End of April Update

Somehow it's May already.  The biggest win of the month was completing the Strides for Life 5k here in Dayton.  I finished dead last, but I finished.  Thanks to all who cheered and encouraged me.  Amy and I also got to participate in the Cincinnati Reds Findlay Market Opening Day Parade. As another Donate Life Month event, we got to spend time in Life Connection Green Chair Sit In at Cox Media (Channel 7, Dayton Daily News).  It was a fun month volunteering and helping promote organ and tissue donation in Ohio!

Here's my progress report on my new year's resolutions.  I hit a lull in the middle of the month that nearly knocked me off my pace for reaching 2016 miles.  I had a cold/allergies that knocked me for a bit of a loop and kept me off the bike for nearly a week.  I rallied to end the month with 675 total miles completed on the bike for the year.  My pace requires 667, so I'm actually a little ahead still.

In terms of reading, April also didn't see much movement, but I had a pretty good buffer there to reach 16 books.  I am about halfway through "The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto," by Mitch Albom.  This is the same book I had just started at the beginning of the month.  It's a fast read.  I just didn't pick it up much until near the end of the month.  Fantasy baseball gained much of my focus for the last half of March and the first half of April.  Hopefully I'll get back on a bit of a speedier pace from here on out.

My current list is as follows:
1. Seabiscuit - Laura Hillenbrand
2. Heart - Dick Chaney
3. The Real McCoy - Hal McCoy
4. Mercy in the City - Kerry Weber
5. And God Said Play Ball - Gary Graf
6. The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto - Mitch Albom (about halfway)


It wasn't my best month, but the fact that the year is more than 1/3 complete and I'm still talking about it is a win.

Healthwise, April was fine.  I felt a fair amount of fatigue, which was probably more related to my cold/allergy/sinus problem than anything else.  I must admit, I haven't done much walking since the Strides for Life 5k at the beginning of the month.  I will need to get back to it as I am signed up for two more walks this summer.

Spoiler alert, May will not hold the same good news from the health front.  I received a call today letting me know I was back in Atrial Fibrillation.  My home monitor tipped them off to this change.  I don't particularly feel any different, so lets hope I can continue to do my biking, as well as get out and walk more.  I've got to get ready for a couple those 5k's this summer!

That's about all I have to report for now.  As always, please keep us in prayer as well as my future donor and his or her family.

End of March Update

Tracking my progress on my 2016 Resolutions. We are now three months (91 days) in and I'm am still ahead of pace. Basically, we have reached the quarter pole, although there are two days beyond being exactly 1/4 of the way through the year.

For my 2016 bike miles, I've reached 524 miles in the first 91 days of 2016. That's roughly 20 miles ahead of the pace needed to reach my goal.

For my reading goals, I am at 5+ books. Here is my list so far:

1. Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

2. Heart by Dick Chaney

3. The Real McCoy by Hal McCoy

4. Mercy in the City by Kerry Weber

5. And God Said Play Ball by Gary Graf

6. The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom (barely started)

I didn't do a ton of reading in March as it is March Madness and Fantasy Baseball prep season. Once all of that dies down in a couple of week, I will have more time to devote to reading again.

My health is still in pretty decent shape. Unfortunately, I did have to go back to Cleveland to get my controller changed this month. My new one has had a couple of disconnect alarms, but not excessive as they had been before. I am concerned that one battery port on the controller appears to be loose. This was a problem last year too. Since I am already on my fourth controller, I am really hopeful that this will not require a change, especially so soon after the last one. I am still not scheduled back to Cleveland until May 10, so I am hopeful that that will remain. There is a possibility that if I do require another controller change, it could be done at a hospital in a Cincinnati or Columbus, which would save me several hours of driving.

With April beginning, I am very excited because it is Donate Life month. God willing, I will be able to participate in several volunteer events with LifeCenter in Cincinnati and NKY and Life Connection in Dayton. Please take the opportunity to register as an organ donor and encourage others to do so.

Amy and I are so excited to be participating in the LifeCenter float during the Reds Opening Day Parade. If you plan to be there, look for me on the float and Amy walking nearby! Before that, we have formed Team Patulence to take part in the Strides for Life 5k in Dayton. This is being put on by Life Connection in Dayton. If you would like to join us, walk up registrations will be taken on Saturday, April 2.

Thank you for your continued prayers. As always, please pray for my future donor and his or her family!