-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2001 9:22 AM
Subject: Brad's Update - July 10, 2001

TO ALL:
Today we met with the doctor and reviewed the newest cat-scan. It indicates
that the primary tumor continues to shrink but the areas in his lungs and
liver are still the same as the cat-scan before (very little change) = this
was not the news we were hoping for.
The doctor did think we should try a new drug which they are having a high
success rate with certain types of cancer - one cancer that is being tested
is soft tissue sarcoma (which is the type Brad has) - this is a pill which
causes very little side effects and he can take the drug at home for 30 days
- after the 30 days there will be another cat-scan to see the progress -
this drug is called Gleevec which you may have heard about on the news
recently and the successes they are having with it with patients who have
soft tissue stomach cancer and with patients with high level leukemia.
Also, in May, Time magazine had a large article on this drug and the
successes they are having with it.
Dr. Meyers thinks we definitely should give this a try and he seems very
excited about the possibilities - he went to San Francisco a month ago to
gain more knowledge about the drug. He currently has three patients on this
drug but they are not far enough along to know their progress.
We will be coming home tomorrow (7/11) with our new drug ($4,000 worth) -
Brad should grow his hair back and hopefully gain weight - I am not sure how
I feel about this, but I believe we must give it a try - I do believe this
is another door that God has opened for us and that he is giving Brad a
fighting chance to beat this disease - the doctor feels Brad has gone
through too much chemo at this time and wants to see how this may help him.
There are other chemo drugs to try, but it takes such a toll on a person -
you know he has lost 50 lbs.
The National Cancer Institute has quite a bit of information on this drug on
their web-site and the results they are getting with it. It was just
approved by the FDA in May.
Thanks for all your thoughts & prayers.
 

Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2001 8:41 PM
Subject: Brad's Update - 6/26/01

TO ALL: Elaine & BRAD along w/Aunt Deb, went back to N.Y. last Monday to
start the 4th Chemo Treatment. As indicated in the last e-mail the Doctors
have now decided to postpone BRAD's surgery of the primary tumor and to
start the "new" series of Chemo. drugs (see the attachment below) which
spells out the Protocol (Plan) and the sequence alteration. The back pain
was very intense this past week and BRAD was admitted into the hospital for
the "Pain Team" to evaluate some changes in medication for his pain.
Unfortunately, during this period and changes, an oversight by the Doctors /
staff eliminated one of the base anti-nausea medicines for two days and this
contributed to his nausea getting out of control during this time. BRAD had
to remain in the hospital for (4) days suffering nausea at almost it's
worst. The experts make mistakes too.
Elaine & I are alternating our schedules now to work, I'm in N.Y. and Elaine
is working this week. We met w/Dr. Meyers yesterday (who had been gone last
week) and he confirmed the oversight by his staff and the negative effects
which BRAD is just now overcoming. He advises they want to evaluate the
progress with this new Chemo. series and then determine if the surgery is
the next course of action. BRAD will begin the Neutropenia period (low
white blood cell / platelet count) in a day or so, and after this nausea
experience, he has currently lost 58 lbs. Hopefully, he can re-establish
his appetite and eat some in the next few days. If he can avoid any
complications during the next (4) days he potentially can come home over the
weekend, which would be the longest break he would have had yet, and
hopefully he will be able to eat all his favorite southern fatting foods.
There are so many interesting stories and unique people we have met since
having gone through all of this. BRAD's cousin (Tracy) & her fiancé
(Russell) came to N.Y. this weekend to specifically give platelets (for
prevention of bleeding) which is needed during the end of the Neutropenia
period. Unfortunately, they were not able to give the platelets due to some
complications during the process. Previously, his Uncle Bryan has been
flying up from Atlanta (the last 3 times) to give platelets, and he
volunteered again. We felt like he may need a rest from this process, but
we still needed the platelets. We asked in short notice a local (Bronx)
Pastor - Nick Baert, who has become a friend to us to help. Nick was able
to be at the hospital yesterday to give his platelets to cover the
requirement (this is the second time he has stepped in with no questions
asked). People continue to want to help BRAD and positive things continue
to happen in his behalf.
Last night (actually 3:00 am this morning), I could not sleep so I took one
of those night walks, this time a long one along the East River Mid-town
Manhattan. I met a couple of police officers and some strange ones along the
way, the city still has a hum to it even at that time of the morning. While
walking I tried to put myself in BRAD's position and think about what he
must be going through, and as close as I am to BRAD and the situation, I
still can't come close to what he must be feeling. His whole normal life
has been turned up-side down, the uncertainty of his treatment, the physical
change with weight lost and his mental state is being tested to the limits.
His faith and character are propping him up as he continues the straight
fight forward.
BRAD looks at the children he sees almost daily that have similar cancers
and states "if they can do it, he can." Needless to say, we are so proud
of him in the manner in which he is dealing with all of this. He is so
brave and continues to have a positive attitude. It does hurt him when he
hears the children crying (it also hurts us).
Please keep your thoughts / prayers coming BRAD's way!! And also remember
all the other children here - they are all so special. It is so
overwhelming here that I would never be able to explain to you what it is
like. It is such a life changing experience. The three of us will never
look at life the same way.
Love & God Bless,
The Kosters
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Koster (Remote) via SF 770-428-2535
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 3:12 PM
Subject: FW: Brad's Update - June 7, 2001

