My recovery from leukemia

[bcroslin]

I wanted to share a piece Bicycling published on my recovery from cancer. Late last year I was diagnosed with leukemia and I spent a month in-patient at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. I spent months doing out-patient chemo and credit my remission and full recovery to cycling. Here's hoping my experience can help others with their journey with cancer.

https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a27076813/pack-mentality-monday-motivation/

[Clean39T]

I wanted to share a piece Bicycling published on my recovery from cancer. Late last year I was diagnosed with leukemia and I spent a month in-patient at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. I spent months doing out-patient chemo and credit my remission and full recovery to cycling. Here's hoping my experience can help others with their journey with cancer.

https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a27076813/pack-mentality-monday-motivation/

Look forward to reading the story - and big chapeau and congrats for beating it!

[MattTuck]

Bob,

Great story! Glad you're in remission and appreciate you sharing your experience.

Cyclists... fit and know how to suffer. Handy traits for the situation you found yourself in. Great that you were able to start riding indoors so soon after your treatment.

[Cicli]

Great read.
I wish you the best. Stay strong and remember to smile every mile. :banana:

[cinco]

Don't want to speak for you, but you appear to be a very lucky man - to have so many people who genuinely care and want you to be better. Glad you are able to be "back on the bike"

[Johnnysmooth]

Unfortunately, unlike you my cancer (pancreatic neuroendocrine) same thing that got Steve Jobs remains "incurable." So every so often, in addition to oral chemo, have to do some form of procedure to minimize tumor burden.

That being said, nearly 10yrs on now since diagnosis and like the OP, attributed a good part of that to cycling.

Happy trails everyone!

[old_fat_and_slow]

Very inspiring story. Thanks for sharing.

Stay well.

[marciero]

Yes-be well-to you and other Paceliners dealing with cancer, and thanks for sharing

[Lewis Moon]

Inspiring. You fought and won. Chapeau.

[VTCaraco]

Nice to read, Bob. Congratulations...
Hope you keep pedaling and enjoying life.

[gasman]

Really great story to read Bob. Thanks for posting the link and congratulations on your remission !

[54ny77]

Fantastic story, kudos to you and to your support crew of friends and family.

[19wisconsin64]

Wow! Thanks for posting this....very inspiring!

[colker]

Last year a simple gall bladder removal became five procedures fighting an aggressive hospital bacteria. Antibiotics would give nausea so i could not eat. One mo at the hospital + one mo at home on intravenose schedule. Lost 45 lbs.
Cycling gave me a low heart rate which i believe helped enduring everything and helped for recovering my body.
Not on par w/ your experience.
Good job!

[Pearsom]

Thank you for sharing. Stay strong and healthy.

[R3awak3n]

I wanted to share a piece Bicycling published on my recovery from cancer. Late last year I was diagnosed with leukemia and I spent a month in-patient at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. I spent months doing out-patient chemo and credit my remission and full recovery to cycling. Here's hoping my experience can help others with their journey with cancer.

https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a27076813/pack-mentality-monday-motivation/

Congratulations in beating it. I need to finish reading the article but what I read so far was fantastic.

Unfortunately, unlike you my cancer (pancreatic neuroendocrine) same thing that got Steve Jobs remains "incurable." So every so often, in addition to oral chemo, have to do some form of procedure to minimize tumor burden.

That being said, nearly 10yrs on now since diagnosis and like the OP, attributed a good part of that to cycling.

Happy trails everyone!

Wishing you the best.

[Blown Reek]

Great story, and good for you!

[2metalhips]

Great story, good luck in the future and keep on riding!

[Ken Robb]

I sent a link to the article to a pal from Bradenton who is undergoing 100 days of chemo following a bone marrow transplant at MD Anderson in Houston. His prognosis it also good.

[CSTRider]

Congrats on your remission and inspirational story ... will share with a cyclist friend who's now in chemo therapy.

[Hellgate]

Bob, thank you so much for sharing this with us. I can't even begin to imagine what you and your family went through.

Hang tough, be strong, ride fast!

[stephenmarklay]

Fantastic. Thanks you!

[JasonF]

Thank you so much for sharing your story Bob, it was inspirational and your grit and determination really came through in the piece. Here's to many years of you being able to swing a leg over a saddle!

[makoti]

Anytime anyone beats any cancer, it's a good thing for all of us. Rock on!, as they say. Continued good health, sir.

