Bruce's Update

	Great admirer of Bruce's legal skills . . . Although I never met his family, I greatly admired Bruce's legal skills, the great respect he had for the law and the legal community, his sense of humor and his dedication to his cause of prostate cancer research. Bruce was 100% class and will be missed. Posted by Karen Doty of Columbus, OH on March 18, 2010 2:20 PM
	A vibrant presence . . . Laura, I was heartbroken to hear of Bruce's passing. He was such a vibrant and strong presence at Vorys and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him. Please know that you and your family are in my prayers. Posted by Mary Ellen Purcell of Cleveland, OH on March 16, 2010 9:10 AM
	Liked and loved by many . . . Dear Ann, I am terribly sorry for the loss of your brother, from looking at this site, I can tell he was a great man, liked and loved by many. May you and your family feel proud to have been connected to such a courageous man. With deepest sympathies, Pamela Posted by Pamela Palmer of Akron, OH on March 16, 2010 6:50 AM
	Our hearts go out to Laura and the boys . . . Our hearts go out to Laura and her boys on the loss of a wonderful husband and father, Bruce. We will always be grateful for the work he did in bringing money and attention to prostate cancer research. We thank him and his family in the name of all our boys and husbands. Posted by Mary Auerbach of Akron, OH on March 14, 2010 4:20 PM
	May Bruce's sweet memories sustain all of you Dear Laura,Grant and Steven, May Bruce's sweet memories sustain all of you until you are joined togehter again. I first met Bruce at a basketball game watching Steven and my son,Jared playing backcourt together.They then played at halftime @ Revere. Bruce became my attorney for my building and referred me to where I get my Chevy Trailblazer and Impala. I cherish the time we played golf together at one of our outings. As a physician, I deeply appreciate the quality and vast efforts in awareness,treatment and prevention of prostate conditions. Men need to be pro-active with the prostate and colon. Most importantly, Bruce is all class and genuine. God Bless you all, Dr. Gary & Becky and the kids. Posted by Gary Domanick & Family of Akron, OH on March 13, 2010 2:30 PM
	I will miss you my friend. Laura, Grant and Steven, I'm sure that you have been preparing for his passing as his condition deteriorated, but I'm also sure that you were not prepared for the sense of emptiness that is now present with his absence. For all of the sadness that you are feeling, you know that Bruce is in a much happier place now, rid of his failing body. I truely believe that we cross over to a place of pure love and he is now embraced by that love as you read these words. Some day all of us will join him and realize the bliss of freedom from our worldly restraints that Bruce now has. Although I'm saddened by not being able to see him again, it is more saddening that he did not have the opportunity to spend more time with you as a father and husband. Your lives together seemed to be very happy and the realization that he could not be around for what should have been at least another 30-40 years to enjoy the family he loved so much is unfortunate, and perhaps unfair. I will miss you my friend. Posted by Bob Malecki of Akron, OH on March 13, 2010 2:30 PM
	The first time I met Bruce was in 7th grade. Laura, The first time I met Bruce was in 7th grade. He had "Li'l Osk" on the side of his notebook, and he helped me to avoid flunking some level of Algebra. He knitted his eyebrows and looked at me like I was a complete dolt, but he helped anyway. I saw you and Bruce together several times during the seventies, and all I can say is that it was obvious that you were the love of his life, Laura. The last time I saw Bruce was in the late Eighties, somewhere around Highland Square. I saw him sitting with some mutual acquaintances, and knowing how much of an absolute jerk I was in High School, I turned away. Bruce got up and walked straight over to me and grabbed my arm and asked me to join them. I was stunned and honored. He was so overwhelmingly friendly and congenial toward me, and I will never forget his kindness and open heart. I lost my youngest brother Jim to cancer on March 10 of last year, and my father is currently enduring what may be his final battle with the disease. Bruce's courage through his struggles and his dedication to the cause of finding a cure for this disease are an inspiration. I was looking at the One-In-Six site last evening, and my 18 year old son looked over my shoulder and asked me: "Who was Bruce Hunsicker?". I pondered a minute and replied: "He was a friend from school...and someone I always respected". Without sounding too cliche, the world is a far darker place without him, but very few of us get the chance to make the kind of difference Bruce's foundation will make. Please know that there are thousands of family members of cancer victims out there who silently thank people like Bruce for their selfless efforts. I wish you happiness. Posted by Dan Hudson of Western, Maryland on March 12, 2010 1:30 PM
	Rare combination My sincere sympathy to Bruce's family and close friends. He was that rare combination of a truly great man AND a really good guy. His courage and leadership in the fight against prostate cancer won't be forgotten. My husband is a 12-year survivor of prostate cancer - I only wish that Bruce had been as fortunate. He will truly be missed. Posted by Sue Edgar of Akron, OH on March 12, 2010 1:30 PM
