I'm Famous! (sort of...)

I won a drawing by the organization with the goal to bring the FIFA World Cup to the US in 2018 0r 2022. They sent me a beautiful, personalized US jersey and interviewed me for their blog. The interview is here: http://www.gousabid.com/blog/entry/usmnt-jersey-winner/

I actually am sharing the home page of the site with the US Mens Team, President Obama, President Clinton and VP Biden...sort of. www.gousabid.com

For the interview they found my blog and asked me about it. They asked why I decided to blog and what advice do I have for those starting their fight with cancer:

GoUSABid: You have a blog that chronicles your experience with brain cancer, how did you decide to blog about this experience? What advice do you have for those who might just be starting cancer treatment?
ME: The blog came out as way to communicate to friends and family around the country and world. I wanted to keep everyone updated on my brain surgery, recovery, radiation treatments and chemotherapy. I wanted information out there so people wouldn't be guessing or expecting the worst. I have always felt strong and positive through this situation and wanted my friends to support my fight in the same way. Right now, only the blog has been suffering as I am too busy living to update it regularly!

My advice is to stay positive. I have on my computer desktop a statement that I typed early on when I was pretty scared. I wanted to record my thoughts as I started my fight. I simply typed, "I choose to live." That became my mantra. I also would not be doing so well without my incredibly supportive wife and family and the best doctors, nurses and staff that I could find.

Side note: I spent several months at home after my brain surgery. Thank God for the daily afternoon soccer matches on ESPN and Fox Soccer!

Play Ball!

Cheverly Day East-West Softball Game. After months of bad weather, a gimpy leg, and many, many pills and needle sticks it felt great to just play a game. I should have gone to a batting cage months ago. Great therapy!

BTW: It is a chemo week. (But only 3 1/2 days of work! Long Memorial Day weekend.

I love this shirt

I am just too busy.

I have too many things I want to get done. Simple as that. Busiest part of the school year. Family coming in this weekend for eldest daughter's First Communion. Yardwork. Bike rides; long bike rides; really long bike rides. World Cup starts in 44 days. Then the Tour De France. Pool will open soon. I don't even have time to blog properly. Therefore, I have decided to put brain cancer on hiatus. Sorry cancer but you were taking up too much of my time. I'll send you a postcard.

BTW: It's chemo week! Ummm...Temodar. Is it me or do the pink ones taste better than the blue ones?

Whew!

This week was filled with anxiousness waiting to have my quarterly MRI. Today, Marcie and I went to get the results. We heard again some good words. "Great" is the exact word the Doctor used! What a relief. "Great" is the word they use when the brain tumor is NOT growing. I can live with that. Literally. I would prefer that it is shrinking or gone but I will take "not growing". Growing would be bad.

What happens now? First, I go about life trying to live as fully as possible. (A good motto for everyone. Don't forget your vegetables ;-) Medically, I will still be taking chemotherapy pills every fourth week and some other medicine. I will get monthly blood tests and in June another MRI. Yay.

Now, I deserve a reward. Suggestions? New bike? A trip to Europe? A pony?

Marcie, for all that she has done and for being right next to me through all of this deserves a bigger reward. Maybe I'll get her a pony.

Keep fighting Coach Karl!

Been there and I know how it feels. George Karl, coach of the Nuggets and former Cavs coach has a different kind of cancer but the treatments are similar. The pictures bring back a lot of memories.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4997277

How the strange becomes normal

It is amazing how quickly pills, doctor's appointments, and head shaving becomes routine. I am three cycles into the chemo pills with no ill effects. My hair is coming back unevenly so I cut my hair every Sunday. I visit my oncologist and have the same blood draws and answer the same questions. "How do you feel?" "Really good!" Working full time again and into the school routine. That is my normal.

This week will be a little different. I will visit NIH on Thursday for another MRI. The plan is that I will have MRIs on a quarterly basis. No change in them is good. Smaller is even better. Will find out the results for this week's MRI on Friday. Keep the prayers and karma and good wishes coming! The more Mojo, the better!