Now, a short update on my health condition:
[See also: Father Victor's original announcement and a report on the Unction Service held for him.]
Dear Friends:
There is no way I can personally acknowledge all the messages of well-wishes and of prayerful support that my family and I have received by mail, e-mail, telephone, and in person since the news of my affliction with lung cancer became known. Even though we have made all serious efforts to keep track of every expression of compassion, it is obvious to us that there are many, many more good souls whose names we may not even know, whom we have never met, yet who are sincerely praying for my recovery and for our family's well-being.
Below is the list of the good people from whom we, as I said earlier, have received, in one form or another, kind wishes. We realize that behind every name, there are families, organizations, and parishes, whom they represent. We have received many messages, beginning like this: "This morning, our priest, Fr. N., told us about your sickness and asked the parish to pray for you..." This message from an individual is, essentially, a collective message.
I shall start with the beloved parishioners of my cathedral parish (whom we will not even list here - virtually it would be the entire parish directory). I would like to thank Barbara's colleagues, coworkers, parents, and pupils of the San Francisco Waldorf Grade School and High School. They are doing everything possible to ease Barbara's burden and to provide her with some extra time to be with me and our children during this trying season. And I cannot find an adequate way of expressing my gratitude to my immediate family who share with me my pain, my sufferings -- and my faith and hope.
Thank you very much to:
His Beatitude Metropolitan Herman (Syosset, NY), His Grace Bishop Tikhon (Los Angeles, CA), His Grace Bishop Nikolai (Sitka, AK), His Grace Bishop Seraphim (Ottawa, Canada), His Grace Bishop Benjamin (Berkeley, CA), His Eminence Archbishop Kirill (San Francisco, CA), VRev. Protopresbyter Robert and Betty Kondratick (Syosset, NY), Rev. David and Elaine Lowell (San Francisco, CA), VRev. Paul and Natasha Lazor (St. Vladimir's Seminary), VRev. John and Katherine Pierce (Puyallup, WA), VRev. Bazyl and Zenaida Kalinowski (San Francisco, CA), VRev. Ian MacKinnon (Sacramento, CA), Sam and Joan Fromowitz (Yountville, CA), VRev. Basil and Joan Rhodes (Saratoga, CA), Dr. George and Carole Shumaik (San Diego, CA), VRev. Joel McEachen (Ansonia, CT), VRev. Andrew Morbey (Minneapolis, MN), VRev. Matthew Tate (Milwaukee, OR), Monk James Silver, VRev. Christopher Calin (New York, NY), VRev. Michael Orlov (Los Angeles, CA), Ryan and Tatiana Beams (Fall City, WA), VRev. Jonah Paffhausen (Point Reyes, CA), VRev. Constantine and Kay Efstathiu (Novato, CA), Prof. Olga and Prof. Robert Hughes (Berkeley, CA), VRev. Nikolai Balashov (Moscow, Russia), Huw Raphael Richardson (Asheville, NC), Bishop Anthony and Olga Bondi (Putnam Valley, NY), Rev. Isaac Skidmore (Ashland, OR), Nick Tarlson (San Francisco, CA), VRev. John Dresko (Southington, CT), Olga Metropolsky Halverson (Seattle, WA), VRev. Michael Senyo (Los Angeles, CA), Robert Wachter (Seoul, Korea), VRev. Victor Potapov (Washington, DC), VRev Leonid Kishkovsky (Sea Cliff, NY), Jennifer Lettieri (Oakland, CA), Rev. Lawrence and Ann Margitich (Santa Rosa, CA), VRev. Joseph Hirsch (Denver, CO), VRev. Vadim Pogrebniak (Seattle, WA), VRev. Michael Oleksa (Anchorage, AK), Rev. Dr. Paul Nadim Tarazi (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Rev. Dr. Stanley Harakas (Spring Hill, FL), VRev. Michael Roshak (Baltimore, MD), VRev. Michael Regan (Vacaville, CA), Nicholas Kobbs, Lilia Colossimo (Paris, France), Marie Meyendorff (Bronxville, NY), VRev. Stefan Pavlenko (Burlingame, CA), Juliana Schmemann (Montreal, Canada), Vergilia and Henry Dakin (San Francisco, CA), VRev. Archimandrite Zacchaeus Woods (Moscow, Russia), Prof. Nikita Struve (Paris, France), Matthew and Annie Swehla (Boston, MA), Dmitry Ukhov (Moscow, Russia), VRev. Michael and Eleanor Margitich (Healdsburg, CA), Jerry and Edna Yocum, VRev. Antony Hughes (Cambridge, MA), VRev. Alexander and Vera Federoff (Poway, CA), Ryan and Kim Swehla (Modesto, CA), VRev. Eugene Tarris (Denver, CO), Prof. Dimitri Conomos (Oxford, Great Britain), Rev. Dn. Gabriel