The End of the Weekend

All in all, it was a relaxing weekend. The weather was great for the most part. And, as always, we got in some baseball!

On Friday, I traveled into the office of our political affairs firm, Strategic Public Partners. While I have visited the Ohio Republican Party several times since being diagnosed, I had not visited SPP. Just as a quick background note- when I am not working on a campaign, I am employed at SPP. Anyways, the visit gave me a chance to catch up with all the guys at the office. Even more, my friend that was serving in Iraq has now come back to Ohio. He started up at the firm a week ago, so it was my first chance to sit down and catch up with him. Not too bad of a day.

On Saturday, I went to Cory's baseball games at Jerome. It actually turned out to be the dedication for the new Jerome baseball field, so between games, I was introduced around home plate as a part of the "notable guests." To me, this was funny. When you start to become a "notable guest," you just have to laugh- at least that is what Cory and all of his friends did haha

After watching Cory's first game, I went to coach two games. The boys played very well. We played our arch rival. The first game was close with a 3-1 score. However, we came on strong and won the second game 15-3. Once the game was finished, we met up with Cory and my mom at Tumbleweed for a nice steak dinner.

Today, we won another tough game. The game was against one of the better teams from around the area. We jumped on the other team early and never looked back as we won 8-5. After the game, I met up with my Uncle Mike and cousin Danielle at the Macaroni Grill. Since being diagnosed, we have not been able to meet up. (This uncle is one of my dad's brothers.) Thankfully, we were able to make things work. Ever since I was little, I have been very close with my Uncle Mike. He was the only one of my dad's brothers to also live in Columbus.

This evening, I started looking over my calendar. Like I have mentioned to people, I am undergoing four cycles of chemo. This past treatment was the completion of two cycles. For some reason, I had my chemo treatments going through the first week of July. Upon further look, I am about a month out until I get scanned again! Only a month and a half! This means that I could be done with my chemo treatments during the middle of June! I do not want to get ahead of myself, but talk about a great feeling. This process will continue to be long with radiation treatments and follow up visits, but I guess this is the first time I have started to see a light at the end of the tunnel. What a feeling.

"Media Darling"

Well, the past few days have been pretty busy with the Dublin lacrosse situation. I am not going to comment on the situation, but it has been disturbing. As the President of the Board, I often serve as our voice through the media.

Here was my Wednesday:
7:30 a.m.- WTVN Radio Interview
9:00- Dentist Appt
10:00- WBNS 10TV Interview
10:45- WCMH4 TV Interview
12:00- Lunch with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Representatives
1:30- Columbus Dispatch Interview
2:30- WSYX 6 TV Interview
3:15- Dublin News Interview
3:30- Associated Press Interview

Quite the media day. One of my friends made a funny yet true comment. Since the start of this year, I probably have as much media coverage as any local public official with the exception of Columbus Mayor Mike Coleman. While true, I would say that the last two rounds of reports have not been under the best circumstances (my cancer diagnosis and this situation). By coincidence, the Columbus Monthly Magazine will be coming out next week with my detailed interview.

Besides school board stuff, I have had baseball the past couple of nights. On Wednesday, we won against an area team 6-3. Tonight, we lost to the Columbus Sharks 6-2. We are one of two teams they are playing from Columbus this year at our age level. The other teams just are not competitive with them. Like our team, they are playing in this Midwest Super League. However, they have won every game in the league. All in all, we played a great game. We had several chances to score, but we did not capitalize. The boys may not have realized it, but we actually outhit the Sharks 9-8. Anyways, it was a great confidence booster. Usually, the Sharks beat their opponents by 10 plus runs.

As a side note, I had parents from the other team's come up to me after the game both nights. It is another sight to see grown men (some that I do not even know) tear up when talking to me about the situation. The thoughts and prayers are going a long way.

Well, I am off to bed. Rest assured, I am doing well.

"Live Like You Were Dying"

As I was standing at the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert on Friday, I realized that one of Tim's popular songs, "Like Like You Were Dying," would likely be performed. Prior to the concert, I did not put much thought into the actual songs likely to be sung. However, as the song began at the concert, I found myself almost floating. I felt removed from the moment.

