Lyme Log: What IS This Herx Thing?

What exactly is this herx and herxing I'm always talking about?

Last night, as I had a quick chat with my friend, Marla, and when the topic came up we both realized I had better just blog it baby!

Now is the perfect time to explain to you what this is, as I have the term on my mind a lot lately in anticipation of my new treatment which starts on Friday. I'm wondering how badly I will herx.

So here it is: Herx and herxing are just lingo or slang used by us Lymies in place of a much bigger term. I'm going to give a couple of definitions from my handy little book Coping with Lyme Disease: A Practical Guide to Dealing with Diagnosis and Treatment.

The Jarish-Herxheimer Reaction: Also called the Herxheimer Reaction. This typically refers to an exacerbation of symptoms or new onset of symptoms shortly after starting antibiotic therapy due to a flaring of the immune system in response to the killing of the spirochetes.

Now, I guess you'll be saying, "And what's a spirochete?"

Spirochete: A type of bacteria with a slender spiral shape.

Okay, are you following so far? Or have you fallen asleep already because it's still Monday and this is just too much for a Monday, for crying out loud!

Lyme itself is a bacteria shaped this way, so we often speak of the Lyme spirochete.

Now, a little bit more about a Herx and what happens to my poor body when I give it antibiotics. I really love this explanation from the book:

Many Lyme patients who are in the early disseminated stage and beyond will, once placed on antibiotics, experience a period of worsening symptoms--sometimes dramatically--soon after the antibiotic regimen has begun. This is called the Jarish-Herxheimer reaction and is not only to be expected but is actually a good sign that the drug is hitting its target.

. . . the Herxheimer reaction (as it is commonly called) occurs when the spirochete, attacked by the drug, gives off toxins and causes the immune system to overreact. It's as though a bomb were dropped on the spirochete, breaking it into ten pieces. Suddenly the body has to fight ten times as hard for a short period of time to eliminate it. There may be varying degrees of Herxheimer, with additional rashes, headaches, chills, fevers, and lowered blog pressure. This is a normal and expected reaction.

Got it? :)

For me, even baby, baby doses of antibiotics cause me to become very sick, which has been one of the signs that has kept us believing that I do indeed have Lyme, because other folks would not react this way to a small dose of an antibiotic. Think about how you take antibiotics for a sinus infection or strep throat and do not have a Herxheimer reaction.

Unfortunately, because my Lyme disease was left untreated and undiscovered for so long my body is like a factory for the Lyme spirochete. So, those bombs going off in my body? Well, that description couldn't be more right on.

Bottom line: I have to feel worse in order to (hopefully) feel better. That's the nature of the Lyme beast. That's what makes enduring the treatment so difficult--knowing how sick I will feel and having no idea how long I will have to do this before I see significant results (if ever). It becomes not only a physical battle but an emotional and spirtual one as well.

Because my Lyme Disease has manifested as Autonomic Nervous System dysfunction, my herxes tend to be filled with an exacerbation of all of the ANS symptoms I experience on a daily basis, such as pounding heart, tachycardia, sweats, shakes, nausea, tremulousness, shortness of breath/air hunger, near fainting and an inability to be upright at all.

I also experience extreme malaise, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, night sweats, etc. Sometimes I am so exhausted that I do sleep, while other times I feel too sick to sleep. Activities that are already a challenge for me such as being on the computer, concentrating, watching TV or listening to a book on CD become more difficult or impossible. Sometimes the most I can do to get through is listen to some quiet, soothing music. I am also always a beautiful shade of ghostly white, but when I'm really sick my pallor changes to a nice ashen color! Beautiful!

So what exactly is malaise?

Malaise: A feeling of general discomfort or uneasiness, an out-of sorts feeling, often the first indication of an infection or other disease.

The difficult balance is to treat the Lyme disease aggressively enough to 'beat' the spirochetes, but not to make me so sick that I end up in the ER calling 911 like I did the first time I tried antibiotics and increased too quickly! It's been an extremely difficult balance to strike!

I hope this helps clear up some of the confusion. These two illnesses of mine are a complicated and crazy world! In the past few months I have heard the words: Complex, Complicated, and Challenging to describe my case more times than I care to count! And those three C's aren't for taking my CCCs to become a speech pathologist, Marla! :)

I also want to clarify one point that seems to cause confusion (especially to for Dad!). We are operating under the assumption that my Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction was/is caused by Chronic Lyme Disease.

This is why, over the past couple of years my treatment has focused more on antibiotics than finding medications to treat the ANS problems. We are trying as much as possible to control the ANS problems, but since most available treatments have failed for me we hope that as we kill off the Lyme raging in my body, improvement in ANS symptoms will follow.

That's the plan that we're sticking with for now. And now you know all the lingo.

Congratulations! You are now an expert in Lyme and ANS Dysfunction! (Well, not quite, but you're on your way!)

Blessings and Happy Monday!

Emily

A Triumph: Itzhak Perlman in Concert

"His presence on stage, on camera, and in personal appearances of all kinds speaks eloquently on behalf of the physically challenged, and his devotion to their cause is an integral part of his life."

--From the biographical information on Itzhak Perlman in the concert program--

Triumphant. I cannot think of any other word to describe how I feel about having made an outing to see violinist Itzhak Perlman and pianist Rohan De Silva in concert April 1st.

