On the Road to Recovery

Finally, after 3 weeks and what has seemed like hundreds of tests, the doctor's are finally moving forward towards a diagnosis and a treatment plan. 

Neurosarcoidosis. Try and say that 3 times fast. Hell, just try and pronounce it. I first heard of the medical term about a few days ago, you're probably hearing it for the first time. Once you're able to get past the pronunciation, the connotation of the word gives you that feeling that it's got to be some sort of serious medical condition. Well, given the reason as to why you're here reading this, you already know the seriousness of the issue. To put it into Layman's terms, its a rare and complex infection, basically an inflammation in the body's tissues that effects the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). That's as far as I'm going to try and explain it, I'll let the doctor's and Wikipedia do the rest. 

Of course the first question most of you might have been asking is, "What could have caused this?" Honestly, we don't know. Nobody knows. This could have been something that was festering in Billy's body for years and it just got to the point where it flared up and started to effect his brain and body, but it's now a moot question at this stage of the journey. 

Now that the doctor's have pretty much diagnosed Billy, the question we're all now asking is, "Where do we go from here?" I am under the belief that the doctor's will still be treating this with continual doses of steroids to keep the inflammation of Billy's brain at bay, as well as getting Billy stronger. The brain swelling may take a while to subside before they replace the part of Billy's skull that had to be removed, but the first part of treatment-aside from the medication-is releasing Billy from the hospital and getting him to rehab for some physical, mental, & speech therapy. The good news is, the release and therapy will look to be commencing sometime this week or next. 

Given the fact that Billy underwent serious brain surgery less than 9 days ago, he is making significant progress and the doctor's are pleased with his results thus far. We all know that Billy is a fighter and will face this long road to recovery head on. I know from just seeing him that he is trying to do things on his own, albeit some against doctor's orders, but deep down I know he's just trying to feel normal again, trying to get back to the way things were. (To put into some sort of context, imagine being a professional athlete one month and then having to have people help you walk the next. Not a pleasant thought by any means.) I know from being his brother that the tough part of this ordeal won't be his fight against the infection, it'll be about his patience during the rehabilitation process. (We McGlone's aren't necessarily known to be patient. The Irish in us, I guess). But regardless of the impending road to recovery, I know Bill will get through it no matter how long it takes. 

So again, that's as much as I know. I got all this information from my father who was with him today. The continual love and support Billy and my family have been receiving has been enough to keep us all upbeat and positive. Everybody has been so willing to offer their time, their services, their prayers, their love...we can't thank you enough. In time, and with Bill on his way to a complete recovery, I hope we will all be able to get together and share that love with Billy so he can see first hand all of the love and support he has in his corner. It has truly been inspiring and I'm still in awe of it all. 

Lastly, for all of those who sent me texts, calls, and well wishes in regards to Billy, I just want to let you know that I've gotten each and every one. I promised myself that I will do my best to respond to them all; you all deserve a personal thank you for not only being there when Bill needed it, but when I needed it too. Til next time. -JM

(P.S. I know a lot have been asking about where to send cards, gifts, letters, etc. I will get together with my parents and see if they are willing to display their address or an address of where to send everything to. Thanks again.)

(An oldie but goodie)

Did I hear a Niner in there? A Preview of Birds vs. Niners

Ah, Sundays in the fall. The NFL. Cocco's Pizza. Doesn't get much better than that for this red-blooded American. A chance to lay on the couch and scream at a TV for 10 hours...absolutely priceless. 

So, one of the other several reasons why I created this blog was to share my opinions on my beloved Birds as well as the rest of the NFL. I plan on making this a weekly piece, comprised of: 

• 5 things to watch for 
• 3 non game musings
• Why I suck at Fantasy Football 
• and of course, Jack's prediction

Feel free to debate. Even though I played football for nearly all my life and reached a fairly high level doing so, I've come to realize I don't know shit. Enjoy!

