Memories of Jason Freiboth

Upcoming Birthdays

2011-04-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up if you see Candy and the boys around town over the next couple of weeks, they have some birthdays coming up. Max will turn 10 next Friday, April 22nd and Simon turns 5 May 31st. This will be their first B-days without their Pappa, so I imagine it may be tough. Any love you can send their way would be appreciated.

-- Rich Ekman

March Update from Candy

2011-03-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I have completed my first month back at work at part-time, it is all I can handle for now. My supervisors were kind enough to give me a small caseload of what we call "Healthy Families" along with screening first-time parents in the hospitals.

I just recently attended a meeting at an alternative school that I am interested in signing both boys up for. Their entrance into the school will be contingent on the outcome of the school's lottery. Cross your fingers their names will be pulled!

Max is excited to be playing the recorder at school and looks forward to participate in the school talent show in the Spring sometime. He is excited about the idea of attending a new school and meeting new friends. He has been playing on a basketball team and has done a wonderful job of staying focused. He has a wonderful coach who is patient and able to communicate with him at a level he understands. Thank you to our friends who help carpool him to practice and who come and cheer him on at his games:)

Simon is happy at the farm and comes home excited to share the things he is learning there on school days (he actually throws a tantrum sometimes when he is told it is not a school day at the farm). What parent wouldn't grin ear to ear when they hear their child demanding to have a school day? He has been taking swim lessons and has shown a great enthusiasm to master swimming like a fish. This has been fun to do a couple times a week because several other friends coordinated with me to have their children take lessons at the same time. We all encourage and praise each of the kids and help carpool them to lessons together. Jason and I always loved the idea of raising the kids to have close connections to our dear friends and their children.

On a sour note, I learned that someone has filed for taxes and received their tax return after utilizing Jason's SS#. I'm trying to keep focused on the possibility that it was just a mistake that wasn't caught by that person (a typo on the SS#?) and not someone trying to take advantage of our loss and dishonor my husband. It's a pretty shitty thing!

Today was emotional at times....had a fleeting moment where I thought I should call up J and share some news someone had shared with me... but in the same instant remembered I couldn't. My heart had a sharp stab of pain in that instant that made me gasp for breath. Another where I was approached by people who wanted to share their condolescants thus bringing me to tears once again. Then tonight after reading books at bedtime to the boys they wanted to see my wedding dress.... we talked about the day and reason why their daddy and I got married. Once again bringing me to tears. Max said to me "Daddy says he's here" and all of us had a group hug and cried. Very sad and miss my J very very much!

This is all I can share at this time.....

Candy

Link to video of Memorial Celebration

2011-03-14T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here's the link to the video of the Jason's Memorial Celebration at Hollinshead Barn.

http://onlinememories.tv/memorial-services/celebration-of-jason-freiboth-2/

Just copy & paste into your browser.

A Note from Candy

2011-02-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

I know everyone is curious to know how we are doing. How do I begin to explain what it feels like to lose someone I loved very much? J and I would have been married 14 yrs this August and on April fools day this year it would have been 15 yrs since we first moved to Bend.

We miss him very much...Max cries and speaks to J daily as do I. We are surround by memories and things of j's daily that can bring tears easily. I miss his humor, his smile, his patience, his calmness.... him. He was a kind, loving, patient and respectful man who never demanded attention but yet people were always drawn to him. Life ended as I knew it when J died.......we never pictured something like this happening to us as no one does in life but it did and it hurts soooo much!!

I miss the things that couples take for granted as we did, the small notes to say hi we are there daily by phone, the sound of his voice,the small gestures of kindness we did daily to show appreciation for one another, hearing him say "I love you", the sound of them somewhere in the house,seeing him wear his favorite clothes that weren't my favorite that bring some small sense of comfort now, the list goes on ......that I have none of now.......

Simon, bless him, doesn't appear to have taken it as hard as Max and I but he is harder to read. Granted, he didn't have as many years with J as we did and the last couple he does remember J was in and out of treatments, surgeries ect. Last night he shared he likes to dream of flying up to heaven to see daddy so it was a nice way to imagine visiting him for all of us.

Who can ever prepare for letting go of someone you love so deeply? We are adjusting reluctantly now to living a life without him and it scares me alot at times. Emotionally I am on a rollercoaster but I put on my mommy face and try getting back to leading a life with routine for the boys.

This is all I can express right now. goodnight everyone....

Much love
Candy Freiboth

Memorial Service in Sheridan, Wyoming

2011-01-18T16:22:00.000-08:00

Jason's parents have organized a memorial service to be held in Sheridan, Wyoming at Trinity Lutheran Church on January 29th at 11 am.

Could you post the information? I know a lot of our former classmates check the blog and it would be a good way to get the word out.

Thanks for your continued support for j's family.

Jolie Fay

Mtn. View Basketball Coach Craig Reid's Letter

2011-01-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Cougars,

On December 5th, 2008 the Mountain View Boys Basketball program had the honor of hosting Jason Freiboth Night. Most of the players in our program at the time, knew Jason as an employee for Bend Metro Parks & Rec. who did everything from helping to set up camps (including COBO Hoop Camps), to officiating everything imaginable. On that night we were able to present Jason, his wife Candy, and their two sons with a donation to help with Jason's battle against skin cancer. I was very proud of our kids' efforts to help out such a wonderful guy and his family.

Unfortunately, I found out late last night that Jason, who has courageously battled this terrible disease since 2002, has passed away. Jason was a tremendous father, husband, employee, and co-worker. He was not only a friend of Mountain View basketball (yes, even though he officiated our Varsity games!!!), but more importantly a friend of kids here in Bend!!!! I can vividly remember him always having a smile on his face and taking the time to talk to my son James when he was just a little kid, and making James feel like the most important kid in the world. Our family will remember your kindness forever.

Jason's family has endured a lot of hardship in battling cancer. I am hoping that we will again be able to step up and help them out. After today's tournament, I will have a couple of days to think of ways to help. All suggestions are welcome.

Please feel free to "Google" Jason Freiboth and find out more about this great guy. The Bulletin did a great article on him that is well worth the read.

As 2010 comes to an end, may we all take the time to count our blessings and maybe pledge to do more to help those in need.

Sincerely,

Coach Craig Reid
Mountain View Boys Basketball

Be like Eggs - from Rich Ekman

2011-01-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

I rarely called Jason by his name. As did many of you, I always referred to Jason as Eggs. When Greg and I first interviewed Jason for his Park and Recreation job, we mispronounced his last name, as “Free Bath”. He quickly said, “no worries, it happens all the time. Just call me Eggs.” To correct people who mispronounced his name, he would say, it is pronounced FRYBOTHE. Think of it like you are ordering breakfast from a chef, “I’ll have two eggs, fry both eggs please.” He said his friends shortened that down to Eggs.

Eggs was born and raised in Sheridan, Wyoming. He was proud of where he grew up and even tattooed the Wyoming Bronco on his shoulder to let everyone know. Eggs went to college at the U of A and NAU and proudly displayed his Arizona license plate on his office desk. However, despite his upbringing, to me Eggs was always a true Bendit. He truly loved living in Central Oregon and in the short 10 years he lived here, he took advantage of all the recreational opportunities that this area and climate offer 12 months out of the year.