I wish I had been given the energy to write this blog sooner--when the triumph felt fresher. Oh how quickly the triumph seems to fade when I become absorbed again in the daily medical grind. Perhaps just writing about it now will summon up the feelings again. For those two hours, even though I didn't feel 'well', I felt that I had taken just a little time out from being sick. I tried to let myself be transported out of my world and into the world of Perlman's musicianship.

Amazing, amazing, amazing is all I can keep saying about Perlman. I felt honored to be in the presence of such a master of the violin and musical genius. I felt honored to be in the presence of a person with a disability who does not hide behind it. I felt triumphant that I went to the concert. I felt in awe of hearing music performed live again. I forgot how different it sounds when not played through stereo speakers! I felt proud of myself for asking for the accommodations needed to go to the concert. I felt overwhelmed that my body cooperated just long enough for me to go to the concert. I felt humbled by the efforts of the staff to make this concert accessible for me.

With much encouragement from friends, I called the accessibility manager and worked out all of my needs in advance. After 10 years of being sick I finally asked my doctor for a handicapped parking placard. After all of these years shouldn't I be used to 'being sick' or 'being a person with a disability'? Yes, maybe. But I'm not. And asking for what I need and accepting the truth is still difficult. I'm trying to view the parking pass in a new light--The Golden Parking Pass--as Jeannine calls it.

The accessibility manager was incredible. Lisa offered to do anything, and I mean just about anything, to make it possible for me to attend this concert. Mom took my fold up reclining chair to the theatre ahead of time, and when I arrived at the concert--there it was all set up for me! I even had my own 'private potty' in the tech room that I'm not supposed to tell anyone about! :) (So I didn't tell you!). After the concert Mom made a quick run to the car, while the staff waited for her phone call that she was parked out front. They carried my chair and all of my pillows out the car for me! I was able to do the short walk in and out of the theatre which was really exciting. The next day after the concert, Lisa called to see how I was feeling and to tell me to keep in touch so that I could come to future performances.

The biggest bummer was that I couldn't see a whole heck of a lot from the reclining position. But, I could listen. And that was amazing enough for me. I could see a lot of the head of the person in front of me and as much of the ceiling as I wanted to, but not too much of Itzhak. (I'm used to staring at the ceiling anyways!). We did bring our opera glasses, so I sat up a couple of times so that I could see Perlman and his joyful way of performing music. All of the handicapped seating is in the very back of the theatre so it's a LONG way to the stage! I felt bad for Mom having to sit so far back because of me, but she didn't mind. Plus, the handicapped seats are half-price! :) As always, Mom goes above and beyond to make these things possible for me.

Sometimes, after years of asking for what I need and the sting of being treated unkindly so many times, it's difficult for me to ask for what I need. And it's still difficult for me to feel or look 'different'. Somehow, this night I did not care. Seeing Perlman in concert beat worrying about any of those things. The whole time I was at the concert I just kept thinking, "Am I really here? Have I really just done this?"

Even though I had hoped my new Lyme treatment would have started sooner, I feel that perhaps I was given the gifts of this concert, being able to watch the Davidson basketball games, and staying over at Dad and Abbie's house for a week in preparation for this next step. I'll have these 'good things' to hold on to when I'm herxing again.

I hope last week's experience will give me the courage to try again to attend another performance. At intermission, when I told Lisa I couldn't see the stage, she said, "Well, just give us the dimensions of your chair and we'll build you a little platform to put it on. Then you'll be able to see." If that's not above and beyond the call of duty, I don't know what is!

Yesterday, our neighbor, Scott, (Miss Alexandra's dad!) stopped over to say "Happy half-birthday!" I said, "It's my half birthday? Do we celebrate those?" I knew he must have something up his sleeve! He said had been listening to NPR and he had just happened to stop over at the office and pick something up for me. It was a CD of Itzhak Perlman and Oscar Peterson called Side by Side with...drum roll please...Itzhak Perlman's autograph! (This was one of the gifts out local station was giving out as part of the spring fundraising drive.) I'm still completely overwhelmed by this gesture and the thoughtfulness this family continues to give me. Last night I played the CD through more than two times. The 'lift' couldn't have come on a better day--and listening to the CD was a way to remember that people are 'in my court' AND that I saw this performer in concert.

Now, I will always have this 'little something' to remind me of this amazing artist and of what became to me, a triumph on so many levels.

I only told a couple of people ahead of time that I had bought tickets for the concert because I couldn't face not only how I would feel if I had been to sick to go to the concert, but then telling folks it hadn't worked out. So, I'm very excited to tell you all now that I did it!!!!

Time to listen to my new CD again. And program my alarm to wake up to one of the tracks on it!

Blessings,

Emily

Lyme Log: Hurray! I Passed the First Test for Penicillin!

Hello All!



Thank you so much for your good thoughts and prayers. I think they worked, even if the blog got sent out through Feedburner after the appointment! :)



So, we headed out of town on Monday with the handy GPS system to 'help us out'.



I was negative for penicillin allergy on the skin testing.


I am now doing the 5 day 'oral challenge', which involves taking itsy-bitsy amounts of penicillin over a 5 day period. Yesterday, I took 'a few grains' of penicillin three times a day. To do this Mom was in the kitchen crushing the pill with a rolling pin! Thank you Scott for the last of your wonderful applesauce we had in the freezer to use for just this purpose--taking grains of penicillin!



