Phil’s fight

Greetings,

I hope everyone’s year is off to a great start.  I know we are all anxiously awaiting spring, and it will be here soon.  My winter has been pretty long.  I’ve had a pressure sore since before the marathon and the doctor wasn’t quite sure why it wasn’t healing.  So I had an MRI, which indicated that I had an infection in my pelvic bone region.  So a port was put in my arm and I administered an IV drip nightly.  I was told that I needed surgery to clean out the infection, and that staying off my backside is the only way these sores (I now have another sore on my left side) will heal.  So a week before Christmas I started bed rest.  The couch in my living room has a pull out bed, so this is where I spend all of my time, except to sleep.  My surgery was January 15th, and I have been pretty much laying here since.

The first couple of days on bed rest weren’t too bad because I’m actually pretty lazy at heart, and laying around reading the paper wasn’t such a bad gig.  But it soon became a very depressing deal, unable to work out and only leaving the house to go to the wound clinic.  There were a lot of lonely nights, especially since Steph and I have taken a break from each other.  Instead of reaching out to people, I crawled into this deep, dark hole.  That’s pretty much where I have been these last two months.  I’m ashamed to admit that my faith in God, or in anything else, was lost.  My self-pity and depression were the worst since my accident.

It took an unfortunate incident for me to gain perspective on things.  A couple of weeks ago, our cousin Diane Sheedy passed away after a three week stay at the hospital.  It was quite shocking to all of my relatives on my moms side of the family, as Diane was usually in good health.  My aunts and cousins came in from Minnesota and Chicago to join the Columbus contingency.  I could see the loss on everyone’s face, as Diane was such a sweetheart to all of us.  She will be sadly missed.  I also received reports about another cousin, Anita, who was also in the ICU.  She has such a positive attitude and enough faith for all of us and is such and inspiration to me.  She is back home again to continue her fight against a debilitating disease.

Sometimes it takes events such as these for me to gain proper perspective on my life and my situation and where it all fits in the grand scheme of things.  I have stopped taking painkillers for the first time since my accident and I feel I am gaining clarity again.  I know how very blessed I am to have such a large, loving family and so many cool, supportive friends.  It is all of you that keep me going even when I want to give up.  Thank you!  And I know the most important thing is faith, because without it, I’m empty and lost.

I have three or four more months of bed rest before I hopefully heal, but it is just one day at a time, because that’s all any of us have anyway.  I know at some point I will be outside this summer, hopefully kayaking and riding my hand-crank bike again. 

The 2nd Annual Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament was a huge success once again!  We had more players and raised more money than last year.  Many thanks to Kevin and Cathy Walsh and Geoff and Linda Bevins for making it all happen.  Also thanks to our many sponsors and to Cameron Mitchell for donating the wonderful food and Matt Robinson for donating the drinks!  If you missed it this year, plan to join us next year and bring a friend.

Now that I’m feeling better, I will blog again real soon!  I would love to hear from you, so keep in touch.

Love you all,

Phil

PHIL’S SECOND ANNUAL 

 TEXAS HOLD ‘EM GALA

Phil’s Texas Hold ‘Em Gala is about Great Fun, Great Food and Great People helping Phil Henry achieve his goal of independent living.

Gala admission is $75 in advance, $95 day of event

and includes the following:

• FOOD–Catered by CAMERON MITCHELL
• SNACKS
• BEVERAGES
  • BEER
  • SOFT DRINKS / COFFEE
• TEXAS HOLD ‘EM GAMING ENTERTAINMENT

TOTAL PRIZES VALUED OVER $2,500

TOP PRIZE VALUED AT $800

• No re-buys
• Self dealing until final table
• Need not play to win prizes

Must be at least 21 to participate

• March 7, 2009
• Doors open at 3:00pm
• Hold ‘Em entertainment begins at 4:00pm

Bryce Eck Center

3880 Reed Road

Upper Arlington, OH   43220

To buy tickets, help sell tickets, inquire about sponsorship opportunities or volunteer to help with the gala email us at philsbenefit@aol.com  or contact:

     Kevin @ (614)264-0697 cell

     Geoff @ (614)327-1085 cell

For more information on Phil, check out his website at www.philsfight.com

Let’s go “ALL IN” for Phil!