5 things to watch for:

The Uh-Oh Line

By the start of the 4th quarter last week, the Birds huddled up with an entirely different offensive line from the one they had when they broke from training camp 4 short weeks ago. Will this makeshift Eagles offensive line be able to hold their ground against the 49ers pass rush? Will they be able to create holes for McCoy and Sproles? In my eyes, this is the biggest match-up to watch. If the Birds can't run, the Birds can't fly. The only good news is that 2013 1st round draft pick Lane Johnson will be back in week 5 in hopes of bringing back some solidarity to a line that is close to resembling dog shit on a shoe-quite a mess. 

Will the real Shady please stand up?

Lesean McCoy is still looking for his breakout game, you know, the one were he becomes the main cog for an Eagles win? In the 3 games thus far, he's been quite mediocre, but to no fault of his own as defenses have been keying on him and forcing Big Dick Nick to beat teams with his arm. Darren Sproles has been the 'WD-40' of this offense, keeping it oiled even when the wheel begins to squeak. Chip needs to stop running McCoy East-West and start running him North-South. That dumb toss sweep play has no business being in the NFL. Stop it. 

The Tale of Two Halves

The San Francisco 49ers have only scored 3 points-yes, you read that right, just 3-in the 2nd half in each of their first 3 games this year. The Birds outscore their opponents by a combined average of 16.6 points in the 2nd half.  Which trend will continue? The real trend that the Birds can't continue is falling behind in the first half by 10+ points. If they do the same with a team like San Francisco, I doubt they can dig themselves out of that hole. 

Eagles corners vs. 49ers receivers

Philadelphia's Bradley Fletcher was terrible last week. On the Redskins first two drives that resulted in touchdowns, he was targeted 8 times, having 7 passes completed against him for both those touchdowns. Um, not good. And he wasn't any better for the rest of the game. The 49ers like to throw out of 3 receiver sets this year, so the Birds secondary will be tested early and often.

TE vs. TE

Vernon Davis of the 49ers is one of the best TE's in football. Brent Celek has been a staple in the Eagles offense ever since he was drafted and Zach Ertz has been a projected 'star in the making' at TE. Ertz reminds me of a bigger Dallas Clark. Whichever team utilizes their TE's the best, expect them to come out on top. 

3 Musings

• The Red Zone channel is by far 1 of the 3 best inventions ever made by man. The other two: air conditioning and internet porn. These are in no particular order.
• Please get the Kid Rock Chevy commercial off the air. It's sticks in my head ("I was born free") all friggin' day and I can't ("I was borrrrrrn free") stop singing it. I loathe that commercial.
• Someone hacked my computer and got a hold of my nude photos but I doubt anyone will make a stink about it. 

Reason No. 5,673 as to why I suck at Fantasy Football

I took the Redskins Defense on Thursday night. My reasoning: How could the Redskins, playing a nationally televised night game, at home against a division opponent, after losing to a division opponent the week before, let a horrid team like the New York Giants do anything to keep you from a win? Well, they did. I don't need to show you the numbers. Un-fucking-believable. The only good thing that came out of my putrid pick-up was that my opponent had Kirk Cousins in at QB. But still. I hate Fantasy Football. 

Prediction: Eagles 38, 49ers 26.

Okay, I admit it, this probably won't play out this way, but I dreamed this scenario earlier in the week after watching NFL insiders Jerome Bettis's pick the Birds to put up 40 against the 49ers. My dream had the Birds winning late, 38-26 while I was still yelling at the TV. I'm taking it. I'm sure I'll be wrong. Let's just hope we all hear this song playing in our head many times today....Fly Eagles Fly...Go Birds!

An Amazing Day

Man, what an inspirational 24 hours. Really. To say that I'm speechless is an absolute understatement. I can't begin to thank all of you who reached out after I posted this blog, but I'll at least give it a shot. So from my family to yours, thank you. (I mean, I knew that from the minute I clicked 'post' I would've gotten some sort of response, but this?! Truly, truly amazing.) 

As I had mentioned to some of you who I spoke with, my plan was to visit Bill today and just spend some quality time with him. Overall, it was a good day.

