Thursday was a perfect day for baseball and Team Rowan entered NY ready to play ball. Their star player (doctor) entered the batters box, dressed in her Team Rowan shirt, and said, “Hap, give me a sign. You may want to call in a sub, but not today….lets play ball”

The doctors at Sloan performed an embolization on the Pelvic mass. Hap followed the four hour procedure with intense nausea; however, has not experienced high blood pressure issues at this time. Like the prior embolizations pain management is a must…but, pain is a good sign the procedure is doing its job.

As of Friday evening, Hap was able to switch to pain pills instead of IV. With his determination and no unforeseen complications Hap will be going home today.

The Interventional Radiologist had planned on blocking two veins/arteries leading to the pelvic tumor. The artery that supplies blood to about 40% of the tumor was completely blocked. The doctor was unable to do the other one, as originally planned. (Prior to blocking the arteries liquid is directed through them to see where it goes. On the second one, the liquid stayed at the butt muscle and not the tumor; therefore, could not be blocked.) After multiple scans during the procedure the source of blood to the portions of the tumor could not be located. The doctor is very optimistic and still expects to get good results from the blockage that was completed.

Hap came out of his procedure on Thursday and his first words were….”did we win?” He is scheduled for a scan in about thirty days to measure the progress…at that point he’ll get his answer.

Team Rowan, consisting of Hap, Mary and friends Lisa and Nick, went to Sloan last Monday for three appointments.

Hap’s first appointment was for pre-surgical testing…EKG and blood work.

The second appointment was with Hap’s main doctor and for his treatment injection.

The third appointment was with the interventional radiologist who will be performing his next embolization. This is the same doctor that did the previous procedures.

On August 13th, Hap will have an embolization to the pelvic mass.
Although embolizations are not new to Sloan, one performed in this location will be a first. The last scan provided excellent pictures for the
radiologist and she feels very confident. Please continue to keep Hap in your prayers during another very difficult time.

It’s hard to believe Hap is coming up on a year since his diagnosis.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Hap!

Mary and the boys gave Hap a weekend of baseball for his birthday. He went with his friend Dave Hontz to Doubleday Baseball Camp for a weekend in July.
They played on a field that was a replica of the “Field of Dreams”. Hap felt like he was back in his old form until the pain of his sore muscles kicked in.

They played five games throughout the weekend. During one game Hap threw to Dave in a 9 inning win. When asked how he kept up his stamina, Hap replied, “ The adrenalin was rushing and I wanted to win so badly, I could taste it.”