Eggs loved heading up to Mt B with his snow board and spending the day shredding the deep powder on the trails off of Northwest and Outback lifts. Often times, he would sneak in a good three hours of boarding before starting work after the lunch hour.
Eggs was a great golfer. I remember being very fond of his smooth, effortless golf swing. Often times I would step up to the tee box and hit what I thought was a nice long drive with my driver. You can imagine my frustration when Eggs would step up to the tee, and despite the fact that he was a good 5 inches shorter and 50 pounds less than me, he would hit his trusty 4 iron 50 yards further and straighter than my drive.

Eggs would look forward to playing hooky from work to go fishing with his boss and fishing buddy Billboard. They would sneak away on a bright clear blue bird morning and head off to some remote Central Oregon lake and fish from sun up to sun down. Eggs would come to work the next day grinning from ear to ear sharing fish total stories.

Eggs was a great tennis player. He played tennis in high school and college. I played doubles in my first and only tennis tournament with Eggs, the Collier Cup, and we won!! I remember teasing Kevin saying, there is nothing to this sport. I just played in the first tournament I have ever played in, and won it. The fact was, I won the tournament when I picked Eggs as my partner. I spent the entire weekend standing on the court watching Eggs hit the ball back and forth. I basically had a front row seat to watch Eggs play tennis and got a trophy out of the deal.

The sport Eggs truly loved was basketball. He was a very good basketball official and officiated all kinds of games in Central Oregon from youth, to middle school, to high school to adult. Eggs truly loved the job and took it very seriously. All of the players and coaches that had him as an official appreciated his work ethic. Eggs really enjoyed conducting basketball clinics for the kids. And was not only a great official and clinician, he could play the game too. His jump shot was like his golf swing, smooth and effortless. We played on the same adult basketball team. Eggs shot the three point shot as though it was a layin, pouring them in from all corners of the Pilot Butte gymnasium. When Eggs would get on a real roll, I could remember players from the opposing team yelling at each other saying “who is guarding that guy”, or mumbling “does that guy ever miss?

Eggs loved to go mountain biking. He would cover himself head to toe in dust spending hours riding up and down every inch of Phil’s Trial.
Eggs not only enjoyed participating in all kinds of sporting events in Bend, he enjoyed watching them too. Some of his favorite activities in the spring and summer were watching the Pole, Peddle, Paddle race and watching the Cascade Cycling Classic downtown evening race. He fed off of the crowds and excitement and marveled at the expertise and effort of the athletes.

Eggs was a big supporter of area high school basketball. He loved going to games at Mt View, Summit and Bend High School. He enjoyed being close to the action and he would find a seat right behind the team bench where he could evaluate his fellow officials, where he could hear the coaches strategize during timeouts and where he could see the faces of the kids and admire their passion and effort that they put forth.

One of Eggs’ favorite things to do in the winter would be to take Max over the mountain to Eugene to watch the Ducks play basketball. He was very fond of the old Mac Court where the Ducks played. Even though there were usually better tickets available, he would always pick some seats up in the rickety wood bleachers in the third balcony where he could take in the whole crazy atmosphere. Up there with the bird’s eye view, he could see the officials work the game, hear the band play, see the players run base line to base line, and hear and feel the roar of the crowd after a Duck basket. There was also room up there in the third balcony where Eggs enjoyed watching Max jump and down and imitate the cheers and chants of the student section in the Pit Crew below.

So as you can see Jason truly lived every day of his life. And although cancer killed his body, it will never kill his spirit. I have so many happy memories of Eggs. Those thoughts will live with me forever. I will miss my friend. His loss can seem devastating and unimaginable and unbearable. There is no explanation for it and no understanding. It is so easy to mourn his death and raise your arms up in the air and yell why! Why was this 41 year old loving husband, father of two , and overall sweet guy taken from us? But let’s rejoice in the fact that his pain and suffering are over and he is now in a better place.

I shared the stories above because I want everyone to know that Jason loved life. He didn’t sit back and watch it fly by. He lived it. Even when cancer was attacking his body, he didn’t sit back and let it define him, he fought like a brave and courageous warrior to beat it. So the challenge to us all is not to mourn Jason’s death but to learn from his life. Let’s honor Eggs by following in his footsteps, by living life to the fullest. Let’s be like Jason, go snow boarding, go play golf, go fishing, go mountain biking, go play tennis, go play basketball, support our community, love your family. Appreciate your time here on earth. Your life is happening right now and this is the only moment you can control. This is the only minute that really matters. Don’t let it pass you by. BE ACTIVE, BE LOVING.
BE LIKE EGGS!

New Donation Link

2010-12-29T11:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a link for donations using Pay Pal from Jolie Fay.

http://jasonfreiboth.chipin.com/jason-freiboth

Jason has passed

2010-12-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

Jason Frieboth passed away Tuesday morning, Dec. 28 around 5:30am, from his battle with cancer. We will keep you advised as to any services the family is planning.
Thanks for all your support of Jason and his family.

2010-12-27T13:01:00.001-08:00

Candy updated via text this morning…Jason is not likely to make it more than a couple of days. Please keep the Freiboths in your thoughts.

2010-12-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

From Julie Cavanuagh:

I will say Season's Greetings because Merry Christmas doesn't seem to work for me right now. Jason seems to be fading very quickly at this point. He is delusional at times and is eating very little. It seems we are at the beginning of the end. Candy, the kids, and his parents are here with him. Candy's mom is in town.

Because of these things, please no unannounced visits. I would say e-mails, rather than texts, so that Candy is not bothered by her phone right now.

Hold your family, friends close. Embrace each day.

With Love,

Julie

New email address

2010-12-06T08:24:00.001-08:00

Hello, friends -

We are discontinuing our Clearwire.net service, so our email address will change immediately. Our new email address is:

simaxfreiboth@gmail.com

Please change our contact info in your email systems.

Thanks,

Candy and Jason

Update from Julie

2010-12-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hello - Thought I would send out another update, although I don't have many details - medically. While the family was in San Diego for the Thanksgiving holiday, Jason lost use of his legs, and has no feeling below his waist. He has been in a wheelchair since before Thanksgiving. At this time Candy has stopped working and is taking care of Jason full-time. She does have assistance from Hospice and has engaged a home health agency to come in a few times a day and help her move Jason from bed to chair, etc. (they also help with house cleaning, meal prep., companionship...pretty much whatever Candy/Jason ask for). This has been great. They are still working out a schedule as to how much help they need, when they need it, etc., and getting used to having someone in the house is going to take some time. Jason's spirits are (seem) good. He is the same old guy that we all know and love. Candy is hanging in there. She is one tough cookie and is taking great care of her entire family. Candy's mom arrived yesterday and will be staying for.....as she puts it, "the winter". :) She will be a big help with the kids and support of Candy/Jason.

