Anyone who has ever been involved in anything competitive will tell you: "winning doesn't come easy." It takes the right amount of preparation, the correct mix of your execution and your opponents faults, plus a little bit of luck. But most importantly, it takes patience.
I can remember my first season coaching Little League baseball when I was sophomore in high school. I was coaching my youngest brother Michael's U-12 team, as a 15 year old. We were AWFUL! We lost every game, and I actually got ejected in our season finale (but it never got recorded cause I argued a "walk-off"). Even with all the losses, the kids and the families seemed to have fun. They were learning the game and I never once focused on the losses. The next year, about 85% of the team came back, and we DOMINATED in our first game! It was a great feeling, especially when they dumped the water cooler on my head like we won a championship. I truthfully had not had a feeling like that until yesterday.
Ever since I was first diagnosed with Lymphoma on Dec., 9, I had yet to get a win. At first it was Hodgkin's disease, maybe the "best cancer" to have. Then, on Dec., 23, it became a very aggressive form of NHL that could have terrible ramifications. When I was first admitted on Jan., 16, we were told Stage 3 and possibly Stage 4; meaning almost double the length/intensity of treatment to get me back to where I was last summer.
Then, on Jan., 23, after constant asking and not getting a direct answer, I got one. The computer showed all negative results from my bone marrow biopsy AND my spinal tap! While the final result came on Saturday, that was a massive burden taken off my mind and my chest. I was so relieved to finally have a win under my belt.
I had been waiting on posting this update because I needed a moment of quiet celebration; first with myself, and then my family. This was a big moment for us. After nearly two months of news trending downhill, we finally got something that showed us it is getting better.
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| Finally got that first W! |
It would be a lie if I said that I wasn't getting a little down with all the waiting and the uncertainty, but it would be a bigger lie to say that I had begun losing that positive attitude I have been trying to portray in my writing. The constant texts, tweets, emails, phone calls, and visits have been the highlights of my days. I truthfully cannot thank everyone enough and my biggest goal is being able to hug every single one of you once I'm back at work and doing what I love with the people I love!
So the big question with all the new information is of course: what does this mean? And here is the answer. This fight, although a life-long battle that I am ready to conquer, has taken a dramatic turn in my favor. Since there is no cancer in the bone marrow, or the spinal fluid, my staging allows for a much shorter chemotherapy regiment with still the same expected results.
I am going in for another CT Scan tomorrow to measure the tumors that they found last week and if the doctors like my progress, and anyone who has physically seen the difference in my neck (down to 6cm again!), they will. That means that I begin my second dose of chemo, but a much heavier dose, on Tuesday. This is where it gets real serious and the big guns come out.
The good news, again, is that this is the first of what will be four rounds of heavy chemo. Even better, if the plan goes as expected, my last round of chemo will begin March 31 and I will be discharged from the hospital for the final time around April 7!
For my family, that means as healthy a Christian as possible at my cousins wedding that following weekend. For me, it means that a) I can be in Albany, on the call, as the Jaspers defend their MAAC Championship and b) I can be as back to normal for my 26th birthday as I have ever been.
I know that this is not a battle that ends in April, or even when the words "Cancer Free" are spoken, if they ever are. This is not a battle that I fight on my own, but this is NOT a battle that we will lose. So many things are coming down the pipe that I have been talking about quietly with family to help continue the fight and once they are official, I can't wait to share it all with you!
Until then, as always, please continue to pray/give/donate for those fighting a tougher fight than I am as they need it more. I love you all, I thank you all, and I will update you when we know more!
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