So Thankful for Our APBA Family

This post is long overdue, I wanted to send this post off around the New Year, even around Christmas... but better late than never.

I want to to take the time and thank everyone in my APBA family for donating your hard-earned money to help my wife and I during a very tough time. We feel truly blessed and we could not have got through the holiday season if it were not for your generosity, we simply can't put it into words on how much everyone came through for us.

For the ones that may not know, my wife Becky was sick in early August. At the time, we thought it was Bronchitis, but an X-Ray reviewed that there was a mysterious growth on wife's upper right lung. She was scheduled for a biopsy, but the doctor at the biopsy felt the growth was too close to a major artery, so she was referred to a thoracic surgeon instead. The surgery took place in late October, and was an overall success, the tumor that turned out to be cancerous was completely removed, along with 17 lymph nodes (one of those lymph nodes also had cancer as well), and her upper and middle lobes to her right lung. Becky had to spend 10 days in the hospital to recover. The surgeon and the oncologist both confirmed that she is now 100% cancer-free. She couldn't go back to work until right after the New Year, and was out of work since mid-October, so that left me bringing in the income during that time.

The recovery process hasn't been perfect, since the double lobectomy. She has developed esophagus issues in which she has been vomiting, we are trying to figure out all that right now, and if there is any connection to the surgery, or just really bad timing. Coughing is part of the process with her lungs (particularly her right lung) recovering, so we didn't think much when she was coughing a lot, but once she was not able to hold down fluids or solids raised concerns. None were related to influenza as well.

We have many bills now, and more doctor appointments, but we try not to let it overwhelm us. We have good friends and family in our corner and that's what matters.


Special Thanks to my friends Ron Emch and Pastor Rich Zawadzki.

A huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders thanks to Ron setting up the GoFundMe page for us. He was concerned on how we were going to pay for the incoming bills, and has seen GoFundMe help some of his friends. He got the word out on the APBA Facebook Group, and our APBA family came through in more ways than they could ever imagine.... Such an amazing APBA community that we have, nothing surprises me with this group any more! One of the people that donated, John Cochrane commented on the site & said it best "We take care of our own."

My friend, Pastor Rich also came through by selling some APBA cards and using those proceeds towards Becky's bills. He sold $150 worth and donated another $100 to GoFundMe. Becky's online friend also sent $200, while both my sister Sara, and my brother-in-law have each donated large amounts of money as well.

I can't say enough about Ron and Rich, these are two stand-up guys in the APBA community, and are always looking out for people in need. I really can't say enough about their friendship, I am honored to have such friends in our corner.

Becky knew that I was part of a great APBA community, but she didn't realize how amazing and generous everyone was. She was overwhelmed (in a good way) with all the love that the group sent her way, and we were amazed by it all, many strangers donated without even batting an eye... God bless this group!

Also a special thanks to Ron Dean from the APBA community who donated $400 of his own money, we really appreciate it more than you'll ever know. I couldn't find you in the APBA Facebook Group, I hope this post finds its way to you. Also a  special thanks to the anonymous person who donated $500 as well.

Those are all big amounts, which were very generous, but we are thankful for ALL of the generous donations, big or small...

We were not expecting much, and are so thankful for everyone

Here is a list of all the names of the wonderful people that helped us get through this tough time in alphabetical order....

Curt Bartel

Jeff Boeding

Randal Coburn

John Cochrane

Patrick Cox

Ron Dean

Tim Dusseault

Ron & Marian Emch

Sara (Baier) & Morgan Evans

Julie & Michael Gaubatz

Ken Gornstein

Heather & Neil from San Jose

Michael Kehrer

Andy & Tammy Lammers

Charlene & Scott McClure

Patrick McGregor

Rod McLeod

Paul Pavao

Doug Pryzymierski

Bradd Romant

Sheri Sample

Jim Saska

Darren Schulz

Ken & Jackie Schulz

The Schwind Family

Chris Strovel

Dan Velderrain

Michael Walko

Wendell Watkins

James Welch

Rodney Woodward

Pastor Rich Zawadzki

and the 8 Anonymous who donated as well.

THANK YOU!!!

