EIB Family,

13 Dec 2021

Rather than give medical specifics, I thought the best way to update you on my treatment would be with a baseball analogy, leaning on my time with the Kansas City Royals.

On January 20, I learned of a really tough opponent: advanced-stage lung cancer. So it was time to go up to bat. I walked to the plate, bat in hand. My first two at-bats were horrible. Twice I struck out. Nothing to show for it. The first two attempts to deal with the cancer failed.

First was a targeted therapy of clinical trial drugs, which worked — but nearly killed me in the process. Had to get off those. But that at-bat showed me I could hit the pitch. I was at least able to make contact. We had some hope there would be a remedy.

But my second at-bat was a total and complete failure. I struck out on three pitches. Did not even make contact.

At the bottom of the ninth, I walked to the plate again. I was 0-for-2. Had not reached first base. Hadn’t coaxed a walk out of anybody. Didn’t get a hit, much less a double or a triple. But on my third at-bat, the third attempt, I managed to get on base. I hit a solid single. Then I stole second! I am currently on second base, hoping to slide into third and eventually make it all the way home. If that happens, we get extra innings. That’s what we’re shooting for.

Unlike football and basketball that have a clock, in baseball the game keeps going as long as the game is tied. Right now I am tied. I need to round the bases and score. However it happens, I need to steal third or steal home. Guy hitting behind me needs to come up with something. Then we want as many extra innings as we can get.

Now, don’t be alarmed by my mention of the first two at-bats being total failures. One of them held promise. And the current treatment regimen has been much better than I thought. Because of the cumulative effect of the toxicity, I was expecting debilitating fatigue for ten days. It lasted two days. But anything can change on a dime. Folks, it’s really tough because I know that you have known other people who are going through this who are eager to share with you good news. Sometimes they share good news prematurely and then have to say, “Uh-oh, we’ve lost ground.” So I am guarded with positive news because we’re talking about cancer. There are good days and good weeks. There are bad days and bad weeks.

But I believe prayer works. I know it does. It is a blessing that in my third at-bat, the last shot I have at this, I got on base, stole second, and am chugging on to third. And I’m very confident I’m going to score. I’m very confident that this is going to go into extra innings. Meaning — well, you know what it means.

I’m feeling extremely good right now. My energy level is great. I’m doing extremely well. And I don’t think anybody would mind if I told you honestly that I am doing better at this stage than I thought I would be doing. I’ve got to get to home plate and extend the game for as many extra innings as I can. And as of today, it looks like it may happen.