Today, I'll take 'a pinch' three times a day, then 1/3 of a pill, then 1/2 of a pill, and then finally a whole pill by Day 5.



I'm just watching for a rash and if all is clear after five days, I will get my first bicillin shot next week.



Finally, it seems our plans to try this antibiotic are on the right track, after a few monkey wrenches have been thrown in along the way!



By the way, that GPS system? Oh good grief. Not excactly a smashing success. I got so many laughs, though, when three women friends told me how much their husbands just love their GPS systems.

I still think I'm in favor of a plain old map. That and following the BIG BLUE signs that say 'H' for Hospital! We're looking right at the signs that say 'H' with an arrow pointing straight ahead and the GPS system is saying 'Turn Left on Poplar Street' or some such thing. When we didn't turn left where it told us to go it kept saying, "Recalculating" and then sending us on some other ridiculous route.

Oh well. I'll let Dad try to calibrate his GPS system for the next trip. I'm just very pleased that it looks like, medically, we're finally getting things moving.

Blessings,

Emily

Lyme Log: Good Thoughts for Penicllin Testing

Tomorrow (Monday), Dad and I are heading down to a larger medical center so that I can get allergy testing done for penicillin.

For some reason, most allergists have done away with allergy testing for penicillin so we have to travel somewhere that has the 'magic ingredient' needed. Oh, and I get to be in pediatrics--which always cracks me up. Why do they always stick me there?

By the time most of you read this blog, I will probably be home from my appointment (which is at noon), but I really feel the need to write tonight and ask for your good thoughts no matter what time of you read this blog.

I have a lot riding on this test little bitty test.

Last time I wrote a 'Lyme Log' (March 4th) I was waiting to figure out the next step in treatment, since the current plan is not working very well. I don't have the energy or strength right now to catch you up to speed on what has taken place since that last blog entry...but what a rigmarole the whole thing has been! Most all of my energy has been going into trying to get this new plan into place.

My hope is to be able to get bicillin injections to treat the Lyme. If I test positive for allergy to penicillin, our best laid plans will fall through and we'll be back to square one trying to find a new treatment plan. I am trying not to even let my thoughts go there. If you hear a very loud scream coming from the direction of PA tomorrow afternoon you will know it is me, and I've tested positive for penicillin allergy!

So I figured it couldn't hurt to ask for some good thoughts to be sent my way that things will work out as they are meant to; that whatever happens will be for my highest and best; that whatever the outcome I'll be able to pull it together to take the next step.

I think Dad is most looking forward to using his new GPS system. I know he really wanted to surprise me with his new toy when he showed up at the house tomorrow morning to pick me up, but he's terrible at trying to disguise these things. He kept asking for the address so he could print directions--which he never does and Mom always takes care of for him--so I knew something was up. I called him back and said, "You just wanted the address because you got a new GPS system didn't you?" I ruined his surprise though. He's a terrible lier and so am I--so I guess I know where I got it from!

I mean really, what a great way to get men to ask for directions. Invent a gadget for them to buy. Suddenly, asking for directions is cool!

At least I know we'll get where we're supposed to be going (even though we've been there a zillion times before--best to test out this new toy on a route we know!).

Blessings and thanks for your good thoughts,

Emily

Davidson Dances into the Elite Eight!

We did it! Now with 25 straight wins, the longest in the NCAA right now, Davidson advances to the Elite Eight to play Kansas on Sunday.

Final Score: Davidson 73, Wisconsin 56

Quite frankly, we seemed to glide through this game easier than we did against Gonzaga or Georgetown. Still, Mom and I were cheering and whooping and hollering and on the edge of our seats--especially for the entire first half when the score stayed especially close, ending the half tied. This team is so much fun to watch! (Although Asher didn't seem to notice or chip in to cheer.) What makes them so fun to watch is the great coaching, the 'smart' ball-playing, and the great teamwork.

Why can't I stop writing about Davidson basketball? Because, for me, it's not just about basketball. So far this year, I've felt exceptionally blue. Watching the basketball games has filled me with so much joy. I was able to watch the Georgetown game with Dad, bringing back memories of going to basketball games with him starting in fourth grade when he first introduced me to the sport. Oh how many women's basketball games we've been to together over the years--not to mention the games of HORSE we played and those darned Hoop Shoot contests he entered me in. I love listening to his running commentary! Tonight, I was able to watch the Davidson game in its entirety with Mom. After the game tonight, I recalled feeling this excited and engaged as a child attending basketball games.

JOY. Let me say that again. JOY! I have not felt much joy of late. I'm not sure why it's taken a Davidson basketball team in the NCAA tournament to give me a bit of joy, but it has. That's why I'm so busy writing about Davidson and not all of the health issues weighing on my mind. Sometimes I forget the gift of a little fun and escapism. Thank you Davidson Wildcats for giving me something to feel good about!

Game Day Highlights:

1. The sportscaster made a comment in regards to phenomenal player, Stephen Curry--the player with the softest shot (and a baby face to go with it!):

"When you run into hot Curry you get burned." Not quite the same as Dr. ANS's comment, "Would you like some Curry with that dish?" but certainly equally as funny.

2. Carrie's voicemail message after the game:

"Oh my gosh I almost went into labor. And then I almost had a heart attack during that game. That was amazing. I cannot believe...I cannot believe it. And that's the first game I've actually seen. That Stephen Curry is amazing. Amazing! Proud to be a Davidson grad today. Hope you are too."

