North Carolina State University Athletics
PEELER: Bible Back Home, In Remission
12/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. – Dana Bible doesn't care what holiday is near: Christmas, Groundhog's Day or the Fourth of July.
When Bible left the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Friday evening – exactly four weeks after he was admitted for 30-day program to treat a dangerous form of leukemia – it was the best day of his life.
"I cannot express what it felt like to walk out that door," said Bible, the offensive coordinator for NC State's football program. "It was basically like being born all over again. It was something special."
Frankly, it's a bonus now that Bible will have the opportunity to spend the holidays with his wife Nancy, and two children, Adele and Logan. He's just happy to be with them, outside of a hospital room.
There is something, though, that will make the family's celebration of the season special: Tuesday afternoon, Bible received a call from his team of physicians at UNC telling him the leukemia is in remission and there are no cancer cells remaining in his system.
"That was a phone call I will never forget," Bible said Wednesday morning.
Bible was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia at Raleigh's Rex Hospital early on Nov. 20, the day the Wolfpack traveled to Blacksburg, Va., for its Nov. 21 game against Virginia Tech. He immediately was taken to Chapel Hill to begin intensive chemotherapy treatments, under the supervision of Dr. Peter Voorhees.
"From the second they rolled me in the room that Friday evening, they had me surrounded," Bible said. "It was a medical shock-and-awe. It was game-time and they were in full attack mode.
"They were talented in knowing what to do, talented in knowing what to say and how to deal with people and talented as far as compassion. The reason it worked was because of them. I was living it, but they were making it happen."
Bible admits that it was not an easy process. Between the second and third weeks of his treatment – not long after the Wolfpack beat North Carolina, 28-27, at Carter-Finley Stadium in the 2009 regular-season finale – the situation was critical.
"People tell you to take one day at a time," Bible said. "But when you are in the middle of it, you are just trying to make it through the next drip of the I.V. It is hard. It is violent. It is something I wouldn't wish on anybody."
He knew about his team's victory over the Tar Heels, but he frankly didn't care.
"I tried to stay in the loop in football, but to be honest with you, as the treatment went on, that was not practical," Bible said. "I was getting my butt kicked. Football, at that point, became a non-issue."
But it is on his mind now. He was in the office Wednesday morning trying to weed through the pile of stuff on his desk at the Murphy Center.
"I'm in remission, [heck], let's get back to work," Bible said, laughing.
It's not that simple, though. Bible still faces the second and possible third stage of his treatment. He will go through six more months of out-patient chemotherapy to make sure the leukemia doesn't resurface. He may have to undergo further treatment after that.
He's ready and willing to ease back into his coaching duties – with the proper permission, of course.
"I'll do what the doctors allow me to do," Bible said. "We will take it from there."
The 30-day program destroyed the cancer, along with his white blood cells and bone marrow. It also left him vulnerable to infection, until his body regenerated its immune system. Only members of his immediate family were allowed to visit his hospital room. It was like being under house arrest.
So Bible was thankful for the many friends who called and the Wolfpack fans and rivals who took the time to write him notes, cards and on-line messages.
"The support of my family was relentless," Bible said. "And the support of my friends and from the Wolfpack nation was unbelievable. I read every single card, note and letter I received. You have no idea what it means to know you have so many people pulling for you. So you just keep fighting.
"That had as much to do with this working out as anything. It was the Wolfpack nation at its finest."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