I expressed to Candy that many people would like to visit them. She said, "Yes, please." The best way to do that is to schedule through Candy. Texting is your best bet. 541-390-9811. Be patient. Some days are easier than others, but they want folks to visit. Don't be afraid that you are bugging them - you are supposed to bug them - they are your friends :)

One area that we can all help with starting now, would be providing dinners. I will keep a calendar of names/dates. Just send me a few dates you are interested in, and I will sign you up for one or a few, and get back to you. In order to keep their evening dedicated to family, you can either have me pick up the meal or bring it to my house. I will take dinners over. They just don't want to have to have social hour every evening when someone delivers a meal. This will make Candy's evenings MUCH less stressful, and she can focus on her family. So get your apron on and start cooking. Doesn't have to be fancy. Doesn't even have to be good........well, kinda good.

Of course they are overwhelmed by the love and support from you all. It seems every day, they are told of someone wanting to do something for them, or just doing something out of the blue. What great friends you all are!

Get out your calendar and send me the dates. Thanks again!!

Love,Julie Cavanaugh

Update from Lisa

2010-11-15T09:18:00.001-08:00

I just got off the phone after talking with Candy, Jason, and Dr. Martin (the oncologist who worked with Jason the last time he was hospitalized). Dr. Martin had reviewed Jason's MRI and CT scans and explained what is going on.

The scans show that Jason's cancer is progressing, especially the tumors around his spinal cord. The tumor that Dr. Tien was able to partially remove a few weeks ago has grown back very rapidly and is again pressing on the spinal cord and causing Jason's pain and difficulty walking. Dr. Martin consulted with both Dr. Tien and Dr. Chang, who have followed Jason's cancer for the past several years, and they are all in agreement that there are no good options for further treatment at this point. Jason cannot take any more radiation, and the fact that the last tumor has grown back so quickly means that is no real role for surgery, either. In terms of further systemic treatment for Jason's melanoma, there aren't any chemotherapies that would be effective. This means that - in the opinion of Jason's doctors - it is really time to focus on managing symptoms (including pain) and quality of life issues so that Jason can enjoy the precious time he has left. He has gotten some steroids that will help reduce the swelling near his spinal cord and is getting IV morphine. Dr. Martin is sure that he will be able to go home with oral morphine, and he will be able to increase the dose beyond what he has been taking in order to control the pain. There are other pain medications that can be considered later, including Fentanyl patches. Jason is eligible for hospice care, so he will get his own assigned in-home nurse who can help manage pain and other symptoms. Given the location of the worst tumors, Dr. Martin thinks that the most likely symptoms to develop could be further lower-body paralysis and perhaps bowel and bladder issues, which are regulated by nerves in the lower spine. He will also feel tired and sleepy more often, both because his body is using its energy to fight the cancer and because of the pain meds he will be on.

I try really hard to keep these messages clear, factual, and accurate based on what the doctors have said. I know that you all know how much emotion there is under this all, and that I'm just trying to separate the feelings from the facts in these little written summaries. Jason has fought this thing so valiantly for so long, and it is just unbearable to hear that we are at the point we're at right now.

Love to all,
Lisa Aumack

Donation Bank Update

2010-10-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

I have been contacted by several people regarding donations. Apparently the US Bank account is closed. A new account has been opened at SELCO Credit Union. Their phone number is 541-312-1800.

Update from Candy

2010-10-05T09:36:00.001-07:00

Jason was allowed to sit up today and even walked a short distance to stand up and brush his teeth at the sink. He is still very week and needed a walker and assistance to get out of bed. Had visits with occupational and physical therapists and a wonderful palliative doctor who's job is to manage his symptoms.Jason is wanting to try anything that Dr. Curti suggests and asked the palliative doctor to have discussions with Dr. curti and Dr. Tien to see what they think his chances are with any other treatments. He is still hopeful and we will continue to support him in any decision he makes from here on out.

He had a wonderful visit with the boys, my brother, sister-in-law and niece and enjoyed the home cooked dinner they brought. If anyone would like to visit him in the hospital jason suggested between 1-5pm.

Love to you all
Candy

August 2010 Update

2010-08-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Candy and Jason met with Dr. Tien, Jason's neurosurgeon, yesterday. The meeting was a consultation to review Dr. Tien's assessment of Jason's latest brain scan, which shows a "hot spot" that has enlarged since the last scan. Dr. Tien discussed the options and his initial recommendations. He did not want to schedule brain surgery until he consulted with Jason's Portland oncologist, Dr. Curti. Unfortunately Dr. Curti is gone for 10 days so Dr. Tien spoke to another oncologist who has been tracking Jason's case. They spoke and reviewed the status of the cancer in all parts of Jason's body, and determined that the brain tumor is the one that will most affect Jason's longevity or quality of life. Dr. Tien would like to do surgery next Wednesday.

There are risks, including blindness and other brain damage, that can occur with further surgery. In addition, the surgery itself would diminish Jason's quality of life for a period of several months following the surgery. We will know more on Monday what to expect with the surgery.

From Candy:

Well, we didn't expect to be celebrating our 13th Anniversary on Saturday with this unexpected news nor brain surgery on Jason 40th Birthday but that is part of the crappy roller coaster we are on.

Though I would do anything to make this all go away and give my husband the life he once had, I have to be thankful we have this option to give our family more time with one another.

We apologize if we don't always return texts and emails to everyone but I know everyone has a clear understanding of why. Much love to all of you...

PS Thank you mom for helping me to interpret the info from yesterday. I love you very much!

June 2010 Upddate

2010-06-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many people have still been checking in, but if you have, sorry for such a gap in updating this site.

There has been quite a bit going on since the last update. December of last year included a clinical trial drug called OX40. The treatment involved a series of IV drips with the experimental drug over a period of about 2 months. At the end of the treatment, an MRI and CT scan were done to see if there had been any changes in the melanoma in my body. Those results showed no new growths and some shrinkage in existing growths. That was pretty good news!

Up until February I really didn't have much going on other than routine scans. About mid February I started to have some odd feelings in my legs and back. A CT scan showed that there were some growths on my lower spine that was affecting my ability to walk steadily. It also showed a growth on my left kidney and another on my right ureter. 5 Doses of radiation were able to take care of the spots on my spine and walking is fine for now. The blockage on the ureter was causing some pretty good back pain that was relieved with some pretty heavy pain medication. The urologists also attempted to place a stint in my kidney to bypass the blocked ureter twice with no success. As a result, a nafrostamy tube was placed in my kidney along with a collection bag to collect urine from that kidney. After having the tube and bag for almost 2 months, they were finally able to place a stint internally and remove the tube and bag. That was quite a relief to get the tube out since I was only able to take sponge baths with the tube in place! During that same time frame, I was taking a chemotherapy pill called Temador. It really had no side effects and after taking it for 3 weeks showed now improvement in any of the affected areas so that drug was stopped.

Most recently, I have started another clinical trial drug called ipilimamamab (ippi for short). It is another immune therapy that is given by IV. My first infusion was this last Friday, 4th of June. I will be receiving treatment every three weeks for three more times. After those treatments there will be scans done to determine what effect the drugs have had. We are obviously hoping for some good results from this treatment as it has some pretty good results in prior trials. We will try to keep up a little better with upcoming treatments to keep you all posted. Sorry again it has been so long & hopefully we will keep you all updated a bit better in the future!

Jason

2010-06-08T16:20:00.001-07:00

September 2009 Update

2009-09-14T14:35:00.000-07:00

For anyone that is still checking in, sorry for such a long delay in updating the blog.

