A picture and some celebrations are near

I thought I'd have a blog dedicated to a picture. Here is Andrea's picture from the Emmy's. I thought she looked beautiful. She's back home now and I couldn't be happier.

I'm headed to the Braves game tonight with some friends.

I had a good appointment with George today. He says I'm doing really well. I go to my sponsor tomorrow at lunch to hopefully complete Step 7.

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary and my mom's birthday. I can't wait to celebrate with Andrea and Mom.

I hope everyone is well.

Andy

Mr. Mom's final moments

Well, it's day 4 of me taking care of the kiddies. I have to admit that it was actually easier than I thought. Sure, my car died. And I had to get a ride back with the guy from Acura Roadside Service. Sure, on Saturday, I had to have a guy from the service department follow me home in the car and I gave him a ride back. By the way, the cause of my car's problems was a completely dead battery.

Sure, Ethan couldn't let me out of his sight while I coached Avery's soccer team. Still, they are breathing and so am I. Every morning that Ethan woke up, I got him. Then Avery followed and came to my room. We then went downstairs where they ate, watched TV and hung out with me while I did my therapy. I'm not sure I did such a great job; I think I just have two great kids. I'm especially proud of Avery. She's becoming such a mature little girl. Thanks to my father n law who helped me with the kids at soccer practice and who took them to the petting zoo for a couple of hours.

Well, in 5 days I'll be 37 which is the current life expectancy for a CF patient. It's scary and I thought I'd freak out a little but after the last few years and how I've gotten better in my own skin, I actually feel extremely lucky. I have a wonderful wife who has had to put up with my issues. I have 2 beautiful kids who I was never supposed to have. I have 2 wonderful parents and by the way thanks everyone who asked about my dad. He continues to do well and is visiting this weekend.

Andrea had fun at the Emmy's with Emily. I got some beautiful pictures from Andrea. I could tell they had a lot of fun. I thought it was funny that in exchange for Andrea's Emmy picture, I sent her a picture from my fantasy draft that same night. Ok, I thought it was funny.

How bout the Braves lately? What a great comeback on Sunday! I couldn't believe it. The Phillies won't go away though. Champions seldomly do. I'm proud of my guys though.

In my last act as Mr. Mom, I fixed Avery's fan light in her room, bought the kids milk and waffles after work and got some flowers for Andrea so she knows how much the 3 of us missed her. I also picked up Emily's dog Daisy and so I now have 2 dogs and 2 kids. Daisy is a small white malty-poo who has pink dyed feet. I will not walk that dog in public. You couldn't pay me enough. Sorry Emily.

I see my therapist George tomorrow. I'm looking forward to seeing him. I see my sponsor on Wednesday so we can complete Step 7. I can't wait to move forward.

I am getting all my book forewords together now and have added friends to my Facebook account so that I can spread the news as the book hopefully gets closer to publication.

Today we got our 16th Wish for Wendy team and the Foundation team is just about complete. We also now have a sponsorship chairman. Rusty Sneiderman is doing an amazing job. He's taking us places we've never been.

Well, that's about it. I'm taking the kids to bed for the final time before Andrea arrives. I can't wait to welcome her and Emily home. Of course they arrive during my 2nd fantasy draft of the week. I'll try not to let the draft interfere with their arrival...unless of course it's during the early rounds. Just kidding!

Have a great night.

Andy

A rough start to a crazy weekend

Good morning everyone.

It's been a crazy weekend and it's only Saturday morning. I got back from my work retreat in Barnesly Gardens (near Adairsville, GA home of Bobby Cox)yesterday excited to show my wife what a great Mr. Mom I could be. This is the first time I've had the kids and she's been out of town.

Before I get to our exciting day yesterday, let me share about my retreat. The facilities were beautiful. My project presentations were received very favorable. It's the best performance at a retreat I've ever had. I also got a card for my dad who was sorely missed at this retreat and had all of our executive board sign it. Though my team lost in the athletic competitions, I did redeem myself. Six years ago I finished dead last during the skeet shooting competition. This team I finished in the middle in both archery and beebee gun shooting so no more jokes about my aim. I've had to endure them for 6 long years especially amongst the hunters in the group. I did cut my arm on a thorn bush during the bike race but it's now a cool scar to show my daughter and brag how I fought a huge alligator and won. I got back around 3pm yesterday.

