Redhawks' Lawler battling through another round of cancer

It's hard to imagine perpetually positive Phil Lawler not having a good week.

But, yes, last week was another good one for the legendary Naperville Central baseball pitching coach.

Lawler lived a non-chemo week.

In the midst of his third bout with cancer, Lawler remains upbeat despite the ravages to his 58-year-old body over the past five years. He's halfway through his eight-round grind of chemotherapy, an every-few-weeks ritual coming on the heels of four initial rounds in September followed by surgery to remove a lesion and 10 percent of his liver.

That 10 percent, though, pales in comparison to the 70 percent of the regenerative organ removed two years ago during his second cancer battle.

That one improvement from the last time -- and that type of positive energy -- continues to be stressed by Lawler as he endures another life-or-death struggle.

"There are people who have it a whole lot worse than I do," he said. "There's no rhyme or reason to cancer -- period. No one knows what they'll do until they're faced with a situation like this. But even after the third time through I think it might be a long remission."

A positive attitude still can't erase the disappointment of the cancer's return and the grueling nature of the recovery.

During chemo weeks he undergoes a four-hour treatment, and the next day he's at home with a porta-pack to give him another 24-hour treatment. After returning the pack on the third day he gets a shot to affect his blood count on the fourth.

It takes a few more days to fully rebound from the treatment, and then he gets to enjoy several days of feeling somewhat normal without the chemo.

Those windows of health allow Lawler to maintain his status as high school pitching guru in conjunction with a varsity staff tweaked by head coach Bill Seiple. The new staff includes former lower-level coaches Mike Stock and John Schermann.

Schermann is serving as pitching coach and keeps in regular contact with Lawler through a video software system. While Lawler recovers at home, he's e-mailed video of Redhawks' pitchers going through their routines.

Lawler breaks down each pitcher's mechanics, frame by frame if needed. He relays his thoughts to Schermann, who then executes their combined plan in practice.

It helps Lawler stay in touch until he returns to the dugout full time. And he does plan on returning once his treatments are completed at the end of May.

It'll be a major boost to his quality of life, an issue that came up after his surgery. Lawler was slated to begin his chemo just before Christmas, but his doctor delayed the treatment until January so he could enjoy the holidays with his family.

"The tumor shrank quite a bit with the first round of chemo, and then the surgery was successful," Lawler said. "My doctor said the second round of chemo could wait a few weeks."

One Christmas present he received from his children was a commemorative brick that will be laid outside of Wrigley Field, a tribute to a family of Cubs fans.

The inscription on the brick reads…

"The Lawler's

Lifelong fans

Live strong."

For Lawler, it's the only way to live.