SATURDAY UPDATE WHO WON?

I'm in Orlando and I can not find last night's score on either the AJC or the Rockdale Citizen. I have no idea who won last nights game, but I do know that Jeff was happy to be there. After radiation on Friday, he stopped by Serendipity to visit with Darlene and Sara. Sara volunteered to do his make-up before the game, but Jeff opted for the natural look!

Coach Estes appointed Drew an honorary captain for the game against Heritage. Drew is right of #53- a boy amongst giants.

Megan and Nicole.

Todd is that friend. If Jeff wants to go somewhere, Todd is going to find a way to get him there.

Drew & Nolan.

Megan and the girls.

FRIDAY 8/29/08 UPDATE GO SALEM

Radiation Day 2: Jeff goes today for radiation on his head and the underarm area. Even though the spot on his skull did not appear to be cancerous, the oncologist wants to err on the side of caution and is going to treat those hot spots before the stem cell procedure.

Naturally, Jeff is dying to come to the game tonight, but will wait until later today to make that decision- it all depends on how he feels. Wear those DNF shirts! (I'm stuck in Orlando going to SeaWorld - someone take pictures and send them to me. DNF is going to be at SeaWorld today!)

From Tina: Judy McAvoy, Megan and Drew's tutor brought a great supper last night!!! She brought pork roast, sweet potato casserole (Jeff loved it!), green beans, coconut cake and peach congealed salad. Jeff said "this lady can cook!!!" Jeff called her last night to tell her how much he enjoyed it!

THURSDAY 8/28/08 UPDATE DAY 1 OF RADIATION

Today was day 1 of radiation for Jeff. They arrived at Emory at 9am and left just after 3pm. He will undergo radiation today, tomorrow and Saturday. Then he will have a couple of days off and then pick back up on Tuesday through Saturday. Jeff's had some back pain that Tina started to think was the original lump. Apparently, it is growing again and pressing against a nerve thus causing the back pain. This is the bugger that caused all of this. A decision was made today, to start radiating that area immediately.

Thanks to Kim Brown for bring chicken and dumplings to the Blount house last night. She also brought chicken tenders, fresh fruit and a cake for the kids. Megan says that everything was delicious and the best dinner ever!

Darlene is reporting that the DNF shirts are flying out of her store as fast as she gets them in, thanks to the student body at SHS. These kids are amazing and their support of Coach Blount is unbelievable.

Reminder- Salem opens with Heritage tomorrow at Evans Stadium.

TUESDAY 8/26/08 UPDATE

Today was a regularly schedule appointment with the oncologist at Emory. Jeff was given good news that his bone marrow is clear. The doctor warned that he isn't 'in the clear' yet, but standing in a good position right now. Jeff is going to start radiation sooner than expected- this week. I couldn't keep up with all the days that he is going in for radiation (Tina talks fast), but it starts the end of this week, a couple of days next week and then he will be admitted back into Emory for 2 days of chemotherapy and 2 days total body radiation, all before the stem cell procedure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_therapy.

Tina says keep praying, then pray again and then pray some more! Jeff's getting close, but Tina's isn't ready to exhale. While I was talking to Tina, I could hear Jeff in the back ground talking to his friend Todd. He sounds great!

MONDAY 8/25/08 UPDATE- STAND UP TO CANCER AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MIKE & JULIANNA

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a huge initiative to benefit cancer research that will culminate September 5th, with all 3 major networks dedicating air time to a fundraiser for the cause. Lori and Pam, Tina's co-workers, have started a Team DNF in honor of Jeff. If you are interested in making a donation or joining the team, please go to http://www.standup2cancer.org/ and join Team Do Not Fear.

Tina and Jeff were acting like they were on vacation today and slept in until 10:30am! Tina had errands to run and Jeff went along for the ride and lunch. As luck happens, Tina and Jeff ran into Coach Mike Etheredge & his wife, Julianna, at Ruby Tuesday's. Mike is a former Salem coach, current Rockdale coach, and since Jeff's been sick, he's consistently called to check on him weekly. Mike and Julianna were celebrating their 35th anniversary and ended up treating Jeff and Tina to lunch.

Still no bone marrow results back. As soon as Tina hears something, it will be posted.