	God Bless you and your sons Dear Laura, You and your entire family are in our hearts and prayers. Although, we did not know Bruce personally, we know of how he lived an abundant loving life through our friendship with Ann & Dave Basarab. God Bless you and your sons. Posted by Stephanie & Roderick David of Akron, OH on March 12, 2010 1:30 PM
	Blessed to know Bruce Laura, Steven and Grant, So many people pass through our lives. I have been blessed to know your family and will continue to keep you all in prayer. Posted by Suzanne Smaltz of Akron, OH on March 12, 2010 1:30 PM
	Enduring contribution . . . I am sorry for your loss. I admire the way Bruce dealt with his illness and the enduring contribution he has made by starting this foundation. Posted by Deborah Keweshan of Baltimore, MD on March 11, 2010 6:20 PM
	Deepest condolences . . . My thoughts are with you ... Dear Laura, Steven and Grant, My deepest condolences are with you today for the loss of this loving father and husband. I will stay inspired by his life. Posted by Sue Goodwin of Washington, D.C. on March 11, 2010 3:10 PM
	Condolences to Laura, Steven and Grant I am very sorry to hear about your loss. Bruce will be sadly missed. Posted by Suzanne of Fairlawn, OH on March 11, 2010 11:30 AM
	The world has lost a truly wonderful man . . . What a sad day. The world has lost a truly wonderful man. He was a credit to the Hunsicker name. He will be sorely missed. Posted by Linda Vaughn of Akron, OH on March 11, 2010 0:00 AM
	My Hero - J Bruce Hunsicker Hello, My name is Matt Harris. I am pretty sure you know my mom and dad,Kathey and Chris Harris. I have been given a school assignment to participate in the "My Hero Project" and I have chosen you as a good subject. I need to collect information about you and your foundation and then I will create a web page, short film, or art project. I was wondering if you might have any ideas or information that might help me with this. I know you are very busy and may not always be feeling well, but anything you could give me would be great. If you feel up to it, I would like to talk to you personally and ask you a few questions. Let me know if this is possible, and if not, I wish you well with your recovery. I will let you know when I have completed my project and where you can view it. Thank you for your time, Matt Harris Posted by Matt Harris of Akron, OH on January 14, 2010 12:10 PM
	Love . . . We are sending you all of our love. Kathy & Chris Posted by Kathy & Chris Harris of Akron, OH on January 14, 2010 12:10 PM
	Holiday wishes . . . Bruce - Still thinking of your and praying for your speedy recovery. Enjoy your time at home with your family. - Paul Posted by Paul Hervey of Akron, OH on January 14, 2010 12:10 PM
	Chronium 7 Bruce & Laura: I think of you often and your wisdom and wit. And thank goodness it was only Chronium 7!!!(hillarious inside environmental joke) Peace & Love Posted by Joe Parsons of Akron, OH on January 14, 2010 12:10 PM
	I don't think we are in Akron anymore . . . we are in Kansas! Hi Bruce and Laura, I am off work today and was just sitting down to send in our RSVP for the Boo Ribbon Bash. That's when I noticed your website printed at the bottom of the invitation. Ashamedly, I am one of those who always thought prostate cancer was generally easily cured. I have just learned otherwise from the information posted on this site. I just did not realize how insidious this disease can be. Last summer, traveling to Kansas, we noticed a One In Six billboard hight above the highway--I think it was Kansas City. So, your efforts are having a far-reaching effect. Thank you for your fight to wipe out prostate cancer. You are definitely an inspiration for all of us--a perfect example of how God works to bring good from even the worst circumstances. I do pray for Bruce and the family every day. Please let me know if there is anything Ray and I can do. Joyce Cunningham Posted by Joyce Cunningham of Akron, OH on January 14, 2010 0:00 AM
	Keep on keeping on . . . Bruce - I love the 12 step philosophy-- one day at a time. (sometimes it's one hour at a time!) and the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. We LOVE you! Jody and Myles Posted by Jody and Myles of Boston, MA on October 20, 2009 3:30 PM
	Staying Tough! I visited with Bruce yesterday, he is exhausted from recent procedures but was very happy to be in his home with Laura. In trademark fashion, Bruce asked about us all and put his concern for others before himself. We discussed days past, present and future - he is truly positive and is staying tough! I asked about his plans for the October 31st Boo Ribbon Bash and he stated that he is going to be in attendance! Let's all plan to make the Boo Ribbon Bash the best OneInSix event to-date! Register now and bring your sons, fathers and grandfathers . . . Send your messages to Bruce and Laura and continue to follow Bruce's progress on this Web site. He would love to hear from all of you! Posted by Andrew Holland of Akron, OH on October 16, 2009 11:30 AM
