NEW UPDATE THIS WEEK !!!

HEY EVERYONE ! SORRY IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. I AM STILL HERE & GETTING STRONGER.

I AM ON REGULAR TREATMENT SCHEDULE.

THANKS AGAIN & AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS & SUPPORT.

I AM BEING KIDNAPPED TO FLY TO CHICAGO FOR A CUBS GAME TONIGHT. PHOTOS TO FOLLOW.

MARK

A Super Week!

It has been a Super week ! Last Wednesday 5/12/10 I was honored at the 61^st Rochester Press-Radio Club dinner. I received the Christine Wagner-Welch Inspiration award. I had a blast ! The headliner for the dinner & winner of the Coca-Cola Sports Personality of the year award was DREW BREES. The best thing of all is that the dinner raised a bunch of $$$$ for local Charities !! One of which includes the Challenger baseball league which I am involved with.

There is a lot of history that goes with the Press Radio Club Dinner. Also check out

· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hickok_Belt

· http://www.hickoksports.com/history/hickbelt.shtml

· http://www.nndb.com/honors/155/000108828/

We are truly blessed in the Rochester area with generous companies & people. This is a GREAT city.

Thank you to the 300+ people that came out to support me last Wednesday evening. The event was sold out ( 1200 people). Thanks for the bidding on the auction items. Two golf rounds – one at Oakmont CC & the other at my home course Monroe Golf Club brought in over $ 10,000 !!!! As I told you in my previous blog I am blessed to have so many great friends & family to support me.

So how am I doing ? I am working with the oncologists to get a regular schedule for my chemo treatments. We are going in the right direction. The goal is to keep the tumor from growing or better yet get it to shrink. Over the past three weeks I have met some amazing people that have brain tumors. One is a 15 year survivor & the other is a 12 year survivor. What I have learned is that each person with cancer is unique in his/her own way. I have also learned there are so many different types of cancer it is mind boggling. Through research they are making tremendous progress at treating this horrible disease.

So the battle will continue. Thanks to all of you & my doctors. In the long run it is up to the good LORD what the outcome will be. I will continue to do my best everyday.

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT & REMEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF & DO SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE LESS FORTUNATE.

Click on the play button below to view:

Roller Coaster Ride

What a ride. It’s been a physical & emotional roller coaster over these past 3 weeks since Easter. By the way on Easter Sunday my great friend & neighbor from Hilltop Rd. in Syracuse Peter Waters flew myself, Mike Thornton, and my son Brian to opening day for MLB baseball. Red Sox vs. Yankees . It was a beautiful day & perfect day & evening for baseball. It was great game with the Red Sox coming from behind to win 9-7! I now have a favorite MLB baseball player – Dustin Pedroia. He gives 120% all of the time.

Thanks Peter & Janet for a great time !!! Fenway on opening day. Stephen Tyler ( God Bless America) & Neil Diamond ( Sweet Caroline). Unbelievable !

That was at the top of the roller coaster with the rush of going down the hill. Unfortunately, there was a low period when the Chemo was kicking my butt. Oh well that’s to be expected. My blood platelets do not like Temodar ( chemo ). They drop to real low levels. I am working with the doctors to come up with a plan so we can keep a better schedule.

I did have an MRI scan one week ago. Not to bad but that is why I need to keep a regular Chemo schedule. That will keep the stupid tumor in check.

Last week I did get out to walk a few holes & play some golf with Brian. Can’t play to well. That sucks. My stamina & swing are not to good. It’s very frustrating. It was good to get out on the golf course.

I have been getting to spend a lot of time with Christopher ( my Chauffer) he drives me to a lot of my doctors appointments. Unfortunately for Chris he has to listen to me “ backseat drive” telling him to change lanes & most of all “ make the light” ! For all my family members that sounds familiar. He is a great young adult.

Andrew picked up a cold so have not seen him much. A few times over the past week. I hope he gets over his virus soon.