Finally, Darlene is selling a lot of shirts and thus far, she has deposited over $1000 into the Jeff Blount Benefit bank account at the Bank of North GA. The shirts are available at her store, Serendipity for $10.00. Salem opens with Heritage on Friday night at Evans Stadium. Show your support and wear your shirts (then send me a picture of it)!

SUNDAY 8/24/08 FEAST FOR A KING

Prospect Methodist, Tina got the entire crew ready for Church today when Jeff started feeling fatigued, so they opted to err on the side of caution and stayed home. Not to disappoint, Tina took a picture of Megan and Hannah in their matching church outfits.
(Jeff, Drew & Megan at Emory last week)

This evening, the Woodward's inundated the Blount house with food and lots of it! Maria & Woody brought broccoli & cheese, pasta, chicken, green beans, potatoes, shrimp, salad, and chocolate cake. The food was great, but the company was even better as the Woodward's stayed for dinner - something that these families have done many times in the past.

Jeff has two routine visits to Emory on Tuesday and Thursday. Tina is going to call tomorrow to find out the results of the bone marrow biopsy- keep praying.

SUNDAY 8/24/08 WEEKEND UPDATE

Hello Prospect Methodist Church, you may have a visitor today... Jeff is doing good. He's rested all weekend and hopeful that he will be up for going to church today.

Friday wasn't a great night for the Seminoles. They lost in their scrimmage 14-7. The season opens with Heritage on Friday night, so thanks to Sam Watts, Jeff is reviewing the offensive tape. If there is anyway that Jeff can participate in this season, he is going to! Would we expect any less?

On a dinner note, I mentioned previously that Lori, Pam and Melissa had something special planned for dinner for Jeff when he got home from Emory on Friday night. According to Jeff, this was the best dinner that any one's brought so far.... they went to Outback and brought Tina and Jeff ribeye's, bake potatoes and salad. Woody and Maria Woodward have some big shoes to fill tonight when they bring dinner. Knowing Woody and having enjoyed shrimp that he's made, I think the competition for this weekend's best dinner is going to be close.

CINDY 'Rodeo' STEEDLE FROM ROCK OF LOVE IS A JEFF BLOUNT FAN

Anyone who loves 'reality' tv, like myself, is definitely going to know this lady. This is Rodeo from the Rock of Love with Bret Michaels Season 1 & I Love Money (VH1). She was at Stone Mountain today and after I told her about Jeff, she became a fan.
Jeff, Rodeo wants to meet you. We ran into her while she was participating in a fundraiser to help raise money for wounded soldiers. I have her cell phone number and the next benefit we have for you, she wants to attend!

Samantha Norman is also a Jeff Blount fan. She used this shirt as a pillow while she rested on the main lawn at Stone Mt.

To read more about Rodeo, go to
http://www.cindyrodeosteedle.com/
http://www.myspace.com/cindyrodeo
http://www.vh1.com/photos/gallery/?fid=1562934&pid=2496661

FROM AUSTRALIA: Please let me introduce myself my name is David my wife name is Barbara who is Tina's mums cousin we live in Australia. We came over to Atlanta in 2003 and had the pleasure of meeting this amazing man who you all know as Coach Blount, He had never met us before and he just took us everywhere,like Jeff we are sports mad he took us to football,ice hockey, introduced us to I think they are called "crimpy crème" dounuts.
We have tried to contact Tina through email but I guess we have the wrong address, we ring auntie Pat Marie's mum every few weeks to see how the family are coping, and we look at Jeff's blog every day hoping and praying for good news. Please pass on our love to Jeff,Tina,Family. They are in our thoughts and prayers every day.
Dave,Barbara and Paul. xxx

PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON

Very few people know what my connection to Jeff and Tina is, so here goes. I'm a single parent and have been since Nicholas' birth. This is not a handicap or struggle like most single parents face because we started out this way. I've have always been fortunate to have good male role models in Nicholas' life, including his father and my late father. The best advice that a child psychologist gave me was to make sure there are always strong, good men in Nicholas' life- ie teachers, coaches, family etc... to balance the abundance of female influence.