[MattTuck]

Unfortunately, unlike you my cancer (pancreatic neuroendocrine) same thing that got Steve Jobs remains "incurable." So every so often, in addition to oral chemo, have to do some form of procedure to minimize tumor burden.

That being said, nearly 10yrs on now since diagnosis and like the OP, attributed a good part of that to cycling.

Happy trails everyone!

Damn, man. That uncertainty must be really tough for those that love you, and for you to live that way. At 10 years, I'm sure you've figured out how to live with it, but for sure you are mentally stronger than me.

Good luck man. Thanks for sharing.

[Dekonick]

Thanks for sharing.

[onekgguy]

Congratulations, Bob, and continued good health for you. 🥂

Kevin g

[paredown]

Stay strong and stay healthy, Bob--and same for other Paceliners dealing with health issues...

While I don't think cycling is going to keep us from dying, I do think have decent base level fitness makes more resilient in dealing with the shock brought on by illness or trauma.

Plus--when I was getting my parting instructions at the ER about diet and exercise, my wife piped up and said "Don't worry about him, he's doing all that already." The response from the Resident was priceless "Unlike the rest of our patients then."

We forget sometimes that just by having made the connection between our actions (exercise, diet) and long-term health--and doing something about it!--we are in the minority of Americans...

[bcroslin]

Thanks everyone. Much of my perspective on things has changed and the one big shift is I don't just view cycling as something fun but it's now something I consider a life changer in the face of cancer. Everyone seems to be touched by cancer unfortunately and the healthier you are when you are diagnosed the better your out come.

[dcama5]

Bob, that makes two of us! Congratulations on your recovery. In November of 1998 at 46 years old I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Like you, I was slow as could be on the bike. In October of that year I did the Seagull century and riders kept dropping back to pull me up to the group. I thought I was just getting old. I was pancytopenic so I had no oxygen carrying capacity. After a bone marrow biopsy, I was admitted and received three days of Idarubicin and seven days of Cytarabine through a triple lumen central line. After that I got sick as could be because I had no defense against infection (no white cells). I got multiple antibiotics and an antifungal called amphotericin, but couldn't get Epogen because the red blood cells are in the myeloid cell line and they thought it may bring back the AML. I did get Neupogen to bring the white cells back though. I kept the central line in first remission and received high-dose cytarabine through it. Interestingly, I worked with the line in and the chemo pump strapped to me. My oncologist said that that was the first time he had a patient do that. Also, I got septic from the central line and got Vancomycin and some other heavy hitter antibiotic. Sepsis will kill you by itself and doesn't need the cancer to help out. I was sicker during that time than during the chemo - I was delerious saying nonsense stuff. Anyway, eventually I got back on the bike and struggled to get 12 mph for a short ride. Also like you, I credit the bike in part for pulling me through it. This November it will be 21 years in the past and my wife and I are still doing metric century rides on most weekends during the season. Good luck with everything.

[douglas]

Wow, what a moving story. Thanks for sharing. Your courage, the love and support from your family and friends are amazing. Congratulations on being in remission.

[bcroslin]

Bob, that makes two of us! Congratulations on your recovery. In November of 1998 at 46 years old I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. .

Your experience is almost identical to mine! I fortunately never had a port and only a picc line but I did have to be hospitalized twice because the doctors were worried about sepsis. I also did neupogin shots which my wife had to give me because I couldn’t bring myself to give myself a shot. Thank you for sharing your story and congratulations on being cancer free for 21 years!

[rePhil]

A Great story with a happy ending Bob. Best wishes.

[dcama5]

Your experience is almost identical to mine! I fortunately never had a port and only a picc line but I did have to be hospitalized twice because the doctors were worried about sepsis. I also did neupogin shots which my wife had to give me because I couldn’t bring myself to give myself a shot. Thank you for sharing your story and congratulations on being cancer free for 21 years!

Bob, yes, I agree and thanks. I wish you the best with your recovery and tailwinds!

[harlond]

Congratulations on your recovery. I'm just getting back on the bike, but neuropathy of the feet makes it hard to get any real miles in. Still, I'm up to six!

Don't be jealous.

[Spinner]

Bob,

Thanks for sharing your moving story. And congratulations on your recovery.

Like you, I believe that cycling has restorative and healing powers. Last year, at the age of 64, I had a freak fall on the stairs in my home that resulted in 11 broken ribs, a fractured humorous and a punctured lung. After 5 days in the hospital (my first ever hospitalization), I returned home to begin the recovery process.