It is important to note here Carrie's Wisconsin accent as well as her theatrics (Miss Yale School of Drama), which both culminated to make this message extra-hilarious. Poor, poor Britt. Britt--it's a good thing you didn't wager too much. Or did you wager your pride and self-worth? Carrie was quite torn between WI and Davidson.

3. I called the Davidson bookstore today to order Sweet Sixteen T-shirts in RED (great for us pale folk). I spoke with an older woman working there, who despite how overwhelmed she was, treated me with that gracious Southern hospitality and that sense that she was not at all in a hurry. (The Davidson bookstore averages $1700 in sales a day (equal to the number of students on campus!). When Sweet Sixteen T-shirts went on sale March 26th they had $35,000 in sales in one day. When I asked her if Davidson had cancelled classes today (since so many students had gone to Detroit for the game) she said, "Oh no! The president was on national television today saying that we wouldn't be cancelling classes and wouldn't be known as that type of school." Oh good grief! I think it takes an ice storm to get them to cancel--and maybe not even then!

I have 'justified' this ridiculous expenditure on T-shirts by noting that I have not purchased any Davidson 'gear' since before college graduation 10 years ago. The shirt I'm wearing today? It's been handed over to Mom. And it's now 14 years old--the very first Davidson shirt I ever owned which we received on our first day as incoming freshman. It's still HUGE, so it must not have been sent through that Davidson laundry service that all of the commentators and journalists can't get enough of. Do they know that everything is washed in HOT and dried on HOT? There are many pants I never fit into again after a trip through that laundry service! It's good for sheets and towels and that's about it!

4. I was able to watch the game from start to finish without going into an absolute ANS spell. I didn't feel great, but I DID it. And I tell you, my adrenaline was going like crazy the whole time. It was so much fun! I'm so grateful I got to watch this game the whole way through without having to stop because I felt too sick. I've not been able to sit in my recliner in the living room and do this for over 3 years. Hurray! Now, whether or not I will sleep tonight or how I will feel tomorrow is a completely different scenario!

It's a Great Day to Be a Wildcat!!!

(I like this slogan, but the shirt it was on was white. UGH!)

Next Game:

Davidson vs. Kansas

Detroit, MI

Sunday March 30, 2008

5:05 PM

CBS

A very happy Wildcat,

Emily

Photo: Until 'new' Davidson gear arrives--this is the best I could do! I think I will ask for a sweatshirt as a birthday gift this year! :)

Wow! For My Davidson Friends (and Fans)...

Hello to all of you, especially my Davidson friends, who are most likely to take time to read these articles! :) I'm just blown away by this news. It's pretty overwhelming, exciting, and just plain cool.

I have to tell you all though, that it was Jeannine who scouted out all this news and then I saw it on my little ESPN Davidson Bball widget. I got a good laugh when Jeannine (my best friend from high school and NOT a Davidson grad) told me she'd spent her lunch break reading up on Stephen Curry and Davidson's latest boost to such celebrity status. I think last week Stephen Curry's name was the 4Th most googled name for the week! Crazy!

Haha to that celebrity status part. I went to the urologist today and 'borrowed back' from my mom that original T-shirt we all got on our very first day at Davidson--you know--the gray one withe Davidson written in black, a red line underneath, and 1998 written on the sleeve. (Clearly I must not have sent that one to the laundry service if it's still in good shape 14 years later?).

Anyways, I was determined that on ONE outing from my house, even if it was only to the doctor, that I would share my Davidson pride. Alas, all interactions took place with women who knew nothing of basketball. The urologist said to me, "All I know about basketball is that the ball is orange."

However, since the nursing staff all know me so well, they attempted to lift my spirits by recruiting one of the rheumatologists (and big basketball fan) to head on over to my exam room and 'talk basketball' with me. The nurse says, "Hey, she went to Dickinson!" And I said, "NO! Davidson," thinking all along, here we go again with this Dickinson/Denison thing.

Well, the doctor was a student at Vandy medical school way back in the days of Lefty Driesel and remembered Vandy beating Duke, UNC and Davidson in 1969 or 1966? Can't remember what he said. Anyways, he remembered them being a powerhouse and was excited to say, "It's been a long time for them and they're doing great!" Then he turned to all of the nurses and said, "Davidson is a very good small liberal arts college." Yippee!!!!!! That sooo made my day. I'm so tired of doctors thinking I am stupid. Maybe I should make a t-shirt of some snotty sort to wear specifically for appointments.

Anyways, no medical talk here. I'll share the bladder results in another blog for those of you not squeamish about medical speak. For now, I'm leaving this blog all to the fun of Davidson!

Enjoy the game tonight!!!! Soak up the glory!

Special love and hugs to my Davidson pals. Davidson may have been a very challenging and difficult four years of my life--but it gave me so much, including all of you.

Much love and blessings,

Emily

Life is beautiful with Davidson's generosity
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3315722&sportCat=ncb

DETROIT -- Davidson center Thomas Sander was halfway through his senior economics seminar Wednesday afternoon when a fellow student excitedly raised his hand.

"I've got a pretty cool announcement," the guy said to the class. And then he read the e-mail that had just dropped from college president Tom Ross, containing the coolest invitation in the history of March Madness:

If you're a Davidson student, the Sweet 16 is on us. And you're all invited.

