Vince's Journey

A third straight state volleyball championship was not to be as Moeller fell to St. Xavier in the championship match; 25-20, 29-27, 25-22. The match was close throughout but St. X made the plays when they had to in denying the Crusaders a 3rd straight state title. Obviously, our boys were devastated. To come so close only to be denied was a bitter pill to swallow. The returning players for next year (Judd included) certainly have the motivation to come back stronger next year and win it all. The four seniors from this years team were part of last year's state championship team as were two of the juniors. The other 10 will hope to end their Moeller careers with a state title next year.

Following the boys has been a great diversion for me. When I learned my treatments would probably continue into June, I focused on the volleyball season as a way to carry me toward the end of the process. Its been great watching the boys come together as a team, develop friendships that will last their entire lifetime and represent their school in such a positive manner. They can certainly hold their heads up high!

This week will probably be a little slow. I'm due to have treatment #7 next Monday (June 5) so I'm off most of the medications and will probably not have another Neupogen shot after today. I'm really hopeful that the next chemo treatment will be the last...I would love to get those behind me. Worst case, I'd probably have one more following the treatment next Monday. So pray that all goes well and maybe Monday will be the final chemo treatment.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Vince

I received the following note from Molly Brown-Boulay recapping her triathalon experience this past weekend in Memphis. I'd like to thank Molly for her efforts...she certainly helped lift my spirits and the funds she raised will bring us that much closer to cures for these diseases. I'd also like to thank everyone who supported Molly's efforts. She said she couldn't have reached her goal without the help of everyone who was kind enough to send her a contribution. She sent me a list of friends and family who helped her and I hope to personally thank all of you in the coming weeks. Following is Molly's note to me...


Vince,

Sorry it took me till today to let you know how things went. Here's the skinny:

I'm still basking the warmth of an AWESOME first Olympic distance
triathlon. Although I had some issues (dropped a
chain first thing out of transition, computer wasn't working on my
bike,realized I can't run very well with my bike when wearing cleets) It was
a great experience and time. The swim turned out to be much better than I
feared, but I did get clawed, elbowed, and kicked numerous times in the
water and managed to go slightly off course at one point. Coming out of
the water I was dizzy and I think that's why I almost fell when I got my
bike gear on.

The bike course was somewhat hilly, but mostly flat. The biggest issue
was the wind! What is up with Memphis?? It seemed no matter which direction
we rode, the wind was at our faces or hitting from the side. I definitely
feel this is the area I can most improve. I got passed a lot on the bike
course and I didn't like it! My only restitution was that I passed most of the
women in my age group--and a lot of other people--on the run course. It
was hot!! 90 degrees by the time I started out. I just keep chanting the
names of my heroes from mile 4 on, and it kept me through: Meagan ( friend
from college who died of leukemia), Liam ( a 12-year-old at my church who
passed away from cancer last fall), Norman (my father-in-law who passed away
from Hodgkins), and of course you. That pulled me through, as did the prayers of all my friends and family.

I'd hoped to break 2:30, but with the stop to fix my chain and the lost
time on the run course, I missed that goal by 1 minute. Not too, shabby,
though. I think I was 64th overall in women and 15th in my age division. There
are a lot of strong 35-39-year olds out there!

I'm so glad I did this. It has definitely been one of the best experiences
of my life, one I know I will never quite experience in the same way
again. Thank you for all your support! I can't wait till you beat this thing!!

All the best,
Molly
"triathlete"

It will be an exciting week as Moeller volleyball prepares for their 4th straight trip to the state championship tournament. On Saturday, the Crusaders knocked off Roger Bacon to earn their latest trip to Columbus. Moeller is the two-time defending state champion but it takes on a little more excitement this year since Judd is a member of the varsity team. First up will be Hilliard Darby, a team Moeller beat earlier in the season but certainly not a 'gimme'. Should the seeds all play out, our team will play St. Xavier in the finals next Saturday night, a repeat of last year's final which was won by Moeller. St. X is the only team to beat Moeller this year (and last year, for that matter!) and should the teams meet in the final, it should be a good one!

Its been a lot of fun following the boys...hopefully they can string 3 more wins together and come home next Saturday night as the 3 time defending state champions!

