Hello fellow Ryan supporters! Please see the update from Ryan and Brooke below:

Hi Everyone- as usual, we’ve had quite the busy past month. Since the last update, I’ve started the maintenance pill and so far I don’t believe I’m having any side effects from them. This is really good news as this means I can stay on the higher dose at this time. So many people have to reduce their doses because of side effects, and we want to make sure we do everything we can to continue killing my cancer cells!!

Even though I’m not having noticeable side effects from the maintenance pill, I have been having some other issues. This is most likely starting to show from the long duration I was on chemo and just is what can happen when living with long-term disease. My functional medicine doctor did lab work that showed an extremely low cortisol level which could indicate adrenal insufficiency from chemo. Luckily, I was able to do extra testing last week and showed this was not the case. Along with the labs, she tested my iron and it was also extremely low. I’ve been dealing with extreme fatigue within the past month and it’s made it hard to make it through the day. This would explain that issue, so yesterday, I had an iron infusion to hopefully help my iron levels and fatigue. This can take up to two weeks to notice a difference, so I’m hoping it works quickly. I’ve also been having some lightheadedness/dizziness and we are continuing to figure out what’s causing this. The chemotherapy I was on can mess with your ears, so I will be seeing an ENT doctor this month to look into this issue and hopefully get it resolved.

Overall, it’s been really nice to not have chemo this past month, and we’ve still been able to do some fun things. Next week, Brooke and I will be able to get away for some beach therapy for a few days, and I’m looking forward to a nice, relaxing getaway.

We continue to ask for support if you’re able to give even a small amount. We continue to have monthly costs related to all of the medicine and supplements I take, and this is a huge burden on our family. Prayers are also always welcome, and we ask specifically that the iron helps me feel back to myself and that the maintenance pill is working! I will see the Mayo doctor next month with scans and this will help to determine our next steps.

Thank you so much and we hope you’re out making sure to live your life each day! We love you all!