We Run To Cure Cancer

It’s around 6pm on Wednesday april 17th 2013.  As I sit down to write this post it has been 5 years almost to the minute since I was admitted into the hospital.  My life had changed forever, I would be in the hospital for the next 4 days.  There have been many ups and downs over the last 5 years.  I have made many mistakes and have concurred many a mountain.  I have never once wanted to use my plight as an excuse for the things I do.  People I have known for years and see regularly don’t even know.

If you had asked me then if I would see 2013 I would have probably chuckled, I didn’t think there was a chance in hell.  In fact I don’t know if I even cared.  I was living like I was dying!  Don’t get me wrong I had plenty of fun, living by the motto “too much fun, no such thing”  I like to tell people that you live life through the windshield and not the rear view mirror, but I forget to tell them that it’s good to reflect on the good, bad & ugly that you see when you check out the rear view.  For me that means looking back and seeing that I was sleep walking through my life like what I see through the windshield doesn’t matter.

Today I make a promise, if only to myself, that I will try harder to live like life is never going to end.  Work harder, eat healthier, help other more.  I owe that to myself & to my friend/family

5 years ago today I was admitted to the hospital for what was quickly diagnosed as chronic myelogenous leukemia, I feel lucky to be here!

P.S. it was warmer that day!

As some of you know I was actually training in the fall of 2011 to run the 2012 ING Miami Marathon when I was injured right before we were to start our taper, about 6 weeks prior to the event. It was an emotionally devastating injury to put all those hours in and not be able to race. I think this injury was more physiologically challenging than my actual diagnosis of CML.  I just wasn’t able to shake that  feeling that I had let people down. I felt like I wasn’t keeping my end of the bargin & those folks who had given to the cause in my name would be upset. The reality of it is, there was nothing I could do.

I would like to again thank those of you who donated to the cause while I was training for that marathon.  Know that your donations helped fund cancer research in the past year & that your funds are actually backing my training for the 2013 Rock & Roll San Diego Marathon. (note, you can donate again if you would like)

Here is is list of those donors:

Sprycel is the drug I take everyday. Without the help of the LLS funding the research of it’s predecessor I may not be here today.