Last year, today, I had my last (and hopefully final) surgery dealing with my cancer. This time last year I was still in the recovery room, and if my memory serves me right, I was having nurses and doctors telling me I needed to breathe on my own. I thought I was, but I guess I wasn't, 'cuz they kept telling, "Try breathing."
Jump ahead one year. Today I am doing much better. Still not 100%, but getting better all the time.
Of course, the surgery was not the last thing to do with this disease. I still have tests to take to make sure that the cancer doesn't come back. The next test will be a tumor marker blood test. I'm scheduled to have it done July 13th at 10:30 AM. At that time, I will also schedule my next CT scan. Prayers for both of these events would be greatly appreciated. Right now I'm not nervous about them, but I am sure as the time gets closer, the fear of "recurrence" will start to raise its ugly head.
Now, back to the story...
In the last post, I talked about our trip to Israel. After we returned, we had a few days to recover, then on Friday, May 27th, I left NYC and headed to Washington DC. Not for an operation, or even a doctor's appointment, but for one of my favorite events, "Rolling Thunder". Rolling Thunder is a demonstration or "protest" if you will, to remember the POW/MIA issue, and to never forget those who never came home from war. It is a large gathering of motorcycles and veterans, with approx 500,000 motorcycles descending on the Pentagon's north parking lot Sunday morning, May 29th. A parade then begins at 12 noon and continues until late afternoon while hundreds of thousands of motorcycles snake through Washington DC, with thousands of people lining the route waving, yelling, waving flags, etc. It is always a very patriotic, moving experience.
After the parade, the group I was with (New York City Harleys Owner Group, or NYCHOG) left DC and started the long trek back to NYC. I finally pulled up to my apt about 11:30 PM, tired and sore, but looking forward to doing it again next year.
The next Sunday, June 5th, was the annual Bikers Against Breast Cancer run that we do every year. This is hosted by our HOG chapter (again, NYCHOG), and because it was a warm, sunny day, we had a good turnout. There was well over 1,000 bikes and that meant even more people registered for the ride. It is always for a great cause, but this is the last year that I will actually "ride" in the parade. Why? you ask. Well, with about 1,000 bikes, it takes about 3 hours to travel about 60 miles. Even though we had a police escort, we still averaged about 20 - 30 mph. I've done that for 4 years (two of those in the rain), and from now on, I'll help with the setup, parking, etc. But when the parade starts, I'll head directly to the destination to help there. I'll leave the looonnngggg, sloowww ride to others.
The other big event that has recently happened, was my 46th birthday. A few years ago, birthdays didn't mean much to me. All of a sudden, this birthday meant I made it one more year after being diagnosed with cancer. Birthdays have taken on a new meaning to me, and this one was celebrated enjoying good friends and good times. I plan on having many more.
Last year on July 4th, Roni and I went for a long motorcycle ride before going to a friend's house for a BBQ. It was a great day. The only bad thing was that the next day, I would be heading to Washington DC for a major abdominal operation. This year, we went to the same friend's house on July 3rd for the BBQ (and to look at pics of Israel). On July 4th, Roni and I again went for a long ride (about 160 miles). We rode through CT, and some some of the back roads of NY State. It was a great day to go riding, and although we both arrived home tired and sore, we had a great time.
And that brings us back to today, one year after my last surgery, and a week before my next blood test... That's one thing about cancer, even when you're given the "all clear", you're still never sure...
I'll let you know what the results are when I get them.
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