As I've mentioned on several occassions, there have been several ongoing fundraising efforts where friends have taken on the task supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of me. A couple weeks ago, Jim Pustinger ran the Flying Pig Marathon and it was quite an honor to run the last 3 miles with him, Julie and her sister, Jeanne. On Sunday, May 21, Molly Brown-Boulay will compete in the Memphis Triathalon and while I'm not able to be present when Molly crosses the finish line, I will be there in spirit and wish her tremendous success. I'm not sure how much Jim and Molly raised through their efforts but I do know they reached their goals and appreciate all the support they received.

Last night was the finals of the Cincinnati LLS Man and Woman of the Year event. Two very good friends ran for the man and woman awards, Chris Hodge for the men and Diane Faigle for the women. Both did a wonderful job and when all the dollars had been tabulated, they had raised close to $40,000 combined and Diane actually was 'crowned' woman of the year! There were 13 total candidates for the event and the grand total of dollars raised was over $200,000! Its efforts like this that will eventually lead to the cures for these blood related cancers.

So I simply want to thank my 'heros' for all that they've done to support the fight against these worthless diseases. You have been an inspiration to me and given hope to many others in my situation. You guys are the best!

I'd also like to mention one more 'Hero'...my mother-in-law, Vivian Riestenberg. Last fall things didn't look very good for Vivvy. She had been diagnosed with lung cancer, had surgery to remove part of her lung and struggled to recover from the surgery. She was weak, frustrated and actually wound up spending some time in Hospice. Amazingly, the day we went to visit her after learning of my situation, we walked into Vivvy's room at Hospice and she was sitting up in a chair. That may not sound like much of an achievement but having seen where she had been, it was quite an inspiration. I knew right then that she had decided to fight...and fight she did. Vivvy may be one of the first persons ever evicted from Hospice! She continued her recovery at the West Park Retirement Facility and after countless hours of rehabilitation and physical therapy, she was able to move back home in January. She was in attendance last night at the Man and Women event and is doing wonderfully. Her recovery has been nothing short of a miracle and I simply wanted to take the time to let her know how much her recovery has inspired me. Vivvy, you're the greatest!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend....

Vince

For the first time since my second treatment, I was actually able to receive my 6th on schedule! My white blood count was at 4.4 - I guess the 2 straight weeks of Neupogen shots did the trick. The treatment actually went pretty smoothly. I started around 11:30 and was done by 4:15 pm. That is still close to 5 hours but considering I've had several go close to 7 hours, I was just happy to beat the rush hour traffic.

I would like to thank Doug Fiessinger for delivering a Dewey's pizza for lunch and keeping me company for awhile. Julie is out of town at a trade show so this was the first time I'd gone to a treatment 'solo'. I wound up sleeping a couple hours, which I've never done in previous treatments. I'd also like to thank Jenny Owens for preparing our dinner last night, a very tasty chicken alfredo. When I got home, Abbey had the pasta ready and had also baked some crescent rolls.

So, we have another treatment in the rearview mirror. Dr. Leming said yesterday that we're getting to the end...he added, "Isn't that cool?" I had to agree - hopefully close to the end means only one more chemo treatment but he wasn't commiting. At most, I think there are only two left. I have a feeling I'll be taking various medications for a while but getting off the chemo will be a huge - no, make that GIGANTIC step.

Wish us well today. Judd has a Juvenile traffic court date for being clocked at an 'impressive' 84 mph clip on I-71. Chances are he may drive again until September at the earliest. It should be interesting.

Thursday is the finals for the 2006 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Man and Woman of the Year event. Two of our friends, Chris Hodge and Diane Faigle, are running in honor of me. It's not too late to make a contribution if you're interested. Send me an e-mail at hopkinsv@xavier.edu and I can provide you with details. In addition, Molly Brown-Boulay will be participating in the Memphis Triathalon on Sunday in my honor. I realize some of you have sent contributions to Molly and she (and I) certainly appreciate your support. I had hoped to travel to Memphis to see her finish but Judd will have a regional finals volleyball match on Saturday night so I don't think I'll be able to make it. Molly did reach her financial goal and I'll let you know how it goes for her on Sunday.

As always, we thank everyone for your prayers, support and concerns. You have all been wonderful throughout this entire 'journey'.

