Put on my shoes and GO

It's been a while since I heard that voice in my head.  It was pretty weak this morning.  It wasn't screaming at me.  It was more the voice of a someone with emphysema gasping for breath.
It said, "Don't go out in the wind and rain this morning for a run.  You can do it tomorrow.  You're still recovering and you need some rest."
As soon as I heard that I put on my shoes and headed out the door.
What a GREAT little run in the wind and rain.
I enjoyed it so much that I added an extra mile just to say…
Fuck You Cancer

And may I remind you Cancer how that "recovery" you mentioned is going:
November 1:  11 mile run around Lake Natoma
November 2:  8.5 mile Apple Hill run
November 8: 11 mile run around Lake Natoma
November 11: 12 mile run up Donner Summit
November 15:  11 mile run around Lake Natoma again
November 22: 14 miles from Lake Natoma to Granite Bay and back (In the rain)
November 26: 15 miles Auburn to Cool and back
November 27: 10K turned into a 9 mile walk for Run to Feed the Hungry
November 29: 11 mile run around Lake Natoma (In the rain)
December 6: 11 mile run from Lake Natoma to Folsom Lake and back (In the rain)

Thankful

Wow!
For some reason I decided I would count my blessings and put down who and what I'm thankful for.
I'm into it well over 100 people and I'm sure there will be at least 100 more plus so many people who I don't even know.
How do I begin to say THANK YOU for your love, concern, friendship, encouragement, support, faith…
It's been a long, tough year and so many people have touched my life.
You've talked to me, sent emails, texts, Facebook posts, walked with me, ran with me, rode with me, sat with me, prayed with me or for me… and given me the hope and courage to continue on.
I didn't say it was a bad year. I really can't think of anything bad that has happened. When I look back It's all good. My life has changed and all of it for the better. I would do it all over if I had to knowing that I had so much support.
My motto for next year is "Conquer 2015"
So, please; Conquer 2015 with me.

Less than 0.1

What a relief. 

I just had my 3-month post-op appointment. 

The anxiety has been building over the last few weeks.

“What if...?”

“What will I do...?”

I couldn’t keep the worry, doubt, and fear from creeping in.

My PSA?

Less than 0.1; virtually undetectable.

I couldn’t ask for better results.

Another nail in the coffin of Cancer.

I was able to get my mind off my PSA results on my long runs on Saturday and Tuesday.

I had an epic run with Jon and Jess on Veteran’s day.

We went up to Donner Summit and ran on the Pacific Crest Trail up above Castle Summit.  The views were great, weather was perfect, and the company was awesome.

This was definitely a run to be repeated.

3 Months Post Surgery

Ok... I missed blogging last week.

It was a tough week.

I just lacked motivation.

Morning runs were tough.

Seemed like I didn’t have enough time for everything.

I did make it out for an 11 mile run around Lake Natoma on Saturday, but it was one of those runs that I never got into. 

Figured I’d get into it after a mile or two, two or three miles, maybe four or five miles, ok... eight or nine miles?

Ten miles in I just wanted to get back to the car. 

Just one of those days.

I even went home and took a nap...

But, it makes the good days seem all that much better.

This weekend, a completely different story!

Made it out to the lake again, this time with four from our running group. 

I felt great and pushed myself quickly up the hills.

After 10 miles I still had a lot in the tank so I picked up the pace the last mile.

Sunday, I did the Apple Hill 8.5 mile race with Jon & Jess. (My wife Andrea even came and walked the 3.5 mile course.)

Great running weather, about 40 degrees at the start. 

After the race we hung out in Apple Hill for a while.

Great Day!

Now for the deep stuff.

I’m getting anxious about my 3 month PSA test coming up.

I’ve read too many posts from guys who go through surgery and still show some PSA in their blood, then have to do radiation or hormone therapy.

I really don’t want to do either of those.

I try not to think about it, and I know by being anxious I’m not going to change anything.

But damn it, it’s still there.

Well, screw cancer.

I’m still fighting and I’m not letting down.

I’m eating clean, juicing, running, and trying to reduce stress.

I’m doing whatever I can to keep it from coming back.

I feel good right now and nothing can take that away.

I had a great day with my wife and friends, and nothing can take that away.

I had a wonderful weekend and kicked butt on the running trails... can’t take that away either.

Shit, I have a pretty wonderful life... can’t take that away.

Looks like I kicked cancers ass and I’m still kicking it even though its down and out.

Be Strong

So I stay strong.

Support

Beards for Bill                              

September is Prostate Cancer awareness month and the organization called Septembeard encourages men to grow a beard in support of Prostate Cancer awareness.  On Thursday some of the team "Beards for Bill" group got together for a picture.

Cut It Out 

Saturday was the Zero end Prostate Cancer walk/run. 

We had the largest team at the event.  It means so much to me that 30 people would take most of their Saturday to San Francisco, walk or run a 5K, then back home.  We also raised over $2,000 for prostate cancer research and awareness.  I wish I could have spent more time with each individual who supported me in the 5K and with donations. 

  

An enriched perspective of the human condition

I'm a runner. 

Running isn't who I am.

But it fuels me.

It fuels my body, mind, and spirit.

Running keeps me at peace with myself, my world, and my God.

I started running again on September 10, six weeks post surgery, 3.5 miles and felt really good. 