When Nicholas was of age, I signed him up for 5/6 baseball. He just met the age requirement on the cut off day so he played his first season as a 4 year old. People come into your life for a reason and after Nicholas was drafted by Jeff and we met him, I knew more than baseball skills would come from this relationship.
(above DNF at Peachtree 8/22/08) Nicholas, at 4 years old, hero worshiped Jeff Blount. He played right-center field for the Cardinals who lost only one game the entire season (playoffs and it still hurts). I do not doubt that Jeff is capable of losing his composure at times, but in front of my 4 year old, he was nothing but an incredible coach who inspired these kids to play their best, behave their best and to never give up. It is influences like Jeff that are helping me raise a future gentleman and for that I am truly grateful. Only a person in my shoes can truly appreciate how fortunate we were to get Jeff as Nicholas' coach.

This is Nicholas at 7 years old. DNF was at RYBA/ field 12 practicing for the recreation season that starts next month. Even after the Cardinals ended, we kept in touch with Jeff & Tina. Nicholas not only looked up to Jeff, but he also looked up to the older players that he had played with on the Cardinals, including Drew, Cody Lewis and Blake Maddox. Despite still being in the 5/6 group, we would (and still do) go and see Jeff and the other kids play. My hope is that one day, Nicholas will have the opportunity to be coached by Jeff again.

FRIDAY 8/22/08 CONYERS BOUND

He's out! Marie, Tina's mom, was also at the hospital, so I am wondering if her reputation on the Cancer Floor had anything to do with Jeff actually getting out so early...

Regardless, Tina just called and they are heading home. Jeff was on the phone with Coach Estes making arrangements for Drew this evening and his voice sounds strong- a little more country than normal, but definitely strong!

FRIDAY 8/22/08 FINGERS CROSSED

Tina has her fingers, legs, arms and toes all crossed that they will be heading home relatively early today. Lori, Pam and Melissa, Tina's co-workers, are going to welcome them back to Conyers with a special dinner! Drew is heading to Sandy Creek High School with the Salem Football team. He's going to help the football team and Coach Estes prepare for their opening game against Heritage next Friday night (8/29).

They have not received the results of the bone marrow biopsy and if they are not back today, then it might be Monday before they find out how his bone marrow is. Jeff is definitely still in the game and a 'healthy Jeff' in January is definitely a possibility.

Side note: DNF/I Support Coach Blount is at Peachtree Academy today. Nicholas W-G is a student at PA and today is a non-uniform day, so he brought Coach Jeff to school with him. I have a picture of DNF at Peachtree that I will post this evening. Send me your pictures ..... brandiwatson@yahoo.com.

THURS 8/21 6:13PM TINA SAYS KEEP PRAYING!!!!!!!

2/3 of the tests are clear!!! The skull xray and the PET Scan came back clean/clear/ great! The lump below Jeff's arm has all but disappeared. According to the oncologist, it looks good. The only test they are still awaiting the results on is the bone marrow biopsy. We need this to come back clean so that Jeff will be able to use his own stem cells for the transplant rather than a donors. Pray, pray, pray!

The cause of the seizure on Saturday night is unknown, but according to the doctors could have been caused by anything so for the time being, Jeff will remain on seizure medicine and will hopefully be coming home this weekend!

THURSDAY 8/21/08 PM

Still, nothing! Jeff had bone marrow removed earlier and the inter cranial chemotherapy, but they have not heard from the doctors yet, nor received any results from the other tests. Keep praying that its going to be good news.

There was some good news today. Jeff had the inter cranial chemotherapy today and waited patiently for the sickness to overcome him and it never did! About 90 minutes after it was injected, he ate ice cream. At this point, it is amazing what you can get excited about and something like this is definitely worth mentioning.

THURSDAY 8/21/08 NOTHING NEW

I think most of us won't be able to understand how Jeff has been at Emory since Saturday evening and still knows nothing! Tina's mom, Marie, got fired up again yesterday as did Tina when she called Jeff's advocate to complain. As of this morning, they do not have the results of the skull xray or PET Scan back. They did not pull any bone marrow, yesterday, as Tina thought they would, and are instead scheduled to perform this procedure around 1:30pm today.

In addition, Jeff has to look forward to his weekly chemotherapy to the head today. This is the one that forces him to vomit immediately. There is a good chance, he will be in la la land this afternoon after the chemo because the medicine they give him to counter the vomiting knocks him out.