	Carry On! Stay Tough! www.oneinsix.org was created in 2004 to chronicle Bruce’s battle with prostate cancer and to act as a resource for those who were involved in that battle, either directly or indirectly. The site was on the front end of the “blogging” revolution, and indicated that over time blogs would be written by Bruce, his family, friends and others who had a connection. In 2004, I had never heard of Bruce Hunsicker and I didn’t think about prostate cancer. As I write this today, I am very proud to be able to call Bruce a friend and I have voluntarily joined the fight against prostate cancer. My journey to One-In-Six started in October, 2006 when my father told me his doctor found some spots on his prostate, or “bugs” as he described them to my children who at the time were 6, 4 and one years of age. The spots were cancerous, and my father would be undergoing a procedure to have radioactive seeds implanted to attack the cells and prevent the development of new ones. He was so calm and under control, I couldn’t believe it. In fact, his biggest worry was that the grandkids would have to postpone any sleepovers for about 90 days while his radioactivity levels where at their highest. On the other hand, my mind was racing. Prostate cancer was something that affected “old” people, and I never considered my dad old except for the gray hair (which he still swears I was the cause of). What was going to happen? Would he be ok? Is there going to be any pain? Selfishly, I also thought about what this meant to me. Am I now at greater risk? What if I got it before my kids were old enough to support themselves? It was crazy, my dad had just finished explaining that he had a very treatable form of prostate cancer that had been detected early, and I was already fast forwarding to thoughts of not seeing my beautiful wife Stephanie every day. I am happy to report that the seeds did what they were intended to do. My father – or “papa” as the kids call him – is doing great. The sleepovers have resumed, and he continues to follow the plan that was laid out to do everything possible to prevent the “bugs” from coming back. On a personal note, another outcome of his treatment was that I was no longer going to sit back and hope everyone else found a cure for prostate cancer. I HAD to get involved. As my report cards will attest, I was never much of a scientist so I knew the cure for prostate cancer would not be concocted in my basement. I also knew that there had to be organizations out there that were dedicated to finding the cure. After a meeting with a good friend, John Bernatovicz - who also has a father that has battled prostate cancer (and is winning 10+ years after it first appeared) – I was directed to Bruce Hunsicker at One-In-Six. I met Bruce for lunch and explained my plan to him. I wanted to organize a golf outing – and not just a little Sunday afternoon get together at the muni course with hot dogs and chips afterwards – but a first class event that would bring visibility to the cause, to One-In-Six and most importantly would bring money to continue to fund the research projects that were underway at Johns Hopkins. Bruce patiently listened as all of the ideas – one more crazy than the next – came pouring out of my mouth. He nodded his head, offered his support, we shook hands and then I am pretty sure he walked away thinking “there is no way in hell this guy is going to pull this off.” Over the next several months, we held a number of planning meetings. Some plans came to fruition, while many others fizzled. Bruce, John and I enlisted every family member, friend, business acquaintance and stranger that knew anything about organizing a golf outing. But, finally on April 3rd the inaugural “Shamble At The Ridge benefiting the One-In-Six Foundation” was born when our announcement made its debut in the Golf Monday section of The Plain Dealer. We got the name by combining Shamble (which is the competition format for the day) with the Sand Ridge Golf Club which was chosen as the site for our inaugural event. On Monday, July 23rd – which I think was perhaps the most beautiful day of the summer – 80 golfers and nearly 100 dinner guests – gathered at Sand Ridge for golf, great food, a lot of laughs, and to support One-In-Six. For me, it was the culmination of a lot of hard work, and an immeasurable amount of satisfaction. For my father, it was a chance to see just how much he means to his family and friends. For the Foundation, it was a tremendous financial success. For those that attended, it was a first class event that ended with a unanimous request to do it again next year. I am very pleased to report that the 2nd Annual Shamble At The Ridge will be held Monday, July 28th at Sand Ridge Golf Club. I didn’t necessarily write this to talk about the Shamble – though if you are moved to participate this year we won’t complain. I wrote it to show even if you are someone like me who has historically taken a passive approach to getting involved in “causes” you CAN make a difference. I plan to be involved with One-In-Six for a long time, so long in fact that I look forward to the day when we turn our attention to something else because we defeated prostate cancer. And I know the friend I made will be there leading the way. Carry On! Stay Tough! Kurt Weber Posted by Kurt Weber of Cleveland, Ohio on April 29, 2008 10:00 AM