Mary has been busy keeping the household running. She is amazing. She took off for Florida on Wednesday 4/21 with her brother Patrick ( his 3 kids) & sister Amy to my parents condo in Seminole FL for some R&R. I think they are having a blast !! The boys & Mary are at he TB Rays game tonight in St. Pete. I am sure they are having fun.

The highlight of the week for me was the St. John Fisher Scholarship golf tournament cocktail party at Oak Hill CC. I am Honorary Chairperson this year. It was great event & I got to see some people I have not seen in awhile. I am looking forward to the tournament on June 7th.

It has been a beautiful spring here in Rochester. Hope all of you are doing well & enjoying the weather. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT & PRAYERS !!!

HAPPY EASTER!

He has risen!!! We are saved!!

Thank You Jesus! Happy Easter everyone! I look forward to this day every year. It is most important since Jesus died so I may

live. Doesn’t make much sense does it.

Why would he do that for me? Back in 1976 I wore a wooden cross around my neck that I had picked up in Vanceburg KY while on a mission with Glenmary Missionaries. In the summer of 1976 while working for Vogel Van Lines one of the guys I was working with saw the cross on my neck & said “ Why do you wear that cross ? That guy died. Why do you want to wear something representing death ?”

I have never been quick with comebac

ks so I was kind of dumbfounded. I wish I could have come back with a quick “ HE DIED SO I MAY

LIVE!”

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad”

“The Lord is Risen, He is truly risen”

Spring has Sprung

This is your 3 week update. I can't believe how time flies. I have finished round 2 of chemotherapy and will start round 3 sometime in the next 7-10 days.

These past 3 weeks have been a roller-coaster. Some days are better than others. Unfortunately my seizures returned a few weeks ago and have affected the right side of my body. They have increased my seizure medication and also started me back on steroids. I hope that it gets the seizures under control.

The good news is the snow has melted and spring is on its way. My goal is to be able to play some golf this summer. At this point I have a ways to go to be able to accomplish this goal.

For all of you Orange basketball fans last night was a major disappointment. Oh well.

Thanks again for all of your support and prayers. I will just take it day by day. Have a great day.

Breaking News ... USA adds another Gold Medal

Mary Muench was awarded a GOLD MEDAL this past week. It was presented to her for her outstanding performance as a wife & mother !! I don’t know how she does it.

THANKS MARY FOR YOUR LOYALTY & NEVER ENDING LOVE FOR OUR FAMILY WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE YOU IN OUR LIVES.

For the love of the sport

What a week!!  I love the Winter Olympics.  With no energy to speak of I watched a lot of the Winter Olympics & also the showdown between BIG EAST rivals Syracuse & Villanova.

Before getting into the sports I just want to let you know that round two of Chemotherapy has been completed!! It would not have happened if it wasn’t for my wife Mary & my friend Peter Waters.  I did not want to “poison” my body anymore. I spoke with Mary & she suggested I call Peter. I did not want to bother him so I just went to bed . My cell phone rang 2 minutes later & who was it … it was Peter !  I did not answer the phone, I just wanted to be left alone.  I waited a minute & said that is too weird. I called Peter right back.  I told him I didn’t want to do it anymore. We spoke & he put a different perspective on things. Thanks to him I was able to take my medicine and I made it through the week.

How about the Orange! I had to DVR the game since I can’t stay up that late. Impressive. Hope they do well in the NCAA tournament.

The Olympics were unbelievable. What I love is that the athletes train for the love of the sport. Sure, some of the athletes get endorsements but they have to perform in order to get the endorsements. From a tragic beginning on Friday for the Georgian luger that was killed to the very end yesterday when the USA went to overtime with Canada in the hockey golf medal game the games were terrific.

I believe the most heroic performance to be that of Joannie Rochette in the women’s figure skating. I admire her determination and I believe that her mom skated with her during her bronze medal performance.

I hope everyone is enjoying the snowy winter. I am looking forward to Spring!