TO ALL: Well we have a lot to write about this time. BRAD's first week back
to N.Y. for the 3rd Chemo session was not without a problem, he continued to
have back pains as previously reported. But it is believed this is not all
bad, because his own body appears to be over producing the white blood cells
which create bone marrow making his bones ache. So, as we know, he is very
healthy except for the cancer.
BRAD and Elaine were able to return this past week on Friday night to attend
the Golf Benefit put on by our friends / associates @ Dogwood. The event was
INCREDIBLE, 240 Golfers were in attendance (along with many others), with a
morning tournament and an afternoon session also. We understand they had to
turn away approximately (30) other teams that wanted to participate, but
there was just not enough room. I'm attaching two articles from the local
paper that tells the story. We are so overwhelmed by all the attention and
concern flowing our way and this gives BRAD such a tremendous lift. BRAD
showed up Saturday about noon time @ Dogwood and was able to see the morning
Golfers come in and was there during the lunch break / auction and he was
able to see and send off the afternoon Golfers. He actually stayed till the
end of the day and took some swings himself. Why not, this was BRAD's day!!
I can't describe all the donations provided and efforts put in by so many
people to make this work. We cannot express how much we appreciate all of
this and the out pouring of support and interest for BRAD.
Sunday night BRAD and I returned to N.Y. and due to weather conditions, we
did not get in until 1:30 a.m. Monday morning, but it did not really matter
because the CAT-Scan was scheduled @ 11:00 Monday morning. So far this phase
of the Chemo session has been going OK. Wednesday we received the results of
the CAT-Scan and there is good news and bad. The good news is the primary
tumor and the lung tumors are continuing to shrink, but the Scan indicates
there are now two other areas for concern. The Doctors see some spots in his
lower spine and they are scheduling a Bone Scan for next Monday and they are
also trying to organize an MRI to review this area more closely. This too,
could be part of the back pain he had previously been experiencing, they are
just not sure. In addition, the Scan confirms that his liver has some
lesions, but they are not sure if this is part of the cancer or just a
separate infection stemming back to his first session when he had so many
problems. The Doctors are talking about doing a biopsy on his liver in the
near future to help determine what this is about, but they have to wait
until he recovers from the effects of the 3rd Chemo session. We met
Wednesday afternoon with the Radiologist and was examined for the potential
start of radiation treatment in certain areas.
The MSKCC-Team of specialists Primary Doctor / Oncology Medical Specialist
/ Surgeon / Pathologist / Radiologist / ect.) will be meeting today to
determine the next course of action (Plan) to address this new development.
We probably will not return home until later next week so they can finalize
some of these tests. Even though this sounds alarming, it seems to be some
what of the pattern for certain patients that have had to endure these
Clinical Trials.