Things have been going great for the last month and a half. The most recent set of scans from head to toe showed no new growths anywhere and all spots that were seen in prior scans were either shrinking or had already healed! It is a great feeling to know that all of the intense treatments that I went through the winter are working! I also truly feel that all the prayers and love sent my way had a big role in getting me through the treatments and making them successful. The next set of scans are scheduled for the end of this month (Sept). I have been feeling great and am expecting to get the same good news!

I have also started back to work and it is awesome! It does a lot for my mental state being able to get back to some sense of normality and be around the great group of people at the Park & Recreation District here in Bend! It has been fun to get back out in the community and have everyone tell me how happy they are for me that the treatments are working and I am getting better! Thanks again to everyone for all of the love, prayers, & support and I will let you know how the next set of scans go.

Jason

June Update from Jason

2009-06-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

Hello to those that are still wondering how things have been! Sorry it has been such a long time since I have updated everyone, but life has been busy.

I am officially done with interleukin-2 treatments!! I have had 2 more rounds since the last update and that brings me to the end of treatments that I can receive. I was able to receive 9 treatments with the next to last round and 8 treatments in the last round. The doctors told us that the average patient is only able to receive 4 treatments on average if they are able to make it through all 6 rounds, so 8 was pretty amazing.

On the downside, my body was really thrown for a loop. I am still not fully recovered physically yet, but it is getting better each day. Now, we wait until early July to do another round of scans and see what has been happening. I am obviously hoping for the best and am trying to stay as positive as possible.

Assuming that everything is good, we will hang out and rescan after another 3 months or so, and if it is not good, we will explore other options. Thanks again to everyone sending their prayers and good thoughts our way! Jason

April Good News

2009-04-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

GREAT NEWS FROM THE ROSE CITY!!! Sorry it has taken a bit of time to update the blog site, but life seems to be more and more busy everyday. We were in Portland last week to get the results of the latest scans and it basically was all good news!

There were no new growths at all and almost all other spots that were seen on the scan prior to this set were shrinking or have already healed. There is one spot in my tailbone that is not responding so well to the IL-2 treatments, so starting this week, I will receive 13 treatments of radiation to that spot and hope that will start to shrink the melanoma in that area. That will be immediately followed up with another 2 weeks of IL-2 treatment in Portland with 2 weeks off between each treatment.

It is exciting to get the results we got and keep moving forward. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting a bit brighter! Dr. Curti had used a baseball analogy the first time that we met with him saying that people that start IL-2 either strike out or hit a homerun. I asked him where I am in the infield and he said, " between 2nd & 3rd and still running". I plan on running all the way to home!

Thanks to everyone for all of the prayers and good thoughts that have been sent our way. It is all helping!! --Jason

March Post from Jason

2009-03-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

Well, it is Monday the 2nd of March (my how time flies when you are in the middle of cancer treatment!) and we just got home from Portland last night after another week of treatment. I did pretty good again for this being the 4th round of treatment. I ended up receiving 10 of the 14 possible doses this time. The doctors and nurses told me that the 4th round is typically the hardest to get through. I believe them. Although I received 10 doses, I was lucky to get that. After about the 3rd or 4th dose, my blood pressure starts to drop and my heart rate starts to rise. When that is the case, they have to monitor you much more closely. That means having a blood pressure cuff on your arm for 24/7 and someone else taking vitals every 11/2 hours to every 2 hours. Basically, no sleep for the rest of the time that you are in there. Between the loss of sleep and having no appetite, it is pretty hard to focus on anything other than what little sleep I can get. So anyway, we made it through and now wait 4 - 6 weeks and do more scans and hope that it is working. If so, we will do 2 more treatments in April and then be done for a bit. If it is not working, then we will go from there. It will probably be a while before we post again, so take care and we will update when we get the next scans! --Jason

Round 4 for Jason

2009-02-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

Well Jason headed up this past weekend to start his 4th treatment on Monday. He left a little tired and under the weather but he pushed forward once again. As of today he has received 3 out of 4 of his "cocktails". They skipped the 11pm dosage last night because he was having severe stomach pain but got back on track this am. Jason's sister flew in from Montana on Sunday and is staying at the hospital keeping Jay company. The boys and I will head up early Friday morning and will stay in Portland until we can bring Jason home on Sunday. Thank you all once again for your love and support! --Candy

Latest News from Jason

2009-02-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the delayed update for all of you that are still checking in. We had a very successful trip to Portland last week. The best news was that I was able to handle 14 out of 14 doses, which apparently does not happen that often. The only down side is that it has been a bit harder to recover, since I received 3 more doses than the first go around. But, if more doses help, I can deal with the recovery! Now we wait and go back on the 23rd of February for round number 4. Thanks for all of the comments you have been posting on the blog site. It is great to hear from everyone and get all of the positive vibes! Thanks again and we will try to let you know how the next round goes. ---Jason

News from Jason

2009-02-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, It is Monday Feb 2nd and I have just arrived at Providence for my 3rd round of IL-2 treatments. We are all somewhat excited to get the treatments rolling again with the hope of shrinking and eventually eliminating the tumors that are in my bones. As we know from past treatments, it will be a long and tough week. However, the hope of getting healthy again will get me through. Thanks again to everyone that is sending prayers and good vibes my way this week! --Jason

Update from Jason

2009-01-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, Here's a good news/bad news update, with more good than bad. I had a CT scan last Friday and got the results from Portland yesterday. The "good" news is that there were no new growths and the majority of the spots that were found prior to the IL-2 treatments had not changed. Ideally, they would have started to shrink or would have disappeared, but no change is also a good thing.

The "bad" news is that there is a lesion on my right lung that had grown a very small amount. Since the lungs are a fairly important organ, the focus will be on getting rid of that spot soon.
So the latest plan will be a handful of trips to Portland to meet with the radiologist at Providence, do some computer imaging, and then hit the spot on the lung with some radiation. It sounds like it should only be a small amount of radiation, but no fun none the less. Once that is taken care of, I will be back for 2 more cycles of the IL-2 to see if we can tip the scales in our favor and start to get rid of the cancer in my bones.

Both Candy and I are taking the glass is half full approach after getting the latest news. We are happy to hear that the IL-2 is keeping the majority of the spots at bay and that no new spots have appeared. It also sounds like the lesion on the lung can be taken care of with a blast of radiation. Hopefully I will respond to radiation as well as I have in the past. Thanks again for all of your love, support, and prayers as we keep on fighting. --Jason

Saturday Update from Candy

2008-12-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

End of Treatment #2 (Update) - Jason and I will be leaving the hospital on Sunday to return to Bend. Jason received 9/14 treatments, which is good. Jason experienced other side affects this round, including a higher heart rate and lower blood pressure that prevented him from receiving more doses. It is generally expected that IL2 patients do not receive as many doses the second time as the first. (Jason was 11/14 for round one). Jason has been a trooper and is eager to get off the monitoring system and back to the comfort of his own home. He is resting now with little nausea but lots of peeling skin. He is much more alert and "with it" than he was at this point during the first treatment. Love to all, Candy & Jason

Update from Portland

2008-12-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

Hi folks. Jason and I arrived on Monday to start Jason's second round of treatment. He's just about to receive his 6th dose (out of 7 possible doses) of IL-2. His batting average is great so far. They withheld one dose this morning due to low blood pressure. We've been having an Entourage marathon (thanks for hooking us on the show Renee), which we've now hooked my brother Ethan on. Jason reports that he's fine and dandy - just a little itchy - and is looking forward to getting through the rest of the treatments. Thanks again for everyones' support and hope to see you soon! Off to start season 3 of Entourage! Love, The Freiboths

Thanks for YOUR Support

2008-12-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in the basketball fundrasier on December 5. COBO and the Mountain View High School Cougars raised $3,600 with their Free Throw fundraiser. (A special thanks to Craig Reid for organizing this!) The Silent Auction, Best Seat in the House, Hat & Concession sales raised another $1,200.

