Excerpt from the Introduction WHY ME? That was the question I asked God and myself over and over again. I knew there would be no quick reply, no simple answer as to why at nineteen years of age my body was being poisoned by the blood running through my veins. With each passing day I became weaker. My eyesight became blurry. The color of my skin was a sickly yellow. And when I had the courage to look, I could barely recognize myself in the mirror. Oh sure, the doctor told me the name of a long scientific medical term that described my illness, but why was this happening to me? Just a year ago, I was graduating from high school looking forward to college and the possibility of becoming a professional athlete. How could this have happened to me? I was young, healthy, and full of life. I was invincible, or so I thought. I never imagined that in pursuit of a dream, the battle against this deadly virus would come second to the battle against myself. My name is Paul and this is my story…     Chapter Titles Chapter I: There’s No I in Team ............................................................ Chapter II: Tomatoes, Eggs, and Neighbors .......................................... Chapter III: Two Weeks of Hell ............................................................ Chapter IV: 300 over 200...................................................................... Chapter V: Transplant … ...................................................................... Chapter VI: Doh! A Deer ...................................................................... Chapter VII: Hip-Hop Don’t Stop......................................................... Chapter VIII: … to Handplant ............................................................. Chapter IX: The Good, the Bad, and the Deported ............................. Chapter X: A Break and a Mistake ....................................................... Chapter XI: Bittersweet ........................................................................ Chapter XII: A Solemn Promise............................................................ Sneak Preview 2