"Everyone was going crazy, saying 'I'm going to Detroit!'" Sander recalled.

"I think the whole community recognizes the level of commitment and effort by the basketball team to be able to reach this level while still maintaining their academic standing. This is a gesture of appreciation."
--John McCartney, member of the board of trustees

College kids love free stuff. But a free trip -- tickets, hotel and a bus ride included -- to see your Cinderella school play Big Ten champion Wisconsin in a once-a-generation NCAA tournament game? This was better than Ed McMahon showing up at your door with a Publishers Clearing House check.

"It's unbelievably generous of the trustees," said Davidson freshman Kevin Hubbard, who talked to me by phone from campus Thursday. "They really did not have to do this."
That's the key point here: They did not have to do this, but they did it anyway. No other school still playing in this tournament would.


This was a spectacular act of pure goodwill in a sport that has become so coldly mercenary it threatens to lose some of its abundant charm. Just about everything in College Sports Inc. is sponsored, logo'd, seat-licensed, underwritten or overpriced -- and the first casualty of the money grab has been the peers of the athletes themselves.

In gymnasiums and football stadiums across the country, students are herded into the cheap seats while the prime locations go to boosters and donors who can be gouged for tens of thousands of dollars. Or students get hit with athletic fees as part of their tuition to help pay for the latest phat facility or colossal contract extension for the coach.


Here in Detroit, they've rejiggered the standard basketball-in-a-dome seating plan to sell more tickets. About 57,000 seats have been sold as of 5 p.m. Thursday at Ford Field for the games Friday night. The good news is that more fans will be in the building than ever before at a regional semifinal. The bad news is that there are more bad seats than ever before.

Among the school allotments, many universities take care of the fat cats first. Students? Hey, if some of you can make it, great. You'll get a few tickets. But don't expect the school to do anything for you along the way.

Then along came No. 10 seed Davidson, basking in the glow of a surprising run and willing to share some of the reflected glory. Members of the school's board of trustees are digging into their own pockets for about $100,000 to provide at least five buses, 250 tickets and 125 hotel rooms for the student body to see their Wildcats.


Because it's the right thing to do.


What a beautiful counterconcept.

"The sense of intimacy that exists on our campus is unparalleled in NCAA Division I basketball," coach Bob McKillop said. "You hear all about the free laundry [a laundry service is offered to all Davidson students]. But when the board of trustees votes in a meeting on Tuesday to go into their personal pockets and put out the money so that every student can go to this game … that reaches a level that's unprecedented.


"I'm stunned by it. Thrilled by it."

So was everyone else on the campus. The news crackled like sheet lightning across the small liberal arts enclave of 1,700 students located 30 miles outside Charlotte.
Athletic director Jim Murphy heard a student say, "The library is going crazy." So was the student union. And the dorms.


The only catch was that the school needed an RSVP from each student by 4 p.m. Wednesday.

That put some urgency into the student body.

"Everyone ran to their computers," said Hubbard, a freshman from Queens, N.Y.

Brenda Fuentes, a sophomore from Long Island, got the e-mail on her phone at 2:23 p.m. on Wednesday. She and two of her friends dashed to the computer lab, sending in their RSVP at 2:42.

"Whether or not we have gotten to the Sweet 16 or won 28 games, we have won because we've lived up to our belief."
--Bob McKillop

But a lot of students didn't hear about the offer until after 4. By 6 p.m. at the president's office, staffers had received 450 requests and still had about 700 unread e-mails.


"I'm surprised the wireless didn't crash on campus," Murphy said.

The only downside of this story is that the offer became too much of a good thing. Davidson couldn't come up with nearly enough buses in 24 hours to accommodate demand. Buses will roll from campus at 6 Friday morning and return sometime early Monday morning -- why not think you're playing two, right? -- but the school won't be able to transport two-thirds of the student body after all.


"The response is overwhelming," said Davidson trustees chairman John McCartney. "More overwhelming than the logistics of getting the kids up there. It's too bad the suggestion [from a fellow trustee] didn't come until Tuesday. I wish I had thought of it on my own, and I wish I had thought of it earlier."

Having thought of it at all is part of what sets Davidson apart from the Sweet 16 crowd. Athletics and academics are so well-entwined at the school that there is no disconnect between the athletes and those who cheer them on.


Brenda Fuentes describes herself as a good friend of star guard Stephen Curry. They have classes together. See each other on campus all the time.

She said she ran into Curry on campus Tuesday, after he'd become the face of Madness by scoring 70 points in upsets of Gonzaga and Georgetown. Curry told her that over the weekend he got 1,800 new friend requests on his Facebook page.


"You're a big shot," Fuentes teased. "Can you still hang out with us little people?"

At Davidson, they're all little people. That's the charm.


They offer 21 intercollegiate sports at Davidson, so a good number of students are participating in something. They also offer zero jock majors at a school known for its academic rigor.

"Davidson is a place where nearly a quarter of our kids participate in intercollegiate athletics, and they're in a very, very demanding academic environment," McCartney said. "I think the whole community recognizes the level of commitment and effort by the basketball team to be able to reach this level while still maintaining their academic standing. This is a gesture of appreciation."

The players deserve the appreciation, but do not overlook their coach. McKillop, a longtime New York high school coach who is now in his 19th season at Davidson, was producing chills Thursday while talking about this breakthrough season.