Seamore (Mercer, CA), VRev. William DuBovik Hartfort, CT), Rev. Mark Meholick (DuBois, PA), Mary Leeman (Scotts Valley, CA), Dr. Eileen Moriarty (Millbrae, CA), Rev. Peter Salmas (Belmont, CA), Daniel Fromowitz (Vancouver, CA), Marilyn Scholten (Phoenix, AZ), VRev. James and Pat Jorgenson (Livonia, MI), Rev. Dn. John and Kitty Vitko (Arlington, VA), VRev. Vladimir Berzonsky (Seven Hills, OH), Abbot John (Minneapolis, MN), VRev. John Matusiak (Wheaton, IL), Eleana Silk (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Siu-Mei Wong (San Francisco, CA), Rev. Timothy Creemeens (St. Louis, MO), Laurel and James Counts (Sebastopol, CA), Maria Sakovich (Oakland, CA), Rev. James McLuckie (Vancouver, Canada), VRev. Thomas Paris (Oakland, CA), Prof. Peter Bouteneff (St. Vladimir's Seminary), David Stewart (Gardnerville, NV), VRev. Rastko Trbuhovich (Buffalo, NY), Rev. Michael Laffoon (Irvine, CA), Rev. Matti Wallgren (Finland), Theo Nicolakis (New York, NY), Sara Ann (Minneapolis, MN), Rev. Joseph Gibson (Indianapolis, IN), Dustin Hudson (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Dr. Albert Rossi (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Rev. Archdeacon Vsevolod Borzakovsky (Rome, Italy), Prof. Kieran and Prof. Susanna Egan (Vancouver, Canada), VRev. Alexander Kuchta (Palatine, IL), VRev. David Brum (Syosset, NY), Basil Kozak (Staten Island, NY), Rev. Daniel Findikyan (St. Nersess Seminary), Jason and Katia Vansuch (Philadelphia, PA), Rev. Stephen Hrycyniak (Franklin, WI), Miles and Diane Stryker (Pacifica, CA), Kathy and Joe Giraud (San Carlos, CA), Susan and Jeff Steach (San Carlos, CA), Alexandra and David Lucs (Hiiksville, NY), Karen Hadley and "Prayer Shawl Project" (Portland, OR), Alexey and Maria Shuvalov (Tver, Russia), Adelia Shuvalova (Tver, Russia), Elena and Vyacheslav Mikhailovsky (Tver, Russia), Rev. David Barr (Austin, TX), Rev. John Kessel (Vancouver, Canada), Rev. Elias Warren (Bayard, NE), Frederica Matthews-Green (Baltimore, MD), Dr. William Samsonow (New York, NY), Prof. Ralph Della Cava (Columbia University, NY), Alex and Zinaida Liberovsky (Syosset, NY), Katharena Eiermann, Prof. Alexander Dvorkin (Moscow, Russia), Walter and Angela Wrahtz (Tualatin, OR), VRev. Alexey and Anastasia Karlgut (Endicott, NY), VRev. George and Daria Gray (Portland, OR), Gregory and Marina Dorman (Paris, France), Rev. Dr. Michael Plekon (Holmes, NY), Anne Page (Syracuse, NY), Rev. Lawrence and Katharine Gaudreau (Calhan, CO), VRev Joseph and Shirley Lickwar (Jersey City, NJ), Mary Tibbs (New York, NY), John Congdon (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Justin and Jodi Matthews (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Rev. Elijah and Rebecca Mueller (Milwaukee, WI), Serge and Mary Schmemann (Paris, France), VRev Joseph Fester (Syosset, NY), VRev. Protopresbyter Dr. Thomas and Anne Hopko (Elwood City, PA), Adriana Paasche Dakin (Redwood Valley, CA), VRev. Leo Arrowsmith (Fremont, CA), Kathleen and Christopher Conlogue (Allison Park, PA), VRev. Protopresbyter Daniel Hubiak (Ocean Pines, MD), Seraphim Hill (Denair, CA), Vladimir and Olga Berezansky (Moscow, Russia), James and Patricia Shinn (Novato, CA), George Soldatow, Adam and Elena Strock (Chernogolovka, Russia), Rev. Protodeacon Peter and Tanya Danilchick (Oakton, VA), Barnabas and Lela Powell (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Rev. John Strickland (Kirkland, WA), Anthony Saborio (St. Vladimir’s Seminary), Helen Dorman (Moscow, Russia), Abbot Sergios Black and Monk Simeon Dulan (CA), Rev. Alvian and Helen Smirensky (Schenectady, NY), Wendy Cwiklinski (San Diego, CA), Hon Walker (Portland, OR), George Cingolani (CA), VRev. Dr. Alexander Golubov (St. Tikhon's Seminary), Oleg Tinkov (Moscow, Russia), Randa Aoun (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Ann and John Worobey (Saratoga, CA), Victoria Bolts (Belmont, CA), Joseph and Carleen Ledanski (Minocqua, WI), Rev. Eric and Christina Tosi (Las Vegas, NV), Fabian Mach and Dr. Dorothy Gogol-Mach (San Rafael, CA), Naomi Weinstein (Hillsborough, CA), Zoë Doss (Petaluma, CA), VRev. Steven and Deborah Belonick (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Ted and Claudia Bazil (St. Vladimir's Seminary), Musia Sakovich (Sonoma, CA), Masha Sakovich (Berkeley, CA), Rev. Dr. Alexander