In Salem Football news: Friday, August 22, Salem will be scrimaging Sandy Creek High School in Tyrone, GA in preperation for their first game of the season vs. local rival Heritage High School on August 29. Coach Estes realizes that its not going to be the same without Jeff, so (if I am not mistaken) he is bringing Drew to Tyrone. There has to be one Blount on the field!

WEDNESDAY 8/20/08 UPDATE 'NOT CONVINCED'

Tina's mom was #1 yesterday. After 3 days and no clear answers or plan for moving forward, Tina's mom passed the threshold of reasonably patient and went to bat for her son-in-law. The ball is now rolling again.

Jeff's oncologist is not convinced that he has cancer on his skull. Can you imagine the overwhelming feeling of hope Tina had when she heard this news? Because he is not convinced, the oncologist has ordered a skull xray (last night) and at PET Scan today. They did not do the bone marrow biopsy yesterday so Tina is confident that that will also happen today. Keep praying, that is her message to everyone!

The last three days for Jeff have been uneventful. Yesterday, he limited his nap to 1 hour and then slept soundly through the night. The only difference between this week's routine and last week's is location. He is basically doing, at Emory, what he would be doing at home- resting.

At the home front, Lacey, Jeff's mom, is holding the fort down. Tina's dad refers to this as a 'tour of duty'. Taking care of the kids is Lacey's thing and I think I understand why, aside from being an awesome grandmother. Taking care of Drew and Megan is probably like stepping back in time 30 years and taking care of Jeff and Tracy.

Interesting tidbit: This comment was posted yesterday afternoon.

Jeff and Tina,What the devil means for evil, God can use for good. When you have nothing left in your emotional/mental tank, all you can do is trust HIM. There are no other options. We love you guys and are thinking of you constantly. We will keep praying and asking others to pray. In fact, God just told me as I typed that to pray for you all today with my weight training class at Young Americans. Some of those students know you and I sure have the freedom to pray at that school!! I have chill bumps....we will be praying for you around 2:45 today.We love you,Kellie

Tina read this to Jeff and then looked up at the clock and it was 2:45pm. She said that it gave her chills.

TUESDAY 8/19/08 'NO NEWS' IS NOT ALWAYS 'GOOD NEWS'

This is more than an hiccup, but the battle wages on. The radiologist may have found some spots of cancer on the skull. As of this morning, this is all that Tina's been told. She is looking for more answers from the doctors today as to how they are going to proceed forward. Jeff's hanging in there. He's strong enough to go to the cafeteria for breakfast today, if allowed, but Tina did say that mentally, he's down. When Jeff's down is when the rest of us need to carry him so keep posting those comments!

MONDAY AUGUST 18 PM UPDATE -'I'M A FIXTURE'

Jeff has declared himself to be a fixture on the Cancer Floor at Emory University Hospital. I guess this is as close to incarceration as Jeff will ever get without really being incarcerated. I have a request to those who will likely visit Jeff while he is 'incarcerated'. Please wear your DNF shirt. The doctors and nurses need to know how important it is to all of us that there is no stone unturned and that Jeff is a healthy man come January.

Still, no news or indication that anything has changed. Tina was told by a doctor that sometimes 'no news' is 'good news'. It may not be what we all want to hear, but perhaps, it is true.

Jeff slept in this morning, then managed to get a shower and eat breakfast in the lounging chair. His fatigue and sleepiness are partly due to the medications they have him on, so shortly before lunch, he climbed back into bed and slept soundly for a couple hours this afternoon. Keep posting your comments. Tina has her laptop at the hospital and is reading them to Jeff as she checks them.

UPDATE AUGUST 18 2008 MONDAY

I was at the Kroger off GA20 and Hwy 212 around 5:30pm, yesterday, and the first thing I saw when I walked in was a DO NOT FEAR shirt. Mike Maruiello's wife, Tracy, was doing her grocery shopping with her youngest and she was wearing a Jeff Blount shirt. After I talked with Tracy, I had to call and tell Tina and Jeff. Yes, Tracy is a Blount fan. She was disappointed that she did not make it to the benefit in time to see Jeff, but obviously, she was still thinking about him Sunday because she was wearing her shirt.

Jeff had an uneventful day yesterday. Actually, he slept the majority of the time. Physically, he was sore and tired. Mentally, he's hanging in there the best that could be expected. Tina's Jeff's rock right now. She's amazing and Jeff's a lucky man. As you can imagine, her patience is running thin, but she's turning lemons into lemonade and continuing to push forward.