"I don't know that I could ever imagine the feeling that this would generate on our campus, in our community and within me personally," McKillop said, eyes glistening for a moment. "I am at ease now in my life. I have never been more at ease, more comfortable, more grounded than where I am right now.

"I think it's a response to the pursuit of something and seeing it happening right in front of your eyes, knowing the investment and realizing how many people were part of this investment, and now are sharing in this investment."


Later, in a hallway outside the Davidson locker room, McKillop invoked the final scene of the movie "Life Is Beautiful" ("La Vita e Bella," in the original Italian), a heartbreaking World War II concentration camp story. A father sacrifices his life so that his son can endure the horrors of internment and ultimately escape, and the boy rides away joyfully atop an American tank in the closing scene, thinking he has won a game.

The father prevailed. That's what McKillop loved.


"Whether or not we have gotten to the Sweet 16 or won 28 games, we have won because we've lived up to our belief," McKillop said of Davidson's improbable rise to this position. "We did not surrender. Our world today is full of surrender at the first sign of a challenge to people's hopes and dreams. We did not surrender."

There will be no surrender from Davidson Friday night. Be sure of that. And no surrender from the hundreds of Davidson students who are at Ford Field thanks to the largesse of a school that gets it, money be damned.


Pat Forde is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at ESPN4D@aol.com.


Davidson is providing transportation, lodging, tickets to game
Associated Press

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ncaatourney08/news/story?id=3314342

RALEIGH, N.C. -- It's a free-for-all at Davidson College.


Thanks to the deep pockets of the school's Board of Trustees, nearly 300 students will travel to Detroit to watch their beloved men's basketball team continue its surprising run in the NCAA tournament Friday night.

Students are getting bus transportation, two nights lodging and a ticket to see Davidson play Wisconsin in the Midwest Regional -- all for free.


Trustees pledged Wednesday to pay for any student. Within a day, 275 students -- nearly 20 percent of the student body -- had signed up. That sent officials at the small liberal-arts college, located about 20 miles north of Charlotte and about 650 miles south of Detroit, scrambling.

"The response was tremendous and frankly, surprisingly large," school spokeswoman Stacey Schmeidel said Thursday. "We actually have a lot more students who want to go, but we're trying to find more buses."


Behind sophomore sensation Stephen Curry, Davidson upset Gonzaga and Georgetown last week for the school's first NCAA tournament wins in 39 years. Curry, the son of NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, has led the Wildcats to a 28-6 season they hope to extend Friday.

Curry hit eight of 10 3-pointers and scored 40 points in Davidson's upset of Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA's Midwest Regional. Two days later, Curry scored 30 points to send Davidson past Georgetown and into the Sweet 16 for the first time in almost four decades.

When students learned they could witness Curry and the Wildcats in person, they jumped, even though the seven buses pull out at 5 a.m. for the 11-hour trip.

Davidson coach Bob McKillop credited the enthusiasm not only to the Wildcats' success but to the size and atmosphere of Davidson, a private school with about 1,700 students.

"The sense of intimacy that exists on our campus is unparalleled in NCAA Division I basketball," McKillop said Thursday as he and the team prepared in Detroit.

"But when the Board of Trustees votes in a meeting on Thursday to go into their personal pockets and put out the money so that every student can go to this game with a free bus ride, free hotel room, and free game ticket, that reaches a level that's unprecedented.


"I'm stunned by it, thrilled by it."

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Davidson Dances to the Sweet Sixteen! Go Wildcats!

Davidson coach Bob McKillop clasps his hands in the second half of a second-round NCAA Midwest Regional basketball game against Georgetown in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, March 23, 2008. Davidson won 74-70. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Davidson's Stephen Curry, left, celebrates with teammate Jason Richards (2) following Davidson's 74-70 win over Georgetown in a second-round NCAA Midwest Regional basketball game in Raleigh, N.C., Sunday, March 23, 2008. Curry had 30 points and Richards added 20 in the upset win. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

It's a great day to be a Wildcat. Indeed. AP Photo/Mel Evans

(Photos copied from ESPN website)

How about that Davidson Basketball team??? We're in the Sweet Sixteen baby!

Go Wildcats!

Other than a following a couple of sports, I really don't pay much attention to them. Usually, I have to ask who's playing in the Super Bowl--and often multiple times--before I remember. A big football game is on? Jeannine calls and says, "You watching the big game tonight?" only to wait for my response of, "What game?" so that she can laugh her hearty laugh, sigh, and proclaim, "Oh Em, what are we going to do with you?"

But this week, sports fan or not, I'm paying attention. Paying attention to Davidson in the NCAA tournament that is. We all are I think. My Davidson friends are sending articles and emails back and forth. My non-Davidson friends have a sudden interest and excitement in Davidson basketball. They're emailing me, "What a game! Go Wildcats!" And this week, I really needed a joyful distraction like some great Davidson basketball and the fun conversations with friends and family as a result.

Davidson entered the tournament as the 10Th seed in the Midwest region. First they beat 7Th seeded Gonzaga to move onto the second round where they defeated the 2nd seeded Georgetown. Thanks to my dad who began taking me to games in fourth grade and teaching me to shoot hoops, I actually have some understanding of basketball. I might even venture to say that my understanding of this sport is better than that of Jeannine!