Gaming is for entertainment purposes only

Hi All~

We want to make sure that everyone knows that Phil’s band, “All Folked Up”, will be performing at The Peddlar Lounge in Grove City  this Friday night- November 28th at 7:00pm.  Come join us for a great time!

Also, mark your calendar for the 2nd Annual Texas Hold ‘Em Benefit for Phil’s Fight Fund on Saturday,  March 7th.  More details to follow!!!

Hope to see you all soon!

Hi Guys ,

     It’s been a crazy couple of months, so let me share what’s been going on.  First, I want to thank my friend Dave Tuttle and the Families for Life Foundation for making me the beneficiary of this year’s charitable event which included an auction party and, also, a golf outing.  It poured rain the morning of the outing, but the skies cleared just as people were arriving.  The Foundation members and I agreed that the late Rex Karnes, for whom the Foundation was started, arranged to have the rain pass just in time for the golf.  Next, I want to thank the volunteers and 23 foursomes who participated, and the generous donation that was given to Phil’s Fight Fund.  It’s humbling to be on the receiving end of such love and generosity. 

     The following week, Steph and I flew to Colorado for our nine day vacation.  Thanks to Tara and Dave Smith for allowing us to use their condo in Winter Park.  It was sweet!  Sister Sue arranged to have a hand cycle delivered to the condo for my use.  Thanks to Matt Feeney and his Adaptive Adventures Organization for the bike, and, also, the ride that Matt took with Steph and me.  I was just happy to have a way to exercise and be active, because that was always a big part of my Colorado trips.

     I wrote previously that I had mixed emotions about this trip, it being my first since the accident.  But, I found it to be more relaxing than previous visits to the mountains, because I didn’t have to worry about the planning and the packing and getting up at 4:00 a.m. to hike miles and miles to complete a 14er.  We, also, enjoyed not being on a schedule.  We drove the pass into Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park.  It was breathtaking!  We took a day trip to one of our favorite towns, Frisco.  My cousin Mike and his wife, Linda, even drove up from Denver to have lunch with us.  So, all in all, it was a great trip.  I guess I don’t have to climb mountains to enjoy a vacation.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m a human being, not a human doing.  It’s okay to just be.

     I was so encouraged by this trip that a couple of weeks later, I drove solo to Sue’s house in Pennsylvania.  This is a drive that I usually made twice a year to visit Sue, John, Luke and Paige.  It felt good to do this alone, like I had in the past.  I saw Luke’s high school football team win big, and he even had an interception for his Uncle Phil!  (It’s all about me, remember?)  So, it felt good to do one more thing alone for the first time.

     Back in Ohio, I was trying to get back into my routine, and tackle the huge piles of bills and papers that required my attention.  The phone rang and it was Rob Oller, a name  I recognized for his daily column in the Columbus Dispatch sports section.  He said that someone called his editor and he wanted to do a story about me training for the Columbus Marathon.  My friend, Kathleen Williams, is the volunteer coordinator for the event, and had been encouraging me to participate.  I was considering it, but my training was severely lacking.  Once I read the article, I knew that I had to do the marathon.  No outs!

     Rob Oller interviewed me for about 40 minutes, and the phtographer took pictures.  Even though I know what I said to Rob, you never know how the story is going to be written and interpreted.  I was pretty nervous the day before the article was published.  The following morning, I opened the Dispatch, and there I was on the front page of the sports section.  Upon reading it, I thought Rob did a good job.  He’s obviously a good writer, and acquaintances who read it said it captured me pretty well – just a regular guy who’s having to change his concept of self.   

     I was more nervous about the logistics of the Marathon than the 26 miles I’d have to hand-peddle.  We awoke at 5:00 a.m. to be positioned at the starting line by 7:20 a.m.  I, of course, was running late.  By the time I rode my bike from my van to the starting area, I was enveloped by several thousand runners who were to go off 5 minutes after the handicap division.  I worked my way through the crowd, and, fortunately, a runner became aware of my plight and helped part the sea of people so I could arrive at the starting line 30 seconds late.  The cold temperature caused my fingers to go numb, and I couldn’t feel them as I changed gears throughout the course.  