Also, dining at Round Table Pizza on November 25 resulted in a contribution of $200. And dining at Alpenglow on December 2 resulted in a contribution of $200. Thank you to both restaurants for their support.

Finally, We have a Gift Certificate valued at $70 for two complete Telemark or AT rentals from Pine Mountation Sports still available. If you are interested please contact Sue Boettner at BMPRD (phone 389-7275).

El Rodeo Family Mexican Restaurant - Tuesday, Dec. 16th

2008-12-10T10:38:00.000-08:00

Eat lunch or dinner at El Rodeo Family Mexican Restaurant and support Jason at the same time! They are located at 785 SE Third Street (across from the Grocery Outlet) and are open for lunch and dinner. The phone number is 617-5952. Enjoy some great Mexican food with your friends and family and help the Freiboths.

A Note from Jason

2008-12-08T08:12:00.001-08:00

Hello to everyone that is checking in on the blog. Both Candy and myself have been overwhelmed by our community's generosity and compassion for our situation. It really makes us feel great knowing that we live in a place where people really care about each other!! So thanks again to all of you that have attended any of the fundraising events, donated money, or have just sent positive thoughts our way.

Candy and myself are gearing up to travel to Portland again for another round of treatments starting this Monday the 8th. From what we understand, the second series is a bit tougher than the 1st due to a short recovery period and some of the previous treatment still being in the system. After this week of treatment we will have approximately 4 weeks off the treatment and then the doctors will do scans to see if the treatments are working. If they are,we will set up more, and if not then we will move on to the next thing. Thanks again for everyone's support and we will try to update you from Portland this next week. --Jason

THANKS on Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who participated and contributed at Juniper Swim & Fitness Center on Thanksgiving Day. The fitness event raised $967 for the Freiboths and maybe some of the participants lost a pound or two!

Sprouts Kids Salon - Thursday, Dec. 11th

2008-12-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

Bring the kids to Sprouts Kids Salon for a haircut on Thursday, December 11th and HALF of all sales will go to the Freiboth family. Sprouts is located on the Westside of Bend at 1444 NW College Way on the corner of Newport Ave and College Way. Call in advance for an appointment (382-0055) or just come by. Owner Catherine Bueker's son and Jason's son Simon go to daycare together. This is a great way to get your kids spruced up for the hoildays and support Jason at the same time!

Mountain View High School Basketball - Friday, Dec. 5th

2008-11-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

Attend the Mountain View High School Basketball Game on Friday, December 5th and help the Freiboths! You can buy a raffle ticket for the "Best Seat in the House", this includes a couch at mid-court and refreshments served to you during the game. Tickets are $2 or 3 for $5. To purchase tickets in advance contact Katie Burns at 480-6087. Also at the game will be a Silent Auction. Items include Golf at Brasada, Golf at Eagle Crest, an autographed Goalie Shirt from the US Men's Soccer Team, Jewelery from Cookie Lee, and Clothing from stores in downtown Bend. In addition, the basketball players will be having a free throw contest at half time and have already gotten sponsors. Come and join the fun!!!!

Update from Todd LaFrenz

2008-11-24T12:04:00.000-08:00

Jason got released yesterday, Sunday, and made it home last night around 6pm. He was wiped out and went straight to bed. I will ask Candy if she can relay a message to update the blog this week. His parents left early Sunday am and his cousin from Colorado and his family are coming to see them this week - they plan to provide a Thanksgiving dinner. So the next 2 weeks he is to rest and get ready for round #2 - we will see what type of support is needed. The #1 priority is he gets rest. The good thing is he wasn't in pain- just out of it.

Good Eats from Tony's

2008-11-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who ate a Tony's Delicatessen on Thursday, Nov. 20th. Tony's was able to contribute approximately $500 from the proceeds of the day's sales.

Thanksgiving Day Fitness Classes at JSFC

2008-11-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Juniper Swim & Fitness Center will offer a variety of classes on Thanksgiving Day. Only the Sixth Street entrance will be open. Pre-registration is required for classes. A suggested donation of $7 will go directly to the Jason S. Freiboth account at US Bank. Classes include:

Turkey Burner Cycle Class
8:30-10:30 am Endurance Ride
10:40-11:30 am Cycle Cardio

Stuffing Stopper Cardio Class
9:00-10:00 am Zumba

Open Your Heart To Yoga
8:30-9:30 am Sun Salutation Rounds
9:45-11:00 am Vinyasa Flow Yoga

Masters Swim Practice (pre-registration not required)
8:30-10:30 am Deep End of Olympic Pool

The Fitness Center will be open from 8:30-11:00 am
Hope to see you there!

A Note from Candy

2008-11-22T18:57:00.001-08:00

Jason and I want to say THANK YOU to everyone for the love, support and understanding you have given to our situation. 12 years ago we moved to Bend knowing no one and now its amazing to see all the people we have befriended over those 12 years all in the same room at the spaghetti feed. Seeing people we havent seen in awhile come together bringing back memories from our Party Days put a smile on our faces. We wish this was a fun occasion that brought everyone together so I'm thinking the next one needs to be an enchilada and margaritas party were we celebrate friendships.

Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for the unexpected response to the spaghetti feed the Bend Metro Parks and Rec put on. Thank you to all the staff and their family members who helped put this on and to the ladies at Ready Set Go who also helped out. Thank you to family, friends, community partners and acquaintances who came out and showed their love and support to our family. We will be forever grateful to be surrounded by wonderful and caring people. We love this community and feel very blessed to pick this place to raise a family.

Saturday Update from Stefan

2008-11-22T18:55:00.001-08:00

Jason has finished week 1! He was able to take on 11 out of 14 possible treatments of IL2. As expected, the toll on his body became more and more severe as the week wore on. He is starting to bounce back today (still very uncomfortable, but staying awake more and less loopy.) The doctors will most likely keep him here one more night and friends and family are stepping up in Bend to help with the kids.

A positive sign in the treatment has been the decrease in his platelet count in his blood. They find that those who have success in the IL2 treatment often have a significant drop in platelet count. There is not a direct correlation, but it is a good sign. As his primary nurse said, they like to see the count drop below 100 and Jasons got down to 29! (Below 20, however, stops IL2 treatment so Jason took it to the limit! Jasons nurse said that he danced a little jig when he saw the number drop.)