Then the day got interesting. First, I saw a friend of mine I hadn't seen in years. It was a bit awkward and sad that we don't really reconnect anymore but that's the way life is I suppose. Then I got to our house and the kids were all over me. Ethan was so excited to see me and Avery finally came around after her fifth time asking when mommy's coming home. Andrea is at the Emmy's with my sister by the way. Lucky, huh? So then our nanny, Luz, left. Then the fireworks began. Avery, Ethan and I went to Blockbuster to pick out a movie. Then as we got in the car, I called Andrea to brag how easy this was. Then I put my keys in the ignition and nothing. I thought I must have put her car key instead of mine. Not the case. The car was dead. So we went to dinner at the Boulevard Diner next door while Acura Car Assistance called someone to charge the car. Someone arrived but the car did not start. The lights flickered and I knew it was probably the alternator. Thanks to my old Ford Explorer from the late 90's, I knew all about car issues. Next the guy took us home and I found out we had a commonality. He and his wife were going through IVF as well. They hadn't had any luck yet so I told him this good deed might put him over the top. He was hopeful.

Next I let the kids watch our movie while I called a tow truck. They said they'd be there between 7:45 and 8. I put the movie on in the car for the kids and drove there to unpack my car. 7:45 went by as did 8. I called them. Turns out they were busy and it was now going to be 8:30 so I left the keys under the mat, went home and put the kids to bed. It can't get worse, right? Well, Avery's bedroom light didn't work so I'm fixing that this morning. Ethan had a few tantrums. Magic ate a fake flower. But we survived and that's all that matters.

We are going to Gramps' girlfriend's house this morning so the kids can spend some time with him. I will be calling for updates on car in the meanwhile. I did get to work on my Step 7 this morning while I did my therapy and the kids played.

I have to say that through all my emotional issues, my physical health is really at tip top shape. I go to the doctor in 2 weeks but I feel really confident about it. It's one week before my 37th birthday, the life expectancy of someone with CF and I just competed in a mini work Olympics and a scavenger hunt. I worked out and ran Thursday and Friday. I'm in really good shape.

Here's some good news. I finalized my last celebrity foreword yesterday. Here is the big list: Dale Murphy, Boomer Esiason, Frank Deford, Robert Beall (head of the National CF Foundation), Garth Brooks and the newest member, Celine Dion! This was my original list so I'm excited everyone is taking part in my journey. I only wish I could have added Dr. Wolfenden.

Everything else is great. I'm ready to start a hopefully less exciting Day 2. I may even rent Mr. Mom for a good laugh.

I hope everyone else has a great weekend and got a good laugh at my expense.

Andrea, I miss you!!!! Have fun with Em!!!

Best Wishes,

Andy

What's been going on

It's been a while since I've blogged. There has been a lot going on. For one thing, my father continues to do better. I miss him but I know he's going to be home soon and 100%. Emily and I are looking to visit him in early October. Mom is doing great too. Emily's store, Raw Denim, is a few months from opening. Please support her.

A Wish for Wendy is up to 15 teams. We just need one more. We're halfway complete as far as filling out the roster for the Wish for Wendy Foundation team. I've decided to play on the team again this year. We eclipsed the $900,000 mark at Wish for Wendy and continue to chase $1 million.

I was really proud of my mom. She ran into Jimmy Fallon and his wife at a restaurant several months ago and she reached out to them to see if they would contribute to Wish for Wendy. I thought it was a lost cause but I also know to never say never with my mother. So a week ago, we received tickets to Jimmy's show, autographs from stars like Drew Barrymore and several other items. Mom, I'm really proud of you.

I've been finding a lot of people through my blog that have their own personal issues and we've been talking in person or on the phone or via e-mail. It feels good that this blog is positive. I know some people think it relays a very negative message but the truth is that it's open and honest. Some people may not get it, but there are others who feel like someone really gets them. I'm truly glad I can help in some way.