Saturday, September 27th

First off, let me clear your minds on something: The doctors had pretty much ruled out Bill having the big 'C' word a few days ago. The mass that the doctors examined after the biopsy was, well....it wasn't a tumor...(Sorry, just trying to lighten up the mood here) and all the other tests they've run so far have come back and pretty much squashed the cancer theory. (Sorry for omitting that little small bit of information there, probably an important one, probably something I should have mentioned to those experiencing the initial shock of the news yesterday. Eh, my bad.) 

Now, the good news: The doctor's are leaning towards a diagnosis, and if agreed upon, will go into effect probably sometime early next week. If Bill reacts well to the start of the treatment, there's a good chance he'll be released from the hospital within the coming weeks. From there it'll just be treatment and physical therapy, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Just to let you all know, he's been doing great, improving each day, he's up, talking, conversing, getting stronger, etc. It'll just be a while before he starts to feel like himself again. 

That's as much as I have until probably next week. I did have a chance to sit with him alone for a few minutes and personally let him know of what happened yesterday. He was in awe of it all, and he told me to send his love and thank's to everybody (he is still sans phone). I could tell it was a positive thing for Bill to hear and it definitely lifted his spirits. I know it lifted mine.

One last thing: After I posted this blog and the news got out, I had the chance to connect with a lot of people yesterday, albeit under a somber situation, but still, I connected with a lot of people. Some were people that I'd never thought I'd be talking to, some I haven't talked to in years, some since high school, even some I didn't even know. It was inspiring to see all these people in Bill's corner. I was certainly overwhelmed and when I got to the hospital today, the dregs of driving back and forth to the city, parking in garages, walking past sick or dying patients for the last 3 weeks were lifted just a little bit knowing that I was able to share that with Bill. 

Until next time. Same bat time, same bat channel. -JM

O' Brother, My Brother

Good day all. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read this. I've decided to create this blog for several reasons, but for right now, the main reason is to keep all who have been inquiring about my brother Bill and his current condition updated on his status.

As some of you already know, Billy was found to have a small mass on the left side of his brain in early September that is requiring very attentive and serious care. Currently he is being held in an ICU at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. 

From my own personal standpoint, the outpouring of love and support has been amazing and overwhelming. It has shown everybody in my family-especially Bill-how much you all really care for his well-being, but more importantly, how much he has meant to you and his community. 

I will give you a quick timeline of events as they occurred, along with a quick synopsis of his status. I hope to update you as much as I can. 

Please understand that I would love to speak to you all on a personal level, but doing so requires a lot of time and emotion and it can be (and has been) quite taxing. I hope you all understand. I feel that this is the best way to appease all who are asking about Bill and wishing and praying for my brother Bill to make a speedy recovery. 

Thursday, September 4th

Bill and I head up to Taylor Hospital because Bill had not been feeling like himself as of late. He had complained of headaches, loss of coordination, and he mentioned that the right side of his body felt 'heavy', so he wanted to get checked out. After a Cat Scan, it was revealed that there was a small mass found on the left side of his brain. The attending Dr. recommended that Bill get further testing and was sent via ambulance to Thomas Jefferson Hospital. 

Thursday September 4th-Thursday September 11th

Bill spent a week at Thomas Jefferson going through an array of tests. Cat scans, MRI's, blood work, Spinal Taps-you name it, they ran a test for it. Unfortunately, all the tests came back negative. Another MRI was scheduled and completed Thursday the 11th. Since the results would not be available for another week and Bill was showing no signs of immediate medical attention, he was released to spend the next few days at home.

Tuesday, September 16th

I received a call from my father a little before 10 am. Bill had fallen victim to a seizure. In fact he had two. My mother called 911 and he was rushed to Crozer Hospital where he was placed in emergency care. After the attending Dr. ran another test (which was protocol to get him transferred to another hospital), Bill was transported down to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. 

