Dean Update November 17

Hello music folks, friends, family members…

Here is a long overdue update on Dean, and a THANK YOU to many folks.

First, the thank you’s (and this is clearly an incomplete “list”)—thank you to each family member who has taken time to come to town to be with Dean and me, to go with us to the BMT clinic, to help with endless home tasks, to provide emotional and logistical support … endless thanks to all of you.

Thank you to the friends who have taken charge of selling Dean’s CD’s, helped us with home repairs, made us food, sent us cards…

And a HUGE thank you to all the people – musicians, organizers, promoters, people who came, listened, danced and spread positive energy around … all of you who have given of your time and talent and your financial support to make so many benefits happen. Most recently, boundless gratitude to those of you who created the benefits at the Cabooze, and at the Artists’ Quarter. There is really no way to express enough appreciation… please just know that we love you, and we thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

And here is a “head’s up” about a few more amazing benefits that are about to happen-

This Saturday night, November 21, “Boiled in Lead” will be performing at the Cedar Cultural Center.

The following Wednesday night, November 25, an exceptional group of artists will gather at The Crossings (in Zumbrota).

And on December 6, the Black Dog Café, in lowertown St. Paul, will host a CD sale (just in time for the holidays!).

*You can read about all of these happenings at the remarkable website, www.dothedean.com (and here is another HUGE thank you to Nick Lethert, the person who created and maintains that beautiful website).

And finally-

An update about Dean…

Essentially, Dean is doing really well.

Dean is almost 90 days post-transplant now.

His “counts” continue to look wonderful (meaning that his white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are all being created and doing their marvelous thing). A molecular study confirmed that Dean’s blood is “100% donor” – so the cord blood is engrafting and creating a new immune system for Dean. *(this is huge and wonderful news)

Various medications have created their own challenges- some of the med’s mess with Dean’s emotions, others make it difficult or impossible to sleep, one might have been creating pain in his wrists (he is not taking that particular medication, an antibiotic, anymore, which is good).

Eating is still tough, but that seems to be slowly getting easier for Dean.

All of this is “normal” for anyone who has received a bone marrow transplant.

We are still keeping Dean in near-isolation. One of his doctors explained that yes, Dean is doing wonderfully, but right now he really only has 25% of a “normal adult immune system”- so he continues to be at risk for infection and illness.

Dean is playing his guitar nearly every day. I can’t tell you how good it feels to hear him play again.

As I have said before, this is a long marathon of a journey, and it is tough. Dean is navigating this, step by step, and we are definitely still in the thick of it.

For my part, I keep visualizing a golden pathway of light, leading Dean through every twist and turn of this journey.

So, I send out gratitude to each of you for your love, your prayers, your support. You are the ones who are helping to create that pathway of light for Dean. I’ve said it before, but it continues to be true- it all matters. Thank you.

Love

Megan (Dean’s wife)