Over the winter and spring he had a tough go; up at the Huntsman Cancer Institute they threw one of the heaviest doses of chemo at him that they've ever done, and that alone nearly killed him. They thought that four big rounds might be enough, but Jim mounted up and went for five (or maybe it was five and he went for six?). At any rate, he pretty much said "Bring It!" despite its toxicity to his body. And then despite that chemical blast, he had some further scares via scans this summer after the treatment was over.
But at this point, he is now cancer-free, and as a celebration of that, there was a gaggle ride last Saturday, with Jim leading the charge:
big thanks to Betsy:
who not only made cool seasonal number plates (here's Ash still sporting hers as she preps for bed!)
But also threw down for the post-ride brunch. Thanks Betsy.
Jim's as passionate for cycling and skiing as anybody I know, and having overcome plenty of other big life-obstacles prior to cancer that most of us haven't had to experience, his fortitude will ensure that he's back on the skin-and-single tracks soon.
Go Jim!
(and....of course....nice bike!)
Tom…You are too kind! I am honored that you and Ash could make it. God willing, we will do this ride annually for many more years to come.
ReplyDeleteSo here’s a little more scoop on what ails me…
Type of cancer: Urachal Adenocarcinoma
Chances of getting it: One in five million (Lucky me)
WTF is it: A tumor formed in my urachus, which is a remnant of the umbilical cord only found in 30% of people. It attaches to the top of the bladder and has no purpose. It is a “spare part” left over from birth that goes away in most people. It looks kind of like a pumpkin stem on top of the bladder, hence the pumpkin # plates for our ride. Although found in the bladder, this cancer has nothing in common with bladder cancer other than the location. It has more in common with colon cancer, being an adenocarcinoma tumor.
Treatment: My urachus, half my bladder & all lymph nodes in that area were removed. Yes…I pee a lot!
Chemo: I did 5 rounds of chemo that were 5 days long, each treatment lasting 7-12 hours. One agent was administered continuously for all 5 days.
What to do from here: Wait & watch we’ll do CT scans every 3 months. We’ve been watching spots in the lungs that are “suspicious” and suggest that the cancer has gone metastatic. (Sped) We hope not. If how I’m feeling is any indicator…I got no stinkin cancer!
Thanks again for coming out Tom. Thanks also for checking in with me during the toughest time. Your calls meant a lot to me!
See you out on the trails or snow…