Persistence On and Off the Tennis Court

An exhausted Nate with his proud parents after the win!

Having returned from a great work trip to West Africa Thursday afternoon, I hopped in the car with Christine Friday AM and raced down to Radford, VA to see Nate and his Mason High School teammates vie for a 3rd straight state championship. They won! And Nate's tough 3-set victory clinched it for them. After splitting the 1st two sets, and falling behind 2-5 in the 3rd, Nate was determined and battled back to win in a tiebreaker. We are so proud of his steely resolve under pressure - he was not to be denied

For obvious reasons, with my repeat PET scan taking place on Monday, Nate's fighting spirit meant more than usual to me. Even though my body feels stronger and the wear and tear of the chemo is clearly easing, I still don't quite feel 100% in my chest and can't help but wonder whether the cancer still has a foothold in there. While I know it's out of my hands and ultimately in God's, and definitely draw deep courage and peace from that, I fear the beating my body would absorb with another, more intense round of therapy - and having to forgo family time and vacation plans this summer - if the news isn't good this week.

I appreciate everyone's well wishes and encouragement and, for our friends of faith, I ask for your prayers for decisive healing and, if the cancer's somehow alive and kicking, for clarity on the course of treatment going forward and perseverance as we continue to fight the good fight.