

The CT scan is slated for tomorrow, and the results will be available in 3-4 days, which means it will be well into next week before we have any real idea the extent to which the radiation may have arrested the growth of tumor. In the meantime, we're preparing for chemotherapy to begin within the week, which will require continued vigilance in watching for infection. No rest for the weary here, and your continued prayers, good wishes, and uplifiting stories are very much appreciated. Sincerely...Karen

Hank

[Raceral]

Hang in there.. prayers sent

[Hankl]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011 9:59 PM, PDT

The hot weather here kept most everyone indoors all weekend. The car's thermometer indicated 113 degrees as I was traveling home from the care facility yesterday. While it's been miserably hot here, we've also been following the lastest information on Hurricane Irene, and have kept all of our east coast friends in our thoughts as well. We're hoping everyone is safe, and that the storm leaves minimal damage in its path.

Andy had a small adventure yesterday, making a trip home to visit with family for the afternoon. As I was getting Andy ready for his visit home, in walks our good friend Bill Robertson, who had made the trip out to Riverside, into what likely seemed like "Hades" from his home in Redondo Beach. Always the gentleman (and just the nicest person) once I let him know "the plan" for springing Andy out of there for few hours, Bill graciously offered to help me with the transport up to the house. Of course, Andy's still working on building his strength following the radiation, but he was certainly glad to have a change of scenery.

Andy hadn't seen the grandbabies for a while (no babies in the hospital, and he's been fighting infection, so visitor restrictions), and he was happy to visit with them. The trip was a bit exhuasting for him, and he'd nap here and there while the rest of us visited, but it was good to have him home for even a brief visit. As the shadows grew long in the afternoon, Bill and I (Evan came along for the ride with his Papa too) made the trip back down the hill to the care facility....It was a long day for Andy, and when I saw him this morning, he let me know he had a good, long sleep last night.

On the overall health front, we should have the results of the CT scan within a day or so, and we've reached yet another crossroad in the treatment. Surgery and the many trips to radiation are complete, and we've all been taking stock of the treatment progress to date. There have been many up's and down's along the way, and the road has been a rough one. As we set our course for the weeks ahead, the results of the latest CT will be an important factor. Will keep everyone updated.

Until someone has truly "lived" this diagnosis, I'm not sure any of us can truly comprehend the complexities of these things for the common person. We've had a tremendous support group guiding us along the way, and we've explored a wide array of options. Experimental therapies, clinical trials, standard treatment options, clinics far and wide.

Through all of this, I've developed a new empathy for those who have travelled this path before us, and I cannot begin to thank each of you for your continued love and kindness.....We're very fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing group of family and friends whose hearts are big and whose love is boundless. We all learned these things long ago, but it's valuable for each of us to remember to hug our children everyday, live your life to its fullest, and dance every chance you get.....Tex, Maxine, Elvira, Fred, Valerie, Bill, Leon, Ace, John, and everyone from Andy's Corvette days.....Andy "danced" a lot with you!!

Karen

Hank

[LCD Gauges]

Amazing news, and thank you for the updates. It's tough not to get a little choked up reading through these messages and seeing this great forum come together
to support their friends.

[Hankl]

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2011 9:59 PM, PDT


Dearest friends.....The last few days have been spent in consultation with our care team, and the results of the CT scan indicate the pathway ahead will be a difficult one. As we knew from the onset of this journey, our battle with the most aggressive and unrelenting form of brain cancer would be a tough one. The news is not good, in that the scan indicates the tumor has regrown, and in fact, appears to have spread in overall size and location. For those of us that have spent time with Andy in the last few weeks, we noted some tremors in his left arm about a week ago. He also seemed to be sleeping more. The information from the care team suggests that the tremors he's experiencing are likely a result of the increased pressure.

We are a close family by nature, and our focus over these months has been upon supporting each other. As we move forward, we find ourselves surrounding each other with even greater love...Mike, Gina, Bill, Lytle, Ron, and everyone that has kept the faithful pilgrimage to Riverside on a daily/weekly basis, thank you for your unrelenting love and kindness with Andy.

Our greatest gratitude to all of our friends for your continued prayers, and for keeping Andy and all of us in your thoughts. We are blessed to be a small part of such a wonderful and loving community.....Sincerely and with warmest regards.....Karen

Hank