Feels Good to Be Home Again

I have some amazing readers. I have been overwhelmed by the compassion and support that our family has received from everyone in the comments and via email. It really has been very uplifting to receive your words of encouragement. For that, my entire family thanks you.

I'm happy to report that after 11 days and nights in the hospital, our family was able to go home this weekend. Tyler has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and while the mass was situated in a very precarious position (crushing his trachea and major blood vessels) it is a very treatable form of cancer. His chemotherapy protocol is for a full two years- and there will certainly be ups and downs in that time- but given the direness of the situation two weeks ago, we'll gladly take this over the alternative.

Despite the cynicism that I exhibit on this site, I'm generally a positive person. Here are some of the peripheral benefits we've already received by virtue of his condition:

-Being stuck in the hospital without internet access, it was impossible to read Bill Simmons' live blog of the first few days of NCAA tournament.

-When Halloween rolls around, all I'll have to do is put a Charlie Villanueva jersey on Tyler and his costume will be set.

-Tyler loves going to sporting events, but he'll have to avoid large crowds while his immune system is suppressed. So this summer, we'll be the preeminent experts on west coast college baseball.

Many of you have asked if there was any way you could help out. Honestly, just knowing that so many wonderful people have Tyler in their thoughts has given us more strength than you could possibly imagine. However while I was in the pediatric intensive care unit, I saw the following groups have a very tangible impact on either our family or the families nearby:

Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Michael Hoefflin Foundation
Ronald McDonald House

If you make charitable contributions throughout the year, you may wish to consider some of these organizations as worthy of your funds.

Also, I'll be donating all income from this site to those four charities. So if you click a Google ad, you'll be helping out.

Thank you again to everyone for your support. I plan to return all of your emails individually, but please understand if it takes awhile.

And finally, my next entry will actually be about sports...or cheerleaders...or both.

You Don't Have to Go To Your Homepage, But You Can't Stay Here

Life has taken a twist for me. I don't talk about my "real" life much in The Lounge since this site is meant to be a diversion from real life. I have a four year-old son, Tyler, and this week, he was diagnosed with cancer. He is responding well to chemotherapy, and we are all very hopeful for a full recovery. However, we have a long road ahead, and this site has become an afterthought in my mind. I'm sure I won't be updating for the next week or two, and after that, who knows...

I'm taking an optimistic approach, and at some point, I think life will resume some sense of normalcy. But that is a bit of a ways away. Until then, I'd like to thank all of my readers for indulging me the past year and a half. Tho we've never met, I consider many of you to be friends.

Wishing you all laughter, peace, and plenty of March Madness.

So long for now,

Derek
aka Insomniac