Subsequent to two weeks spent mostly in a recliner chair, I began walking 3-4 miles per day and also went to physical therapy. On my first visit to PT, I was told that I was a "unicorn" because of my physical dexterity. At five weeks after my fall, I climbed back on the bike and began to ride 8 to 10 miles daily, weather permitting. Soon thereafter, my orthopedic doctor couldn't believe the rate at which my bones were healing. "Do you realize how lucky you are," he would exclaim over and over again.

I finished physical therapy ahead of schedule and kept on biking. I credit my quick and full recovery to biking, other exercise routines and a healthy diet.

Today, I enjoy full mobility and excellent health.

Biking is my life tonic.

Cheers to all.

Marc

[sjbraun]

My leukemia story is a bit different as my flavor of blood cancer is the chronic form, CLL. I was diagnosed through routine blood work and hadn’t had any symptoms prior to diagnosis. After two stressful years of “wait and watch,” I endured 5 months of chemo. I’m still proud of the fact that the day before starting chemo, I rode the first 5 miles of Tucson’s Mt Lemmon. I continued to work and ride through treatment. Infusions on Thursdays, day off on Friday and back on the bike on Saturday. Riding has kept me sane, fit and healthy through the years. While my cancer isn’t curable, it is manageable. I’m 11 years post treatment and healthier than I’ve ever been, in no small part to time on the bike.

[bcroslin]

My leukemia story is a bit different as my flavor of blood cancer is the chronic form, CLL. I was diagnosed through routine blood work and hadn’t had any symptoms prior to diagnosis. After two stressful years of “wait and watch,” I endured 5 months of chemo. I’m still proud of the fact that the day before starting chemo, I rode the first 5 miles of Tucson’s Mt Lemmon. I continued to work and ride through treatment. Infusions on Thursdays, day off on Friday and back on the bike on Saturday. Riding has kept me sane, fit and healthy through the years. While my cancer isn’t curable, it is manageable. I’m 11 years post treatment and healthier than I’ve ever been, in no small part to time on the bike.

That is awesome. Thank you for sharing.

[palincss]

My leukemia story is a bit different as my flavor of blood cancer is the chronic form, CLL. I was diagnosed through routine blood work and hadn’t had any symptoms prior to diagnosis. After two stressful years of “wait and watch,” I endured 5 months of chemo. ... While my cancer isn’t curable, it is manageable.

And mine's the other chronic variety, CML. As in your case, anomalies noted in routine blood work without notable symptoms led to a test that revealed the presence of the characteristic BCR-ABL translocation, the so-called "Philadelphia chromosome."

No wait & watch with CML: they go straight to targeted therapy with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in my case imatinib mesylate. The big change happened around Y2K when this drug was first introduced, transforming what had once been a slow-but-sure-fire death sentence into a condition managed by medication with no effect on life expectancy.

About the only drama (aside from page after page of potential side effects and a list of approximately 500 drugs that interact with it) is the retail cost: for those without health insurance, it runs about $100,000 per year - for life. Fortunately, with health insurance the co-pay is less than my phone bill.

[bcroslin]

About the only drama (aside from page after page of potential side effects and a list of approximately 500 drugs that interact with it) is the retail cost: for those without health insurance, it runs about $100,000 per year - for life. Fortunately, with health insurance the co-pay is less than my phone bill.

The retail costs for cancer treatment are mind-boggling. Last we checked, my treatment has run somewhere in the $500-$600k range. Thankfully, my wife has fantastic health insurance and her employer has been more than accommodating with her having to take time off to shuttle me to-and from chemo rounds. It scares me to think what people with no health insurance (or underinsured) do in these situations.

[palincss]

The retail costs for cancer treatment are mind-boggling. Last we checked, my treatment has run somewhere in the $500-$600k range. Thankfully, my wife has fantastic health insurance and her employer has been more than accommodating with her having to take time off to shuttle me to-and from chemo rounds. It scares me to think what people with no health insurance (or underinsured) do in these situations.

Goldfinger (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1TmeBd9338) had the answer to that question...

[sjbraun]

Our health care /health insurance system is so screwed up. I was a federal employee when I underwent chemo, so I had pretty good health insurance. My treatment costs were billed at approximately $250k. I paid the first $5,000, then the clinic took whatever insurance aid them for the rest of the treatments.
Contrast that with my brother who was diagnosed with CLL a few years after me. He received essentially the same regimen I did. His cost were the $15 dollar medication co-pay for each treatment.
I won't say more about our health care system, as I might spark a discussion that might get too political for this forum.

Glad so many of us are doing well and living with cancer.

Steve