During a situation like BRAD is having to go through, a person's character
will surface, BRAD's has, and we are so proud of how he is handling all of
it and frankly speaking we are not surprised!!!
Please keep thinking positive "the glass is half full not half empty", and
keep BRAD in your prayer's and all the other patients!!
The Kosters

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2001 9:47 PM
Subject: Brad's Update - 5/14/01

TO ALL: As difficult as this is, we are continuously amazed at the positive
things that can come from such an adverse situation. BRAD is doing well
through his second phase of Chemotherapy, but within a day or so he will
begin going through the extremely painful part of the session. He continues
to lose some weight, but he is trying to eat as much as possible.
BRAD's spirit remains high, especially when he heard the next remarkable
news, our friends/club associates @ Dogwood Country Club have initiated a
"Fundraiser/ Golf Outing" in BRAD's behalf. We are so overwhelmed by the
out-pouring of concern, interest in wanting to help him and the generosity
by all the people that know and care for BRAD. For information regarding the
golf tournament, please see the attachment which was forwarded to us, which
gives the basic information about the event. It would be nice if BRAD could
be there to see everyone, but at this time we are just not sure of his
schedule and if we will still be in N.Y.

Thanks for your e-mails / interest and prayers for BRAD's progress, we hope
to see all of you soon!! Please continue to pray for us and keep all the
other patients in your prayers.
Love,
The Kosters
 

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2001 12:30 PM
Subject: Brad's Update - 5/7/2001

TO ALL: We are back in Manhattan (Mon. 5/7) and for the first time in a
month, I'm typing this up-date with a SMILE. Several positive things have
happened in the past couple of days, but first we'll bring you up-to-speed.
We were unable to return to Atlanta (for the short break) until Wednesday
(5/2) due to BRAD's condition. On Tuesday, Dr Meyers advised us that the
latest CAT-Scan did not reflect the improvement they were hoping for by the
Chemotherapy treatment which was very, very disappointing. However,
Wednesday morning just before leaving, he came back and advised us that the
X-Rays (rather than the cat-scan) did indicate some shrinkage of the tumors
in the lungs. So he stated he would do another x-ray on Monday (5/7) to see
if there were more improvements. So we returned to Atlanta with some
uncertainty to what was next and if this treatment was going to be
successful.

Monday in New York we met with Dr. Meyers after the X-ray and he advised us
that it looks like the 1st session appears to have had some positive effects
overall, so we will continue with the Protocol (plan) as outlined before.
As you can imagine this was a very difficult time for all of us, but now we
feel like it's on track and your prayer's to give BRAD a fighting chance has
been answered (take one day at a time). BRAD has now lost (-32 lbs.) from a
month of ago of 226 lbs., but he is still 6'-5" and the hospital beds are
still too short. The Doctors have not been able to specifically identify his
cancer and probably will not be able to, but for now it's actually being
called "BRAD's Tumor". So there is no specific designed treatment for his
special type cancer other than the Sarcoma. As indicated in our prior
up-date below, this will be a long process, but we are very thankful for the
care that BRAD is receiving and the chance he has to overcome this.
During our visit home (Thurs. - Sun.), a lot of the time was spent on
catching up on lost sleep and visiting with family and friends. While home,
BRAD did several things that indicates his spirit and strong will are still
with him; i.e. - attended two family reunions, went out to eat with friends
twice, participated in a Derby Party for a couple of hours, and rode around
on the Golf course and played several holes.
We would ask if you wanted to do something for BRAD, please keep him and us
in your prayers, send e-mails to Elaine's address & cards to our home
address below.

Thank all of you for your prayers and well wishes which helps push BRAD
forward!!!!