     The crowds that lined the route cheered and encouraged us as we passed by, which kept me and the other athletes going.  I even heard people say, “There’s that guy who was in the paper!”  Also,  I have many friends and family to thank for being my personal rooting section. It was, truly, a feeling of elation to cross the finish line, and to know I’d done it!  I wasn’t aware that there was prize money.  So, next year –watch out!  The racers had better watch their backs. 

     I continue to realize how blessed I am to have so many good people in my life.  I wouldn’t be able to do these things without their help.

     It’s been an eventful couple of months.  It’s a good thing I have a life that keeps me busy, while the Buckeyes’ season slowly goes down the drain.  I’m thinking of establishing a fund to find Jim Tressel an offensive coordinator, but don’t get me started.   

     I’m going over to Meg and Amy’s tonight to go Trick-or-Treating with Cami and Jack.  So, I’ve got to run.  Please keep in touch!              Phil   

P.S. Our band, “All Folked Up”, will be playing at The Peddler Lounge on Friday, November 28th.  Come on out and join in a great time!

Hi Everyone-

Check out this awesome article about Phil taking part in the marathon from the first page of the sports section on October 16, 2008:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2008/10/16/oller16.ART_ART_10-16-08_C1_04BK83O.html?sid=101

Painting by Phil Henry & Company has finally caught up from a hectic and very busy summer of painting.  The guys are doing a great job and all of our clients have been very pleased with their work.  If you are in need of interior or exterior painting, call Megan at 843-9292 to set up a FREE estimate!

Hi Everyone~

Is it really September already?  Unbelievable!  It was a pretty good summer and here are some of the highlights:  The 4th of July weekend was a blast.  Sister Sue and her family came to town, which is always a treat.  A contingency from Minneapolis came, also, in the form of Aunt Mary Lou, cousins Jack and Lynne and Jack’s youngest daughter, Natalie.  Cousin Mike Henry represented the Denver Henrys.  I hosted the post-UA parade party with the usual suspects of family and friends, plus a few surprise guests.  One of Sue’s contributions to the party were napkins that stated:  “Don’t confuse my tolerance with hospitality.”  Couldn’t have said it better myself!

The golf outing was on July 5th and it came off without a hitch.  Cousins Matt and Heidi Robinson did an amazing job organizing the entire event!  Thanks to everyone who played in and sponsored the event.  Those who participated said they had an awesome time.  Also, thanks to my buddy Cameron for donating the choice food!

Our band, “All Folked Up”, played later that evening at the Peddlar Lounge.  Thanks to everyone who hung out to listen.  Matt and Heidi want us to play again sometime this fall, so apparently we weren’t too bad.

I also had a nice visit with Aunt Claire and cousins Jill and Trish who came for a later visit from Chicago.  They’re a riot!  We met at The Peddlar and, again, partied with some of the Robinsons and Sheedys.  The family on my mom’s side knows how to have fun, and it’s been cool hanging out with them a few times this summer.

I’ve also done some cool stuff with TAASC (The Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition) this summer.  I kayaked about ten times with the group, who also hosted a water weekend, which included waterskiing, kayaking, sailing and a cookout.  A lot of suburban newspapers and The Dispatch ran nice stories of the organization and the event.

I’ve, also, learned how to ride the recumbent hand-crank bicycle this summer.  It is a heck of a workout– burning arms, back, shoulders and lungs.  A friend has left his bike in my garage to use until the bike that I’ve ordered arrives.  So, I’ve gotten out a few times each week.

This year the Columbus Marathon is allowing hand-crank bikes into the handicap division of the race.  I know a half-dozen guys who are riding this year, and if I get in shape, I might join them.  A few weeks ago, Steph and I drove to Yellow Springs and rode 18 miles, which is 2/3 of a marathon, so we’ll see.

