Game on
Glenn and his oldest daughter, Steph
Today was a big day for Dad—he officially received his first round of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
To be honest, it feels strange to say we’re excited about chemotherapy. But this moment has been a long time coming, and it represents something really important: forward progress.
Over the past few weeks, it’s felt like we’ve been moving through major milestones—first surgery, then understanding the full diagnosis, and now finally starting treatment. This was the next big step, and Dad was really ready for it.
Dad started a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy today: Padcev and Keytruda. Padcev is a type of chemo that works by targeting cancer cells and delivering treatment directly into them, while Keytruda helps boost his immune system so it can better recognize and fight the cancer on its own. The goal is that, together, they not only attack the cancer directly but also help his body start pushing back against it.
His treatment will follow a repeating cycle—week one will be both drugs, week two will be just Keytruda, and week three will be a rest week. This cycle will continue as his care team monitors how he’s responding.
Next up, Dad will have a liver biopsy. This will help the doctors confirm whether a spot on his liver is cancerous and make sure the current treatment plan is the best fit for all areas of concern.
Going into today, Dad was understandably anxious. Last week was really tough—he wasn’t able to start treatment as planned and ended up being admitted to the hospital for several days. It left all of us feeling pretty defeated.
But today felt different.
His spirits were better, the energy was lighter, and everything went smoothly. He didn’t have any negative reactions to the medications, and honestly—he felt really good when we left Iowa City. Like, “a million bucks” good.
He may still experience some side effects like mild nausea, joint soreness, fatique, or drowsiness, but for the most part, he should feel pretty decent.
One of the most encouraging things is this: Dad has been feeling so worn down for a long time, largely because the cancer was undiagnosed for a while. We’re hopeful that the immunotherapy especially will help him start to feel more like himself again.
So if you see him bopping around town, don’t be surprised—and definitely give him a giant high five.
We’re really proud of him. This isn’t easy, and he’s showing up for it with strength, courage, and determination. We’re so incredibly grateful for the care team at the University of Iowa. They’ve been nothing short of amazing.
And in true Dad fashion, he’s already looking ahead—hoping to feel well enough to make it to as many of his car shows as possible this summer.
