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Train
Wreck is: Sean Trachtman, Kenny Garnett, Frank Bloise,
and Rick Coakley
Please hit Refresh and scroll down for updates
Several of you have expressed a desire to help Frank and
Cindy through these
rough times, so we have set up this PayPal donation button to make it
easy for
anyone with the means and inclination to do what they can – every
little bit helps.
Please
note that all paypal donations will go through the Sean@Train-Wreck.com
account. Neither Frank nor Cindy is particularly computer savvy (they
don't
own one!) - Rest assured they will get every penny!
IMPORTANT
Update 01/17/2012 - It
is with a sad soul and a heavy heart that I am writing to tell you that
Frank
passed away peacefully at 9:30am, Tuesday, January 17th.
The
following is the current draft of the obit we plan to publish:
Frank
Bloise, husband of Cindy for 20 years, and father to LaCretia, Tysi,
and Mike, passed away peacefully in
his home at the age 58 on Tuesday, January 17th after a 6 month battle
with cancer. He was the only child of Joe
and Claudine Bloise of Willcox, AZ, both deceased. A professional
drummer since his days at Cochise College,
he was the very heartbeat of local band Train Wreck from its inception
in 1998. Born in Willcox, Frank lived in
Tucson, Phoenix, and LA for a few years before returning to the area,
settling in Hereford in 1974. He was
considered by all to be one of the premier musicians in the area,
and everyone who had the privilege to know
him will tell you he was simply one of the kindest and sweetest people
they had ever met.
Information
about a memorial will be posted at www.Train-Wreck.com in the near
future.
Frank
had spent the last couple of days in a very "distant" state - it felt
very much as if he had mostly left but
was just keeping a last bit of attachment to this world. At about 6am
I sensed his breathing had changed - it wasn't
raspy or gasping, but it wasn't as easy as it had been either. By about
8:45 Cindy, Jane and I were all gathered
around his bed, holding his hands, stroking his head, hands over his
heart, telling him we and all of you loved
him so very much. By 9:15 or so the time between his breaths began to
noticeably lengthen, to the point where
we would all be waiting for his next breath - which, just before 9:30am,
never came.
All
in all, I must say that Frank's passing was really everything we (and
he) hoped it would be. His time here
was spent VERY well, and when the time came he was surrounded by loved
ones and passed peacefully and
quietly in his sleep. It's hard to imagine a better way to go.
Cindy
would appreciate a little time and space right now, so if you could
wait a little before calling or visiting
she would be grateful.
Thank
you all for all of your love and support throughout this time.
Sean, Jane, Cindy, and (of course) Frank.
Update
01/14/2012
-
Frank is not doing very well at all. Sorry, but there's no easy way
to say
this - Frank has requested that all phone calls
and visits stop. While he is (fortunately) still not in pain
MUCH
of the time, his ability to move around (change sheets, clean up, etc.)
without pain is all but gone, even with
the added morphine.
It
is a struggle for him to stay awake or focus on anything, he is fairly
incoherent much of the time he is awake
(HE knows what he's talking about, but we often don't have a clue!),
he can not carry on a phone conversation -
I think you get the picture.
Jane
and I have moved in with Cindy and Frank to help them through what feels
like his final days (you never
can really know). In fact, we thought we were going to lose him yesterday
- he actually made the decision
not to leave. Personally, I think it was because he knows Cindy's birthday
is on Tuesday.
I'm
sorry to be the bearer of such sad news, I'm even sorrier to have to
play the role of gate keeper/guard dog/
body guard - call it what you will - especially in light of the fact
that I know what he means to so many of you. But
the bottom line is that's what he wants, and that's what he'll get.
I sincerely appreciate your understanding and
cooperation in this.
There
is no internet at their house (I may have to change that!), so updates
are even tougher - but rest assured,
will find a way to get the word out, whatever that might be.
Thank
you all so much.
Sean
Merry Christmas to all... Christmas
dinner at the Bloise house was unlike anything I had
ever seen before - ham, meatballs, stuffing, rice, red chile (NM style),
beef and bean chili, macaroni
and cheese, salad, eggplant parmigiana, dinner rolls, and I'm sure I'm
forgetting a dish or two!