Jason and Candy have appreciated reading the posts on the blog and seeing pictures of their beloved community in Bend.

Thursday Night Update from Portland

2008-11-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

Last night Candy & Jason sat on the bed looking at all of the pasta feed photos, stopping at every picture to comment and tell stories about the folks in the pictures. It goes without saying that this event was profound and appreciated more than words can say by our entire family – but I wanted folks to know that their good will from that evening touched Candy and Jason directly (through the photos and story telling) exactly half-way through Jason’s treatment this week.

Jason’s parents were able to come over from Bend, where they are watching the kiddos, for a couple days and had good visits (including a card game with Jason & Candy) earlier in the week. Jason’s cousin from Denver also was able to visit. Eugene family has been visiting the second half of the week.

Jason, though uncomfortable, continues to keep a positive and humorous attitude throughout the week. (Every time someone leaves saying they’ll be right back, Jason quips ‘I’ll be right here when you get back’). Candy has been the perfect partner throughout this treatment. She does whole-body applications of lotion for Jason to address the itchy sensations that come with the treatment – and she too maintains a sense of humor, as she cautions Jason not to expect the whole-body rub downs as a normal daily part of their relationship. They both have had laughs as Candy presses her hand into his bright rosy-red body and leaves silly hand prints all over her hubby.

Jason had to skip one of the 14 (maximum) treatments yesterday due to elevated CO2 levels in his blood. They gave him medication for that, and he has successfully had two more doses since, so he is 9/10 with five more opportunities to get the IL2 treatment by Friday night. Even twelve total treatments would be great, so he (and everyone here) is pleased with his progress.

Stefan (Jason's bro-in-law) Aumack

Wednesday's Update from Lisa (Candy's Mom)

2008-11-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here is Wednesday's update from Portland:Today is Wednesday - Jason's third day in the hospital and his second full day of treatment. He has gotten 6 of the maximum 14 doses and hasn't had to miss a dose yet. Jason is now moving into the "puffer-fish" stage (as Jason and Candy refer to it), in which he puffs up and turns bright red. He is beginning to have all the other symptoms typical of this very toxic treatment, but the medical staff are monitoring him very closely and are giving him medications to help minimize some of the symptoms. He is also getting electrolyte replacement, to help keep his body functioning even as he loses lots of fluids for the next several days. Jason's parents drove down from Bend to Portland to spend a couple of days at the hospital, thanks to the very generous offer of Renee to take care of Max and Simon, and the Freiboth clan had a good visit last night. Tonight Candy's brother Stefan and his Eugene family will stop by to cheer them on (Go Ducks! Go Jason!).

Jason would like everyone to know that he "whupped" Candy at gin rummy Monday night. Candy claims it was by cheating, and - with the same sense of humor that both Candy and Jason have tried to maintain -- told him to just wait, because as the week wore on, she was sure that the effects of his treatment would allow her to begin winning. Unfortunately, the side effects sneaked up on them too quickly, and Jason is no longer "card game ready", needing instead to sleep much of the time. Candy is already strategizing how to beat him during his second week in the hospital in December.

Candy, Jason, and all of us in both of their families continue to feel immense gratitude to all of you who are helping them in so many ways (some of them visible and some not). It is good to know that so much positive energy and so many good thoughts and prayers are being sent their way. Thank you, one and all! -Lisa

An Update from Candy's Mom

2008-11-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

Candy and Jason arrived at Providence Medical Center Monday morning to check in, get the IV "port" placed in Jason's neck, and get settled in for the coming week. According to Jason, someone decided they should get the "Penthouse Suite", which they describe as the nicest accommodations in the hospital. They've been told that the first two days of treatment aren't too bad, so they're snuggled in with all kinds of entertainment, and Jason is surrounded by his electronic toys -- DVD player, IPOD, and TV remote. He is excitedly looking forward to watching the Ducks game tonight (to which Max might grin and reply, "Go Beavers!", just to tease his Dad!). The Interleukin-2 treatments will begin this afternoon, and we will all hope for the good doctors at Providence to get as many doses into Jason as possible in the coming 4 days. Candy and Jason were both very moved by the great love and generosity evidenced by the successful pasta feed and want to convey their gratitude to everyone who organized and attended the dinner. Bend is a community full of love, to be sure! I will pass on news another couple of times this week, before Candy and Jason return home Saturday or Sunday. With all good thoughts and thanks for what everyone is doing to help --Lisa Aumack (Candy's mom and Jason's "second mom")

Pasta Feed a HUGE Success!

2008-11-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed in many ways to the Pasta Feed on Sunday. The event raised $4,760 all of which goes directly to the Freiboths. Approximately 350 people attended and it was awesome to see so much support for Jason! Special thanks to Michelle Johnson of Cookie Lee Jewelry for contributing her profits (approx. $200) for the evening and Kathy Thompson and her staff at Ready Set Go for all the delicious desserts. Big thanks also go out to the many businesses that supported the event with their donations including Oregon Bath & Body, The Footzone, Local Joe, Bend Elks Baseball - Jim Richards, Great Harvest Bread Company, Di Lusso’s Bakery ~ Be-Bop Biscotti, Safeway Grocery Store, Albertson’s Grocery Store, Newport Market, Costco, Inc., and Silverado. Feel free to add your comments (below) about this event.

High Tides Seafood Grill - Tuesday, Dec. 9th

2008-11-17T08:46:00.000-08:00

Have lunch or dinner at High Tides Seafood Grill on Tuesday, December 9th and help Jason at the same time. High Tides is located at 1045 NW Wall Street (across from Deschutes Brew Pub), their hours for Lunch are 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and Dinner is served from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Enjoy a great fish or seafood meal and the restaurant will donate a percentage to Jason.

Alpenglow Cafe - Tuesday, Dec. 2nd

2008-11-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

Enjoy a delicious breakfast or lunch at Alpenglow Cafe on Tuesday, December 2nd and support the Freiboths at the same time. Alpenglow will donate a percentage of the day's sales to the Freiboth family. Their hours are 7:00 am to 2:00 pm and they are located at 1133 NW Wall Street in the Columbia River Bank Complex.

Round Table Pizza - Tuesday, Nov. 25th

2008-11-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

Pick up a pizza, stop in for lunch or dinner, or call 389-2963 for take out or delivery at Round Table Pizza on Tuesday, Nov. 25th. They are located at 1552 NE Third Street (near Radio Shack). A percentage of the day's receipts will be donated to the Freiboth family.

A Note from Jason's Parents

2008-11-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

Jason’s Dad & I would like to thank you so very, very much for all you have done for Jason & Candy and the boys. The love you have shown them through all of your support, fundraisers, and donations of money and time mean a lot to us also. Having them so far away has been difficult for us, but knowing they have such a caring “family” in Bend helps.

This has been such an on-going disease it is our prayer that the treatments in Portland will do the trick this time. It sounds like they will be tough, but so is Jason, and we look forward to the day when they say the cancer is in remission.

Again, thank you to all of you for your support and efforts. We look forward to meeting more of you and seeing those of you that we have already had the privilege of meeting.