I just completed Step 6 in my 12-step program. I'm halfway there. Step 5 was admitting all of my wrongs and then being able to give them to a Higher Power and move on with my life. I was certainly ready to do that. I have forgiven myself for my faults but will continue to work hard to make my life and my family's life the best it can be.

I thought it was ironic that on the way to my sponsor's house last Saturday for the fifth step, Andrea found a turtle. She let me and Avery take it back to the river park. The turtle was my analogy in an earlier blog where I figured out that no matter how bleak things look, there is always a solution. The turtle is now safe and so is my emotional sobriety.

I was so excited to celebrate Ethan's 2nd birthday. Everyday we get with him is a true miracle. I love him so much. Avery is the best big sister too. We've been putting a lot of videos on our youtube account theflipdawg1 (in case you need a laugh). I got to watch Avery's gymnastics class for the first time the other day and I was really impressed. She's a great athlete. I'm not sure which side of the family that comes from.

I'm off to my retreat now. Everyone thinks I'm going to the Emmy's with Andrea but it's actually Emily that is lucky enough to go. I'm going to north Georgia. Jealous?

I hope all of you are doing well. Keep up the great work.

Please check out www.andylipman.com. We have added my youtube video that details my life with CF and the blog to this website as well as several other happenings.

Best Wishes,

Andy

Game 7 of the NLCS in 1992: the sad truth

Everyone remembers where they were when Sid Bream scored the Game Winning Run of Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS that propelled the Braves to the World Series. I had a friend of mine tell me the story of where he was and the events that transpired while watching it. No one has ever asked me to recall that memory and describe where I was. I’m happy about that.

The night that Francisco Cabrera lined a single between short and third was the single greatest moment in Braves history and one of their biggest fans was nowhere to be found. I was in my room by myself. The TV was muted and I was sick and depressed. That was during the time where I would not leave my room and I wanted to kill myself. I watched as the winning run scored and then I shut off the TV only to hear people in my fraternity house screaming. Instead of joining them, I put my head back on my couch and cried. I knew I’d missed a huge moment that people would be talking about for years. I knew I wouldn’t be able to talk about it in the same light. In fact, this is the first time I’m really discussing it.

I later bought a picture of the Sid Bream run-scoring play but I didn’t buy it to remember the night the Braves went to the World Series. I bought it as a reminder of how awful I felt then. Unfortunately it hasn’t stopped me from coping in a horrible way or from getting more depressed but still it serves as a reminder of how bad things can get if you don’t take control of your life.

Thanks for letting me share. Have a great day.

Andy

The Youtube video and kids do the darndest things

Well, I was excited to have our Youtube video completed. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TheFlipdawg1#p/u/0/_LNQaucfYBk. Ross Jacobs and his team did an outstanding job. It's not like they had a GQ model to work with.

I asked Dr. Wolfenden's husband and children to throw out the first pitch at Wish for Wendy and they agreed as long as their schedule permits. I couldn't think of anyone else more fitting to be up there.

I was jumping up and down last night as Melky Cabrera won a huge game for the Braves. Down 3-1 in the 9th against a very good closer the Braves struck for 3 runs. Now we play a Nationals team that always plays us well.

I'm really excited about the Greg McGarity hire at UGA. He's from Athens and he comes from a successful program (as tough as it is for me to say that). Good luck Greg and Go Dawgs!

We had our first soccer practice for Avery's team. It went great. The kids had fun and the parents were really nice and Greg Green is a great assistant coach. We did about 6 drills and I was really impressed with the kids we have. My one joke I used with the parents was "My name is Andy Lipman. I'm used to coaching adult competitive softball so coaching youth soccer should be an easy transition." Avery did great too. She listened and participated and I was so proud of her that we got ice cream afterwards.

Yesterday Avery painted my face and hands while I did my therapy. She did a really good job. Then when Andrea got home she informed me that it was not face paint and that I'd really have to rub it off. Needless to say, my cheek hurts today and my hands are a bit raw but here's a picture from my daughter's artistic display.

I learned that one of my friends lost a couple of family members in a car crash last weekend. I'm so sorry and I'm praying for him and his family.

