-
May 14, 2013: The Key to Mountain Biking/Dealing with Cancer
I will be the first to admit that of the various sports I do, I am least competent at technical mountain biking. Unlike running, road riding, or even riding on packed trails, mountain biking demands mental effort as much as physical. While riding a twisty, rocky, trail — especially one with lots of steep drops…
-
April 15, 2013: Never Give Up
First the most important update. Last night’s CT scan showed dramatic improvement. The cancer has shrunk significantly. Our Doc texted me a thumb’s up icon. (He is a man of few words. But we don’t mind the picture.) This morning in shul it felt like Yom Kippur. Fourth time this year. I knew that during…
-
April 7, 2013: The Perfect Run
It was not the plan, not even close. The plan had been to run ten kilometers with Chaim Wizman as he started the insane Y’m L Yam ultra marathon. I would run ten with him then say good-bye and run back to my car. A twenty kilometer run is a good solid workout. No need…
-
March 11, 2013: Adjusting Expectations
A few years ago, I was in Tiveria getting ready for my second marathon. I had trained meticulously for this race. I devoured every e-mail from the Bet Shemesh running club and ran every training run at the precise pace that would enable me to hit my goal time in the big race. I was…
-
March 8, 2013: Recovery Week
The week after a marathon is one of my favorites. You still feel the pride of running the big race, of getting through all the hard parts in one piece, and now you can relax. I do a few runs and bike rides just to loosen up and help heal any damage that occurred during…
-
March 4, 2013: Jerusalem Marathon: A Wonderful Break
It wasn’t my intention to write this post from the ER. But that’s the situation. I hope by the time you read this we will be home safe and sound and today’s little adventure will be forgotten. But let me back-up a few days. On Friday I ran the Jerusalem Marathon. It was my third…
-
February 8, 2013: Turning a Nightmare into a Dream
I’m holding my daughter’s hand on Disney’s Rock and Roller Coaster. We are singing Aerosmith at the top of our lungs while the coaster plunges us round and round and upside down. We speed through the darkness and are just in awe of this ride. We get off and our first thought is how to…
-
January 30, 2013: Blood, Sweat, and Fears
The day, like almost every Monday, starts with a blood test. As soon as we get to the hospital, blood is drawn from Stella’s port and tested by the lab to see if she is strong enough for the day’s treatment. Occasionally, low blood cell counts have caused the cancellation of the day’s chemo. While…
-
January 21, 2013: Slip Me a Mickey
I’ll start with the stuff that isn’t quite so great. But that’s just so that I can get to the exciting stuff. We just switched chemo. The medicine we were on was not doing enough. The fact that the side effects were very light was nice, but unfortunately nice doesn’t cut it when you’re dealing…
-
January 16, 2013: Beautiful
My wife has lost all the hair on her head. The operations have left several large scars on her body. She is very, very thin. Not in the coveted “super-model” way. Yet with everything that this disease and its treatments have thrown at her, I think she is the most beautiful being on the face…