and Nancy Rentel (St. Vladimir's Seminary), William and Rosemarie Osolinsky (Phoenix, AZ), Rostislav Polchaninov (New Hyde Park, NY), VRev. Dr. John and Lyn Breck (Wadmalaw Island, SC), David and Linda Sanders (Las Vegas, NV), Margie Prokurat (Petaluma, CA), Ann Zinzel (Crestwood, NY), Eleanor Lindgren (Berkeley, CA), Galia and Ken Penwarden (Los Altos, CA), Lucy Flanagan (Los Altos, CA), Rt. Rev. Bishop James Eugene Provence (San Francisco, CA), Rt. Rev. Bishop Robert Morse (Berkeley, CA), Tess Johnson (San Francisco, CA), John Hartman (Berkeley, CA), Ed and Stacy Aaron (Portland, OR), John and Medea Beal (Oakland, CA), Dorothy Nowik (Bellevue, WA), VRev. Daniel and Elaine Rentel (Columbus, OH), Elisabeth Rubin (San Francisco, CA), Diane Pelesh (Ellicott City, MD), Daniel and Linda Sekella (Concord, CA), Svetlana Thomson (Pacifica, CA), Molly Burke and Michael Valan (San Francisco, CA), Caspar and Liesbeth Mol (San Francisco, CA), Denice Barsness (San Francisco, CA), Kate Frankel (San Francisco, CA), Ann and Scott Nygaardt (San Francisco, CA), Jim and Carol Collons (San Francisco, CA), Anne Hamersky (San Francisco, CA), VRev. Stephen and Elaine Meholick (San Anselmo, CA), VRev. Kirill Hartman (Berkeley, CA), Rev. Thomas and Angela Alessandroni (San Francisco, CA), Rev. Valerii Bulannikov (Menlo Park, CA), VRev. Gregory Ofiesh (So. San Francisco, CA), Rev. George Masters (San Jose, CA), Rev. Deacon Brendan and Magdalen Doss (Petaluma, CA), Rev. Michael Pappas (San Francisco, CA), The Committee To Save St. Brigid Church (San Francisco, CA), parishioners of St. Nicholas Church (Saratoga, CA), parishioners of St. Nicholas Church (San Rafael, CA), parishioners of St. Seraphim of Sarov Church (Santa Rosa, CA), parishioners of St. John the Baptist Church (Berkeley, CA), Abbess Susanna and sisters of Our Lady of Kazan Skete (Santa Rosa, CA), Abbot Jonah and Brethren of Monastery of St. John (Point Reyes, CA), parishioners of St. Mark's Church (Rochester, MI), parishioners of Our Lady of Fatima Byzantine Catholic Church (San Francisco, CA), Nadine Kalinin (San Rafael, CA), Barbara Gehrels (El Granada, CA), Ralph and Sabine Thuler (Switzerland), Toni and Geoff Traxler (San Francisco, CA), Cecilia Freund (San Francisco, CA), Roderick Dimoff (Seattle, WA), VRev. Abbot Vitalie (Golia Monastery, Romania), Paul and Alisa Hooper (Stouhton, WI), Catherine Spiro (Walnut Creek, CA), Olga Viripaeff (San Francisco, CA), Rev. Steve and Betsy Tumbas (Jackson, CA), Barbara Owens (Santa Rosa, CA) and many, many more!
Now, a short update on my health condition:
The principal treatment is chemotherapy, consisted of six to eight 6-7-hour sessions executed every three weeks. The first session, which took place on January 13, went very well, and my body responded to it rather easily. Not too many of the expected side effects were experienced, and some promising progress was observed. Recently, I had a bone scan and an x-ray. My oncologist was very much concerned with the metastasis that affects my left hip. Both tests have shown that the cancer is on the very surface of the bone, which assures the physician that the chemo treatment alone should suffice in eradicating of this spot, without radiation. Other positive observations include a decrease in the cancerous fluid (formed around my collapsed left lung) and the absence of the metastasis on the left back ribs (visible on the previous CT and PET scans). The next chemo session is this Thursday, February 3rd.
Yesterday, January 31, I had surgery on the vocal cords. As you remember, I lost my voice and, therefore, my ability to celebrate Divine Liturgy after December 13. For a priest not to be able to celebrate the Holy Eucharist is a devastating depravation. Liturgy is what makes a priest a priest. Well, this prompted me to see a specialist who, yesterday, attempted to do something to restore some volume to my voice -- to mechanically move the paralyzed left vocal cords closer to the still active right cords. Now I am not allowed (and cannot) speak for ten days. Then we will know if God has granted me this wish.
In conclusion, my family and I express our love to all of you and ask you to continue holding us up in your holy prayers.
In Christ the true and only Physician,
Cathedral Archpriest Victor Sokolov
Last modified: February 1, 2005