Even my ANS specialist brought up Davidson basketball in our last phone consult. Then, in a follow-up email he wrote: "So, enjoy the Davidson game (I have a line for the sportscasters to use: "would you like some Curry with that dish?" ... OK, now back to my real job)..." Sorry, but I thought it was hilarious.

And, how about that Stephen Curry? And Jason Richards? And Bob McKillop? And that little team from that little school in the south that is now suddenly a household name? Even our local newspaper had the Davidson game along with a shot of Stephen Curry and Jason Richards rejoicing on the front of the Sports section. NPR chose Davidson's play as the highlight of the tournament so far (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88939622). One of the ESPN commentators said before Sunday's game that Davidson would be the big upset of the day--upsetting Georgetown that is. And they did. And, I am definitely NOT crying any tears over Duke's early elimination--as we view them as 'The Other D' in North Carolina.

Today Carrie and I rejoiced that finally people knew who the heck Davidson was. Marla sent an article on just that topic (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=clemmons/080324&sportCat=ncb).

Yes, I'm asking for bragging rights here on this blog entry!

I'm so used to hearing the question: "Where did you go to college?"

Me: "Davidson College."

Response: "Where?" or "Did you mean Denison? Dickinson?"

Me: "Davidson College. It's in North Carolina, about 30 minutes outside of Charlotte."

Response: "Oh."

Inevitibly, this series of questions and answers is often followed by one final question: "Why did you go there?"

This isn't so gratifying when you go to a college where you work your toosh off and no one has ever heard of it!

Now people have heard of Davidson College. And the sportscasters love to play up the Honor Code and the small student body of 1700. Now, when people ask me where I went to school maybe they will simply respond, "Oh, Davidson. They have a really great basketball program, don't they?" And maybe I'll be frustrated that they don't now more about this small liberal arts school in the south. Maybe I'll wish they knew more about what makes Davidson so incredibly special, particularly its honor code, rigorous academics, self-scheduled exams, and all of the other little special touches it has such as pairing us with roommates freshman year who become lifelong friends.

I'm approaching my 10 year anniversary of graduation from Davidson and what a way to celebrate! Currently, I'm filling out a form of Davidson memories. One of the questions is: In one sentence, how has your Davidson experience impacted your life? I can answer with complete honesty, that every single day of my life I'm grateful to Davidson. I am grateful for many things--most importantly the way Davidson taught me to live my life, the friendships I created there, and the liberal arts education I received. I am so grateful that I graduated before I got sick, even if I just made it by a month! Rarely does a day go by that my email box doesn't have an email or a photo from a Davidson friend. And, they even faithfully read my blog! :) I mean, that's friendship!

I may live in a town that lives and breathes blue and white, but I will always live and breathe red and black.

Whatever happens in the game, as my Dad says, Davidson has shattered all expectations. Really, now it's just about having fun. So go out and have fun--because you made history already guys! For the first time in 39 years you made it past Round 1. And you have the longest winning streak among all other Division I teams (23 straight).

Don't forget to watch Davidson beat Wisconsin (Carrie and Britt?? You reading? :)):

Davidson vs. Wisconsin

Friday, March 28Th

7:10 pm on CBS

Detroit, MI

Go Wildcats!

Emily

P.S. Can you believe I'm not writing in purple?

Here are the articles in more detail for those interested--you know those of you Davidson folks reading! :)

From ESPN (passed on by Marla. This article had me chuckling, as it captured what it's like to live in a state no where near Davidson!):

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=clemmons/080324&sportCat=ncb

Where exactly is Davidson? In the Sweet 16, that's where
By Anna K. Clemmons

For most of my post-collegiate life, whenever someone asks me where I went to college, I answer in two parts. "Davidson College … it's outside of Charlotte in North Carolina." Why the geographical tag? Because few people outside the Tar Heel state have heard of the small, liberal arts college 30 minutes from the Queen City.

But thanks to a guard named Stephen Curry, a coach named Bob McKillop and a team of hard-working, strong-willed players, that changed this weekend. Led by point guard Jason Richards (who led the nation in assists this season) and Curry (70 points in two tournament games), 10th-seeded Davidson took down Gonzaga and then Georgetown in the early rounds of the NCAA tournament in Raleigh, N.C.

Stephen Curry and Davidson aren't flying under the radar anymore.I was there for both games -- but as a fan, not a reporter. Initially, I'd requested a press pass, thinking I'd sit objectively on press row and watch my Cats attempt something they hadn't accomplished since my father graduated from Davidson in 1969 (the Lefty Driesell days). But I quickly realized that wasn't possible. Luckily, the president of Davidson, Tom Ross, also happens to be one of our closest family friends and secured tickets for me. When Ross entered Davidson in 1968, my father was his hall counselor, and they've been friends ever since. Ross' daughter, Mary Kathryn, and I have been best friends since we started going to camp together at age 5, though given our parents' closeness, we claim it's really "since the womb." (We were also Davidson classmates and roommates.)

That's a lot of what Davidson is -- not just an excellent academic institution (ranked as the No. 9 liberal arts college this year by U.S. News and World Report) that does your laundry, but a foundation for lifelong friendships. Filling out March Madness brackets last week, I entered into one with my best girlfriends from college, 15 total, all of whom I'm still close to. A school with a student body of 1,700 is in some ways like a fraternity. As soon as you say the words "Davidson alumni," you've made a connection, whether you were there together or not.