Oh yeah, like the apple pie, chocolate Kahlua cake, and brownies! All
prepared at Cindy's moms and
transported over. All this for 6 people - Frank and Cindy, Joe, Jay,
and Jane and I! it was nuts. But it
was a great visit, Frank was a bit tired but doing quite well - actually,
I don't think he realized it was
Christmas until that morning. His sense of time is quite warped - sometimes
one day seems like two,
sometimes 2 or 3 days get mashed into one.
It was a very emotional
day for us all, but a really good one.
Update
11/19 - Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very pleased
(and more than a bit sad) to announce that at
approx 4:30pm on Saturday one Frank Bloise was finally delivered to
his home after 5 weeks in the hospital.
He
is VERY glad to be home, in very good spirits, resting fairly comfortably,
occasionally a bit feisty in
away
that was seldom seen while he was in the hospital - it was good to see.
The
actual ride home was difficult (and would have been a comedy of errors,
if only it had been funny), but he
made it safe and sound. He likes his hospice nurse very much, and has
all of the tools necesary to keep him
comfortable. He and Cindy are working out their new routine, and doing
quite well.
He
has asked that those inclined to call or visit give him a few days to
settle in (wait until AFTER the
Thanksgiving holiday), but he does look forward to hearing from friends
and family.
Update
10/30 - Frank is back in UMC hospital (as of 10/17)
and I am very sorry to say has recieved a
diagnosis of stage 4 bone cancer. He is undergoing pain management therapy
right now but is confined
to his bed due to back pain when he moves too much. He is very comfortable
most of the time. and
I (Sean) or Cindy and Jane have been with him almost 24/7.
The only real option for fighting it is chemotherapy; but it's important
to understand that this is not something
that will be cured; it will be managed for as long as it can be. There
are still too many variables to talk in an
informed way about the question on everybody's mind - how long. I don't
know. There is not anything wrong
with Frank OTHER than the cancer, so his chances of fighting it are
as good as we could hope for, but there
are risks and obstacles at every turn. I can tell you that the Oncologists
don't feel he's in imminent
danger - they're not talking about days or weeks. The therapy they want
to administer often takes 4-6
months (I'm told these are VERY soft numbers - they won't commit to
anything!).
Frank is not ready to curl up into a ball and die (his words) - he wants
to fight this, as long as it makes sense
to do so - that means quality of life. It's not going to be easy, and
it's certainly not guaranteed,
but it's worth a shot.
Keep
the Prayers and good thoughts coming - we need all we can get!
Thanks,
Sean
Update 9/24
- (Please read the whole installment!)
As many of you know, Frank got the results from SOME of his follow up
scans on Friday
Sept 16th - and they were disappointingly inconclusive. At the same
time, there was reallly
no good news on any of them.
*There are more nodules (albeit very small ones) in his lungs that there
were NOT there 2
months ago. These have NEVER been either confirmed or ruled out as cancerous.
They are all
in spots you can't easily get to. There is no such thing as a good lung
nodule.
* The discovery of unspecific nodules on his thyroid gland, which are
scheduled to be biopsied
asap - hopefully this coming week.
* He has begun experiencing pain in his lower back, the site of his
bone scan hot spots (NOTE: the
reason I say SOME of his scans above is that we have not received the
results of this second bone scan,
which was not done until a few days ago)
* Enzymes that CAN be indicators of bone cancer are at alarmingly high
levels
(they can also indicate pregnancy).
Again - nothing definitive, and it is a as important
as ever to stay positive.
ALSO! There will be a music benefit for
Frank held at Turquoise Valley Golf Club in Naco on 10/30/2011.
Scroll down to check out the poster - and BE THERE!
Update 8/2
- Frank has had successful bladder removal surgery, and is home recovering.
We are VERY glad to report that the pathology reports indicated that
the cancer
had NOT spread beyond his bladder (contrary to earlier evidence), and
while he
still must undergo further tests and scans, we are hopeful.
7/10
- Frank Bloise was taken to UMC emergency room in acute renal
faliure due to bladder cancer blocking his kidneys. Over the course
of a 3 1/2 week
stay in the hospital, his kidney function returned to normal, however
there are
indications from his CAT scans and bone scan of possible spreading
of the cancer. At this point, only time will tell.
Anyone
needing more info can contact us through
FrankGetWell@Gmail.com
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