I'm not coughing anymore!

It still amazes me at times.  To this day I still have my comparative scans saved on my desktop.  Just the other day I opened it up to look at it.  It is shocking.  It literally takes my breath away.  "That was me.  That was my body.  I was overtaken but look what less than 6 months of battling, community, family, and prayers did."  I don't know how much I want to hold onto them, but I can still remember/picture lying here on the couch or in bed, trying to tell Sarah a story, or even just taking a breath in and being sent into a nasty coughing spell.  I'd finally fall asleep just to wake up a few hours later annoyed that my whole side of the bed is damp.  "How can I even try to fall back asleep?"

Why do I bring this up when we are still a month away from my cancerversary?  Well it is two-fold.  Part of the reason is that a friend of mine is struggling with the diagnosis of her brother.  28 year old with a wonderful wife by his side, but why, why does the "cancer fairy" need to impact so many young individuals.  Unlike me he has been diagnosed with Stage II Non-Hodgkin's.  I haven't had a chance to hear his story, what led to his diagnosis, what symptoms have been like, what apprehension there is toward treatment, or what is needed to guide a new survivor through the stress, panic, medical terminology, uncertainty, and "full steam ahead" vantage point of a new diagnosis.  Hearing about his diagnosis made me think back to where we were a year ago.  But then also at the blessings, amazingness, and appreciation of life that has come through the last year. 

Another related reason is that October 2 is LIVESTRONG Day.  It is a day (stated loosely as week) that celebrates the anniversary of Lance Armstrong's diagnosis, but most importantly a day to bring added awareness to LIVESTRONG's advocacy, survivorship care, programs, and drive toward the end to cancer.  During this "day" communities around the world have created grassroots events ranging from Awareness Rides, Beer and Cancer, Spinning for Survivorship, concerts benefiting LIVESTRONG, and many other events.  Here in Seattle we will be spinning in downtown for 2 hours during the lunch hour on Friday, October 1.  It will be a great time to get together with other supporters of LIVESTRONG ride, heckle people for donations, bring more awareness to the streets of Seattle and have a good time. 

I love events like this.  I love getting together to talk about and celebrate LIVESTRONG.  One of the first things that really jumped out at me when Tanya told me about her brother's diagnosis was that she said "right now we just feel so alone in all of this."  No one - no one - should ever feel that way, especially at the beginning of diagnosis.  I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't at some point because I know we felt that same way.  But there are so many resources and so much hope out there that it is a feeling that should quickly pass.  It is true that young adults are a population that has been impacted all too much by cancer and there isn't the same support available as there is for the elderly population or childhood cancer.  Young adults are a forgotten group when it comes to things like this.  And LIVESTRONG has made a point to change it - to get it on the radar that we are a population that needs support.  I can't say that LIVESTRONG was there for me from the moment I was diagnosed, but it is here for me every day now.  It as much a part of my life as my overall survivorship is.  It is more than a band on my wrist - its a statement and a way of life.  Everyday we need to be walking billboards and show the support so that the advancement of research continues.  Cancer impacts far too many people.  Cancer claims more lives than AIDS, malaria, and TB combined. 

There are 28 million of us.  To some medical research I may just be a number, but I'm not coughing anymore.  And since I'm not coughing I can be a voice of uninterupted words.  Images of my body are no longer clouded in dark clouds.  Rather, I'm healthy and getting healthier.  I want to help others.  I want to share a story of hope, life, and blessings - our faith got us so far and provided us with such an amazing daughter.  There will be a day when we talk about there being no more cancer.  That day will come.  It's unfortunate that it didn't come in time to prolong the lives of both of my grandfathers.  But in celebration of LIVESTRONG, the hope of the day of no more cancer, my renewed life, and honor of Grampa Dick's passing a year ago in just over a week we will ride.  We will ride hard, we will ride with purpose.

The only thing pushing on my lungs is the oxygen of fresh air, the gasping strain as I bike up a hill, the crisp, moist fog of a fall morning ride.  TO LIFE!

I RIDE FOR LIFE!