Geez, you're all probably wondering where we've been since the last post. We've been enjoying a the late spring, riding our bikes, and Jen has been working hard on her Master's Thesis (when she's not working, or obsessing over her garden!). We've had way too much rain up here over the last month or so, which is a bit of a shock considering how arid the last two summers have been. Hopefully things will dry out soon so we can get back to normal.
So, the tumor that they took out of me turned out to be a bit nastier than we had all hoped. It is what is known as a Grade Three glioma. That is fancy doctor words for "cancer". It didn't really come as much of a shock to me, although hearing it is a little dubious. The next step is chemo and radiation. The radiation treatments will last for 6 weeks (every day except weekends), and the chemo (which is in pill form) will last for an entire year. I'm told there might be a bit of nausea involved, but the main side effect is being generally "wiped out" by the end of the day. Other than that, I can carry on as usual (except I still won't be able to work). That means biking, outdoor activities, an occasional cocktail and so on.
I've heard many success stories regarding this kind of treatment, people who are healthy tend to tolerate it well, and I recently met a guy while out on a mountain bike ride whose story is almost the exact same as mine. He is a bit older, but underwent treatment for a Grade Three back in 2007 and has been cancer-free ever since. He even completed an Ironman Triathlon a year after wrapping up treatments (for those who don't know, and Ironman consists of a 2 mile swim, a 112 mile road bike ride, followed by a goddamn marathon). Stupid if you ask me. I'd rather mountain bike for 3 hours then drink beer and eat buffalo wings the rest of the night.
So that about wraps it up for now. I'll check back in when I know when the treatments will start, and we'll keep everyone posted. Feel free to get in touch!