Sincerely,
Dianne & Wade Freiboth

Tony's Delicatessen Fundraiser - Thursday, Nov. 20th

2008-11-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Thursday, November 20th will be Jason Frieboth Day at Tony's Deli. A percentage of all sales that day will be donated to the Frieboth Family. Tony's Deli is located at 320 SW Century Drive, Suite 410. Their hours are 10:30 am to 6:30 pm. Stop by or call (647-1653) to get lunch or dinner. They offer a variety of hot entrees, wraps, grinders, sandwiches, salads and soups. They also have "Take 'n Bake" and catering platters. Enjoy some good food and support Jason at the same time!

An Update from Jason

2008-11-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here is a brief overview of the next few weeks to come:

Candy and I will head to Portland @ 7am on Monday the 17th to start the first series of Interleukin – 2 treatments. We will be at Providence East Side Medical Clinic through Saturday afternoon, and then plan on returning back to Bend that evening. I will get two weeks off to recover and then go back to Portland on the 8th of December for another week of treatment.

That will be followed by 4 – 5 weeks of for recovery. At the end of that 4 – 5 weeks, I will have another round of CT scans, MRIs, and bone scans to see if there has been any progress. Any progress at all (disappearance, shrinking of the tumors, stabilization of current tumors,or no new growths) will result in more treatment. If none of those things happen then we will have to explore other clinical trials that are being pursued at Providence. Obviously, we are hoping for the best possible result, which would be complete remission! Time will tell.

Pasta Feed at Aspen Hall - Sunday, Nov. 16th

2008-11-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

Come join us for a Pasta Feed at Aspen Hall - Sunday, November 16th from 4-8 pm. Please purchase tickets in advance so we know how much food to prepare. Contact Katie at 480-6087. Ticket are $8 / adult, $4 / children or $15 / family of 4. Checks and cash are accepted however we will be unable to process debit/credit cards. Thanks for your support all the proceeds will help the Freiboths during Jason's battle with cancer.

The Fight of His Life - Bend Bulletin 7/27/2008

2008-11-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

Skin cancer has taken a toll on longtime Bend park district sports program do-it-all Jason Freiboth, but with support from myriad sources he hopes to beat the potentially deadly disease.

If you or your children have played organized recreational sports in these parts over the past dozen years, there’s a good chance you’ve come across Jason Freiboth. An employee of the Bend Metro Park and Recreation District since 1996, Freiboth has had a hand in just about every sports program the district offers — especially its youth programs. From getting ball fields ready for play to gym supervision, and from helping youngsters learn how to golf to officiating basketball games, he’s been as involved with kids’ sports in Bend as anyone possibly could be. Which is why even though you might not know his name (it’s pronounced FRY-both), you might well recognize his face.

Then again, maybe not. Not since he began losing ground in his battle with cancer. Freiboth’s smile is a friendly one, reflecting his good nature even though multiple surgical procedures have distorted the grin some and have, he says, “basically given me a new lip.” Additional operations have left scars on the side of his neck, and on the back of his head, where, because of recent radiation treatment for the cancer, there is nothing to hide a five-inch zipper that runs up the back of his hair-bare noggin. But the cosmetic issues cause him no particular distress. “I don’t think too much about it,” he says. “I can still eat, still talk. I know it’s not my same smile, but other than that … it’s really the least of my concerns.”

It began in early 2002 as a tiny white spot on his lower lip. “Like a flake of dry, chapped skin,” Freiboth describes it. “It would come and go, but it wouldn’t go away.” So he had it checked, and the result was not good: He tested positive for skin cancer — specifically, squamous cell carcinoma, or SCC. As skin cancers go, SCC is fairly common. (An estimated quarter of a million new cases of SCC surface each year in the United States.) The disease also is not usually serious, especially when diagnosed early and treated promptly. Most often, SCC is caused by overexposure to the sun, which made Freiboth — whose fair complexion predisposed him to skin cancer — a prime candidate for the disease. Freiboth, now 37, left his native Sheridan, Wyo., on his 21st birthday to finish college in Arizona. Over the next several years there, he earned a degree and spent hours upon hours working and recreating in the outdoors. Throughout his youth, he and the sun were constant companions. “I worked for the school district in Sheridan during my high school summers,” Freiboth recalls. “Five days a week mowing grass, moving sprinklers — all out in the sun. “But back in high school, it’s like the goal was to get as tan as you could. If I used sunscreen, it was like SPF 4.” (That’s “sun protection factor” 4, which provides only minimal defense against the sun’s damaging rays.) In Arizona his jobs included working at golf courses, where he seared under the Southwest sun. “About the first time I got burned in Arizona, I got on board with the sunscreen,” he says. “And I got really good about putting it on everywhere — my face, arms, legs. But I never thought of my lips. “Who ever thinks about their lips?”

When Freiboth and his wife, Candy, moved to Bend in 1996, he jumped right into the Central Oregon sunshine — mountain biking, fishing, and taking a job with guest services at Broken Top Club, where he “tried to play as much golf as possible.” He soon landed a part-time position with the park district that had him supervising gyms and officiating basketball during the winter and the rest of the year working outdoors with an array of youth sports programs. Freiboth became a full-time rec assistant with the park district in September 2001, shortly before that spot on his lip started to concern him. “It developed into a tiny blister,” he recalls. “So I got it checked.” Even though the biopsy indicated squamous cell carcinoma, a procedure to remove the cancerous tissue was successful, and Freiboth counted his blessings and went on with his life. “They (doctors) told me it looked like they got everything and that the margins were clear (no sign that the cancer had spread),” he says. “I was good to go.” That he was … for the next five years.

Cancer is random. It is as unpredictable as it is indiscriminate. And while anyone who has developed skin cancer is at increased risk of encountering the disease again, Freiboth did not suspect cancer when, in spring 2006, he noticed swelling on the right side of his neck.
It turned out to be cancer — the SCC was manifest in Freiboth’s lymphatic system. The unwelcome development meant another round of surgery, this time to remove the cancerous lymph node and a number of the surrounding nodes. That operation, too, was declared a success. And once again, Freiboth was “good to go.” Good to go back to his family, to Candy and their two young sons. Good to go back to play, to snowboarding, and to officiating basketball, which for him had started as a way to stay involved with a sport he had played in college and developed into an avocation of sorts. (In addition to officiating for the park district, Freiboth became a regular referee for area youth tournaments and adult leagues. He also became part of the local high school basketball officials’ association and worked his way up to varsity status.) And he was good to go back to work, to a job that he loved, and to a workplace that cherished him in return. “Jason’s greatest asset is that he can do almost any task, and do it well,” says Greg Brady, a sports program coordinator with BMPRD. “He’s like the classic baseball utility guy … and he could probably manage the team if we needed him to.” Like Brady, Rich Ekman, another sports coordinator with the park district, was part of the hiring process that made Freiboth a “sports specialist” with the park and rec staff back in 1996. Ekman says Freiboth is at his best when he’s working with youngsters. “Jason does a ton of stuff, and not just for the sports department,” says Ekman. “But where he really shines is with the kids. He really clicks with kids.” It was good to get back to all that — family, play, work — after Freiboth made a quick and encouraging recovery from the neck operation. “It looked like I was cancer-free,” he recalls, “and in the clear.”