Two miles the next day to make sure I wasn’t overdoing it.

Saturday I returned to my regular weekend running group and ran 5.5 miles.

Took a day of rest then ran 2 miles on Monday.

I also returned to work on Monday!  

After almost 7 weeks of recovery I unofficially went  back to work.  

I’m a teacher so I kept my sub for Monday and Tuesday so I could do some lesson planning and will return to the classroom on Wednesday!

Wow! 

When I came back to work I was showered with support.

So many people took time to tell me they had been thinking about me and praying for me. 

Co-workers who told me how they missed my presence. 

Several who told me how they were encourage by this blog. 

Students who told me that they were so happy to see me.

It’s hard to explain, but with each heartfelt comment I feel almost like someone is behind me, wrapping their arms around me lifting me up.

With all the prayer and support I’m getting I feel so much stronger, maybe energized would be a better word. 

This Saturday is the Zero Prostate Cancer walk/run in San Francisco.

I can’t believe that there are almost 25 people who have signed up on my team to do the run and we have raised almost $2,000.

I am well on my way on the Road to Total Recovery!

I’m reminded of the late surgeon general C. Everett Koop’s report on depression I read nearly 15 years ago when I was struggling to recover from depression.

“To return renewed with an enriched perspective of the human condition is the major benefit of recovery. To return at peace, with yourself, your experience, your world, and your God, is the major joy of recovery.”

Going through this cancer journey I defiantly have: 

An enriched perspective of the human condition.

Peace with myself.

Peace with my experience.

Peace with my world.

Peace with my God.

And this all brings me JOY!

UPDATE TO EMAIL TO LOCAL NEWS STATION

After my email to the local news station KCRA regarding the article posted; Cancer Test Men Don't Need they responded with the following:

Thank you very much for your feedback concerning the piece of content titled "Cancer test that men don't need" what was on the KCRA 3 mobile app this morning.

The piece of content was written and put together by our national news partner, which is based in Minneapolis, Minn.  Unfortunately, the content was not properly reviewed by our local staff before appearing on our mobile platforms.  I take full responsibility for that.

After reviewing the slideshow this morning, I agreed that it was not up to KCRA's standards and immediately removed it from our mobile platforms.

I appreciate your note… and the concern you had that this piece of content made it on one of the KCRA's platforms.  Because of your note, we will review our practices when it comes to screening content from our national news team before it is published locally.

They have renewed my confidence and regained my respect as one of the top local news providers in the Northern California area.

Cancer Advice from Consumer Repor

I saw this article on my phone today from a local news station, 

Cancer Test Men Don't Need.

Let's just say, I was moved to contact KCRA news about the article they posted.

The following are excerpts from the email I sent them:

As a 53 year old prostate cancer survivor I was very troubled when I opened my KCRA 3 app and read the article; CANCER TESTS MEN DON’T NEED…. 

… Several of the things that troubled me with your article and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are as follows:

- Your article stated, Men aged 50 to 74 should talk with a doctor to see whether the benefits of the test outweigh the harm. What is the harm in getting a $25 blood test when 1 in 6 men in the U.S. will get prostate cancer?

- Your article stated, Test are not likely to detect the cancer at a curable stage.  This year over 230,000 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and nearly 30,000 will die of prostate cancer. (From American Cancer Society – not Consumer Reports)  In other words for a large majority of those 230,000 men, prostate cancer is curable.  Should we really be taking cancer advice from Consumer Reports?

- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force stated in their May 2012 report that, ...very few men die of prostate cancer before age 60.  I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want to be one of the “very few” men who die of prostate cancer before age 60.  I personally think it is worth a $25 blood test (that my insurance provides at no cost) to find out if I could be among those “very few” men.

- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force also stated that, ... seventy percent of the deaths due to prostate cancer occur after 75 years. That means that 30%, or 9,000 of the deaths are before age 75.  Not a group I would like to be a part of.

- The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force panel that came up with the recommendation against PSA screening had NO practicing urologists or oncologists.

I could go on and on with facts and figures that support getting a simple PSA blood test to determine the possibility of having prostate cancer, but the best reason I can give as a stage 3 prostate cancer survivor is that a PSA test saved my life.

… In the future I would like to suggest that KCRA not use Consumer Reports when reporting health topics.  However; if you are reporting on the best coffee maker or blender to purchase Consumer Reports should have much more reliable information than the American Cancer Society or Cancer Research Institute.

3.5

My big news??? 

I ran 3.5 miles today!

My Dr. said I could start running 6 weeks after surgery and it’s been 6 weeks since surgery.

I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to run to the end of the street.

My neighbor, Greg ran with me.  We did 1 mile and I felt pretty good so we ran a second mile. 

No pain.  No soreness. No incontinence.

I decided to throw on an extra half mile before I went home.

Ok... so you figured, 1 + 1 + ½ = 2½  not 3½

However...

My friend Annette ran over to see if she could find us out running the neighborhood.  She stopped at my house about 10 minutes after I finished my run.  Since I wanted her to partake in this special return to running day, I ran her back to her house, then home again for 1 more mile.

I felt like I could have continued for at least a couple more miles, but I’ll take it easy for now.

I’m in no rush to get to my next marathon.

I look at my 6 weeks off from running as...  In the words of the great runner, Jessica Karkoski Strack, “... an opportunity for me to have an epic comeback.”