Thursday, September 18th

I went and visited my brother who was now awake and alert in his hospital bed. The Dr.'s had decided to do a biopsy on the mass the following day, Friday, so they could finally do some testing on the mass that was affecting my brother. I left Bill around 8:30 pm, and he was in good spirits. Of course he was scared as to what was going on, but we all tried to stay positive given the situation at hand.

Friday, September 19th

I receive word that the biopsy went as planned and that Bill resting comfortably while recovering in his room. Results of the biopsy wouldn't be known for a lengthy time, about 5-10 days. That day was my wife's birthday, so even though our main concern was Bill, we decided to go out to dinner as planned to get our mind off of things. There really wasn't much I could do, plus Bill needed to rest. I had planned on visiting him within the following days. 

Saturday, September 20th

I was resting at home when I received a call around 5:30 pm. It was my mother. She relayed to me that the swelling in my brothers brain was not subsiding, and an emergency surgery was scheduled to reduce it. The surgery lasted about an hour or so. After the surgery, I received a call from my father letting me know that everything went as planned, but Billy was placed into a self-induced coma to give the swelling time to expand so it did not add any more pressure against his skull and hopefully begin to reduce. Once again, there was nothing I or anybody could do but give Bill the time to rest and recover.  

Sunday, September 21st-Tuesday, September 23rd

Bill rested comfortably at the hospital, and finally came out of the self-induced coma sometime Sunday or Monday. I finally got down to visit Tuesday morning and to my surprise, Billy was awake and alert-a good sign. The Dr.'s had decided to start him on a regiment of steroids to help get his strength and hunger back. Bill responded well to the treatment but was obviously not out of the woods. I spent about 6 hours down there and for most of the day he was doing well. I left around 4 pm with a positive frame of mind after seeing him progress in only 48-72 hours after serious brain surgery. The Dr.'s and therapists were also very pleased with his progress. Finally, some sort of comforting feeling. 

Thursday, September 25th

I drove down to the University of Penn around 11 am. Again, he was up, alive, and awake. The good news was that I could tell he was getting stronger and was much more chatty than the previous day. Bill had also been moved out of the ICU and into a lesser ICU for patients showing progress. The bad news was that results from the biopsy were still unavailable keeping us at bay and still feeling helpless. After 3 weeks to the day, the Dr.'s still do not know what caused this or what this exactly is. That has been the most frustrating part of the whole ordeal and has been testing the very patience of my entire family. I spent about 3 hours down there with him, just chatting and letting him know of all who have contacted me and all that are pulling for him. 

I can tell you this, he is a fighter and I know he will continue to do so until we get this under control. But I can also tell you that he is scared. All of us are, mainly because of the unknown. We are extremely eager to know what this is so we can get him the help he needs, the help he deserves, and get him back on his feet. I have come to realize that there is no scarier feeling in the world than the feeling of helplessness. I've never been much of a religious man, but I pray everyday that there is a happy ending to this story. 

So, that's been it in a nutshell, but a rather big nutshell. Now that you know what has happened up and until this point, I will continue to visit him and keep everybody updated on his status through this blog. I have reserved to keep my personal feelings about the matter to myself; mainly because you'd be reading this forever and it's probably best that those feelings be saved for another day. I certainly did not want to make a spectacle of it by announcing everything on Facebook, mainly because I hate Facebook (which will certainly be a subject of another post) but I figure this was the best way to reach out to everybody. You can visit this site as much as you want, but until I know something, I can't update you on anything. Right now, you know as much as I know. And it's nothing against anyone, as I would love to speak to you all, and if you catch me in the streets I'd be glad to give you an update, it's just that I, along with the rest of my family, have been receiving so much love and support it's been tough to keep track of it all and not knowing where we last left off makes telling the story over and over again mentally exhausting. Please don't take that the wrong way, my family has been so appreciative of all the love and support, it just breaks my heart to see my little brother going through it all. So stay tuned, stay well, and continue to keep my brother in your hearts at night. I realize that life is never guaranteed, and you must try to enjoy it to the best of your ability. It's been tough, but I know we will get through it. Until next time. -JM