Vince's Journey

Thanks to everyone who helped us reach our fundraising goal for the Flying Pig Marathon; we have now raised $10,900 which is $100 over our goal! With two weeks left until the marathon, I hope I can get in a few miles of training this week...my back has been giving me trouble and I'd like to prove to myself that I can do 6 miles, then I'll just have to 'tough it out' the final two miles.

Thanks again for all your support!

Julie and I are celebrating our wedding anniversary today...hard to believe it's been 22 years! I remember our wedding day was a beautiful day just like today, maybe a little warmer. 'Walking on Sunshine' was one of the hit songs at that time and Pete Rose was counting down the hits as he would break Ty Cobb's record later that season.

We went to Germany and Austria for our honeymoon. We packed for the weather we were having in Cincinnati and when we got to Germany it was about 30 degrees! It was still a great trip and hopefully we'll get back there some day.

The past 22 years have been filled with many, many wonderful and beautiful moments. I know I've been very blessed to share my life with Julie. She's my best friend and has helped me become the person I am today. Happy Anniversary, Jules! You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me and I love with all my heart!

This weekend Judd, Aaron and I participated in the University of Dayton's Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society (ACS). The boys were picking up some much needed service hours and I went up to take part in the 'Survivor's lap' which kicked off the 18 hour event. I have to admit it was very moving to take that lap with other cancer survivors - the students all lined the course and applauded as we walked by. The weather conditions were horrible and I have to salute the UD students who took time out of their bust schedules to participate on such a crappy day. I'd like to especially thank my nieces, Ellen Riestenberg and Lauren Bruce, for putting together a team and raising money for the ACS. The overall goal for the event was to raise $70,000 and the organizers I talked with said they were very close to achieving that total.

Tomorrow is a very important anniversary. Last year on April 17, Dr. Leming called me with the results of my latest CT and PET scans which revealed no visible signs lymphoma. It started out a pretty bad day as I was not able to receive a treatment due to my low blood counts but hearing the news that the treatments were working provided a much needed boost. It's hard to believe its actually been a year.

Finally Happy Birthday wishes go out to my brother-in-law, Steve Bruce, who inches another year closer to the big 5-0! Have a great one, Frankie, and may you have many more.

I hope everyone has great week...I also hope all the lousy weather is finally behind us...the past two weeks have not been pretty!

My best to all!

Vince

Just a quick update on the Churchladies fundraising efforts. As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, a wonderfull group of family and friends (The Churchladies) have entered three relay teams in the upcoming Flying Pig Marathon and have been raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The goal is to raise $10,800 and I'm happy to report that we're closing in on that amount. We have received donations from over 100 people and are about $1500 away from reaching the $10,800 goal. To everyone who has generously contributed to this cause, we sincerely thank you for your very kind support. To those of you who would still like to make a contribution, there's still time to do so! Simply click on the following link and you will go to the Churchladies web site where you can make a contribution.

My plan is to run the final leg of the relay. I was progressing well toward that goal but unfortunately strained my back earlier this week bringing my training to a screeching halt. I've done this before and it usually takes about a week for my back to recover but right now it still hurts quite a bit. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to running sometime next week.

Tomorrow Judd, Aaron and I are heading up to UD to participate in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Our nieces, Ellen and Lauren, have a team and the boys are going to participate with them to earn service hours for school. I'm going to walk with other cancer survivors on the first lap and if the weather is as cold as they're forcasting, I think I'll retreat to warmer conditions.

Here is the link to make a contribution. Thanks again to everyone who has generously supported this very important cause...

http://www.active.com/donate/tntsoh/churchladies

My best to all!

Vince

It's now been a year and a half since my diagnosis. Hard to believe its been 18 months but then I think back to every thing that has happened since October 4, 2005 and it seems like 5 years. I think the best thing I can report right now is that I continue to get stronger with my running and I've also been able to drop about 12-13 pounds since my doctor's appointment a month ago. The two probably go hand in hand.

We had a great day on Monday - we went to the Reds opening day with the Bruces and then had some friends and family over to watch OSU in the championship basketball game. If it wasn't for the University of Florida, the Buckeyes would be celebrating their second national championship in 3 months...instead, its the Gators who are celebrating. Still, its been an incredible year for Ohio State and I'll make the following predicition; if Greg Oden returns for his sophomore season, OSU will start the season #1 and could go undefeated. Of course, that's a BIG IF!!!

We're looking forward to following the boys' sports teams this spring. Judd's volleyball team is off to a great start, they're 6-0 and haven't lost a game yet. Unfortunately Aaron's lacrosse team is still looking for their first win, although I will say there was great improvement in their last game. They play Indian Hill tonight and it's going to be a cold one...temperatures could dip to around 40 degrees.

As for Abbey, she continues to keep a very busy social schedule. I think she's going to go to a field hockey camp the next several weeks to see if she wants to give it a shot in high school.

We wish everyone a Happy Easter and hope all is well with you and your family!