Jeff's had a couple of hiccups since Saturday night- low blood sugar, headache, fever, elevated bp, but Emory is on top of everything so the main concern is what caused the seizure. This should be one of the focuses today.

SUNDAY AUGUST 17 UPDATE FROM BENEFIT

There's not beating around the bush with what happened last night because I am sure most of us already know. Jeff was released from the hospital Saturday morning and went straight home and to bed. He wanted to rest all day so that he could participate in the benefit. I felt like I was crashing a family reunion because Jeff has a huge family and they were all there. Shortly after the benefit started, Jeff had a small seizure. Tina was in control until the paramedics arrived and she was able to keep Jeff still and focused on her. Jeff was transported to Rockdale until they were certain he was stable and then they moved him to Emory.

Right now, the doctors are unsure what caused the seizure. Friday, he had an MRI of his head and it was clear so they are bring in a neurologist to help figure this out. So, again, Jeff is back at Emory.

Because Jeff is a class act, he wasn't going to leave the Whistle Post on anyones terms but his own. Before Jeff jumped up on the stretcher, he yelled, in his Coach Blount voice 'I'm leaving, but ya'll have a great time'. To this, Jeff received a standing ovation.

Tina's sister and mother were at the benefit supporting Jeff and Tina.

Megan, Hannah and Christian.

The first act of the night.

Jeff's brother-in-law and nephew, Freddie and Christian.

Darlene Evans, right, is responsible for the DO NOT FEAR shirts.

KJ, left, is Jeff's cousin and responsible for organizing this event. Matt took the opportunity to thank everyone for supporting Jeff and his family. Look at Drew and Megan. If this is how they have to look up to their big brother, the are going to have neck problems before they reach high school.

I hope Tina doesn't think that Matt is still one of her babies because we saw the 'young man' last night. Cancer is an emotional roller coaster and as much as the family tries to protect Megan and Drew from those things they should never have to witness, they are still aware that something is happening, especially Drew. Last night, Matt was their rock.

Jeff's Aunts: Jeff's dad has many sisters!

Thanks to Salem Coaches/ Faculty, students, athletes, family, friends and everyone else who was able to make the benefit last night. The first report I heard was that the benefit raised a few dollars shy of $5,000.00.

It is hard to tell, right now, how long Jeff will be at Emory. According to Tina, Emory Hospital shuts down on the weekend so it might not be until tomorrow that Jeff meets with a neurologist to try to determine the cause of the seizure.

UPDATE AUGUST 16 2008 SATURDAY

So, we had a small set back yesterday afternoon and Jeff is back at Emory for some precautionary tests. No worries right now. If everything tests okay, Jeff will be back at home this afternoon. Hopefully, I can be more specific after I talk to Tina this morning.

On a positive note, I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the benefit tonight at the Whistle Post Tavern!!!!

SATURDAY AUGUST 16 2008 WHISTLE POST TAVERN BENEFIT

This is a reminder that the benefit at the Whistle Post Tavern is tomorrow night. The event starts at 6pm with live music starting at 7pm.

UPDATE: Jeff is doing good. Tina worked yesterday and left Jeff home with Harry. He showered, watched a movie and slept.

DO NOT FEAR SHIRTS $10.00

Jeff is going to cry when he sees this. Darlene & Black Ink, in Conyers, have been working feverishly this past week to get this shirt together in time for the benefit this weekend. The shirts will come in Salem and UGA colors. There will be some kids sizes. Do not fear, if they are sold out on Saturday, more will be made and sold at Serendipity, next to Milano's in Conyers off Flat Shoals and Hwy 138. The cost of the shirt is $10.00. Casey Black, Black Ink, put this together for Darlene at cost with all the proceeds going to the Jeff Blount Benefit Fund. Whether you are a football fan or not, we need to get these shirts and fill the stands on Friday August 29 when Salem HS opens up against Heritage at Evans Stadium 7:30pm.

UPDATE AUGUST 13 2008

Yesterday was a great day! Tina received a call, mid evening, that Emory collected more than enough stem cells. Now, they will sift though the cells to make sure they are healthy and if so, they will start to harvest new ones.