Originally, I did not like the song too much when it was played on the radio. Like most songs, it became over played. In the process, I did not think too much about the meaning of the lyrics. While standing in the crowd, I started to sing along with the lyrics- and think about their meaning in my life. I would be lieing if I didn't say that I got goosebumps. These were no longer just words. These were emotions and feelings that I have been experiencing. Words that once seemed so cliche-like and corny now hit home.

When you are a young 20-something, you typically do not think about life and death. Typically, you do not have to think about the number of good days and number of bad days you will have in the span of two weeks. Typically, you do not have to worry about having enough energy to perform an activity for more than a few hours at a time. Typically, you do not realize the value of just being able to function like a normal human being.

For one reason or another, my life took another turn over the past few months. People say they are sorry to hear that I have been diagnosed with this disease. In some ways, it almost seems like they are offering me an apology. I am thankful for their thoughts. But, maybe I am lucky. Maybe this temporary setback will help set the tone for the rest of my life. Maybe, this temporary setback will help me experience so much more with each day going forward.

He said I was in my early 40's,
With a lot of life before me,
And a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days,
lookin' at the x-rays,
Talkin' 'bout the options and talkin' 'bout sweet time.
Asked him when it sank in, that this might really be the real end.
How's it hit ya, when you get that kind of news.
Man what ya do.
And he says,

I went sky divin',
I went rocky mountain climbin',
I went 2.7 seconds on a bull name Fumanchu.
And I loved deeper,
And I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I've been denying,
And he said someday I hope you get the chance,
To live like you were dyin'.

He said I was finally the husband,
That most the time I wasn't.
And I became a friend a friend would like to have.
And all the sudden goin' fishing,
Wasn't such an imposition.
And I went three times that year I lost my dad.
Well I finally read the good book,
And I took a good long hard look at what I'd do
If I could do it all again.
And then.

Like tomorrow was a gift and you've got eternity
To think about what you do with it,
What could you do with it,
what can I do with with it, what would I do with it

Sorry for the Delay!

I apologize. I did not realize it had been that long in between post again. I have been trying to post every 2 days at the worst. Anyways, during the past couple of days, I got through the worst of the effects during chemo. The sores were not as bad this time. All in all, I think the effects were less. This could be due to my body building up tolerance for the chemo. Or, it could be that I am becoming mentally stronger and able to tolerate more during the process.

Now... a recap of the latest events.

On Friday, I did not feel too well. I did not necessarily feel sick.
Instead, I was dragging. My energy level was at a low. Throughout the course of the day, I remained in bed. A good friend of mine offered to take me to the opening night of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Soul to Soul Tour. At first, I rejected the offer. However, after further thought, I decided to take it up. While I know that I need to be careful with my body, I also have come to another realization: you only live once. The concert was amazing. Even better, the seats were less than 20 feet from the stage.

On Saturday and Sunday, I coached baseball. We had two of the top teams travel from Michigan to play our team. While we did not get any victories, we played some great games. On Saturday, we lost 3-2 and 1-0. On Sunday, we lost 10-2 and 3-2. The 10-2 game was 2-2 through 5 innings, so it was much closer than the score looked. Anyways, the games were very competitive. As well as the boys hit earlier in the week, we did just as bad over the weekend. However, we faced some 12 year old pitchers who were bigger than me. One kid had to be 6'0, 180 lbs. All in all, I was happy with the performance of the boys. The teams we are playing from outside of Columbus are recruited teams. On the other hand, we are just a community team. Quite an accomplishment that we can compete with them.

Thankfully, I have started to go uphill again. I am regaining my energy level. Likewise, my mouth is returning back to normal. My only health complaint is non-cancer or chemo related. My allergies are starting to drive me crazy. When I started chemo, I stopped receiving my allergy shots and allergy meds. Because my cancer deals with the immune system, it makes many of the allergy treatments worthless. Anyways, my eyes have been burning over the past few days.