If you haven't donated, we could always use the help,

Go Fund me link (Click on the right) >>>  Helping Becky

The Late Innings of Life

[This post was started in late July, when my two friends passed, it has took a lot of energy in trying to continue]

This has been an odd week to say the least, I've been on Facebook very brief this week, and found out bad news at work, that my coworker Josh, apparently suffered a seizure in his sleep & never woke up. He was one of the kindest guys you could have ever come across, completely selfless... He used to work with my wife at Goodwill, he would stay a little extra longer off the clock & walk the ladies out to their vehicles, during closes. He has time & time again at Applebee's would volunteer himself to help the restaurant in anyway that he could, he would occasionally pat people on the backs, when he felt people needed a spiritual lift.

On July 25th, this past Tuesday, he was working his tail off in the dish pit, I brought a container of mixing bowls & utensils over, he was a bit overwhelmed with the waitstaff asking for dishes & etc, he mentioned "They are going to have to wait, I'm trying my hardest." I came over, patted him on the back (like he would do for us) and said "Josh, you are working hard bud, that's all you can do at this moment, you know it, I know it, you got this... (patted him on back), he seemed to be at ease & a better mood after this. Becky & I clocked out of work about a half-an-hour later, and went home to go out to Lake Michigan & the Sleeping Bear Dunes, we had the next two days off... little did we know, that would be the last day we would see Josh on this green Earth.

Came into Friday, and our boss got the phone call around 10 am... The word spread quick and everyone was really quiet for some time, it was odd, and difficult for any of us to wrap our heads around.

That night (Friday, July 28th), I was making a post about my friend Josh, finished it, and was shocked to scroll down my Facebook feed and read about another friend's death, in my friend Mike Miller...

I should say our friend Mike Miller, anyone that has ever got to meet him face-to-face, was treated with a great gift of humanity. He had this amazing way of making every single person in the room feeling as equally important, embracing us with his wonderful smile, enjoying life to its fullest. I would love to be this guy when I reach his age, carefree, no worries in the world, he was selfless in the many ways that my friend Josh was, and he went out of his way to make sure that everyone during Chicagoland (Summer 2016) was having a great experience, to the point that he helped Thomas Nelshoppen make his train & helped get me down to Chicago O'Hare for my trip back home...

I didn't get to spend as much time with Mike, as others that weekend got to do, but in the limited time that I got to spend with him, we spent that time well, talking about where he was from & his big love for the San Francisco Giants.

I have made it no secret in the recent past that I get tired of teams that continue to win, I rooted for the Giants to defeat the Rangers in 2010, then they beat my beloved Detroit Tigers in 2012, by 2014, I & everyone outside of San Francisco were sick of the Orange & Black. I feel bad for Mike's sake that the Giants are having a terrible season, but I am delighted that he got to see his guys win 3 titles in 5 years.

Now for all of you who thought you knew how much of a big heart that Mike has, you are about to be floored on how big of a heart he has. The night of the celebration dinner when he overheard that I needed a ride to the airport, he said he had no problem doing so. The next morning after breakfast, he was out having a smoke, and we were chatting, and through our discussion we realized we had our lines crossed the night before, he thought I was flying out of Milwaukee like he was, and found out I had to go to Chicago. I quickly grabbed my stuff from the hotel, when I was checking out, the clerk mentioned something odd to me that "I was all taken care of", I was thinking that's odd. Yes, I checked in, but not at any point I remember them ringing up my card.

He got me to the airport in great time, while we had a great morning of discussion along the way, we took some pictures along the way.

After the trip, and I got home to rewind, I was waiting & waiting to see $320-$330 taken out of my account for my two-night stay in Libertyville, nothing ever came of it, I wondered for the longest time if there was an error by the desk clerk, or that someone paid for them, $330 is a lot of money, so no way did someone pay for them...

I used to think that, then I start to think of Mike's smile & generosity, and I'm pretty convinced he may have paid for my two nights. He touched so many lives, as witnessed with the outpouring of love coming from his friends & family on Facebook. They spoke highly of Mike, which all came as no surprise to any us that got to be around this wonderful personality during that weekend in Chicago. Mike & I have chatted over the years on Facebook, we shared the same views relating to politics, I knew where he stood long before knowing where he actually stood, and none of it was a surprise to me, he had an amazing heart.

I miss you my friend, and I wanted to thank you for everything that you have done for me, your advice, your encouragement & your heart.

Also, I wanted to add one more thing, only you my friend, can rock out a that multi-logo T-shirt, only you my friend!