It felt like the old days…staying on top of details, going without sleep for more than 18 hours…now I remember why I can’t do that anymore! I was on the bus serving as navigator from somewhere east of Mobile to the west of Baton Rouge…and looked forward to flopping in a hotel for rest!

Hey…a shout out to Rob Dempsey of HIS Radio who has dedicated his time to ride on the P3C3 and cover the event from the road on his Blog

Rob interviewed me and broadcast it on HIS RADIO…I love sharing my story.

The reason that I am doing this event is to inspire others that have been told that you only have months to live and prove that a statistic is just that…it doesn’t take away your passion for life, your soul for God, or your body’s will to serve and survive!
Though it is Duke’s motto…At Duke…there is hope. there are great physicians, nurses, advocates, family members, policy makers and survivors who are making cancer a national priority, a personal war on cancer and I am honored to get to know several on this ride this week. I know that we have touched many lives throughout this journey in each town that we have ridden through.

Team 5 is the all-girls team and has quite a story to tell about their journey.

I hadn’t eaten much on my long stretch but the armadillo road kill at least didn’t tempt me! On another note, we found it interesting that Georgia had a lot of road kill, Alabama had none, and Mississippi had little. The team discussion was focused on rumors of ‘Bama BBQ…I can say that ’cause my family is from Alabama.

My wife has been posting other blog entries on the Brain Tumor Awareness Organization blog for me since I haven’t been able to.
Well, catch you later!

1996-It all started when I was doing my usual Dad thing, changing my son’s diaper and he kicked me…and 4 days later, it still hurt. Friday I was getting my gear ready to start my full time job on Monday, but at 4:15 pm, I was diagnosed with aggressive testicular cancer. Thanks to my doctor, within 30 minutes, I was enrolled in a program for cancer patients without insurance and on Monday, I had surgery. I knew that banking sperm was a decision that my wife and I had to discuss and since we had been blessed with a girl and a boy, we opted out. The cancer had metastasized to my lung wall but hadn’t penetrated the wall. 13 radiation treatments later, I was a survivor.

2002- I was acting supervisor on duty at EMS headquarters when I suffered a grand mal seizure when I was dispatched to ironically-a seizure call. I was unable to seek medical treatment until shift’s end and no one gave me an CT scan. After losing my job, I began working for another agency, where my second grand mal seizure occurred. Due to their loss the previous year of a medic to a brain tumor, I was given an CT scan and told that I had six months to live. After my first surgery, my wife knew where to take me for treatment. I went to Duke and met with Dr. Henry Friedman who had spoken about a clinical trial that had increased survival-the monoclonal antibodies regimen. I have a port into my left lobe where my treatment was given. This trial is now the GLASS-ART trial and being offered in other clinical trial sites.

I am six years cancer and necrosis free! I believe in God, I believe in life, and I LIVESTRONG!

Last week was an unforgettable week.  Running into a lot of unanswered test results which will cause more confusion down the road…, and probably one of the most memorable sports weeks of my life next to Playing exhibition for the Women’s USA Polo Tournament.

On our night ride I pondered over something in a conversation, that has really made me rethink the way I approach things.  As an athlete, I challenge myself and put a lot of pressure on being the best I can be at all times.  A lot of that comes from playing on the US Polo Team.  Intense, Pressure, Politics and never say I CANT, not Today.  That was actually written in first 3 years of my contracts I signed. 

 I put a lot on my “plate” I think to help deal with the uncertainties that comes with the word Cancer. For me, I have never done Chemo or Radiation. But always in the back of my head, Cancer ticks away like a timer on a bomb.  Never really knowing when it will go off.  How will my family cope if it the skin cancer is worse this time? What will this one be like?  Each biopsy is a surgery.  I keep hoping that they will find one in an area that can be sucked out rather then cut out. (little humor there!!) 

Serious note…. I think that I personally have been dealing with this by maybe hiding behind what I put on my plate.  My plate is always full.  I never ever remember going back for seconds. My plate just fills up on its own.  I like to stay busy, I can’t say No Not Today.  I enjoy the challenge of trying to see how many things I can do at one time and still maintain being a Christian, a Wife and Mommy, and holding a full time job.  Looking back this week and breathing a little bit from training I finally admitted to my husband and myself that I do have these fears.  That it hurts to talk about it all.  And yes, I do believe I hide myself with the challenges I put before me. 

Last week I totalled: 27 miles in running…..300 miles in riding ( my first 100 miler ever with Rob on Sunday!!!)…. 3 miles of swimming…. 2 hours of core training…5 hours of car pool…. 4 hours cooking dinners…. 3 hours cleaning…. 3 hours in prayer….. 2 TV dates with my husband… 5 snuggle time nights with my kids… and I put in 48 hours at work and spent 3 hours with Dr.’s.  That is one heck of plate.

So this week I promised myself to really look at what I do and what I really need to do.  And I agree with my original thought. I challenge myself way to much.  I don’t know if I can change at my age. I have at least acknowledge my fears.  That is the first step.  The tears came when I talked to my husband.. and the Nots is what I am going to have to try to incorporate into my vocabulary.

Kevin made a comment with me one day, that he hopes that people who are volunteering understand the real reason why they are being asked to join this team, This Family, This Ride.  It is a state of mind, that someday, in someway you, your loved one, your best friend might have cancer….and how would you want to help that person.  I know what I would say……….  I have a better feeling about myself knowing what I have discovered and I know what I might warn them against……. I know the first thing that would come out of my mouth…… I even know the first card I would write….I know that I would cry with them, laugh with them and even dance with them to make them laugh….  Most importantly I would tell them I am trying my hardest to help make a difference with their treatment. 

Everyone handles Cancer in a different way.  There is no right or wrong way there is only YOUR way.  Livestrong really takes a meaning when you take all this into consideration doesn’t it.  Each person has their story. 

So, that is my blog for tonight.  Last week was a hard week but a week that I will cheerish. It had my very first night ride, and my very first 100 miler (99.6) and an opportunity for me this week to slow down and reflect on the person that I have challenge myself to be.  Without this opportunity I would never had gone through this process.