On the day earlier than volleyball apply started in January, Corridor of Fame coach Michael Boehle spoke to his gamers at Loyola Excessive to allow them to find out about expectations for the approaching season.
“One of the things we talk about is cancer within a team and how there are times when cancer can really affect a lot of things and it’s not curable and it spreads,” he mentioned. “We use that analogy talking about bad teammates.”
Gamers had no thought what was about to come back out of their coach’s mouth.
“Unfortunately, today, I’m here to tell you your coach has cancer.”
As if that wasn’t surprising sufficient, then got here a warning.
“You have to stay patient with me. I don’t know if I’m going to be missing practices, games or be gone for a month,” he mentioned. “All I can ask you to do is say an extra prayer for me. Coach is a fighter. That’s all I got. See you tomorrow.”
Boehle grabbed his water bottle and put his head down. There was silence. When he lastly appeared up, he noticed gamers lined up in a single file providing hugs and telling him, “We’re going to win this battle together.”
Boehle, 58, discovered he had prostate most cancers after a routine bodily and blood check final October alerted his medical doctors to analyze additional. An MRI scan simply earlier than Christmas revealed a spot on the prostate. Then got here a biopsy in January to substantiate a most cancers analysis.
Because it was found early, the prognosis is sweet. Surgical procedure is scheduled for July after Boehle is completed teaching membership volleyball.
Because the Southern Part playoffs start Wednesday and the Mission League-champion Cubs search their eighth Division 1 title below Boehle, he agreed to debate the feelings he went via and to encourage others to be checked for a illness that’s second solely to pores and skin most cancers in affecting males.
He remembers the day after his most cancers affirmation coming to highschool, shutting the door to his workplace and simply crying.
“I was scared to death of spread,” he mentioned. “I went down the rabbit hole and started looking up all the different cancers.”
In February he underwent a scan that makes use of radioactive tracers to see if it had unfold. He’ll always remember the day his physician interrupted his apply with a cellphone name to disclose the outcomes.
With assist from his household, gamers, buddies and training colleagues, Boehle has been capable of transfer ahead and settle for the judgment of his medical doctors that every thing can be OK. He’s consuming higher and understanding to be in the very best form potential for his surgical procedure.
He desires to ensure others perceive that although there’s been no most cancers in his household, having a routine blood check is a should to assist uncover issues earlier than they turn into worse.
“The support and love I got from the volleyball community has been outstanding,” he mentioned. “My message was I was in great health. Just because you don’t have that in your family doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get tested. A lot of people aren’t doing physicals. It’s a real easy test.”
