March 14, 2011 Sometimes It Just Takes Longer Than You Think

Well, it seems that I am not as good of a prognosticator as Joe Namath. Even though I guaranteed a better result in my new blood test, I fell short of that promise. All is not lost, however, as the cancer seems to have stabilized. My kidney numbers worsened a bit and I seem to have some additional stuff running around in my bloodstream than I need, such as calcium. As a result, I am backing off my One-A-Days for a while. Not sure if that is causing the additional calcium, but it does give me an extra 210 mg. which I don’t seem to need right now.

Dr. Mikhael seemed positive as always, actually sparing me the humiliation of begging not to go back on any chemo. I was willing to ask for a couple weeks and then do another blood test, but he was OK with waiting a month. Since I negotiate for a living, I know a good deal when I see one. I really do need to get better this next time, or there is a decent likelihood that I could start using REVLIMID®.

REVLIMID® (lenalidomide) is used with dexamethasone to treat patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who have already had another treatment such as Velcade, the original chemo that I took or the transplant that has given me 18 great months. This would be a pill and certainly less rough on my system. As I have discussed before, there is a myriad of treatments that can be thrown at MM and this seems to be the most frequently prescribed for those at my stage of the fight. Of course, if I can hold off for a while, it would be even better.

I’m afraid I got some bad news today as one of my cancer buddies passed away. Steve Kerrigan who has battled MM since 2008 lost his battle this morning. Steve worked on the radio in both Dayton and Columbus so I’m sure many of you heard him at one time or another. Steve fought hard but lost his kidneys early in the battle. Trying to beat this disease while on dialysis is extremely hard. He helped raise thousands of dollars in donations for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He will be missed.

Click here to read more on Steve's run in radio and against cancer.

There was an incident that happened in Dayton a couple weeks ago that I have to share with you. It is a story of sadness and joy that really shows that we should never give up.

Ebony Gainey was likely going to be the best recruit Jim Jabir had brought into the Women’s Basketball program at the University of Dayton. She was a two time All-State player and also the salutatorian of her graduating class and in the National Honor Society. She had size and speed and could handle the ball like a guard. Then tragedy struck. During the summer after her graduation, Ebony’s 21 year-old sister died in her sleep from a heart-related complication.

As hard as it was to do, Ebony worked through that by becoming even more focused on basketball. That was until two weeks before the first tip-off when Ebony’s world once again came crashing down all around her. In the middle of practice, she found that she could not catch her breath. Because of her sister’s death, UD took every precaution and Ebony went through a complete series of tests. In the end it was confirmed that she suffered from cardiomyopathy, ending her college career even before she had stepped on the floor.

Ebony was crushed. Not only had she lost her sister, but basketball now, too, was lost. Jabir was in a unique position to lend a hand, however. If was just 3 years before that Jim almost lost his life to a heart ailment, Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD). ARVD is a genetic, progressive heart condition in which the muscle of the right ventricle is replaced by fat and fibrosis, which causes abnormal heart rhythm. Jim faced death and survived. His experience could only help.

But that wasn’t the only help that Jabir would be. Some of you may not know this but when an athlete signs a letter of intent with a college, that scholarship may only be for one year. It is not unusual for some of the top programs in the country to pull a scholarship after one or two years. However, this was not to be the case for Ebony. Jim and the UD administration stood behind their commitment to Ebony and she received the scholarship for the entire four years. She helped whenever she could with practice and everything else with the program; she just wasn’t allowed to suit up and play.

As the end of her senior approached, Jabir just wasn’t satisfied with letting Ebony sit at the end of the bench and not experience being on the court with the rest of her teammates. After secretly checking with several medical experts, he received an OK to have Ebony suit up on Senior Night.

As Senior Night grew near, Ebony was called to the office of Amanda Fischer, the director of basketball operations for the women’s team. When she got there she found Jabir in the office and was told that she would not only get to suit up, but start and have a play run for her.

