For those of you who are familiar with my current situation, please forgive the repetition, but I wanted to let my entire distribution list know what's been going on in my life over the past six weeks.

Some of you have been major influences on my life over the past 34 years, while other have touched me for fleeting moments in time. Nonetheless, I would like to involve all of you in my life as I face a tremendous amount of adversity at this time.

On September 5th, after weeks of persistent memory loss, that I would describe as a combination of OCD, dyslexia and amnesia, I went to see my doctor. He prescribed the normal battery of tests for such symptoms and sent me on my way. On September 8th, after being disoriented through three business meetings, I excused myself from a fourth, got lost on my way home and had a terrible headache. When my wife Amy returned home from work, she insisted that we go to the emergency room. It was then, after a CAT scan, that we realized that I had a large mass in my brain. A follow-up MRI revealed the mass in more detail and the subsequent craniotomy that was performed on September 10th confirmed the presence of a high grade malignant tumor. The surgery on the 10th was deemed successful as my neuro-surgeon believes that he achieved a 'full resection' of the tumor and we're not going to argue with one of the best surgeons in the area.

Over the past four weeks, my medical research committee, comprised of my wife, sister and father have done a tremendous job of identifying treatment options that will prevent the tumor from returning. After visits with Johns Hopkins, UVa, The National Cancer Institute/NIH and Duke, we've decided that Duke offers us the greatest chance of long term survival. They have been using a unique treatment for my type of cancer for ten years and have had good success relative to other forms of treatment.

Though we loved their optimism and enthusiasm, it was the prospect of long term survival that ultimately won us over. This is an aggressive therapy that will consist of a 2nd craniotomy to insert a catheter (tube) into my brain, internal liquid radiation, six weeks of external radiation and 12 months of chemotherapy.

Please know that I believe that I have been chosen to have this disease and to beat it. This is an opportunity for me to help thousands of people and to finally have a cause after 34 years of fun. I will not utter the words 'why me?', but rather prefer 'why not me?'. Beating cancer will be my greatest accomplishment, greater than any academic, athletic or career success that I may have had or dreamed of. A good friend said to me recently that the reason I have spent so much time on the couch in my life is that I was resting for this battle. I would tend to agree.

Thank you so much much for all of the cards, e-mails, phone calls and gifts. Please know that they are all very much appreciated and that our hearts have been warmed by the outpouring of support that everyone has shown. I am nothing without all of you and will need your continued support and prayers.

If I seem a little preoccupied at this time and over the next year, please do not take it personally.

I will try to respond to all correspondence and calls in a timely manner. I hope to be back at work around Thanksgiving and will rejoice with all that I have to be thankful for in this wonderful life of mine. Amy, Libby (yellow lab) and I will be at Duke from 10/23 through mid-November...please fell free to call anytime.