Those thousands of alumni were united by basketball this past weekend. After Friday's victory, Ross received e-mails from the Ukraine, calls from China and messages from Africa. The words were a mix of elation and disbelief that Davidson, a one-and-done team the past two years, had made it to the second round. My college friend Taylor, living in Shanghai, convinced an "Olive-TGI-Bee's" (his tag for a knock-off of the American chains) to turn the game on in the sports bar so he could sit and cheer alone at midnight for the Cats.

Because while the rest of the nation is catching on, we've been following the Cats all season; and in many cases, for many seasons. Earlier this season, we were disappointed after close losses against North Carolina, Duke, UCLA and NC State, but we knew McKillop's day would come. The talented Long Island native, who often likens basketball to Broadway, would find a way to lead his team onto the biggest stage of the season.

Sitting with Ross and his wife, Mary Kathryn and her husband, and my mother on Friday, I looked around at the sea of red and black "It's a great day to be a Wildcat" T-shirts. Sure, we were a geographical favorite over Gonzaga, but even the UNC fans waiting for the evening session were cheering for the Cats. Former Davidson players from two to 10 years ago filled the stands alongside alums from the '40s, '50s and 2000s.

It's a great day to be a Wildcat. Indeed.After the win, Curry was surrounded by so many cameras in the locker room that one reporter said it looked like the Yankees clubhouse. Later that afternoon, "Stephen Curry" was No. 5 on Google Hot Trends, which gauges the hottest Internet searches of the day.

At a tailgate that evening, Ross told me he'd recently met Barack Obama at an event. When Ross told Obama where he was president, Obama immediately wanted to talk hoops. "That's a good team you've got there," Obama remarked. "And Steph Curry -- he's one of the best pure shooters in the country." Not bad when a presidential hopeful is taking notice. And it's not just Curry, as the sharpshooter is always quick to point out: The entire roster of McKillop-recruited players -- many from other countries -- has played instrumental roles in getting the Cats to this point.

The arena was dominated by baby blue on Sunday afternoon, though the Wildcats contingent was still strong. As the Cinderella sensation slipped away into a 15-point deficit, the crowd quieted. But when Curry and the Cats came roaring back in the second half, so did the fans. UNC folks were on their feet alongside Davidson as the Cats pulled ahead. Like Friday, they orchestrated a comeback that made the words from this season's anthem, "Sweet Caroline" -- "Good times never seemed so good" -- ring true.

At the game-ending buzzer, we screamed, cheered, laughed and hugged strangers. I felt like an extra in the bar scene in "Major League" after the Indians won the pennant. Davidson's men's basketball team made the Sweet 16. We kept repeating it, as though we still couldn't believe it was true. In the RBC Center's concourse, students gathered in a large circle for more than 20 minutes after the game, chanting and singing "Sweet Caroline." When the Davidson players emerged from the tunnel to take their seats during the UNC-Arkansas game, the entire crowd paused to give them a standing ovation. The players waved and nodded, some heading into the seats to hug their families. UNC's band played one more round of "Sweet Caroline," an ode to the Davidson crowd who sang along yet again.

After the game, the talking heads couldn't stop raving about the Cats. Dick Vitale called Curry his tourney MVP and Richards the most underrated point guard in America. On "SportsCenter," Digger Phelps called the Cats the most impressive team of the Sweet 16 and Steve Lavin named Curry the tourney's most impressive player. Online articles and newspapers across the country talked of the David-sons taking down the G-town Goliaths and the Cinderella team that did it, and the first thing I heard when I flipped on the car radio Monday was McKillop being interviewed on a national radio show.

All this … for Davidson? Twenty-four hours later, it's still sinking in. As a Chapel Hill, N.C., native, I'm spoiled when it comes to college basketball. I've seen the Tar Heels win three national championships and who knows how many Sweet 16 berths. But I have to admit this journey is the sweetest. My small-school team from small-town North Carolina moves on. And with it, so does an alumni wave of pride and excitement stirred to new heights.

Before Sunday's tip-off, we stood outside the RBC Center in our Davidson T-shirts. An older gentleman came up and asked us, "Now Davidson -- where is that exactly?" We smiled, patiently answering the question one more time.

Because a few hours later, there aren't many college basketball fans who don't know. We couldn't be happier. It's a great day to be a Wildcat.

Anna K. Clemmons is a reporter for ESPN The Magazine.

And from NPR (Another article to make you smile. Click on the link to hear listen to the story.):

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88939622

NCAA Men's Tourney: Sweet Comeback for Davidson

Morning Edition, March 24, 2008 · The NCAA men's basketball tournament is down to the "Sweet 16" — from 65 teams at the start. The first weekend saw powers like Duke, Georgetown, Connecticut and Kentucky fail to advance — while schools like Davidson and Western Kentucky are still playing. Other non-powers like San Diego and Siena pulled stunning first-round upsets.

Commentator John Feinstein says the best story among the 16 teams still playing is Davidson, which was a 10th seed — meaning it wasn't supposed to win one game, let alone two. The southern North Carolina school last won an NCAA tournament game in 1969.

On Sunday, the team came back from 17 points down in the second half against Georgetown, the second seed in its region. Stephen Curry, whose dad played in the NBA, led Davidson and "did not miss a shot down the stretch under pressure," Feinstein says. "It's one of the more remarkable comebacks I've seen in this tournament."