Working as a nationwide trainer for s3strategies, I have the convenience of which trainings I select based on our schedule at home. The last 19 months have made it difficult to do as many as I normally would. So, knowing that Dave’s blood counts were showing improvement, I welcomed the opportunity to present at a state conference in Florida. 

While I was in the Sunshine State this past weekend, I was also fortunate to attend Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Punta Gorda. Dave and I have attended mass there numerous times and love this church for multiple reasons. Father Jerry Kaywell is the adored pastor, who has welcoming eyes, an infectious smile and is hilarious. Parishioners are drawn to him from the moment he warmly delivers his welcoming prayer. A hush falls over the church as he asks everyone to breathe in and out three separate times, begging them to leave their busy minds and schedules behind as they let Jesus in. Additionally, he invites the congregation to connect with the three readings as he brilliantly weaves scripture into his homily.

But, it’s not Father Jerry’s eyes that I am drawn to in this huge church, which is always filled to the brim. The choir is at least 30 well-orchestrated voices with a five to seven-piece band that accompanies them. One would think that would be my favorite entity at Sacred Heart. It is a choir I would be blessed to be a member of for sure. Surprisingly, the choir runs a close second only to the voices that fill this church from the entire congregation. The music is so powerfully moving with voices of over 600 in attendance. I’m sure it floods the streets surrounding this beloved church.

The eyes to which I am drawn are the ones that meet me every time I walk through the entrance and dip my hand into the holy water. His eyes pierce through me and read me as if he has known me my entire life. And He has. The mosaic tile of Our Lord Jesus behind the altar is the masterpiece of this church. It spans the entire wall, and try as I may this past Sunday, I could not capture His beauty in a picture. But every time I attend mass here, he captures my mind, my body and my very soul. 

This week, the message was just as powerful as ever. Father Jerry reassured us that, “God will not leave his children alone. He is persistent and unfailing. He listens and promises to answer our prayers.” As if he was talking directly to me, he went on further to say, “Jesus says He will heal you, but He is rewarding others through you. He will reward you, when you step through the gates of heaven. That is your final blessing.” 

Then, the choir began the offertory hymn and a calm fell over me. As I sang along, “You gave us healing our hearts hungered for” a tear slipped down my cheek, feeling blessed beyond words and experiencing such surrender.

As if this wasn’t powerful enough, our call came yesterday that confirmed the very song I sang on Sunday. He gave us healing our hearts hungered for. Dave’s bone marrow biopsy came back and indicated that he is cancer-free. There is no sign of PH+ and no mutated cells. And yet again, we are graced with another miracle. Our God is so good. My giving thanks to the One who made this happen seems miniscule; my thousand thank yous would never be enough. So, please take a moment to thank Him for listening and hearing your prayers. He saw all of us on our knees and heard our pleas. He did give us the healing that we had hungered. 

No, this is not a shout out for Janet Evanovich and her hilarious book series. But, last Sunday, the Houston Astros pulled it out in the 11^thinning in the ALCS. Dave and I went to bed at 11:00 though, not knowing that the game would go 11 innings. When Carlos Correa banged a walk-off home run to win it, it tied the series with the Yankees at 1-1. Are you starting to see a pattern here?

Not that we are die-hard Houston fans, but we are Justin Verlander fans, so it would be satisfying to see them take home the crown. JV is leading the league in WHIP, WAR and wins. He has allowed the fewest hits per nine innings, too. He leads the league in innings pitched and games started. So, clearly our vote for the Cy Young goes to JV, making it his second time to receive that prestigious award. 

This is coincidence I’m sure, but Dave had his 11^thbone marrow biopsy on Monday. He is probably leading the league in that category as well. His slow recovery is about as frustrating as watching the Detroit Tigers have one of their worst seasons ever. Our trips to the clinic always revolve around his blood counts and any new symptoms. And on Monday, his counts presented to be more promising than they have in a long time. In fact, we got a little emotional when we saw them. His mouth is down to one sore that is now smaller than a bottle cap. Even though he is eating better, it has not been reflective on the scale. Losing yet another 5 pounds this past week is about the only thing that raised our doctor’s eyebrows. Our goal for next week is to come back five pounds heavier. Heck, I know it can be done. I’ve done it myself a time or two. 

We are excited for the results from this bone marrow biopsy. It will be another miracle. Prayers answered. Again, thank you for being a part of our journey. We are counting on lucky 11 to be a true testament of all that the Tag Team has accomplished. 

For as long as I can remember, Dave has told his players and coaches that there is no clock in this game. For those who watch baseball, sometimes you wish there was a clock. Maybe it is a nine-inning sloppy game that sees the teams make 10 errors between them. Add in the 12 walks and baseball has taken on a new look. Possibly, it’s that five-hour, 14-inning game that has gone back and forth. Both teams have exhausted their pitching staff. Neither team shows any emotion. Nobody seems to care. The fans are fidgety with the poor play. Will this game ever end?

But one thing is for sure. Nowhere in baseball is there a rule that states a game can not continue after a certain length of time. It could take two hours or it could take 20 hours.

There is no clock in baseball. 

There is no clock in this leukemia journey that we are on, either. We learned with the first bone marrow transplant that 100 days post-transplant was to be celebrated, only to find that the 107^th day made that celebration wishful thinking, only. We have realized that with each blood draw, we hold our breath and wait for the counts to lean closer to a 9-inning crisp victory than a long, exhausting 14 inning game, which is loaded with miscues. But either way, we keep moving forward in order to put a “W” in our win column.

Last weekend was no different. While sitting in the emergency room waiting for results, I prayed that it was something simple and begged for God’s mercy. “Enough. Dave has been through enough,” I said over and over again. I’m not questioning God’s wisdom, but only asking for a 7th-inning stretch. We need time to rest our weary bodies, time to regain strength and time to enjoy some normalcy.

God has been good to us all along, but this time for sure. As always, He answered. He blessed us with simple. In addition to the UTI and blood transfusions he needed, Dave has a common cold. That’s it. This time, it is as simple as a cold. I know you are saying, “You’re kidding, right”? but even a cold right now sent him to the hospital for six days. It reminds us that we need to be vigilant. We must avoid any environment that could compromise his health. Because at any given moment, we may need to drop everything and head to the hospital to evaluate the seriousness of any new symptom. Because, there is no clock in this game either. It could take six months to a year before he is even able to attend a ball game. When it is safe to attend, I think we would enjoy a 14-inning game. That’s actually the best part.

There is no clock in baseball.