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--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Here’s the text from Randy’s facebook post:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Good Saturday morning, everyone. This is a longer life update.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>After a week here at Mass General Hospital, they will be discharging me later today to head home with Tracy and an aggressive outpatient follow-up plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Unfortunately, we have not yet resolved my situation, but we have learned a considerable amount and have established a clear outpatient strategy to continue<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>that work and carefully coordinate how and when to advance treatments in ways that can truly be meaningful and effective.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Candidly, this is a mixed bag of news.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Let me start with three significant positives.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>First, my sleep continues to be pretty solid, with every expectation that this will continue and bring long-term, increasing benefits across every aspect<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>of my life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Second, we have seemingly minimized or mitigated the migraine challenges to the point that I may return to the infrequent level I experienced before this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>condition began. We will see how that holds up as I transition back home, but there is a reasonably high degree of confidence on this front.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Finally, and perhaps most positively, there is a deep comfort in being able to return home. I am really looking forward to being there with Tracy, Swirl,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>and Nama.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>All of those genuinely good and hopeful points aside, there are still some significant concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I can expect frequent episodes of syncope, meaning I may become lightheaded and potentially black out multiple times a day, even with minimal exertion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The good news is that this tends to present as a sliding scale, giving me warning to get to a safe place and reduce activity before things escalate. Even<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>so, this makes traveling anywhere difficult, including navigating within my own home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>In addition, my vestibular system is not functioning well. This means I can become vertiginous and sufficiently off balance to fall erratically and dangerously,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>often with little to no warning. This is a very significant risk, especially as a 6’4”, blind guy. While this is not occurring at the extreme level of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>the days when I was asked to remain in a wheelchair full time, it is happening often enough that I must be exceedingly cautious. This will have a meaningful<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>impact until we are able to address it more fully.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>As test results continue to come in and studies are completed, the plan will become clearer. In the meantime, the team has asked for a short window of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>patience while we pursue an aggressive outpatient approach. This will involve frequent trips into Boston. Tracy and I will be evaluating how I travel and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>navigate, and for now that will likely mean using a travel wheelchair outside the home, simply because we cannot yet ensure my safety with walking alone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This does not mean I should expect to be relegated to a wheelchair long term. It does mean that, for the short term and outside my home, this is the safest<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>choice. I am conflicted about it, but I am also resolved. Safety matters, and I want to make the right decisions, even when they are uncomfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Appointments are already lining up, including as early as the coming week, which is pretty remarkable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Am I nervous and concerned? Absolutely.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Do I still have the same level of hope and optimism as when we first began this journey here at Mass General? Yes, I honestly do.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This is a complex situation, and it is not surprising that it takes time. The team is being deliberate and precise, focused on finding the root cause rather<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>than simply applying a temporary fix that might mask the real issue and allow it to worsen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I suspect many of you may have questions. To be candid, I have plenty myself, and I am still doing a lot of processing. I ask for a bit of grace and patience<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>right now. You are welcome to ask, but I likely will not be putting effort into answering questions just yet, as I continue to sort through my own understanding<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>and mindset. Perhaps starting next week we can dig into that more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>What I do know, without question, is how incredibly kind, supportive, and encouraging so many of you have been. Please trust me when I say I appreciate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>it more than most of you will ever know.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I expect to head home mid to late afternoon today, and I will likely be radio silent until Monday.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>