Month: September 2016

Seems I’m past due for an update here, been too busy enjoying life.

I recently completed my 26th Cycle Oregon, a fantastic week for me and one I wasn’t sure I’d be able to experience.  When first told I had cancer I asked my oncologist if I was crazy to think I could do Cycle Oregon this year.  He told me it would be my body that decided, not him.  Well, Sparkplug’s body responded with a resounding yes.

Daughter Tracy and husband Keith came out from Virginia to ride with Dad, their first big bike trip.  The loop route featured southwest Oregon timber country, climbed over the coast range twice, ran down our gorgeous coast and up the Rogue River.  I rode the entire week, some 354 miles, including two hellacious hills, one 15 miles of +7% grade.  Tracy rode with me that day and when we reached the summit she shouted “the guy with cancer and the kid with no training did it!”  Judy wisely suggested I  try to have as normal a ride as possible and not make cancer the focus of my week.  While I did pretty well with that, cancer is part of my life now.   I talked with a number of survivors and people with family in the battle but didn’t meet anyone actively taking chemo like me.  The first photo below fairly captures my emotions for the week.  Being able to still do what I’ve done for nearly three decades and sharing it all with Tracy, Keith and my good friends Tom and John made this one particularly special and a ride I’ll never forget.

So, on the cancer front, things are stable almost seven months after diagnosis and 11 cycles of chemotherapy.  I have no pain and take no pain meds at all.  Had my third CT scan yesterday, we will get the results when I meet with my oncologist next week. Praying for the same positive news we got last time.

Riding on …

For Judy, with apologies to Jimmy,

… Yes it’s been quite a summer, muscle cars and Hawaii bound planes.
And now I’m off on my bike again, somethin’ for which I didn’t really train.
And darlin’ you love me so, that’s the reason you just let me go.
Come Monday it’ll be all right, Come Monday I’ll be holding you tight.
I’ll have seven splendid days on the bicycle ways, but I just want to be back by your side.

Leaving for my 26th Cycle Oregon tomorrow.  Doc cleared me to go [“I know it’s important to you given you have a tatto. 🙂 “],  my cancer case manager is an avid cyclist which might have helped too, but most of all, Judy, my super caregiver is OK with it.  Daughter Tracy and husband Keith are riding with me for their first time.  I’ve been gone so much this summer my training is woefully lacking, cancer or not, but I’ll give it my best shot.  Our Team Rubber Chicken says “death before sag” and I’ve never had to ride the van of shame but I’m not going to abide by that this ride.  You can see what I’m undertaking here: http://www.cycleoregon.com

I’ve been living with cancer for 6 months now.  So far my only sense anything is wrong are the chemo side effects.  At my chemo session on August 25th my platelet count was too low but my oncology doctor decided I could have treatment anyway.  We did have to eliminate the Oxaliplatin from my toxic cocktail as my neuropathy is no longer transient. We don’t yet know if it’s permanent but my finger tips and toes are numb all the time now.  Makes typing weird.  Doc said this was inevitable but that I lasted longer than many chemo patients.  They let me skip my chemo cycle this week so I’ll be at my best for the ride.  I’ve completed ten cycles now and have a CT scan scheduled for the end of Sept.

Overall, I’m feeling great.  Finally done with the morphine withdrawal / insomnia after a month of struggle but I feel no pain and take no drugs now.

As they say, no matter what, a day on the bike is a day on the bike!