Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update

Subject: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 11:57 AM

Friends: this was just posted on Dave's webpage: http://www.jdray.com

DAVE'S HEALTH UPDATE 07-Jun-2002

Dave has been diagnosed with Stage Four adenocarcinoma of the lung with CNS metastatic disease. "Non-small cell" is redundant when you use "adenocarcinoma" as the defining term. There is a primary mass of approximately 2cm x 1cm located in the mediastinum region between Dave's backbone and upper right lung lobe. It is attached to the lung, but not inside the sac. The mass is malignant and has metastasized to his brain using lymph and blood vessel passages. There are no other cancerous sites that have been detected by MRI or CTI scans. Once in the brain, these lesions (which are of the same composition as the lung mass) attached themselves to surrounding tissue causing edema and preventing his left arm from properly receiving those signals he wished to send it.

An ongoing course of Decadron anti-inflammatory steroids is reducing this swelling as is continuing whole-brain radiation treatments and he now has some voluntary left-arm movement. As the radiation therapy gains ground in shrinking the inflammation, the steroid treatment will be stopped.

The treatment for the primary mass in the chest cavity is under planning and will not involve surgery.

Dave feels some overall fatigue, some minor cognitive difficulties, some minor physical unease, but no pain. He is not driving his car. He is overcome with thanks and gratitude as the Great Wheel rolls over him the unconditional love and prayer he has received from his wide circle of friends. The energy he has received from them has lofted him to the place where he has gained perspective and is actively putting affairs in order against a more manageable day, which he has every reason to believe will soon dawn.

Subject: RE: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: GUEST,Bill Kennedy
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 11:59 AM

thanks, Mary Katherine, all our best wishes for him.

Subject: RE: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Chris Amos
Date: 08 Jun 02 - 01:49 PM

Best wishes from me too. Please keep us updated with his progress, Dave is a great hero of mine and has been since my youth.

C.A.

Subject: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Mary Katherine
Date: 14 Jul 02 - 04:10 PM

Good news about Dave Ray in this message just received from his longtime partner Tony Glover. -- Mary Katherine

********************************** Last nite, Ray & Glover played their first gig together in a couple months. It was a fund raiser for a senatorial candidate, held in a barn near Delano MN. Following radiation and steroid treatments, the brain tumors that were interfering with Dave's left arm and hand have shrunk, and he has about 90% recovery of use. He's playing his electric 12 string Danelectro for the time being, the acoustic is a bit too hard to handle at present.

His spirits and sense off humor remain good, he continues with a prescribed macrobiotic diet, and will undergo further tests next week and consider whether chemo should be started.

It felt good to be playing again...

For further updates/gig schedules tune in to www.jdray.com

stay well,

Tony

Subject: RE: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Jul 02 - 04:49 PM

Wonderful news! I see he does have a few gigs scheduled that I could attend. (I live in St. Paul.) Heck, I would have gone to Delano if I'd heard about it in advance. It's only 35 miles from me. Any politician that Dave supports can't be bad, can he?

Subject: RE: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Art Thieme
Date: 14 Jul 02 - 05:52 PM

Great to hear.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Giac
Date: 14 Jul 02 - 06:01 PM

What good news!!! Was playing one of their CDs this morning and wondered how he was. Thanks for the update.

Mary

Subject: RE: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 19 Jul 02 - 01:04 PM

Published Jul 19, 2002 in the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune:

"Dave Ray has been out and about lately and even had a gig at the Viking Bar on Wednesday. This, despite his ongoing treatment for a malignancy on his lung that has metastasized to his brain. According to his web site, Ray has gone through 14 rounds of radiation. He and his wife, Mary Jane, are about to travel to the Kushi Institute in Massachusetts for macrobiotic treatment."

Subject: RE: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Art Thieme
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 09:03 PM

Got a post card from Mr. Ray yesterday and he sounds like he is doing well. Good to see.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Dave 'Snaker' Ray health update
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Jul 02 - 10:54 PM

On Saturday afternoon, July 20, I went to hear Dave play at American Legion Post # 1, in Minneapolis. According to his web site, he was supposed to play with John Beach and Max Ray, but by the end of the gig, there was a total of, I think, seven people jamming together. A good time was had by all. And would you believe, no cover charge, and the beers were only $1.50!

It was a friendly crowd. Many people seemed to be regulars, and many seemed to know Dave and each other. My British brother-in-law was in town, so I brought him along, and he especially enjoyed this piece of Americana. We had a good conversation with Spider John Koerner, who was there as an audience member. He reminisced about touring England in the 60s.

I had never been there before. I was surprised to learn that gigs like this happen regularly, and they aren't always listed in the local papers' entertainment calendars. I'm going to have to ask around, and see what else I can find!

Aside from his baldness, Dave seemed like his normal self, but then I don't know him well.