Sorry for the Delay!

I apologize. I did not realize it had been that long in between post again. I have been trying to post every 2 days at the worst. Anyways, during the past couple of days, I got through the worst of the effects during chemo. The sores were not as bad this time. All in all, I think the effects were less. This could be due to my body building up tolerance for the chemo. Or, it could be that I am becoming mentally stronger and able to tolerate more during the process.

Now... a recap of the latest events.

On Friday, I did not feel too well. I did not necessarily feel sick. Instead, I was dragging. My energy level was at a low. Throughout the course of the day, I remained in bed. A good friend of mine offered to take me to the opening night of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Soul to Soul Tour. At first, I rejected the offer. However, after further thought, I decided to take it up. While I know that I need to be careful with my body, I also have come to another realization: you only live once. The concert was amazing. Even better, the seats were less than 20 feet from the stage.

On Saturday and Sunday, I coached baseball. We had two of the top teams travel from Michigan to play our team. While we did not get any victories, we played some great games. On Saturday, we lost 3-2 and 1-0. On Sunday, we lost 10-2 and 3-2. The 10-2 game was 2-2 through 5 innings, so it was much closer than the score looked. Anyways, the games were very competitive. As well as the boys hit earlier in the week, we did just as bad over the weekend. However, we faced some 12 year old pitchers who were bigger than me. One kid had to be 6'0, 180 lbs. All in all, I was happy with the performance of the boys. The teams we are playing from outside of Columbus are recruited teams. On the other hand, we are just a community team. Quite an accomplishment that we can compete with them.

Thankfully, I have started to go uphill again. I am regaining my energy level. Likewise, my mouth is returning back to normal. My only health complaint is non-cancer or chemo related. My allergies are starting to drive me crazy. When I started chemo, I stopped receiving my allergy shots and allergy meds. Because my cancer deals with the immune system, it makes many of the allergy treatments worthless. Anyways, my eyes have been burning over the past few days.

Sorry for the Delay!

I apologize. I did not realize it had been that long in between post again. I have been trying to post every 2 days at the worst. Anyways, during the past couple of days, I got through the worst of the effects during chemo. The sores were not as bad this time. All in all, I think the effects were less. This could be due to my body building up tolerance for the chemo. Or, it could be that I am becoming mentally stronger and able to tolerate more during the process.

Now... a recap of the latest events.

On Friday, I did not feel too well. I did not necessarily feel sick. Instead, I was dragging. My energy level was at a low. Throughout the course of the day, I remained in bed. A good friend of mine offered to take me to the opening night of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's Soul to Soul Tour. At first, I rejected the offer. However, after further thought, I decided to take it up. While I know that I need to be careful with my body, I also have come to another realization: you only live once. The concert was amazing. Even better, the seats were less than 20 feet from the stage.

On Saturday and Sunday, I coached baseball. We had two of the top teams travel from Michigan to play our team. While we did not get any victories, we played some great games. On Saturday, we lost 3-2 and 1-0. On Sunday, we lost 10-2 and 3-2. The 10-2 game was 2-2 through 5 innings, so it was much closer than the score looked. Anyways, the games were very competitive. As well as the boys hit earlier in the week, we did just as bad over the weekend. However, we faced some 12 year old pitchers who were bigger than me. One kid had to be 6'0, 180 lbs. All in all, I was happy with the performance of the boys. The teams we are playing from outside of Columbus are recruited teams. On the other hand, we are just a community team. Quite an accomplishment that we can compete with them.

Thankfully, I have started to go uphill again. I am regaining my energy level. Likewise, my mouth is returning back to normal. My only health complaint is non-cancer or chemo related. My allergies are starting to drive me crazy. When I started chemo, I stopped receiving my allergy shots and allergy meds. Because my cancer deals with the immune system, it makes many of the allergy treatments worthless. Anyways, my eyes have been burning over the past few days.

