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by TJ Jorgensen, SKS
When I created the all new Street Kids Softball several years ago, and watched it go to the mainstream of
the sport that it is today, I never thought I would see so many bad things happen to good people. First, my
friend and teammate Shane Varga gets diagnosed with cancer. Then, on a freak play, 24-year-old Alberto
Naranjo gets killed by a thrown ball. The only good side of this so far is that Shane looks as though he will
make a full recovery, albeit a very, very tough road to get there (see latest update), but "Berto" will not make
a recovery, and not only is his family lost without him, but several ball players - including several of my own
teammates - are feeling the deep sadness of his loss.
As if this was not enough, I receive a phone call from Johnny Lee, a former teammate of mine and one of the
most respected ASA and NSA umpires in Northern Indiana. He tells me that he has just found out that he
has liver disease and, he said at that time, the doctors are concerned it might be much more serious. It turned
out to be more serious after several tests were performed, and now his worst nightmare was confirmed: John
Charles Lee was diagnosed with cancer.
Johnny Lee is only 41 years old, in great
physical shape (except a bum knee that has
required multiple surgeries and ended his
competitive softball playing days) and now
is being told he has testicular cancer. What
has happened to our small town to deserve
this!
"It is what it is, man," Johnny told me on
Thursday night. "I'm scared, for sure, but
I have the strength and will to beat it and
I will."
When Johnny first was told about his ailing
health, he contacted me, as he was kind of stressed about what he was about to go through. I told him he
can always talk to me and at first, he told me about the liver problems:
"I have liver disease," he said to me on June 16th. "I am going to be tested for several things next week,
including liver cancer and other things. My liver count has been up for the last year. I was taking pain pills for
my knee and I stopped, but the count remained high. I went to see a specialist who told me I do have liver
disease, and could have some form of cancer, due to some bleeding in my stool."
He went on to tell me that he was planning to have tests ran on his pancreas, prostate and liver. He confided
in me that he is scared. Especially with three kids, one who is only four years old. He has had problems
before, but nothing this serious.
"I have been through five knee surgeries, two shoulder surgeries, hernia, ect., but nothing that ever
threatened my life, until now," he continued. "Pretty much floored me."
So the day came to have his tests done and he went, let me know it would take a few days for the results.
The results came back on July 1st and it turned out that his pancreas and liver were free of cancer, but he
did have testicular cancer, something that has taken many lives before, but also a cancer that has one of the
highest cure rates. A little more about testicular cancer:
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. In the
United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. Over his
lifetime, a man's risk of testicular cancer is roughly 1 in 250 (four tenths of one percent, or 0.4 percent). It is
most common among males aged 15–40 years, particularly those in their mid-twenties. Testicular cancer has
one of the highest cure rates of all cancers: in excess of 90 percent; essentially 100 percent if it has not
metastasized. Even for the relatively few cases in which malignant cancer has spread widely, chemotherapy
offers a cure rate of at least 85 percent today. Not all lumps on the testicles are tumors, and not all tumors
are malignant; there are many other conditions such as testicular microlithiasis, epididymal cysts, appendix
testis (hydatid of Morgagni), and so on which may be painful but are non-cancerous. You can read more
about this here.
Johnny has played softball for 19 years and
has been an umpire for 16 years. His umpiring
is not just limited to local softball, as he is a
well respected NSA tournament umpire as
well as an umpire for girls fastpitch. He also
does high school baseball, boys and girls
basketball as well as volleyball.
I asked my friend Johnny what we can do to
help him and his request was simple: "Keep
me in the softball thoughts and prayers."
On Thursday night, I sat down and spoke to
Johnny and we recorded that conversation
as he wants those that follow his battle to know more about it. You can hear that interview by clicking the
"Listen Here" logo at the top of this page.
Tonight, I ask all of you that read this website, and there are thousands upon thousands of you who do, to
please keep Johnny and his family in your prayers. The power of prayer worked for Shane Varga. Maybe it
can work for Johnny Lee also. I pray that God will let his son Bryce, his daughter Marissa and his youngest
son Jaxon know that He is going to take care of their father. That God will not let these kids grown up not
knowing what a wonderful father they have.
When I created the all new Street Kids Softball several years ago, and watched it go to the mainstream of
the sport that it is today, I never thought I would see so many bad things happen to good people. First, my
friend and teammate Shane Varga gets diagnosed with cancer. Then, on a freak play, 24-year-old Alberto
Naranjo gets killed by a thrown ball. The only good side of this so far is that Shane looks as though he will
make a full recovery, albeit a very, very tough road to get there (see latest update), but "Berto" will not make
a recovery, and not only is his family lost without him, but several ball players - including several of my own
teammates - are feeling the deep sadness of his loss.
As if this was not enough, I receive a phone call from Johnny Lee, a former teammate of mine and one of the
most respected ASA and NSA umpires in Northern Indiana. He tells me that he has just found out that he
has liver disease and, he said at that time, the doctors are concerned it might be much more serious. It turned
out to be more serious after several tests were performed, and now his worst nightmare was confirmed: John
Charles Lee was diagnosed with cancer.