He had heard that before, of course, only to be disappointed. But that made him no better prepared when a checkup last fall revealed another little spot on his lip. Or when another biopsy determined that the “spot” represented a different form of skin cancer: melanoma. While not as common as squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma is even more dangerous, causing more deaths (an estimated 8,000 in the U.S. in 2007) than any other type of skin cancer. Like SCC, melanoma can spread to other parts of the body if not treated early, so Freiboth went back under the surgeon’s knife. First, he underwent a “lip shave.” “They peeled all the skin off my bottom lip and pulled the skin from the inside of my mouth to make a new lip,” Freiboth explains. A few weeks later, after it was discovered that the lip shave had not removed all of the cancer, Freiboth underwent another procedure, during which a half-inch wedge of his lip was removed to assure that the diseased tissue was gone. And, he says, it appeared once again that he was good to go. But as a precaution, his doctor wanted to set him up for radiation treatment. Freiboth was also prescribed a positron emission tomography exam, or PET scan, which allowed his radiation oncologist to perform a full-body examination for cancer. The scan was performed in early March — and Freiboth’s oncologist got back to him with some troubling news. “She said, ‘We found a suspicious spot we need to look at,’” he recounts. “I asked her where. And she said, ‘On your brain.’

If Freiboth’s resolve to beat the advancing cancer was weakening, it didn’t show to those around him. “He was just a trooper about it,” says Ekman, Freiboth’s supervisor with the park district. Further testing determined that the spot the oncologist had detected was a tumor. “About the size of a walnut,” says Freiboth, “on the back of my brain.” On March 19, he underwent surgery to remove the tumor — most of it, anyway. And on June 9, he completed a series of hard-hitting, “whole brain” radiation sessions in an attempt to shrink what remained of the tumor. Dr. Linyee Chang, a radiation oncologist with the Cancer Treatment Center at St. Charles Bend, says Freiboth’s prognosis depends on how he responds to treatment. “His youth and his excellent health status are in his favor,” she observes. “He can tolerate aggressive treatment. “And,” Chang says, “he has a very positive attitude, and a strong support system.” Indeed, while Freiboth’s health continues to rally, others have rallied around him. A collection of basketball players at the Athletic Club of Bend, where Freiboth has officiated games for years, turned a group skiing, golf and bowling event into a benefit for their longtime referee. “I’ve known Jason for probably 10 years,” says Eric Carmichael, one of the basketball players at the club. “A lot of the guys know him because he refs our games, but mostly from their kids and parks and rec. “A lot of us are in our mid-30s, with kids of our own, like Jason,” Carmichael continues. “So we can relate to him, and sort of feel what he’s going through.”

Freiboth is thankful to be reasonably well insured. But insurance doesn’t help with travel expenses, and since his cancer returned in 2006 Freiboth has made numerous trips to Portland to see doctors and specialists. He also worries that his ordeal could result in substantial time away from work and a possible long-term loss of income. On top of that, his is not the family’s only serious health issue: Seven-year-old son Max was born with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which requires considerable therapy and treatment. That means even more trips to Portland, for visits to a neurologist and, every few months, to the Shriners Hospital for Children. As for the physical toll the cancer is taking, Freiboth has his good days and his bad days. Fatiguewise, I think we’ve seen it — the people who work with Jason every day,” says Ekman. But Freiboth is still what Brady calls “an on-the-go guy,” passionate about his work and not the kind of employee who calls in sick on a bad-hair day. “He really loves his job,” says Ekman, recalling that one of Freiboth’s rare sick days was in May, the day after his first radiation treatment. “You know if Jason calls in, he really can’t go.” Even some of the bad days find Freiboth on the job, where depending on the day he could be helping with baseball registration, forming football team rosters, arranging soccer coaches’ meetings, producing softball schedules, setting up tennis facilities, teaching youngsters how to swing a golf club, tossing up the ball to tip off a basketball game, distributing team uniforms, or collecting equipment at a season’s end.
Work serves as a refuge of sorts for Freiboth, allowing him to turn his attention away from his frustrating and frightening fight against a dreaded, life-threatening disease. “Jason,” says Ekman, “really wants to come to his job every day.”

His co-workers know that Freiboth’s situation is serious, though he is not always quick to share details of his personal plight. “Jason’s a private guy, and he keeps a lot to himself,” says Ekman. “But he’s also a very caring person. If he’s talking with people about his cancer or his treatment, he’ll joke about it, just to lighten the mood for others.” Sometimes, Freiboth plays “the cancer card.” “Somebody will ask me, ‘Jason, can you do this?’” Freiboth says with a chuckle. “And I’ll say, ‘Oh, you know … I’ve got cancer.’” It’s always good for a laugh. “I try to keep it positive,” says Freiboth. “I have to.” And while he’s able to do his job, enjoy his loving family and take part in all the outdoor activities that make him a prototype Central Oregonian, Freiboth can temporarily escape the grip of cancer. “It’s better when I can be doing things to keep it (cancer) off my mind,” he says. “But when you’re up puking all night (as he was after his first radiation treatment), you can’t help but think about it.” Thinking about it — wondering if the latest procedure or treatment will be the answer to his prayers or just how long this bout with cancer might go on — is the hardest part for Freiboth. The latest radiation sessions have provided hope. And he remains hopeful as he braces for upcoming stereotactic radiation, which he describes as “a one-shot treatment” to attack whatever remains of his tumor. But he has been let down often enough to be guarded with his optimism.

Same for his wife. “I’ll believe it (the cancer) is gone,” says Candy Freiboth, “when I see the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) that says it’s clear.” Jason has “metastatic” melanoma, which means the disease has entered his bloodstream. That, Dr. Chang explains, is how the melanoma spread to Freiboth’s brain. Only time will tell if the radiation treatment will stem the spread. “Melanoma’s a strange thing,” Freiboth says. He knows that if it continues to advance, his outlook is grim. “I could have six months to live,” he says matter-of-factly. “I don’t think they really know.”

Since he was first diagnosed with skin cancer, Freiboth has experienced a range of emotions: anger, sadness, fear. And, of course, he wondered, “Why me?” Through it all, though, he has been buoyed not only by his family but by an extended family of co-workers and friends — and by those who might know him only as that guy they always see at the gym. A garage sale, arranged almost overnight by a former fellow park-district employee, was staged in March to raise money for Freiboth. “His friends just wanted to help in some way,” says Julie Cavanaugh-Strom, who coordinated the sale. “So many people love this guy.” The garage sale raised about $3,000. Later in the spring, a group of students from Mountain View High School learned of Freiboth’s situation and put on a car wash for his benefit. And an account has been established with Bend Take Out, a food delivery service, to provide meals for Freiboth and his family from an assortment of local restaurants. “And a lot of people have been sending me cards and good wishes,” says Freiboth. “We’ve been overwhelmed,” Candy adds. Eric Carmichael and the basketball gang at the Athletic Club of Bend were happy to be able to do something for Freiboth. Through entry fees from their Ski, Swing and Strike event, they raised some $5,000. “We’re hoping that it’s a short-term deal for Jason and that he can fight through this,” says Carmichael. “We’re in his corner … we’re praying for him. “The world’s a better place with guys like him in it.”