It's just chemo

Well, round four is complete. Now, I just have to figure out how to pass the time. I cannot wait until Sunday. The coast starts to clear at that point. I do not feel terrible the day of my treatment and the day after. I would describe the feeling as having a heavy head. It is a mix of a headache and a blah feeling. Also, my sweat swells terrible after chemo. Once I got home, I took a shower to get rid of the smell.

Unfortunately, the office was busy this morning, so my treatment did not start until around 10:30. (I was scheduled for 9:00.) Anyways, the treatment went well. They were even able to draw blood from my port at one point. For the first time, I managed to sleep through a part of the treatment. I think I was out a good forty-five minutes. I woke up when the nurses were finally able to get blood from my port. They woke me up- all a part of an ongoing inside joke.

Once my treatment finished, my mom and I grabbed lunch at the Columbus Fish Market. For some reason, I have been eating fish quite a bit lately. Thankfully, I was able to get some food in me.

My last event for the day ended at the elementary school in Pickerington. Like I mentioned in my last post, I was not sure what to expect of my speech. First, I was not sure how my health would hold up. Second, I did not have anything rehearsed or planned. The event was held outside with over 800 students and 40 staff members or so. After being introduced, I talked about my diagnosis. Then, I related my situation to that of students who had family members or friends diagnosed. After making the situation relate to the students, I mentioned that treatment has gotten better over the years, but we still need to do more. I told them that their efforts will go a long way towards not only creating better treatments but helping find a cure. All in all, it was a good event. The students responded as I asked them questions. I tried my best to get their attention and make the speech interactive.

Once I got home, I spent the rest of the day and evening resting in bed. If we had baseball, I would have been fine to run a practice or game. Since I have down time, I am going to do my best to rest up for the weekend.

Day before Chemo

It is that time of the month again... chemo. People ask me if I dread my chemo treatments. To be honest, I do not think about it much. I think I would only make my situation worse by dwelling on each treatment. If all goes well, tomorrow could mark the half-way point in my chemo treatments. Around the middle of July, I will undergo scans again to check my progress. I would be lying if I said I wouldn't be disappointed if I have to do an additional month to two months of chemo, but like I tell everyone, I am taking things day by day. I will continue to remain strong to my faith and take each day as it comes.

Tonight, the boys notched another victory. We scored on the other team early, but allowed 8 runs in the 2nd inning to make the score 10-8 in favor of our opponents. However, the boys brought the bats with them tonight. We managed to scored an additional 18 runs to beat the opposing team 26-10. During the last inning, I stopped having our runners advance around the bases and score. All in all, we had 26 hits. It was a great offensive game. Still, the 8 runs that we allowed were due to mental lapses and poor defense. As always, there is room to improve.

After my treatment tomorrow, I am going to speak to an elementary school in Pickerington. Like I mentioned before, the school is holding a mini Relay-for-Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. I have been asked to speak about receiving treatment and still being active. The parent organizing the event wants me to help dispel the myth that all cancer patients are chained down to a bed in a hospital. I haven't prepared a speech. I am only speaking for five minutes, so it will not be too hard or exhausting. I will likely spend some time thinking about my words tomorrow during chemo. When I speak about my situation, I do not want my words to be orchestrated. I want them to come from the heart. I think this method is the best.

When times are good, be happy;

but when times are bad, consider:

God has made the one as well as the other...

Ecclesiastes 7:14

Happy Easter

Thankfully, my chemo cycle worked out to allow me to attend Easter service. More than likely, I would have been able to attend if Easter Sunday was right after my chemo treatment, but it would have been far less enjoyable.

More than ever, the meaning of Easter hits home. In the past few months, I have been presented with a tough situation in life. Regardless of the outcome of this situation or down the line, my faith continues to give me reassurance of the life ahead. The resurrection of Jesus provides hope for the future and offers us the promise of a new life. Through His ministry and sacrifice, Jesus demonstrated God's unconditional love for us. Even more, he taught us the importance of helping others and caring for our neighbors. Jesus' resurrection gives me confidence that good will prevail over evil and that joy is everlasting- regardless of the outcome of my treatment. I want to end with a quote from a hymn in today's service: "Jesus the vine, we are the branches; life in the Spirit the fruit of the tree; heaven to earth, Christ to the people, gift of the future now flowing to me."