Entering the UD Arena that day she spotted her dad and tears started running down her cheeks. Her dad had spent endless hours working with both she and her sister teaching them the fundamentals of basketball often challenging teenage boys to play against them. Even though it was going to be brief, it was going to be a dream come true.

As is often the case when great plans are made, things fall apart. The Flyers ran the designated play but the pass to her was slightly off and it dribbled through her fingers and out of bounds. Her eyes immediately went to the bench expecting to see someone coming in for her, but that was not to be the case. She would have one more try. The next time down the court, they ran the same play. Ebony received the pass and drove by two Fordham defenders and banked in the shot. She would finish her career with a perfect slate. It was over so fast but it was wonderful.

Ebony never gave up. She just showed up every day and did her job. She did it knowing that she would never see the floor, but in the end a small miracle happened and she got the wear the red and blue for one last time. That is why you never give up in life. That is why I can never give up in this fight with cancer. You just never know when that small miracle will happen.

March 6, 2011 Lester Miller

From the moment that we are old enough to understand the concept of death, we all know that one day we will have to face the end. Yet, thankfully, we somehow put off those thoughts and go about our lives assuming that there will be a tomorrow for us and all of our loved ones. But then there are days when those thoughts must be put off because of the loss of someone close to us.

Yesterday, Julia’s grandfather, Lester Miller, passed away. Lester was a wonderful man that lived a long and rewarding life. Yet, even at 96, we all feel the sting of his passing. It just didn’t seem to be his time. He was still too vital despite being slowed down by the grips of aging. His health had been deteriorating for the last few years and it was just a few short weeks ago that Lester found out that he had a form of leukemia. He had been amazing in his fight with prostate cancer that should have taken him over a decade ago. We had every reason to think that he would be able to conquer this demon, too.

I have known Lester for almost 24 years. I was never lucky enough to know either of my grandfathers but he quickly became my surrogate. He brought a certain wisdom to every conversation that made you think. He and I were on different sides of the political table, but that didn’t keep us from having good discussions in those areas. However, it was our love of baseball that really brought us together.

Lester had been a Reds fan forever and his passion matched mine. In fact, the only time I ever caught a ball at a major league fan was when Lester was in the seat next to me. We would talk Reds just about every time we got together. If it wasn’t his love for the Reds, it was watching Justin and Jason play.

He was there for Jason’s first home run, a walk off grand slam when he was 10. He was there when Justin struck out 14 in a seven inning game and then sprung for a steak dinner after the game. He was there when Justin hit tape measure home runs in each of his first two at bats in the American Legion State Tournament in Athens when he was a junior in high school. He loved to watch and he loved to tell everyone at the game that they were his great-grandchildren.

Lester was a proud man and even more proud of his family. He could never stop talking about his grandchildren and what they had accomplished in life, this coming from a man who had met Presidents. He was especially close to Julia and her brother John. The three seemed to have a special connection. In fact, he had requested that they give the eulogy at his funeral when the time came. How they will be able to speak those words, I don’t know as I am sure their emotions will be overwhelming.

Lester had accomplished a great deal in his life, coming from a very modest background to eventually lead the National Rural Letter Carriers Association. So respected in the industry, he was commissioned to write the history of the Letter Carriers and was asked to speak at the Smithsonian to commemorate its publishing and the 100th anniversary of the Association. His negotiating skills were so valued that he continued to assist in contract negotiations with the postal service in his eighties.

He was a man that was a friend to everyone. His funeral will be attended by hundreds. There would be thousands if so many of his dearest friends hadn’t already passed. Everywhere we went; there was someone there that knew Lester. When he and Marge, his wife of over 70 years, moved from the only home they had ever shared a year ago, they were both amazed at how many people they knew in their new retirement community. When people came into the lunchroom, they would have to stop by Lester’s table and say hi. People loved to hear him speak and he certainly was happy to oblige.

We are all in a state of mourning as we have lost a great friend, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. We mourn, not for his loss, but for ours. There is now a hole in our hearts knowing that we will never again see his smiling face and loving hug. It is for us that we mourn, not Lester. We all know that he is now with God. We now have to decide how we remember him and keep his great spirit alive.