This year, for the fourth time, I rode the Bike MS event. This ride
has special meaning for me. The first year I signed up for the ride
(when it was called the MS 150), I had done a lot of bicycling to
prepare, and was in great shape. Over the course of about nine months
before the event, I'd had increasing problems with feelings of
cramping, bloating, and constipation. At first I thought maybe I'd
got a parasite from a bad water source while on a bike ride. After
trying a lot of cheap tests, many of which made little sense for me,
they finally authorized a colonoscopy. The GE had barely started when
he found a large mass, almost blocking my sigmoid colon. Cancer. I
had surgery that week, as there was an immediate danger from the
blockage itself. Testing on the tumor, and the surrounding lymph
nodes produced the diagnosis: stage 3 colon cancer. This was mid-
June, 2006. Having just been cut open and gutted, I was unable to
participate in the MS 150. A few weeks after surgery, I started a six
month course of chemotherapy. By the end of that, I couldn't ride my
bike, and could only walk short distances. In 2007, I realized that
there was no way I was recovered enough to ride a bicycle 150 miles,
so I skipped it. In 2008, I was back in the saddle, and rode my first
Bike MS event, with their new route of about 144 miles over two days.
I rode again in 2009, 2010, and 2011. There are MS patients who ride,
and they have special jerseys that say "I ride with MS". I considered
getting a jersey that said "I ride with cancer", but decided someone
might get upset. Besides, while I greatly value the support and
sympathy of the cancer community, I really didn't want to get special
treatment from others. This year marked the first time I could really
tell myself "I ride without cancer", as I've now passed the five year
mark. I don't plan to do the MS event next year, but it's been a
great four years of participation, knowing that I was figuratively
thumbing my nose at cancer. Stage 3 colon cancer patients have about
a 65% rate of 5-year survival. I was one of the two out of three, and
I'm very grateful for it. Those who have seen much of my posting here
know I spend a lot of time bicycling, and I think that being in good
physical condition helped me cope with the cancer and chemo. I also
believe that having a positive mental outlook helped. This group has
helped that outlook. Some of the stories I've read here in asc have
been emotionally draining, but even those helped give me a sense of
community with other patients. Other stories have been uplifting and
inspiring, making me feel better about these diseases. The quacks and
kooks, with the inevitable backlash from outside the asylum, has given
me many laughs, and I thank the latter while tolerating the former for
it. I hope that my posts have been a source of inspiration and hope
for fellow travellers. This isn't a goodbye, as I fully intend to
continue posting. Now I just consider myself a sort of member
emeritus. I hope, and expect, all of my cancer experiences to be
memories now. With the effects of chemo, those seem to fade faster
than they used to, but I hope they can still be helpful to others.