	Texas Hold 'Em & Taxotere . . . It's been awhile Much has happened since the website was first published. On a personal level, much of 2006 was occupied by chemotherapy and a dose of Taxotere every three weeks from March to December. It did eventually wear me down, but I got through it. In retrospect, it doesn’t seem so bad and now, a year later, the lingering side effects of the chemo are minimal and don’t really bear mentioning. Having gone through chemotherapy, my hope was that most of the cancer would have been killed off. It turns out that chemo was merely a step along the path in this cancer killing journey. Upon completion of chemotherapy in December of 2006, and after long discussions with my doctor at Johns Hopkins, I learned that with my PSA at .2 and no active distant metastasis, Johns Hopkins simply didn’t have any treatments available for me. Clinical trials are simply not designed to treat people who may be ill but are not necessarily at death’s door. Without some active growing cancer that the scientists can measure to see if the experimental drug works as hoped, clinical trials simply are not available to keep the cancer at bay. Frankly, I was most disappointed. It was suggested that I might want to see another doctor in Virginia named Charles Meyers. It turns out that Dr. Meyers has “skin in the game”. He is a well-known oncologist with prostate cancer. He is willing to try the “shot gun” approach and try different treatments and therapies mentioned in the scientific literature without necessarily knowing which one actually works. I visited Dr. Meyers at the beginning of 2006. He suggested to me that I was not in remission with my PSA at .2 and that under treatment protocols that he developed for himself, he wanted to reduce my PSA by a factor of a few hundred percent and then send me off to have radiation at The Dattoli Cancer Center in Sarasota, Florida. Fortunately, I responded quickly to tripling the level hormone therapy I had been on, and my PSA dropped from .2 to .03 in short order. I contacted Dr. Dattoli’s office in Sarasota, and I was off to the radiation races. The scans provided by Dr. Sodee at University Hospitals before I commenced radiation showed that chemotherapy may have reduced the cancer in the prostate and surrounding lymph nodes, but it was still definitely there. Dr. Dattoli was quite adamant about how significant the advances have been in radiation therapy were effective at killing prostate cancer cells without doing too much damage to surrounding areas. It was also essential that I continue with hormone therapy because, for reasons unknown, radiation therapy works much better in combination with hormone therapy. Under Dr. Dattoli’s protocol, the prostate is radiated over a course of eight weeks. Radioactive seeds are introduced a few weeks after the initial round of radiation and then there is follow-up radiation for a couple of weeks thereafter. All of that process took place between May and November of 2006. Frankly, there were more difficult places to be than Sarasota, Florida and seed implementation was no big deal. However, being away from home and my office, was hugely more difficult (and expensive) than I had originally thought. Nevertheless, I treasure my experience in Florida. My family was around me most of the time and it was a wonderful bonding experience for us. Soon after completing radiation, I had another scan with Dr. Sodee. That scan showed no residual cancer. I am still celebrating. It has become my philosophy that good news should be celebrated for as long as bad news brings you down. So the message of this entry is one of hope. I am as optimistic now as I ever have been. I believe we have significantly reduced a tumor burden so that my body’s natural defenses can take over much of the fight against the remaining cancer. Am I out of the woods? Do I still have prostate cancer? Will I make it past five years, ten years, fifteen years? I don’t know the answers to any of those questions. All I know is that I am doing pretty darn well right now. I love life and I love each day added to my life. I have done and will continue to do everything I can do to battle this disease. It is my hope that the One-in-Six Foundation will inspire others to do the same whether they are dealing with prostate cancer, breast cancer or any other kind of cancer. 03/06/2007 Akron 38327 Carry on. Stay tough! Bruce Posted by J Bruce Hunsicker of Akron, OH on March 6, 2007 5:40 PM
	The waiting room . . . I sat impatiently with my wife in the waiting room at the urologist's office. After months and months of mildly irritating symptoms and antibiotics, and an elevated PSA, a needle biopsy of my prostate indicated I had cancer throughout the prostate. At that moment, only days away from the Christmas holiday, I was waiting to hear whether scans indicated that the cancer had spread beyond the prostate. Indeed, it had. The lymph glands were enlarged. Another painful biopsy later, and full swing into the holiday season, I was facing the New Year knowing my life would never be the same due to inoperable metastatic prostate cancer. Shock, grief, fear, anger, disbelief ... I traversed through every emotion, feeling fiercely alone, despite the support and love of my wife. How could this be? I was always stalwart, aggressive, strong, physically and emotionally tolerant of anything that came my way. But now my wonderful life, my wife, my two boys, my work, my normal routine, my future plans were forever changed by this disease. Posted by J. Bruce Hunsicker of Akron, OH on December 12, 2004 9:20 PM