Yesterday, I started off the day by attending the Community of Champions Award Ceremonies. This ceremony was held through the work of the Chamber of Commerce and the Dublin City School District. As the school board president, I first handed out awards to students. Then, I introduced the keynote speaker. As I took the podium, I was greeted by another extended applause. Like I noted previously, I am not sure how to describe the feeling of a moment like this... it is just overwhelming.

Finally, after the awards ceremony, we had a baseball game in Grove City. Again, I was welcomed by a great group of opposing coaches, players, and parents. Before the game started, I spent a good 20 minutes talking with the coach of the other team. He had mentioned that he had been looking forward to this game for the simple fact of seeing me.

In addition to talking with the coach, I spent some time talking with one Grove City's players who I have grown close with over the past couple of years. If you can remember, three Grove City High School students were struck by a drunk driver going the wrong way off of 270. This was a little more than a year back. Well, one of the students was this player's older brother. There is no replacing someone like that in the boy's life, but I still wanted to do all I could to help the boy out. Anyways, like I said, we grew close- often talking and joking before, during, and after games. His father came up to me before the game to talk. He said that his son was worried that I was going to be in the hospital and unable to attend. Again, I will continue to say this... more than ever, this process has confirmed my belief that good people make life worth living.

Despite missing players due to injuries and vacations, we won 7-2. The boys played a great baseball game. Again, we put ourselves in a position to win by making only one error in the field while playing smart mental baseball. In particular, I was proud of one of my players. He is our third string catcher. Typically, he does not catch much, and as a result, he does not see many repetitions at the position during drills. Due to the injuries and vacations, he had to play the position. I was proud of the way he played behind the plate, but I was even more proud of the way he took a leadership role during the game. My players know that I expect the catcher to be the leader on the field. With our starting catcher gone and our second string catcher hurt, he stepped up- without me even saying a word to him. It is such a great feeling to see the players learn and mature.

Can't Complain

The past couple of days have been relaxing. After three treatments, I have found that my best days occur during this point in the off week. These are the days I feel normal again- or, should I say, at least a taste of normalcy.

As you can imagine, I think a thought of different thoughts. Lately, I have been wondering if a stranger could pick me out of a crowd as someone who is afflicted by cancer. Obviously, I do not look at myself, so I really do not know my appearance. After I beat this disease, I wonder how it will effect the way I look at other people. I do not mean this from a critical standpoint, but from the perspective of identifying cancer patients.

Lately, people have been telling me that my "color" looks much better. I did not really notice a difference in my color until the television interviews. Once I saw myself on television, I realized how ghostly I looked during January and early February. The days are so much better now.

Last night, the boys notched their first victory. We defeated one of the better local teams 7-0. Although we are still missing a couple of players, the team was able to pull through with each boy playing his role. Unlike this past weekend, we played good defense and made far fewer mental mistakes.

While it sounds corny, I almost feel as if this year will be a story book season. First, my health situation occurs. Then, we have boys going down to injuries, and boys are playing out of position. Next, we start the season off 0-4 with some hard losses. Now, we are starting our climb. Nonetheless, the boys are learning important lessons about the game and more importantly, life.

Lastly, I wanted to end on a note about the opposing teams from around the area. Over the past couple of years, I have made some great friendships with players, parents, and coaches from our opposing teams. Since being diagnosed, they have all been extremely supportive. So far, each of the coaches have gone out of their way to talk with me before pregames. I have even had players come up to me after games and tell me that they are praying for me. Again, it has been overwhelming.

Well, last night, another special moment occurred. Over the past few years, I have coached a fall baseball team. Typically, I combine some of my boys with players from surrounding teams. For two years, I have coached the coach's son from the team we played last night. His grandfather shows up to every one of his grandson's games. Typically, he sits right behind the back stop to watch the game. As I was walking back and forth during the game, I stopped to chat. After the game, he waited around until all of the boys and parents cleared the park. As I walked back to my car, I saw him standing in front of me. We began to talk. Before I could get too far into the conversation, he gave me a big hug and said that he was praying for me. It is humbling to know that my well-being can mean so much to people. Good people make life worth living.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord's renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed."

