HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The last time I posted on my blog was December 14th. Happy New Year to all. I continue to move forward in my recovery. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years. I have added some photos for you to view.

I am looking forward to visiting Florida in a couple of weeks to see my mother and take advantage of the sunshine. The Christmas holiday was a blur to me. As a matter of fact everything is a blur to me these days. Life goes on. Its been great having Brian and Chris home with us. Chris graduated from RIT. Brian finally finished his last course in accounting and got his degree from PSU. He has now taken over for me at Mosier and Muench. Chris continues to program for a local company and is doing well. We moved Andrew into an adult group home and he is doing well. Mary continues to take care of me and the family.

Thank for your prayers and I continue to improve daily. Best wishes and Happy New Year to all. Hopefully the Spring will be here soon.

Love,

Mark

Update 12/4/10

It has been awhile since I updated the blog. The family and I attended my father's funeral at Arlington National Cemetery. The funeral went very well and my father received full military honors. You can view photos from the funeral at: http://www.mattoxphotography.com/anc (Password: Muench).

Also recently I had a MRI and the results were pretty good. The swelling of the tumor went down significantly and the size of the tumor shrunk a little. The doctors were so excited to let me know about the results they called the morning of the follow up appointment. The results can be attributed to the XL-184 clinical trial that I am on.

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving and enjoyed the turkey. Our family went to my sisters house and had a great meal.

Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to fight the cancer.

Update 10/3/10

Just an update on where I am in regards to my progress. The shingles are still with me but are not as painful as they were. I am doing ok. Right now I am lying down watching the Ryder Cup with my son Chris. Go USA! I will keep you updated on my progress over the next week.

Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Mark

Starting a New Treatment

Mary taking me for a walk

I have been home now for 11 days making a slow recovery from shingles. My neck and face still have pain but it gets better everyday. I can’t wait for the pain to go away.

They did an MRI scan on Tuesday the 7^th, and we reviewed it with the doctors on Wednesday. The scan showed that the swelling has moved into the other part of my brain and the tumor has grown a little bit.

Chris and I walking through the neighborhood. Like my Sox?

We discussed the options and I am going to start a clinical trial at Strong, which should begin on September 20^th. It is called XL184. You can look it up on the web.

Just to look back over the past month. My father’s funeral at St. Ann’s was very well done. Everybody did a great job especially my brother and niece who gave nice and hilarious talks and captured Dad accurately. It was especially good seeing all of the people at church and at Bellevue CC. 105 people showed up. Thanks for showing up. It meant a lot to my Mom.

It’s nice to be home, I am trying to get out more although I have to use a walker and wheelchair to get around. Thanks to Chris for being my chauffer. He watches over me and makes sure I don’t fall down.

That’s its for now. I will keep you posted on my progress. Need to get back walking.

My View from hospital of:

University of Rochester "Nipple of Knowledge"

If its not one thing, its another thing

Just in case you were wondering where I have been, the day after my fathers service at St. Anns, I was taken to the hospital with a case of the shingles. (The second coming of the chicken pox.)

I was hoping that it would not be serious, but it ended up being a lot more serious than expected. They put me on a mega dose of an antibiotic that reacted with my seizure medicine and caused my Kidneys to start to fail. They immediately took me off the antibiotic and I began to improve. The good news is that my shingles are starting to heal and I am thankful to be home after 9 days in the hospital. I came home on

Monday August 30^th. The bad news is even though the shingles are clearing up. My face and my neck are burning off; it is very painful. Please keep me in your prayers and I pray the burning effect of the shingles goes away soon. Thanks again for your continued support.

Mom & Dad ( ashes) arrived in Rochester last evening

Mom & Dad arrived in Rochester last night. We are headed to St. Ann’s to plan the mass for Dad this coming Saturday @ 11: 00 am.

Below are the details for the mass at

St. Ann’s

4471 Onondaga Boulevard

Syracuse, NY‎ 13219

NORBERT W “ BUD “ MUENCH

CALLING HOUR 10-11AM @ CHURCH

FUNERAL MASS 11-12PM

RECEPTION IMMEDIATLEY FOLLOWING @

BELLEVUE COUNTRY CLUB

1901 Glenwood Avenue

Syracuse, NY‎ 13207

Gone Home ...

Norbert W. Muench

12/4/1919 – 8/2/2010  (around 9 pm)

THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS READ BY HIS BEDSIDE AFTER DAD WENT HOME TO GOD.  AT HIS BEDSIDE WERE MOM, BILL, ROBERTA (BOBBIE), RACHEL, ROLLIE & VICTORIA THE HOSPICE NURSE.

KATHY & DAN , MARK & MARY, BRIAN & CHRIS WERE TELE CONFERENCED IN.

AFTER THE READING – A HARMONICA PLAYER PLAYED TAPS.

*** Thank you to the Veterans Affairs Hospice & Pallative Care staff for being so kind to DAD & our family.  God bless all of you !

I'm Free

by Anonymous

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free
I'm following the path God has laid you see.
I took His hand when I heard him call
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work, to play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way
I found that peace at the close of day.
If my parting has left a void
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss
Oh yes, these things I too will miss.
Be not burdened with times of sorrow
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored much
Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief
don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts and peace to thee
God wanted me now; He set me free