Bloggers, by the way, I can't see who some of you are but I do have a Facebook distribution list for this blog. If you are a member of my blog and not a Facebook friend, please friend me and send the message saying that you'd like to be part of my blog e-mails from Facebook. That way I'm only sending the blog to those who want to read it. Thanks.

Ethan's newest funny phrase is "Daddy, look." He points something out and then we laugh together. It's very cute and I love it. He learns to speak more every day. I'm very proud of him. Andrea and I weren't sure if he'd ever talk so every day seems like a new miracle.

Andrea and I had a great date the other night. It was nice to get out and be away from the kids. We had a great dinner and saw a lot of people we knew, some that we hadn't seen in years.

I continue to stay strong through my depression and through my 12-step program. It's never easy but it's vital. I love my wife and my kids and I never want to put them through the Hell I put them through over the last few years. They mean too much to me.

Have a good week, everyone.

Andy

Our vacation and how I feel

I sit here in our basement prepared to write my next entry. I'm not looking forward to doing my therapy. I guess I'm just sick of having to do 10 things in the morning and 10 things at night every day not including my workouts, job, Wish for Wendy, the book and other things I'm involved in. Tonight I have to put on my foot cream for some dead skin I have, take my Nexium, do my nose drip, do my saline solution, do my nose spray antibiotic, do 2 puffs on my inhaler, do my hypertonic saline, do my pulmozyme, do my vest and then head to bed. That's exhausting just to think about. The whole process takes about an hour meaning I won't get to bed till about midnight.

We got back from our vacation today. We had a great time but it was exhausting too as I'm sure everyone experiences the exhaustion when taking kids on vacation. We got some great pictures of the kids at the beach. I should say Andrea got some great pictures as she took 90% of them. She took some great ones of the kids. My high school friend, Melissa, who lives in Charleston and is a professional photographer, got some great shots of us on the beach between Sullivan's Island and Wild Dunes. It was great seeing her after about 20 years since the last time we saw each other. She looked terrific and was great with the kids.

It was great seeing my cousins Andrea, Jonathan and Laura this weekend as well as my Aunt Anita and Avery and Ethan's first cousins Jeremy and Gabriella. We were sorry that Nick, Stella and Daisy were under the weather. It was so nice of the Zuckers to have a cake for Ethan. He loved it. We had so much fun with them. We wish we could see them more. I included a picture from the evening on the blog. Thanks Anita also for letting us use your beautiful beach house.

Thursday night we took the kids to a hibachi steak house for dinner. The kids had fun and Ethan got one more birthday celebration there as it was his actual birthday. Happy 2nd Birthday, Ethan!!!

I found out on Friday that the JCC needed more soccer coaches so the commissioner asked if I would do it. I accepted though my soccer background is as storied as Milli Vanilli's singing career. At least I have Avery in my group and I also found out that my fraternity brother Greg's son is also in the group. I'm sure it will be fun as long as I don't have to show off my skills. I might call Ross for some input as he was the soccer star in our household.

My softball team was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs while I was out. I'm going to miss Bethany and Lou who are leaving after this season. They had been on the team for more than 2 years.

I love my kids but sometimes Ethan gets a little too needy for me. I feel like Spiderman when I say that Ethan latching on to me is a blessing and a curse. There are moments that I love it but part of me needs a break too. I got to have some father-daughter time last night as Avery and I went to find frogs near the pool and I even let her use the elevator by herself. She was thrilled. This morning she and I saw a guy catched a triangle bull shark off the beach. He said that they are easy to find there. I don't know if that made me feel really good about taking my kids back into the water. It was cool though to see the one-foot shark as the fisherman and his son threw him back in. Avery, Ethan, Andrea and I also played in the waves and flew Avery and Ethan's first kite. I have to be honest that I don't know that I've ever flown a kite before so it was my first time too.

One thing I thought about was when the kids and Andrea went to the beach first so I could finish my therapy. It reminded me of being younger and my cousins Barrett or Jonathan getting to go to the beach while my dad or mom administered my therapy. I always felt like I was missing out then. It doesn't really bother me now but it brought back those memories of feeling different. Feeling different as an adult isn't nearly as difficult as when you're a kid.

