I am a cancer survivor...
BigSpecs
Posts: 309
...very Lance Armstrong I know (and we are all only too aware of the comments even the mention of his name provokes on here) BUT...I attended the Oncology Unit of my local hospital yesterday for my annual check up....and I was discharged!!
I have been attending for the last ten years (latterly only annually) since I suffered testicular cancer when I was 25. I was one of the lucky ones. I (only) had a seminoma, which was cured by surgery to remove the tumour and a course of radiotherapy (the joys, every night after work for a month, followed by copious vomitting, either on the way home or once I arrived home depending on my luck).
Since then I have had ten years of the occasional blood test, ultrasound and chest x-ray. In itself no hardship but each visit seemed to provoke incredible gut wrenching anxiety and obviously brought back memories of the initial diagnosis. I think there is always a fear that you are going to be told it is going to return, even now.
I feel very lucky (I now have two wonderful kids aswell as a wonderful wife) and I am very aware of how it could have all been so different.
I intend to do something special to celebrate. I am planning to do the Etape Caledonia (I have entered) later in the year and for a low mileage cyclist like me (small kids eat into your time!) that is a pretty big challenge. I am thinking of doing it for the Geoff Thomas Foundation. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime have a good one...
Col.
I have been attending for the last ten years (latterly only annually) since I suffered testicular cancer when I was 25. I was one of the lucky ones. I (only) had a seminoma, which was cured by surgery to remove the tumour and a course of radiotherapy (the joys, every night after work for a month, followed by copious vomitting, either on the way home or once I arrived home depending on my luck).
Since then I have had ten years of the occasional blood test, ultrasound and chest x-ray. In itself no hardship but each visit seemed to provoke incredible gut wrenching anxiety and obviously brought back memories of the initial diagnosis. I think there is always a fear that you are going to be told it is going to return, even now.
I feel very lucky (I now have two wonderful kids aswell as a wonderful wife) and I am very aware of how it could have all been so different.
I intend to do something special to celebrate. I am planning to do the Etape Caledonia (I have entered) later in the year and for a low mileage cyclist like me (small kids eat into your time!) that is a pretty big challenge. I am thinking of doing it for the Geoff Thomas Foundation. I'll keep you posted. In the meantime have a good one...
Col.
0
Posts
got to be worth a new bike, surely..?
Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails
Red Rock
Seriously its fantastic to hear your news and good luck with the Mac Etape - with seven bikes even the Scottish weather can't win!!
Paul
Good luck on the Mac Etape.
I bought my dad Geoff Thomas's book for his birthday (just after Christmas), and the evening I went to wrap it, I ended up reading most of it so I'm going to buy it for myself too. And regardless of what you think of Lance Armstrong as a racing cyclist, to put it in my mate's words (who has no interest in cycling) - "give it to him, he's got balls... oh, erm..."
... especially seeing as how bikes should be kept in the house...
Do let us know if you do decide to do the etape for charity - I'll put a few quid in the kitty.
Have fun and get that new bike!!
David
ieu
+1
Great to hear some good news in these days of economic doom and gloom
Best of luck with it.
Summer & dry days
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47 ... /Trek1.jpg
Wet winter days & going the shops runaround
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp47 ... rello1.jpg
Well cuffed for you !
as per another post, I'll sponsor your on the Etape Caledonia senda PM or post on this site
Many, many thanks for all of the kind words. It really makes you realise that there are good people out there, and lots of them.
I have got around to organising the sponsorship details. As of yesterday, I am commited (injury and illness aside ;-) to riding the Etape Caledonia for the Geoff Thomas Foundation. I am hoping to raise 500 pounds for this very worthwhile charity. If you would like to donate even a small amount, please visit:
http://www.justgiving.com/colinmoulson
and if you are interested, you can follow my progress on my blog here:
http://gtwinner.blogspot.com/
Cheers and thanks again,
Col.
http://www.justgiving.com/colinmoulson
Many thanks again,
Col.
Been down the same route as you, got the tattoos to prove it. Only managed 4 days on Radio before I was begging for drugs.
All the best on the Etape, hope to do the Frenchie version in the next year or so.
8) 8) 8)
Ive been in remission for seminoma for 3 years now, just got my checks up to a year apart and looking good. I had chemo ( carboplatin) instead of radiotherapy, not pleasent either. The 5 year point will be on my 40th birthday ish and i plan to do the tour of Sardinia which is a non competitive 5 day stage race/sportif held in april each year.
Good luck with the training and your event and remember we go faster 'cos we are a stone lighter. :shock:
The wife's now had three 'scares' for the Big C. One false alarm with good intent, in remission from the second and a third for an inoperable but thankfully slow growing and benign brain tumour.
Emotionally for me I sometimes think it would be easier if I were the patient. I find it easier to come to terms with my own mortality than that of my partner.
Bob
All the best
BJB
Just one question though - assuming your wife doesn't ride.... a tandem??????
Etape Caledonia (May 16th)
AMR's Trossachs Ton (June 20th)
AMR's Cross-Border Sportive (Sept 19th)
http://www.twitter.com/LorneCallaghan
Congratulations,
I went through the exact same thing in 96/97 but i had chemo. Three years ago I got the same news (effectively cured) as you and I really couldnt tell you how I felt - from memory I went outside sat down and cried.
Three years later and Ive got a beautiful little boy, another one on the way and my fantastic girlfriend who lived through it all with me...
Life is good, make everything of it....
Ring the bell and leg it...that really pi**es him off....
Steve, my lovely husband, had an orchidectomy in January, 4 courses of chemo (minus the Bleomycin just like Lance) and is due to have enlarged lymph nodes removed from his neck in two weeks time and following that lymph nodes removed from his abdomen which is a more tricky operation.
He went through the chemo OK (felt sick for 10 days after each session) but lately has had two bad colds, and is now on medication for a blood clot on his lung (daily injections). Despite all this he is so upbeat and looking forward to getting back to his running and cycling which will probably be towards the end of the year now.
I promised him I'd get fit this year as he doesn't deserve a couch potato of a wife and life is too short to sit on the sofa. He's always wanted to take me on a hot, hilly MTB holiday (he's been to central America three times on organised holidays) but at the moment I'd faint just at the thought of the heat and altitude :oops:
So, he has spurred me on to getting back to full fitness and I'll be doing the Edin to St Andrew's in two weeks time (two days before his next op). He's the best back up driver you could want - so patient, encouraging and above all always helps me not to take things too seriously
Threads like this make this forum worthwhile and detract from the utter sh1te that I post.
Congratulations!
Chapeau!
Plus I like the fact that you bust down doors of scrotes at dawn and nick them.
She's entered the Highland Cross this year and I've just helped her get a new bike - a Trek 7.5FX WSD (she used a Giant Cypress on the Nairhshire Challenge a couple of weeks ago and it just wasn't good enough!)
Great to hear stories of winners - and I mean real winning - well done Col
-Spider-