Jeff was feeling well enough, last night, to go to football practice with his father, Drew and Megan. Why Tina would trust Jeff around a football practice baffles me. As you can imagine, his adrenaline started pumping as soon as he got there and the 'coach' came out for as long as his body could stand before he pooped out and sat down. It may have been too late by that time because according to Tina, Jeff over did it last night. All that means is that he may be feeling even more fatigued than his norm these days.

By the time Jeff got home, Tina had a spaghetti pizza bake and chocolate cake, from Amy Neidigh, waiting for him. Amy made an interesting dish that the Blount's have never had, but they loved it. This was such a favorite to Megan that she brought it to school for lunch today.

Jeff closed the evening down with a visit from his other kids (students). He had a visit with Danny, Josh, Blake and Shea. Danny and Josh are headed off to UGA today (good luck) and wanted to see Jeff before they left.

Today is another round of doctor visits. Jeff has a little bit of a cough (last night) that Tina is going to have the doctor look at, but everything else is routine visit stuff.

REMINDER: The benefit at the Whistle Post Tavern is coming up on Saturday. It starts at 6pm with live music at 7pm. There is no cover charge to get in.

SIDE NOTE: Arlene Musgrove, a fellow Prospect Methodist Church member, made Jeff and Tina chicken and dumplins on Monday night that Tina said melted in her mouth. Once January rolls around and Jeff is healthy again, I propose a bake off amongst all of these women who are participating in the food drive (I want good food) Notice, my name is not on the cooking list- there is definitely a reason for that.

UPDATE TUESDAY AUGUST 12 2008 FROM TINA

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted you to know the update for today.
We had to be back at Emory this morning at 7:30 (traffic was terrible!!!) and they are collecting Jeff's stem cells right now!!!! They will collect for about 5 hours and around 1 or 1:30 we should be able to go home! The stem cells will be sent to the lab and they will check to see how many have been collected. The lab will call us around 5:30 or 6:00 tonight to let us know if we need to come back tomorrow for another collection or if they have enough. Hopefully they will get enough today. We still have to come back tomorrow for a doctors appointmet at 9:30am (that is better than 7:30!!!!)
Jeff is asleep right now. This is so cool how they collect these stem cells!!
Jeff is still having a terrible time with Headaches!! Please keep praying for him.
Tina

UPDATE AUGUST 11 2008 MONDAY

I am sure there is someone out there upset over the lack of posts this weekend, but there was nothing new to post! Things are moving along. Jeff is dealing with the effects of chemotherapy and although they are undesirable effects, it is nothing like what he went through weeks ago. He did have a couple of transfusions since Friday and topped his day off, on Sunday, with 4 hours of a potassium drip.

Jeff and Tina are now at Emory and should know shortly whether the doctors will be able to collect stem cells today. If not today, they will try tomorrow. Fortunately, this is all out patient.

While Jeff and Tina were dealing with transfusions and potassium, Drew was spending the weekend at the baseball field with the Lewis'. The 9-10 Rhino's played in a tournament in Monroe and Cody Lewis was asked to join them, so Drew went to support his friend. In between playing with other kids, Drew does make himself useful to anyone who needs help because he is a great kid. On Sunday morning, upon arriving to the fields, a man unknown to Melissa walked by and said 'hi' to Drew. Melissa asked him if he knew Drew. The man told Melissa that Drew was in the score box with him on Saturday and was talking his ear off. At one point, the man thought 'is this kid ever going to shut up?'. Then Drew told him about Jeff and his battle with cancer. The man told Melissa that he was so touched, he wanted to give Drew a big hug and keep talking to him.

Finally, thank you to Stacey Hullett and her parents for bringing a huge meal to Jeff and Tina on Friday night. They brought a ham, macaroni & cheese, green bean casserole, homemade bread and a chocolate cake. And thank you to JoAnne Treadwell for rounding out the weekend with stuffed shells, bread and salad. Tina said that the highlight of their days has become 'what are we eating for dinner tonight?'. At the least, this has become a constant they can depend on when everything else is topsy turvy.

UPDATE AUGUST 8 2008 PM

It is worth mentioning that Tina and Jeff received very positive news today. The chemotherapy is working and has wiped out his stem cells/ white blood cells completely. It's making Jeff feel horribly, but its necessary. He is at Emory now. He went in for a routine visit, but is low on platelets and hemoglobin, so he before he leaves, he will receive a blood transfusion and something else.