My parents came back into town tonight. I'm really excited to see them as well as Andrea's mom and stepdad and Andrea's father and girlfriend who are all going to be in town. My parents have been doing a little bit of travel lately and my dad has been having some minor health issues but I'm glad to hear that he's doing much better. He doesn't have anything life-threatening but he is taking the bull by the horns and getting treatment to get himself back to 100%. I'm proud of him and I'm proud of my mom for being so selfless throughout the process. That should not come to anyone's surprise for anyone who knows my mom.

My sister's store Raw Denim opens up in a couple of months. She'll be out in Buckhead selling high-end western wear/jeans. Check out her store and take a look at her Facebook site when you get a chance. Just look under "Raw Denim."

Wish for Wendy looks to easily have 16 teams as checks are coming in pretty quickly. I'm pretty excited about that.

I was happy to see the Braves pull out a tough win against the Dodgers tonight 1-0. Another great pitching performance from Tim Hudson.

That's about it for me. I'm exhausted and have about 30 more minutes left of my treatments. Everyone, have a good night and stay strong.

Best Wishes,

Andy

The Turtle Analogy

I suppose you remember Mr. Turtle from several blogs ago. The other day I was thinking of the symbolism of Mr. Turtle as regards to my emotional health/sobriety.

Mr. Turtle in essence is my sobriety. When I ran him over, I was really upset. I got crazy and didn't know what to do. I figured the turtle/my sobriety would never make it. I wanted to give up on the turtle and leave him but I remembered how much he meant to my daughter much the same as my emotional sobriety means so much to her. I found a place that would help the turtle and for me I found a place that would help my sobriety (the rehab center/my weekly meetings). The turtle ended up living and so did my sobriety.

Mr. Turtle, thanks for that valuable lesson. The lesson being of course, no matter how difficult something seems, where there's a will, there's a way!

Have a good weekend.

Andy

I'm feeling better now

Thanks to everyone who was supportive after Dr. Wolfenden passed. I’m starting to feel better and am ready to move on to feeling positive.

Seeing a good friend

I had dinner with a good friend last night. We hadn’t seen each other in a very long time. Both of us got a chance to reveal our issues to the other. It was a very positive experience. Both of us felt better afterwards and we are going to be there for each other.

Softball

Last night we lost a close softball game 11-7. It was a back and forth dual. We finished the season 5-2 and in second place. The team that beat us is 1st place. We have had some bad luck in the playoffs lately so hopefully we can show some teams that we are better than a 2nd place team. I went 3 for 3 with 3 infield hits. You heard me right. I got to the bag 3 times just before the ball arrived and all 3 times I was able to get to second because the throw got past the first baseman. I feel like I’m a few steps faster since I began running downstairs. I either run on the treadmill or sometimes I just run laps around the basement, avoiding Ethan and Avery’s toys while I sprint.

Health

I got some very good news concerning 2 close people in my life. Both got very good health results and I’m very happy. Some of you have asked how my physical health is doing. I’ve been doing pretty well. I work out 6 to 7 times a week and run at least a ½ mile every day. I also jump rope, do jumping jacks and try to do some form of crunches 4 or 5 times a week. I did include a picture of all the the medications I take with this blog. It will give you an idea of how much traveling is a pain for someone with CF. This doesn't even include my aerosol or therapy machine.

Youtube

I started a Youtube account to put the kids’ videos on there. My name is TheFlipDawg1 in case you are interested in seeing some funny videos.

Braves

I was happy that the Braves won last night but the Phillies are coming on hard. I was sad to see that Medlin is probably out for the year but I’m hopeful that Mike Minor, our stud in the minors, will be promoted. Go Braves! We have a tough 4 game series against the hot Giants this weekend. I hope we can take 3 out of 4.

Vacation

I’m looking forward to our family vacation to Charleston which is coming up really soon. I'll see some family while I'm there and I'm really looking forward to seeing Ethan and Avery play in the water. Andrea and I can't wait for some sun and sand. I found an old high school friend who lives there and is a professional photographer and she’s going to take family pictures for us. If you plan on going to Charleston this year, send me an e-mail and I’ll forward her info to you.