The Kosters - 2879 Observation Point, Marietta, GA 30064
(p.s.) - Please continue to pray for all the other children and the doctors
and nurses here - everyone is incredible - we are so very fortunate to be at
this wonderful hospital.
 

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 1:13 PM
Subject: Update on Brad - 4/27

TO ALL: It's Friday morning (4/27) and the sun is shinning in Manhattan.
Well, we did not get to come this week, the past (10) days have been
extremely difficult for BRAD. I won't give you all the details of the
Chemotherapy treatment because it's so incredibly painful /awful for him as
you probably have heard about. Elaine and I have been alternating nights
staying w/Brad, but he is now able to do somewhat for himself. He has not
been able to talk for the past several days (not such a bad thing from our
perspective - ha,ha!!), the fevers are starting to reduce but BRAD has not
regained his ability to eat yet (lost 25 lbs). After saying all of this,
it's a good day, the first session of treatment is over and some of the pain
is starting to subside. There's signs that the
treatment is making some improvement towards fighting the cancer. The X-Rays
indicate some shrinkage of the spots in his lungs and no further fluid
build-up and it appears the primary tumor maybe shrinking too. The Doctors @
MSKCC still have not been able to pin-down the specific type cancer (which
confirms how rare it is), but obviously the intense Chemo treatment is on
track - the protocol they are using is how they treat Ewings Sarcomas.
If BRAD continues to improve over the next several days, we will be coming
home about Monday of next week. But he will be somewhat restricted due to
the condition of avoiding infection, etc. The next session is scheduled for
May 7th, this will at least give BRAD a short break. We have decided to let
MSKCC continue to do the treatments because of the rareness and uncertainty
of the cancer. Sessions 2 and 3 will basically be the same as the 1st and
these will be administered over (21 days) intervals. Then, hopefully they
will be able to perform the surgery to remove the primary tumor. After all
of this, a couple of other Chemo / Radiation treatments are in the Protocol
(plan), this whole process is slated to take about (5-6 months).
BRAD appreciates and so do we, receiving all the e-mails / cards / letters.
There is nothing anyone can do for us other than keep BRAD and us in your
prayers and stay in touch with him. Here's our address, mail will be
forward to N.Y. while we are here:

2879 Observation Point
Marietta, GA 30064
Love,
Randy, Elaine & Brad
****also, continue to pray for all the other children here - the doctors and
nurses here are incredible
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Koster (Remote) via SF 770-428-2535
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2001 10:18 PM
Subject: FW: WORK - Brad's Update - 4/16/01

TO ALL: For those of you that may have not heard or have called my office and noticed I'm on a leave of absence, here is the reason why (see below attachments / e-mail exchanges). We have found out our son - BRAD has cancer and he is in the middle of the first session of the Chemo-Treatment. I'm sorry I have not been able to communiqué very well before now, but it has been hectic and overwhelming. The only way I can describe what this is like, is to have the worst nightmare you have ever had and you can't wake up!! I hope to workout some sort of a schedule soon, once we completely understand what we are totally up against. We do not need anything now, other than your prayers for BRAD.
As my answering machine message indicates, if you have a Sales issue and need some help, please contact my direct report (Vic Angoco - 415-957-4299). Thanks, RANDY
 