Next week is a busy week. Now that the stem cells are wiped out, Jeff will start receiving medications that will encourage new stem cell growth. If the doctors can retrieve good stem cells, they will be able to start harvesting Jeff's own cells and use those for his stem cell procedure. Otherwise, Jeff will have to have donor cells.

For more on bone marrow and stem cell transplants to treat lymphoma, please click the following: http://www.lymphomainfo.net/therapy/transplants/bmt.html

UPDATE AUGUST 8 2008

***Please note, while Jeff is feeling well and things are quiet, there may be fewer posts- mostly when there's nothing new to post***

A week from tomorrow, KJ, Jeff's cousin, will be hosting a benefit at the Whistle Post Tavern in Conyers. The event starts in the evening. I need to confirm the times and then I will post. I know KJ is looking for things to auction if anyone has something they would like to donate. I am sure he is also in need of help if anyone wants to volunteer. Please email him at thewizard54@aol.com.

Kellie Rainwater showed up at the Blount house last night, bearing cornbread and potato soup. According to Tina, Kellie makes the best soup in all the US. She has no recipe to share with the rest of us, she just adds stuff as she goes and so its a little different every time.

Today, Jeff is spending the morning at Emory. He was sluggish yesterday due to dehydration. He was able to see one of his local doctors during the afternoon and once hydrated, was fine. Today is a routine visit to Emory. Jeff actually got out of the house briefly with his cousin to go visit Darlene Evans.

To the men who read this blog, start paying attention (to Jeff) and taking notes because Jeff has women, including myself, coming out of the wood work. I had no idea, until recently, how many women love this guy. Ladies, what is it that draws us to him? Jeff has some secret mojo going on that entrances the ladies. Thank God, Tina is secure and far from jealous!

Worth noting, SHS's first varsity game is Friday August 29th. I will post a schedule soon.

MELANIE MAHONEY IS SUPPORTING JEFF FROM LOUISVILLE, KY BY ORGANIZING HER OWN FUNDRAISER

As you all know I have been running longer than I have known how to tie my shoes. For the most part running has always been a part of my life and has provided an escape for me whether it was to compete, alleviate stress, fitness, or just for sheer enjoyment. I LOVE RUNNING! Recently, I learned a friend and colleague of mine was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma. Jeff Blount, a teacher and coach at Salem High School was a friend and mentor to me while I taught at Salem. He and his family have been through a great deal of obstacles in his fight with cancer, most recently lymphoma meningitis. After reading the blog he and his family created, I decided I needed to do something to help, but what?? Jeff has been involved with football since he was in the womb – seriously – can you imagine, 41 years of football? He has taught high school social studies and coached football since graduating from college. AND, he is probably the biggest die-hard University of Georgia fan I know. Jeff has had an impact like no other on the students and people around him. I don’t think I can recall a conversation we had without a mention of football or running. He really does love the game! I think Jeff loves football as much as I love running, SO, I decided I would start “RUNNING WITH PURPOSE”. This October, I plan to run the Columbus ½ marathon, and with each step I run, it is my intention to “STOMP OUT CANCER”. Jeff is in for the game/race of his life, and he needs a lot of special team and defensive players to help him battle this enemy that has taken over his body. What am I going to do? As Jeff would say, “DO NOT FEAR”, I am planning to “RUN THROUGH THE FINISH AN D OUTRUN CANCER”. I will be running 5 races in the next 12 months totaling 45.5 miles. These races include:

Columbus ½ marathon 13.1 miles October 19, 2008
Harvest 5K 3.1 miles November 22, 2008
Rodes City Run 6.2 miles March 21, 2009
Papa John’s Ten Miler 10.0 miles April 11, 2009
Louisville Mini-Marathon 3.1 miles April 25, 2009

My goal is to raise $5000.00 for the Jeff Blount Fund. If you would like to sponsor me in this endeavor, all contributions will go directly to the Jeff Blount Fund at the Bank of North Georgia or you can send donations directly to Jeff Blount Fund, c/o Bank of North Georgia, 1981 Highway 138, Conyers, GA, 30094. You can visit Jeff’s blog at http://jeffblount.blogspot.com/. If you would like to participate and “RUN WITH PURPOSE” all you need to do is sign up for a local race and raise money to contribute to the Jeff Blount Fund. Any amount you contribute will be very appreciated by Jeff and his family. Please help me “RUN WITH PURPOSE” and help Jeff through this fight. Join me in helping give back to someone who has given so much to his community.