Isaiah 55:8-13

Humbled

Yesterday, I had one of the most moving experiences since being diagnosed.

The Dublin Education Association held a teacher appreciation event at the Embassy Suites. The head of the union asked me to speak on behalf of the Board. To be honest, I thought the event was next week, so I had yet to prepare any sort of speech. Around 3:45, I found out that the event was to start at 4:30. Needless to say, I did not have much preparation.

When I showed up at the event, I naturally received glances from folks. After I was elected, people seemed to start looking at me with a little bit more curiosity. Now, after my diagnosis, it seems even more so. During the social hour, I talked with some of my former teachers as well as teachers who wanted to chat. I know I sound like a broken record, but the support is just overwhelming.

Anyways, once the ceremony began, I was the second person to speak. Before I approached the podium, one of my former teachers, Karen Harriman, introduced me to the crowd. Just to give you a little background- Mrs. Harriman was my Young Professionals Academy teacher. I took YPA my senior year, and as a result, I interned in Governor Taft's office. Nonetheless, she gave a very gracious speech regarding my development and accomplishments.

As I approached the podium, I had a good idea of the text of my speech, but I decided to go the impromptu route (not that I had a choice at this point!). First, I thanked the teachers on behalf of the Board. I noted that they are the people doing the real work of the district. They are the ones working with our students on a daily basis. Without effective teachers, our district would not be one of the best in the state. As a Board Member, they make my job so much easier. Then, I shifted the speech to the fact that I am a product of our system. I noted that I would not be where I am now without the help of my teachers from K-12. Lastly, I told the teachers that the lessons they teach about academic subjects are extremely important to the development of our students. But, even more important than the subjects, they are preparing their students for life. They are preparing their students for the good times and the bad times. They are preparing their students to overcome challenges. Finally, I ended by saying that the lessons from my teachers are helping me overcome my current health challenges.

To be honest, I became a little choked up towards the end of the speech. I did not see the tears coming. But, I must say that my words came from the heart. I hope that the teachers were able to get something from my message. They teach so much more than what a student reads in a book.

As I walked back towards my table, I received a loud applause. When I started to sit in my seat, I noticed people start to stand up towards the back of the room. Before I knew it, the whole room was giving me a standing ovation. It lasted for a good couple of minutes.

I do not know how to describe the emotions of the moment. I was amazed. I was humbled. I was grateful. While I have only lived twenty-two years, I do not know that many more moments like that will come along in my life.

Another Day Passes

Well, I think the weekend may have caught up with me a bit. Today, I spent most of my time relaxing and catching up on sleep with the dogs. My energy level was not too high, but then again, this is the time in my cycle that I start to go up hill.

During the evening, I had a chance to watch one of Cory's baseball games. It was my first time this year (due to my team's schedule and my chemo treatments). While the results were not favorable, he did a good job. He came in to pitch in relief during the first inning. It is an odd feeling watching him and some of his teammates play after coaching them just a few years ago. A few years down the road, I am sure I will experience that same type of feeling when my boys move on to high school.

The sores in my mouth have all but gone away. Still, in the days after the sores, I have found some lingering effects. I am not sure how to describe the feeling, but it is like I cannot get rid of a taste in my mouth after eating. It is almost like a slimy feeling. The sensation does not really hurt as much as it annoys me. It causes me to brush my teeth a little bit more often. When I do brush my teeth, it causes me to apply fresh tooth paste for my bottom teeth and top teeth, so that I can work to get rid of the taste/sliminess. Weird, huh?

Tomorrow, I have a laundry list of to do's to complete. I am hoping that my energy level spikes up a little to help aid the process. Most of my tasks involve simple emails and phone calls. Then, I have a school board meeting during the evening.

Back from Cincy

Well, this weekend was eventful.

