Tuesday, May 30, 2006

I Am Back

Alright, I have been thinking about why I have not written lately. After much thought, I am still not sure of a sound reason. More than anything, I think that writing makes me think about my situation. I am getting to the point where I just want to live a normal life. The more I have been able to get out, the more I am able to feel normal again. All in all, I know that it is kind of selfish.

I have come to learn that so many people read this blog. Some people are close to me. Some people are not. No matter the person, it seems that so many are genuinely concerned about my well being. I cannot thank everyone enough for their continual thoughts and prayers. I will try my best to stay on top of things from here forward.

Here is a quick update...

First, baseball has been up and down as of late. Like I mentioned earlier, I do not care as much about the wins and losses as I do about the continual improvement of the boys. As of late, we have hit a plateau. It has been disappointing, but we had a team talk, and I think we are headed in an upward direction.

Second, the golf/dinner charity event seems to be going well. People are starting to sign up to either attend or serve as sponsors. Please be sure to spread the word about the event. Outside of the golf event, Ryan Prestel has also started a goal meter to measure contributions from individuals. If you are interested in contributing, the site is http://www.active.com/donate/ktfgolf.

Third, Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays. I cannot begin to express my gratitude for all the troops who have served our country. One of the biggest honors in my life was being selected to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier in Arlington Cemetery during our 8th grade trip to D.C. No matter if you agree or disagree with going into war, our troops deserve our love, respect, and admiration. This past week, I was sent a great link to one of the most "memorable plays in baseball" that combines patriotism and the game. Please take the time to watch the video here:

Finally, I receive my 7th of hopefully 8 chemo treatments tomorrow. During the third week of June, I will undergo tests again to check my progress. I just want to finish the chemo. I cannot wait to return back to a normal life. You know all those small things people complain about like getting up early for work, mowing the lawn, exercising, etc? Well, I would give a lot of money right now to be able to do those without question.

My faith continues to remain strong. I would be lieing if I said that this does not continue to challenge me on a daily basis. While I do not always understand the reason I am in this situation, I am confident that God is with me all the time.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
James 5:15

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Ohio Weather

Before this weekend, we have had uncharacteristic weather in Ohio. All of those sunny days finally caught up with us. As you can imagine, this has taken a toll on the baseball schedule. Originally, we were suppose to play a tournament in Marysville this weekend. However, all the games for the weekend were cancelled today. We went from a busy weekend of baseball to nothing.

As a result, we practiced indoors at Jerome High School today. For the first hour and a half, we went through a structured practice. However, with a half an hour left, we played a live game with a tennis ball. However, the bases were shortened and players were only allowed to power walk after they hit the ball. I let the boys pick their teams. At the end, I joined one team, and I put Cory (my younger brother) on the other team. For that thirty minutes, I felt like a twelve year old again. I played along with the boys in the field and participated as a batter on offense. When it was all said and done, I was exhausted. Again, I am just amazed at my lack of energy and stamina. Just a little work out had me drained!

Last evening, I held voluntary indoor batting practice for some of the boys. Whenever I am feeling well, I try to maximize my time. Because my time is often limited, I try to make the most out of the high points in my cycle. Using hour-long slots, I worked with a couple boys an hour from 4:30-7:30. After finishing up, I ended up going to see Mission Impossible III with a couple of my players and a father from the team. Because my evenings are usually uneventful, this provided a nice spin for the night.

The twists and turns of life are funny. This time, a little less than four years ago, I was approaching my high school graduation. Now, many of my former classmates are moving on as they graduate college. To be honest, I am not really caught up on the fact that they are "passing me." It is just an odd feeling see to friends graduating and watch, versus being a part of the process. I know that my time will come, but this is not something that I was expecting.

For now, I am back to my bed with the dogs!

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Back

Another delay in my writing... It was a combination of just being lazy and computer problems. Nonetheless, let me update you on the past week!

This treatment was pretty rough. For some reason, it just wasn't that easy. From the time I walked into the office, I had a tough time. When the nurse tried to draw blood, he couldn't get any from the vein in my arm. He started moving it around a little- sooner than later, I started to get light headed. After this failed, he did a second stick in my arm and got the needed blood. Anyways, the days after chemo knocked me on my butt more than usual. It had not been that rough since my first and second treatment. Luckily, I was able to pass through those days fairly quickly. Upon waking up Sunday morning, I felt much, much better.

Baseball is keeping me busy. However, I think the boys have gotten caught up with their early success against the area teams. After starting out 6-0 against area teams, we have manged to mix a couple losses that should not have occured. The boys have lost focus in a couple of games- ultimately resulting in two close losses. Still, we have been able to draw some good lessons from the games. Hopefully, they are able to learn from those lessons.

Well, I am going to go back to relaxing in bed and watching T.V. I cannot believe that Chris got kicked off American Idol this evening.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

5th Treatment

This morning, I underwent my fifth chemotherapy treatment. I have to be honest- today was probably one of my most challenging treatments. For some reason, I just lacked my usual mental toughness.

The morning started out rough when the first blood draw out of my arm did not work. He started jabbing around a little. Sooner than later, I started to get light headed. Eventually, he inserted another needle in a different vein. This one worked. Still, I needed a cold glass of water and 5 minutes to regain my composure.

The visit with Dr. Moore went well. Everything looks fine- per his assessment. Once we get past the eighth treatment, the scans will be begin. The best case scenario involves the end of chemo and the beginning of radiation. With my luck, we will continue with chemo and possibly add radiation at the same time. Dr. Moore said there are differing opinions on the route to take with my diagnosis of Stage II-B. For now, I can only continue to pray that the chemotherapy is working. If more treatment is required, then we will carry on.

I was happy just to get finished with my treatment today. For some reason, the chemo room just seemed so depressing today. There was not much life to it. The guy I met, Alex, ended up getting seated a few seat away from me, so we did not get a chance to talk too much. As a result, I listened to some country tunes on my Ipod.

This evening, the boys played a great baseball game. We put on another offensive display winning 28-1. Last year, we only beat the same team 8-5. All in all, it was a relaxing game- something I cannot complain about on a chemo day.

Now, I just have to figure out how to pass time leading up to Sunday. Hopefully, the sores will not be as bad this time around.