The painting business has had a good summer, as well.  Sister Meg has done a great job keeping things rolling, and the crew, especially Tim, has really stepped up in my absence.  I believe that I’ve recovered,  both physically and mentally, to slowly return to work. I look forward to, once again, being able to work with past clients, as well as meeting new ones.  If you or a friend have any painting needs, please call me at 614.314.4499.  We’ll take good care of you.

Steph and I are planning a trip to Colorado later this month.  I didn’t go on my yearly trip last summer, as something else came up.  But, I look forward to seeing mountains again.  It will be bittersweet, knowing that I can’t frolic in the mountains as I once did.  I will have to be more of a tourist, being content with looking at the views as opposed to hiking through the views.  There are some adaptive organizations that I will have to hook up with, to see what I can do while I’m out there.  My social worker said that a lot of people come back from their first vacation post-accident a little agitated.  Considering that I was easily agitated before my accident, that’s a little scary.  Pray for us because if I’m very agitated, Steph will leave my ass out there.  So, I guess I’d better be on my best behavior.

My friend, Dave Tuttle, belongs to the Families For Life Foundation, which is sponsoring a golf outing on Saturday, September 13th, to benefit my Phil’s Fight Fund.  What an awesome gesture!  They’re having a silent auction on Thursday, Sept. 11th, from 6 to 9 p,m.  Please show up, if possible!  There are some really great items up for auction.  The golf starts at 7:00 a.m. at Raymond Memorial Golf Course, followed by a Schmidt’s lunch.  Please call Tut at 614.205.8932, if interested. 

Thank you to everyone who still reads or writes entries on the blog.  Your words and prayers mean as much to me today as they did a year ago.  Bless you all.

                                                          Love, Phil

P.S.  My cell phone got wet when I flipped over while kayaking on the Scioto, and I lost all my stored phone #s.  So, please call all me at 614.314.4499 with your phone number, or e-mail me at UAphilhen@yahoo.com.

Phil’s good friend, Dave Tuttle, is organizing a scramble golf outing to benefit Phil’s Fight Fund.  Dave is a member of the Families for Life Foundation that will be sponsoring the 2008 Rex Karnes Invitational Golf Outing on September 13th at Raymond Memorial Golf Course. Registration begins at 6:45am and the shotgun start begins at 7:30am.  It will be followed by an awesome Schmidt’s buffet! The cost is $80/person.  Each golfer will receive one ticket for a chance to win an autographed Jack Nicklaus putter!  Also, you don’t have to golf to join in the buffet.

For more information, registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact Dave Tuttle at 614-205-8932 or visit their website at: www.familiesforlifefoundation.org.

In conjunction with the golf tournament, Dave is organizing a silent auction on Thursday, Sept. 11th from 6:00-9:00pm, to be held at the O-Patio on campus.  They have awesome items to bid for including Blue Jacket tickets, two weekly clubhouse passes to the Memorial tournament next year, and so on!  They will also be picking the winner for the OSU vs. Michigan game package raffle around 9pm.  Call Dave if you would like to buy or help sell the raffle tickets.

We hope you all will be able to join in the fun!!

Greetings,

I hope everyone is having a great summer!  Mine is going quite well, in fact, the last 2-3 weeks have been the best since my accident.  Things are starting to come together, and I feel like I have turned a corner in my recovery.  It’s not one particular thing, but a culmination of things that I can look forward to.

I finally met with 2 people who are active in an organization called TAASC (The Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition).  My social worker Nancy has encouraged me to call them for a while because she knows that I love being physically active.  I went to a volunteer kayak training session a few weeks ago, and got to try my luck at kayaking.  I knew it could be a challenge because my balance and stability have been adversely affected by my injury.  It took me about 5 minutes to get situated in the kayak and about 2 seconds to flip over into the water!  Several volunteers jumped into the water to save me even though I had a life jacket on and am a good swimmer.  Anyway, they ended up attaching the kayak-equivalent of training wheels onto the kayak, and I was the only participant who had to use these.  It was definitely a humbling experience for someone who considers himself ultra athletic.  My ego was a bit bruised as I waited for Steph to pick me up.