Sincerely,
Melanie Mahoney

UPDATE AUGUST 6, 2008 WEDNESDAY

So far, so good! Who really knows what's going on in Jeff's head. Where's Dr. House when you need him? He did great last night. Enjoyed chicken and rice from Judy Kelly. I've seen Jeff eat after the nausea medicine settles in and he has a healthy appetite, so I am sure he was a happy man to be able to come home to a homemade meal after spending the entire day at Emory.

Today, he is lounging around at the house with Tina and watching TV.

UDPATE AUGUST 5 2008 PM

The doctors at Emory still do not know what is causing the severe headaches that Jeff is having, but his CT scan and chest xray both look good. They are testing his cerebral fluids and those results should come back soon. They went ahead and gave him the chemotherapy to his head. I think this was supposed to happen tomorrow, but while they were there, they went ahead and did it. Jeff lasted about 5 minutes before the 'you know what' hit the fan. He was then given something to stop the vomiting. He is waiting to see another doctor and for the other results to come back and then he should be heading home.

7:30pm Jeff and Tina are back home enjoying a chicken and rice dinner from Judy Kelly.

UPDATE AUGUST 5 2008 9:23AM

And, he's..... back at Emory! I know, I thought the same thing when Tina called me this morning. Jeff's headaches were becoming too much for him to manage and Tina finally put her foot down this morning and told Jeff to get his butt out of bed, she was taking him back to the hospital. It's almost like his head knew what was going to happen because the pain moved into high gear on the way and Jeff was sick the entire drive.

Right now, he is medicated in the ER and preparing for a CT scan of his head. As soon as I hear something, I will post. No mention to the kids right now, they are happily at school unaware of anything.

By the way, if you missed the excellent article in the Rockdale Citizen this weekend, here is the link http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=3771

Aug. 4 - Monday

This is my first post in quite a while. I hope everyone saw the you tube interview on the site, it really came from my heart and it marks my reflections on everybody. I'm glad to be back home to create some normalcy for my kids. This crazy schedule was about all that they could take and they were glad to have us home. I wish I was starting school and football, but that's going to have to wait until I get completely healthy.

I hope everyone gets off to a great start to the school year and know that I will be thinking about you. It's tough knowing that I will not be back to school until January, I think this brought more shock to me then the actual disease.

Since I've been home, I have been slowly getting back my strength. I have been pumping the medication into me as I've been getting ready for the stem-cell collection. I have been suffering through some major headaches and some nauses sicknessess. The biggiest thing that I've got to be aware of is fever. I will keep on working to get stronger everyday and you guys continue to pray..........Until next time...........DO NOT FEAR........Jeff Blount

UPDATE AUGUST 2 2008 SATURDAY

Everything is going well. Jeff isn't feeling 'great', but compared to 2 weeks ago, I am sure he would say that he is a million dollars, one that's been roughed up a little. Tina is back in mommy mode. She is going out today to find Megan the perfect backpack to start school with.

Last night, was chicken stir fry night. Our dinner volunteers continue to tempt a man who spends 90% of the time nauseated, to eat and Tina loves it. Thanks to Alisa Begitschke for the wonderful chicken stir fry meal and cookies.

Tina is hopeful that once Jeff settles down and has a quiet moment, he will be able to publish a post, himself. Check back soon.

FRIDAY AUGUST 1 2008 JEFF IS HOME!

It took Jeff about 2 seconds from crossing the thresh hold of his home to get comfortable and back into his routine. Tina, on the other hand, wants to be home, but also wants that nurse button to push when she has questions or concerns. She said that Jeff slept soundly. He even woke up in the middle of the night for a snack. When he got up this morning, he hit the shower and is ready to start the day.

Tina laid awake most of the night worrying about the 'unknown', but she has a full day ahead with the kids and open house at Honey Creek so hopefully this will serve as a distraction and things will start returning to normal at the Blount household.