Johnny Lee is only 41 years old, in great
physical shape (except a bum knee that has
required multiple surgeries and ended his
competitive softball playing days) and now
is being told he has testicular cancer. What
has happened to our small town to deserve
this!
"It is what it is, man," Johnny told me on
Thursday night. "I'm scared, for sure, but
I have the strength and will to beat it and
I will."
When Johnny first was told about his ailing
health, he contacted me, as he was kind of stressed about what he was about to go through. I told him he
can always talk to me and at first, he told me about the liver problems:
"I have liver disease," he said to me on June 16th. "I am going to be tested for several things next week,
including liver cancer and other things. My liver count has been up for the last year. I was taking pain pills for
my knee and I stopped, but the count remained high. I went to see a specialist who told me I do have liver
disease, and could have some form of cancer, due to some bleeding in my stool."
He went on to tell me that he was planning to have tests ran on his pancreas, prostate and liver. He confided
in me that he is scared. Especially with three kids, one who is only four years old. He has had problems
before, but nothing this serious.
"I have been through five knee surgeries, two shoulder surgeries, hernia, ect., but nothing that ever
threatened my life, until now," he continued. "Pretty much floored me."
So the day came to have his tests done and he went, let me know it would take a few days for the results.
The results came back on July 1st and it turned out that his pancreas and liver were free of cancer, but he
did have testicular cancer, something that has taken many lives before, but also a cancer that has one of the
highest cure rates. A little more about testicular cancer:
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. In the
United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. Over his
lifetime, a man's risk of testicular cancer is roughly 1 in 250 (four tenths of one percent, or 0.4 percent). It is
most common among males aged 15–40 years, particularly those in their mid-twenties. Testicular cancer has
one of the highest cure rates of all cancers: in excess of 90 percent; essentially 100 percent if it has not
metastasized. Even for the relatively few cases in which malignant cancer has spread widely, chemotherapy
offers a cure rate of at least 85 percent today. Not all lumps on the testicles are tumors, and not all tumors
are malignant; there are many other conditions such as testicular microlithiasis, epididymal cysts, appendix
testis (hydatid of Morgagni), and so on which may be painful but are non-cancerous. You can read more
about this here.
Johnny has played softball for 19 years and
has been an umpire for 16 years. His umpiring
is not just limited to local softball, as he is a
well respected NSA tournament umpire as
well as an umpire for girls fastpitch. He also
does high school baseball, boys and girls
basketball as well as volleyball.
I asked my friend Johnny what we can do to
help him and his request was simple: "Keep
me in the softball thoughts and prayers."
On Thursday night, I sat down and spoke to
Johnny and we recorded that conversation
as he wants those that follow his battle to know more about it. You can hear that interview by clicking the
"Listen Here" logo at the top of this page.
Tonight, I ask all of you that read this website, and there are thousands upon thousands of you who do, to
please keep Johnny and his family in your prayers. The power of prayer worked for Shane Varga. Maybe it
can work for Johnny Lee also. I pray that God will let his son Bryce, his daughter Marissa and his youngest
son Jaxon know that He is going to take care of their father. That God will not let these kids grown up not
knowing what a wonderful father they have.
TJ Jorgensen talks with umpire
Johnny Lee about his recent
diagnosis.
Johnny Lee about his recent
diagnosis.
Johnny Lee Update - August 20, 2009
by Johnny Lee
Chemo sucks. It kicks your ass and then kicks it some more. Very weak and tired feeling. Feel sick. And
hate life sometimes. Wonder how, why me. And will this work. What next. Good thing is things are
lessening as it goes. Liver count is still high. So more test. My arthrits stuff came back. I have RA!! So more
meds. And of coarse that is like a chemo to your body. Hands swell up to point it takes hours to go down
and use them. Swelling of my knees. And numbness of hands and legs. So a lot of water therapy. It is great.
But, with age it could very well cripple me up. So everyday is a fight. Just glad I am an athlete. And I enjoy
working out and stay fit. So my moods are up and down and up etc... I will be back on the softball
diamonds next year. As well as the court and fields. Until I can't move any more. And that's many years to
come.
by Johnny Lee
Chemo sucks. It kicks your ass and then kicks it some more. Very weak and tired feeling. Feel sick. And
hate life sometimes. Wonder how, why me. And will this work. What next. Good thing is things are
lessening as it goes. Liver count is still high. So more test. My arthrits stuff came back. I have RA!! So more
meds. And of coarse that is like a chemo to your body. Hands swell up to point it takes hours to go down
and use them. Swelling of my knees. And numbness of hands and legs. So a lot of water therapy. It is great.
But, with age it could very well cripple me up. So everyday is a fight. Just glad I am an athlete. And I enjoy
working out and stay fit. So my moods are up and down and up etc... I will be back on the softball
diamonds next year. As well as the court and fields. Until I can't move any more. And that's many years to
come.
| The Johnny Lee Story |