Surgery, Radiation, and Chemo: My Own "Triathlon."

It's been a while since I provided an update, and I've also neglected commenting on other blogs...things have just been crazy lately.  Recovery is actually going quite well, certainly the fastest and easiest recovery of any of the three surgeries I've had.  The headaches are pretty much gone, the swelling is gone, the only thing that remains is some significant fatigue.  I think I'll be ready to get back to training on the 26th -- and I'm counting down the days!

One of the big questions we've been facing after surgery is whether or not we'd follow surgery with radiation.  Well, I spent eleven hours yesterday at the National Cancer Institute's Center for Cancer Research, most of that time with the chair of the Radiation Oncology Branch.  He's an incredible doctor, and walked me through all of the options patiently and in great detail.  It's a long story, but here's the bottom line:  we're going through with radiation.  Essentially, we tried surgery alone, and that didn't work.  We tried surgery plus chemotherapy, and that didn't work.  We then tried chemotherapy alone, and that didn't work.  The docs at NIH (and at Cedars) are all in general agreement that we have no reason to believe that doing nothing -- "watching and waiting" -- will be successful this time.  Left untreated, they all believe that the tumors will recur, and I tend to agree with them.  Finally, the best time to do radiation is when there are the fewest number of malignant cells to radiate, requiring the least amount of radiation and thereby saving healthy brain tissue from exposure.  Just a month after surgery, there is no better time to start than right now.  So, I start radiation on the 26th of January, and will have treatment five days a week for six weeks.  This particular type of radiation is called intensity-modulated 3-D conformal radiotherapy,  a very precise form of standard IMRT.  I'll also be taking chemotherapy (which serves as a radiosensitizer) at the same time.  So, I have my own little triathlon going -- surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy!

While we're on the topic, if you've been following my blog for a while, you know about my Iron Dreams.  Never one to let my cancer slow me down, I figure what better way to pay tribute to my surgery/radiation/chemo tri-fecta than to follow it with my own triathlon -- in this case, The Nation's Triathlon in September.  It's only an Olympic-distance tri, but it's a start...and the timing is good.  I'll train hard for the Rock-n-Roll Seattle in June, which still leaves me more than two months to get on the bike and in the pool before September.  

In short, I feel good.  My strength is returning, and I'm ready to hit the roads again next Monday.  The time I've gotten to spend with Pooh and Monkey during recovery has been amazing.  The continued support of friends, family, and bloggers has been outstanding -- and I still hope to see some of you in Seattle in June!  Or, perhaps, in DC in September?  Anyone?  Anyone?