Just to give you a little background, I helped put together a "Midwest Super League" with the coach from another team in Columbus. The purpose of the league was to challenge our teams against the best competition from surrounding cities and states. During our season, we travel to Cincinnati and Indianapolis. Then, we host teams from Michigan and Kentucky.

I would rather my boys get challenged against better competition than beat up on team's on a lower level from the area. All in all, it was our fourth and fifth days outside this spring. I did not expect us to be so rusty, but it seemed to be the case. We made too many errors and mental mistakes. Even worse, we were plagued by injuries the whole weekend.

First, we played the Cincinnati Spikes. They had a few kids who rivaled me in size! We lost the first game 14-0. Then, we lost the second game 15-14. Today, we lost to the Cincy Flames 6-5 and 11-7. The boys definitely played better the second day.

On a side note, I managed to get ejected for the first time in my career (it occurred during our second game). I am not the type of coach to get in an umpire's face. As most of you know, I am not very confrontational. In order for me to get fired up, something big has too happen. Well, we had an umpire about my age (who thought too much of himself). He made two terrible calls. After each call, I did not raise my voice. I walked up to the umpire to express my "dissatisfaction" with his repeated mistakes. His justification for his mistakes kept changing as we were talking. Finally, I walked away and said "We came down here for this?" ... well, that was enough to earn me a spot on the sidelines.

Now, I am sure that many of you are obviously wondering about my health. Saturday was a little tough. The weather was nice for the first game, but it got a little chilly in the second game. As usual, the biggest pain came from my mouth. The sores were at their worst yesterday. I managed to chew enough gum and drink enough liquids to dull the pain. During our first game, I coached third base. However, I sat on the bucket and let my dad coach third during the second game. Today, I felt much better. Usually, I start to go uphill on day five.

To be honest, I have found the biggest remedy for my pain is simply being around the team. It just helps keep my mind off the treatment as well as pass the time. My mom worries about me when I am coaching. She just wants to make sure that I am not overdoing myself. I guess it is that motherly instinct. While she cannot be replaced, I have more than enough mothers from the baseball team watching over me. I could not be more thankful. They continue to make sure that I have food, liquids, or anything else that I may need to feel well.

Well, I have more updating to do... I will take some time tomorrow to write an entry during the day as well as the evening. Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers!

My biggest challenge usually comes after coaching. As you can imagine, my energy level drops, and I tend to fall asleep very quickly.

I am doing just fine

I apologize for not writing over the past few days. I had no idea that people would get so worried when my writing did not appear. Rest assured, I am doing just fine.

Just so you know, I have been doing very well. In fact, I actually felt normal again starting last Thurday through my chemo treatment on Wednesday. Again, let me stress that I felt normal. It was probably the best I have felt in the past 3 months.

Because I felt so well, I did not write much. I do not know if this makes sense, but when I write, it is a reminder of my battle. During those good days, I just tried to live a normal life again. Cancer is a part of my life. It will forever be a part of my life, but I just wanted to experience some days without thinking about my situation. And, it felt great.

Baseball season has started. We scrimmaged the past couple of days. The boys have started out rusty, but we will come around. This weekend, we are headed down to Cincinnati to play two of the best teams at our age level from that area. I am not worried about wins and losses as much as I am worried about the boys not making mental mistakes and beating themselves. I will update you when we get back.

As a coach, I wear my heart on my sleeve. Just like anything, I strive for perfection when coaching. At times, I can do too much yelling and give too little constructive criticism. Already, I can tell how my battle with cancer has changed my perspective. For one reason or another, I am not getting upset with small mistakes. Last year, I may have become angered. This year, my mind just seems to be working slower. Instead of getting upset with a player, I am looking to understand the thoughts in his head. I am looking to help him understand what he needs to do to improve or correct a mistake. Do not get me wrong- prior to this season, I cared about the well-being and improvement of every one of my players. At the same time, I cared quite a bit about the outcome of the game. Now, I think I care even more about the well-being and continual improvement of every one of my players- and quite a bit less about the outcome.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

John 14:27