Message to the Fall Team

In addition to being a TNT participant, I am also a team Patient Honoree, someone who has survived a blood cancer and helps provide some inspiration (hopefully) to make those training for marathons, 100 mile bike races, and triathlons realize that every day, people facing cancer go through even tougher routines. As such, I like to write messages for the teams from time to time, and here is one that I wrote for the team preceeding mine, the 2007 fall team.

August 30, 2007 message to Fall Rock ‘N’ Roll Virginia Beach Team

Hi Rock N Rollers! Have a great race Sunday. If my foot heals by then I hope to see you in the race. If it is still too sore, look for me cheering you on, probably at the McDonalds near Birdneck. If you see me then wave, because everyone goes by so fast and in such a crowd that it is hard to pick people out.

I hope that you feel proud of all that you have accomplished. Even though a lot of people now survive cancer, there are plenty of others who don’t and your hard work will continue to improve the odds. And even the ones who are lucky like me and survive find that the treatment is no picnic. Five years ago in this exact week I was in the hospital feeling just awful, I think the worst I’ve ever felt in my life. It turns out that bleomycin, one of the chemo drugs, was damaging my lungs. Had I continued with that drug, I likely would have had irreversible and possibly lethal, pulmonary damage. I was so lucky to not only survive cancer but also bleomycin, and to have recovered most if not all of my lung function. Wouldn’t it be great if future anti-cancer drugs would go right to the offending cells, and leave the rest of the patient’s body alone? From what I learn, this is becoming more and more likely, and you are helping to make this possible too.

Keep up the great work, and have a great time at the Beach!
Art