Sent: Monday, April 16, 2001 11:01 AM
Subject: Brad's Update - 4/16/01

TO ALL: here it is about 3:00 a.m. Monday morning and I'm sitting w/Brad @
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) I can't sleep so I'm writing
this Update to Elaine's message below. This E-mail / Internet stuff can be
so useful and good to get the word out to the people we know care and are
interested in BRAD. I've also attached two things for your reference, you
may have seen it already, but it sure helps us; A Note From Brad and also
secondly - Information about what he has and where he is - MSKCC.
The biopsy / bone marrow / chest catheter all went well, but BRAD had some
complications late Friday night ( 1:30 a.m. - Saturday ). While in the
recovery room the Doctors recognized he had additional build-up fluid on his
right lung and his breathing was not up to par, along with some other minor
problems. He was transferred to an individual observation room, there the
next day they removed approximately (2) liters of fluid from the right lung
by a needle through his back. Now this sounds bad, but ultimately it turned
out to be good. "The glass is half full vs half empty" - Positive Thinking
is the key for BRAD at this point and this is actually how we are looking at
things. BRAD's surgeon and primary Doctor were both on call working this
Easter Holiday weekend and by physically being at the hospital when this
happened, they decided to start the Chemotherapy on Saturday. So it turned
out to be positive because of being able to expedite the start of the
treatment earlier than Monday.
Now after saying this, they are still not positive about which specific
cancer it is other than the Sarcoma type which is quite aggressive (this is
the reason for the second biopsy). So their recommended treatment at this
point is to be very aggressive with high concentrates of Chemo and this is
what is happening right now. All the hard things you have heard about this
type treatment is starting now and is going to happen to BRAD.
Until now BRAD has been taking body punches from this cancerous tumor, but
now he is fighting back. BRAD is handling this all quite well with the
determination and will to survive as you might expect he would. It is all so
terrifying for us and we are just starting to accept the reality of it all
and work through it. Another positive thing is (if no immediate problems),
we will be coming back home approximately Wed. or Thurs. while we wait for
the next series of treatments to start and hopefully it can be administered
by local physicians in the Atlanta area. There is a specific protocol (plan)
designed to apply the numerous Chemo drugs in a series over a prescribed
timeframe.
We need all your prayers!! KOSTERS
*****Also, please pray for all the other cancer patients at Sloan Kettering
- Brad is in the pediatric ward which includes children from all ages and
sizes.
 

----Original Message-----
From: Koster, Elaine [<mailto:ekoster@MEAGPOWER.ORG>]
Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 7:22 PM
Subject: Brad's Update - 4/11/01

Thanks so much for all your e-mails and thoughts & prayers. Today has been
a very rough day for everyone - we have seen so many doctors today (we were
at the hospital from 9:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.) - they are so wonderful here
- they really get things done quickly - so far they have arranged another
biopsy, bone marrow check and they will put tubes in for the chemotherapy
treatment (all this will be done on Friday morning - chemotherapy will begin
on Monday). It is all so frightening for us & our hearts are broken. But
Brad is still so BRAVE and POSITIVE. He is really remarkable and we are so
proud of him.
We are currently staying at the Bentley Hotel in Manhattan, but we do not
know how long we will be here - I will let you know our address as soon as
we are sure where we will be.
Please continue to pray for all of us.

Love,
The Kosters
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Koster (Remote) via SF 770-428-2535
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 3:00 PM
Subject: RE: Our son - BRAD

TO ALL: we are able to talk about this now. Unfortunately we found out late yesterday from the surgeon that the type cancer they thought BRAD has is not what they first thought (which appeared to be very treatable). They have sent the biopsy to the MAYO-? clinic in Minnesota for further testing. This does not mean it's worse, it's just different and they have to pin-point specifically what it is before a particular treatment can be determined. Apparently there are 80-90 different cancers. We are positive about what we have to do and we're trying to get "right for the fight". I'm working and will remain activity for any and all issues and will get back into my Sales calls shortly. Will keep you posted!! Regards, RANDY

-----Original Message-----
From: Randy Koster (Remote) via SF 770-428-2535
Sent: Wednesday March 28, 2001 7:08 AM
Subject: Our son - BRAD

We don't feel like talking now, but wanted to let you know what we know. We met with the Cancer Doctor yesterday and the situation is worst than we can imagine. BRAD has a large growth in his right side & the Cat-Scan also shows there are spots in his lungs. We will be meeting with the surgeon today and more Tests / Biopsy will be done shortly and we should know where we stand by Tuesday. We will let you know what's happening as we go along. Brad is being so brave - so much more than we are. Please keep us in your thoughts & prayers.
Randy & Elaine Koster