A Feel Much, Much Better Day! : )

Today is a great day! I see my one dear friend has followed me out into cyberspace! No longer alone!

I did 10 miles on my bike this am. It was actually warm outside and I kept having to peel off layers of clothing as I went! I did not however, reveal to the crazy automobile driving public, who think bikes should be on the sidewalk...ok, I'm ranting, sorry...
I did not reveal the part of my chest and neck that is home for my beautiful Frankenstein / Creature-like Power-Port with accompanying scar, a scar that is busy knitting a keloid, woo! hoo! Nor did I reveal my bald head, but I did take off the bandanna that was underneath my helmet, so some of my bald head showed under my helmet!

Seeing how no one wants to chat about cancer, but, please feel free to do so at any time, I thought I would tell you about what I am up to in between chemo treatments.
I feel that I should explain all this bike talk and why it is important to me to be on my bike.

I am training, and I say "training" in the loosest of all possible terms, for The Pan-Mass Challenge. The PMC is a charity ride the "pans" across the state of Massachusetts from Sturbridge to Provincetown. The riders raise millions of dollars to help fund research for Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund. It is a wonderful event and I am proud to be part of it.

This will be my third PMC as part of Team Roar: Reindeers on a Ride! This will be the second time that I will riding on the heels of finishing treatment.

Back in 2007, while in the middle of chemotherapy for a recurrence of ovarian cancer, my dear friend Lisa asked me to be on her team and with her encouragement and the support of my family and friends, I did it! It was long and ugly but I only cried twice!

In 2008, I was the picture of health, all my hair, a good weight, I did really well. My picture proves how well I was feeling! Little did I know that that nagging pain on left side would turn out to be more than a side stitch.

So here I am again, thanks to surgery, a little less of me to pull up those hills, and thanks to chemo a little more fatigue. Don't get me wrong, surgery and chemotherapy have saved my life 4 times now! I embrace it, the good with the bad. But it doesn't dampen my spirit to get out there on my bike, pull my butt as well as my bike up and over hills to help raise money for the kids!