Peace to all!

Vince

What a great experience running the Flying Pig Marathon with Jim Pustinger! As I mentioned earlier, Jim is a fellow board member at the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) who asked if I would be his 'hero' for the race. I was honored to accept his invitation and decided the least I could do to assist him in his efforts would be to hook up with him late in the race and run with him to the finish line. We agreed to try and hook up around the 23rd mile and run the last 3.2 together. Julie and her sister, Jeanne, also joined us for the final leg.

When we hooked up with Jim he was feeling the way most people feel after running 23 miles. You're so close to the finish line but the body is running on fumes. We set out at Jim's pace (which was a perfect pace for us!) and ran along Eastern Avenue towards the finish line. Jim was wearing an LLS racing shirt with his name on the front and my name on the back. It was very inspiring to hear all the bystanders cry out words of encouragement to him as he ran by. The closer we got the the finish line, the crowd got bigger and bigger. I haven't ran in a marathon since 1998 and I had forgotten how exciting the last couple miles can be. It was also amazing how many people I knew in the crowd - they would yell out at us as we ran by - it was very cool. Jim crossed the finish line just under 4:15 minutes. You could tell he had left it all out on the course - it was very humbling to think he put in all that hard work in honor of me. He then gave me his medal. I took it but we both agreed I'd give it back to him in 5 years.

I'd never taken the time to go down to the Flying Pig. I've often said I'd like to participate but for some reason, its never worked out. Now I've been inspired to be a part of it as a participant. So who knows, maybe next year I can run the whole thing with Jim!

Hard to believe, but its been 7 months since I learned I have follicular lymphoma. It's been quite a ride so far and I realize we still have a ways to go. We've been very fortunate to have many of you supporting us along away...thanks to everyone!

I had an appointment with Dr. Leming yesterday. Everything appears to be progressing well. I have been feeling extremely worn out lately and he said I'm entering the phase that he calls 'The Final Mile'. He compared it to running a marathon....you've been focused on getting to the end for so long but everything you've been through has taken its toll physically and mentally. And even though the end is in sight...it might as well be 1000 miles away because you just don't have the energy or the desire to keep moving forward. You just want to feel good and you realize that its going to take a little more time to get to that point.

Fortunately I have a lot of things going on that help keep me busy. (That also might be a contributing factor to why I feel so worn out!) All I know is Julie and I were both excited this morning when we realized we'll be able to spend this evening at home! We've been running so much that an evening at home sounds pretty nice.

Tomorrow (May 5) we're going to a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. One of Julie's friends, Diane Faigle, is running for the LLS's Woman of the Year and her sister is hosting a Cinco de Mayo fundraiser for her. If you live in Cincinnati and might like to attend, send me an e-mail at hopkinsv@xavier.edu and I'll send you a flyer via e-mail. It's only $20 per person and it includes food, drinks and games.

I'd like to send out Get Well wishes to my sister, Aimee. She had surgery earlier this week and is faced with a life-changing recovery period. She's been very supportive of me through my journey and I wish her well with hers. If all goes well, and I'm sure it will, her health will be better than it has been in many, many years.

Also this weekend, we will be celebrating Don and Joan Schmitt's (Julie's uncle and aunt) 50th wedding anniversary! Congrats to Don and Joan for 50 years of wedded bliss. (Although you'd have to ask Joan just how many of the years were truly 'blissful'!) Anyway, there will be a big party Saturday night at St. Gertrudes and knowing Don, everyone who reads this blogsite is probably invited so maybe we'll see you there.

Finally, I'm going to attempt to run the final 3 miles of the Flying Pig Marathon on Sunday. A couple weeks ago I wouldn't have thought this would be a problem but given the way I've felt the past several days, I think its going to be a struggle. I'll be running with Jim Pustinger, a fellow LLS board member, who is running in honor of me. I'm hoping that once I get out there, the adrenaline will start to flow and carry Jim and me to the finish line. I guess we'll see. Next year, after all this is behind us, I'll get out there and run the whole damn thing with Jim!

I guess that covers everything. Thanks again to everyone for your prayers and support. Even though its getting a little tough down the stretch, it would be lightyears more difficult witout all of you!

Peace and Blessings!!