Wish for Wendy

We are still in need of another team at Wish for Wendy and we are looking for players who want to raise money and play on the Wish for Wendy Foundation team. The event is Saturday November 6th if any of you are interested.

The Book

Once my video is ready, my agent and I will start sending the manuscript to publishers. I’m looking forward to it. I’m also still putting together blurbs and forewords for the book. Thus far, I can tell you that Dale Murphy, Boomer Esiason, Robert Beall (the head of the National CF Foundation), Garth Brooks and Frank Deford are on board. I have one more person I’m waiting to hear from. She’s a pretty big name. I should hear something in the next few weeks. She originally wrote a foreword but I made some drastic changes to the manuscript so she will need to approve again.

That’s all for this week. I’m thinking of all of you. If you are in poor mental or physical health, I wish you a strong recovery. If you are doing well, I pray that you can maintain it.

To the day when CF stands for Cure Found.

Andy

My letter about Dr. Wolfenden - my final goodbye

One of a Kind
By Andy Lipman

“Always have faith in your doctor.”

That’s what Dr. Lindy Wolfenden e-mailed to me several months ago when she, like me, was a patient with a potentially fatal disease. Lindy Wolfenden wasn’t just my doctor. She was my friend. We met in 2008 when I was going through my first IV treatments for a serious lung infection and my regular doctor was out of the country. I was really scared. My father and I drove to Emory that morning and Dr. Wolfenden met with us. I learned later that Dr. Wolfenden started the adult center at Emory. She spent many years working to improve the care for adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). I was so impressed with her and the way she conducted my recovery, that I asked her to be my primary doctor.

Dr. Wolfenden had an infectious smile but wasn’t afraid to tell you how it is. I remember asking her, “Should I be scared? Should I freak out?” Her answer: “Nah, I’ll tell you when to freak out.” When she smiled, I knew either 1) everything would be okay or 2) she had something sarcastic to say. She had a great sense of humor. We often joked about married life and our children. She never let me leave an appointment without good news. When my pulmonary function tests were below par, she detected the concern in my eyes and said, “these tests don’t tell everything. It’s how you feel that matters most.” That line still comforts me when I’m getting poor test results at doctor’s appointments.

Dr. Wolfenden stuck with me and my father when times were tough. We had some issues at Emory during my IV treatments and reported these to the supervisor there. I worried she might be upset that we complained. Instead, she was grateful. She said that our letter was a wake-up call and lead to a lot of improvements. Now they have a bigger staff, a nutritionist, case workers and updated equipment. Dr. Wolfenden created brochures (one with my picture on the cover) and met with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to support their fight against cystic fibrosis. Emory has become a great CF center largely because of Lindy Wolfenden.

Over the last year, she and I exchanged e-mails. I was often checking to see how she was doing in her own battle against breast cancer. It was ironic I suppose; the patient checking on the doctor. I hoped that she would be okay but as the months went on and she started experimental chemotherapy, I knew the odds were getting slimmer that she would return to Emory. That didn’t keep her from being positive though. She stayed strong and hopeful during the rough times. She told me she would get through this and be back to take care of her patients. She was flattered that I wanted to write about her in my new book about my life with cystic fibrosis. She said she couldn’t wait to read it. I wish she’d been able to, but in July Dr. Lindy Wolfenden died from breast cancer at the age of 40.

I wish now I’d had a chance to thank her for being a great doctor in person. I wish I’d been able to tell her during the rough times that tests don’t mean anything. It’s how you feel that matters. In her memory, an educational booth will be set up at our Wish for Wendy Softball Challenge, an annual tournament that is close to having raised one million dollars for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Every dollar we receive at the booth will be matched by the Wish for Wendy Foundation, which my father and I started to help raise money for cystic fibrosis awareness.
Lindy Wolfenden once said “Always have faith in your doctor.” Dr. Wolfenden, it was neither difficult to have faith in you as a doctor…nor as a friend.

I miss my doctor and friend, but I am determined to do all I can so that no one will forget what she did for people like me. I am honored to call myself a patient of the late Lindy Wolfenden, and to preserve and support her legacy.