The best thing that I did was sign up for the next session of kayaking, not as a volunteer, but as a participant.  I knew I needed to “climb back on the horse” and figure out how to master this damn kayak.  These last 3 sessions I have paddled at least an hour or more on the Scioto River without getting wet!  I guess the lesson that I needed to learn was that things might not come as easily as they once did, but with motivation, desire, and perseverance, I can still accomplish anything I put my mind to…or at least try. 

There were 20 participants and 30 volunteers making sure we all had a fun, safe evening.  About 15 of us went out together afterwards because this was the last night of this particular session.  All of these folks are really solid people, and I am overjoyed to be a part of TAASC.  I’ve also tried out a few of their recumbant hand-crank cycles, and I’m ready to buy one for myself.  I’m already signed up for the next session of kayaking, and I may even try to waterski!

The handicap-accessible van was finally available and ready for the road about 3 weeks ago and it is awesome to come and go as I please.  A special thanks to Scott Leaver and his crew for detailing the van.  It looks spectacular!  Tim, the boyfriend of my niece Casey, who also doubles as the foreman of my paint crew, installed a nice stereo in the van for me.  So the magic bus is on the road looking and sounding great.  So if the van is a rockin’…ah…forget it!

Our band, All Folked Up, had a little warm-up gig at the Peddlar Lounge, where we will be playing on July 5th around 8pm.  We threw our instruments in the back of the van, piled in and drove to Grove City.  It’s almost as if we’re back in high school practicing in our folks’ garage and playing gigs on the weekend.  Most of the songs that we do are from that era, so it’s fitting.  But we’re all looking forward to playing July 5th.  And the golf outing is coming together nicely (see below for more details).  It’s looking like it will be a great day.  Huge thanks to Heidi and Matt for all of their work!

So as you can see, I’ve got plenty of things to look forward to.  That’s why my outlook has improved so much.  I’ve read that it takes 2-3 years to adjust and acclimate to life after an injury like mine.  I know I still have far to go, but maybe I’m a little ahead of the curve as far as driving and being active are concerned.  But that’s the only way I know how to live. 

I was reading all of the old updates and corresponding blogs on Philsfight.com last night, and was choked up as I read all of the positive messages filled with love and support from all of you.  You all have so much to do with my recovery because I would never have made it this far without you.  I know that God has blessed me many times over as I continue on this journey.  Like cousin Lynne wrote, I had to have you believe in me even when I wasn’t able to.  This experience has made me stronger and tougher than I ever thought I could be.

I can’t believe the 4th of July is next week!  Where does the time go?  It only seems like 10 years since the last 4th.  My grandma had a traditional party on the 4th after the Arlington parade.  When she moved out of her house, the party was moved down the street to my place.  We don’t have the wiffle ball death match anymore, but it’s cool to hang with family and friends.  If you don’t have plans between 11am and 3pm on the 4th, please feel free to stop by 1417 Westminster Drive in UA.  I would love to see all of my blog buddies.  If I don’t see you next weekend, have a happy and healthy 4th.

Peace to all,

Love, Phil

 P.S. My lawn and flowers look amazing.  Special props to Kevin and Cathy Walsh for all their hard work planting bushes and flowers.  Also thanks to Mom, brother Dave, and nephew Mark for their help planting, edging, and mulching.  It looks awesome!

We hope you will join us for this exciting event!  It will be taking place Saturday, July 5th at the Phoenix Golf Links.  Registration begins at 12:30pm and tee time is at 2:00pm.  The cost is $300 for a foursome or $75 per golfer if you register before June 25th.  Otherwise, it is $340/foursome or $85/golfer.  Price includes greens fees, cart, range balls, dinner donated by Cameron Mitchell and an awards banquet at The Peddler.

There are also many sponsorship opportunities or you can just join in for dinner and music at The Peddler.  Phil’s own band, “All Folked Up” will be making their debut performance that evening.  For more information visit the Peddler website at:  www.peddlerlounge.com.

A big thanks to cousins Heidi and Matt Robinson for organizing this exciting event!