It's Game Time

Two of my favorite people of ALL time were my high school varsity basketball coach and assistant varsity coach, Mr. G and Mr. H.

Before game time Mr. G would do everything in his power to have his girls ready for the game. He analyzed the other team, he discovered their strengths and their weakness. He did this many days (probably even weeks) before game day. Then during practices we'd spend hours learning how to defeat the opposing team. We were truly just an average team. We didn't have much extra height, we didn't have great speed (especially me!), and only a couple of us could really jump (and I wasn't one of them). But he taught us how to use the skills we had, he taught us how to be competitive when we were facing a fast team and how to survive when facing the 'giants.' We listened. We learned. We practiced. Why? Because Mr. G knew his stuff and we had the internal desire to win. We trusted him. We were a team (as he used to say, there is no 'I' in team.) Most importantly, we knew that underneath all of that planning and all of that strategy, Mr. G cared about us.

Mr. H was always there to help us. While Mr. G excelled in strategy and in preparing us for game day, Mr. H excelled in getting us through the day. Remember, this was a team of teenage girls going through teenage life. Mr. H was our heart. He had this keen ability of noticing when one of us had 'something' weighing heavy on our minds. He had this way of meandering over to us (whether we were in the middle of stretching, taking a moment between drills, or getting a drink of water) and getting to the 'heart' of the matter.

Together those two men were quite a successful pair! They are forever in my heart. My senior year they took our average team to the Final 8 in the state. Were were facing 'giants' and 'roadrunners' left and right. We were stretched to the limits of our abilities. We worked hard and we played hard, and despite not coming out as the #1 team, we were winners.

You're probably wondering what all this has to do with my journey with breast cancer. Well, yesterday, I felt like I was 'back in the game,' back in that high school locker room getting last minute instructions from Mr. G on how our team was going to defeat the opponent. You see, I had my first appointment with an oncologist (Dr. B). When Sean and I entered, it was hard not to notice the portable easel with a dry erase board sitting in the middle of the room. After introductions, Dr. B went to work on the whiteboard. He was drawing diagrams and outlining his strategy to combat my breast cancer. I am a visual learner and I like details, so Dr. B's approach settled well with my spirit. Everything I had read and researched was coming to life on that whiteboard. Admittedly, I'm not completely sold on his aggressive plans which include a full gamut of chemo (adriamyacin, cytoxan, taxol, herceptin) and further surgery (removal of my ovaries), but I did like his approach and his manner. I could tell that along with all his planning and strategy, he still cared about me as a person.

Fighting breast cancer isn't exactly like playing basketball, but there are some similarities. I still want to be on a good team: a team who looks ahead and beyond the next game, a team who knows the strengths and weaknesses of its opponents, a team who cares about one another and who can trust one another, team members who will willingly meander over and get to the heart of the matter. I really liked Dr. B's team, but wisdom tells me to seek the advice of one more oncologist before I make a decision. And that is what I'll do. Thankfully, I already have some excellent team members....friends and family who are praying for me, who are helping me research, who are sending encouraging cards/emails/phone calls, who genuinely care and want to be a part of this battle with me. For that, I am forever grateful. I continue to put my trust in my Heavenly Father. He is the ultimate Athletic Director :). He knows the beginning from the end. I continue to seek his guidance as I search for a Head Coach.

'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.' Romans 15:13

'In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' Romans 8:37,38