Here is to hoping that there will be more pioneers like Lindy Wolfenden someday to help us win the battle against cystic fibrosis and other chronic diseases. One thing is for sure. There will never be another Lindy Wolfenden. We have lost a true one of a kind.

Last day of Tobi, grieving, etc.

Well, I’m relieved that tonight is the last night of Tobi. I’m sick of the extra 2 hours every day that I have to administer the aerosol although it has allowed me some time to improve my pool game since I have to wait about 20 minutes between my Pulmozyme and my Tobi treatments morning and night. I know that Andrea is excited as it will allow me to have more time with her and it will allow me to have a normal sleep schedule again. My average completion time for Tobi has been around 1 a.m.

I’m still sad about Dr. Wolfenden. I saw that one of my pill prescriptions still has her name on it and I saw some pictures of her with her scarf, obviously affected by the cancer. That was the first time I’d seen pictures. So obviously it’s tough and now I must also think about my health and find another doctor that I can trust. I’ve been going to another doctor at Emory and she is very good but it’s hard to find a doctor you can trust the way I trusted Dr. Wolfenden. In time, I hope to have that relationship again.

Remember Mr. Turtle, well today I ran into a bird. Yeah, he flew into my windshield. Then I saw him drop behind my car. I don’t know if he died or what but I couldn’t do another trip to All Creatures. They might have my pets taken away from me. To make matters worse, I went to Walgreens today, bought 3 items and found out my total was $6.66. Bad luck day I guess.

Let’s hope the Braves have some luck tonight against the Mets. I’m getting a little worried about this team and I don’t think we helped ourselves much at the trade deadline.

Thanks everyone for all the nice comments you sent to me about my doctor. She truly was inspiring and I’ll miss her.

Finale of the Bachelorette tonight (loss of man card moment): I have a prediction. She marries neither guy and she gets a bid on Dancing with the Stars. Either way, this show is pretty dumb yet now I’m invested though I pretend not to be.

Tonight my team has a game at 8:40pm. Should be a sell-out which is about 3 fans in the bleachers.

The weekend was good. We really didn’t do that much. Andrea’s dad was in town so it was nice to see him. We spent some time with my sister and parents and that was really fun. It’s great to see the kids interacting well with my dad and mom specifically. It took Avery a while but she is so excited to go to Nana’s now that she packs her bags 2 days before she goes. My dad and Ethan have really hit it off. Ethan is developing the personality of a bruiser. He doesn’t take crap from anyone. He pushed Avery and broke the top lock on our door while doing so. Avery was okay. He is really strong. He throws his food down constantly, messes with the dog and laughs when he aggravates me or Andrea. He’s a stinker but sweet too. He loves giving kisses. Avery is in that rebellion stage which I thought would take place at two or three. She wants it her way. She’s learning the hard way that it isn’t going to be so easy.

I’m looking forward to going to Charleston soon. I’m also looking forward to a Disney trip in September. And congrats to my alma mater for getting best party school in the USA today. Some would look at that as an insult. I, on the other hand, am throwing that on my résumé just under the fact that we have a great gymnastics team. We’ll miss you Suzanne Yoculan!

I’ve been handling my depression well the last week. Notice I never say that it is gone because I will never be rid of it. I used to believe I could get rid of depression or anxiety but just like the lung disease I've had my whole life, I'm not getting rid of these emotional issues. I have to confront them or they will find a way to destroy me. I am feeling like I have coped well and talked to the right people in my rehab circle in order to get better. I’m also glad to have so many good friends that have called to check on me. I really do appreciate it. Sorry I haven't called all of you back.

I go to my psychiatrist tomorrow. We meet for about half hour. I met Dr. Rad during my rehab sessions and he and I have continued to work together. We meet once every two months to evaluate my meds and how I’m personally doing.

Ok, well, I hope everyone had a good weekend and that you are having a great summer.

By the way, the pictures attached are A) Ethan and I in our early tailgating gear and B) Avery riding her first pony. I was so proud of her because she was really scared but she did it. Andrea was there for support. Thanks Honey!

Talk to you soon.

Andy