Firsts.

Thursday it is. I had my blood work and EKG done yesterday so on we go. Thursday is my first chemo treatment. I had a friend ask me yesterday "what does starting your first chemo really mean?". I have been the unfortunate one who has received a crash course in cancer lingo and realize to most of my piers, young and healthy as we all should be, this is a first for them as well. Their first time to have to watch a friend go through this crap that I call the cancer vortex. So, for those that don't know or don't want to ask. First was the surgery to remove the tumor from my body, check. The tumor removal was successful but since the cancer was found in my lymph nodes the next step is chemotherapy. The lymph nodes are how the cancer can travel to the rest of your body. True my PET scan was clear which is fantastic but cancer is sneaky and likes to deposit cells in your body that may be too small to see on even the most sensitive scans. OK, so what next? Chemotherapy is really the second stage of treatments and my best chance of survival. Recurrence is clearly not an option so I wont' even entertain that. So, what does my first chemo treatment mean? It means that starting Thursday, I will receive the first of many toxic "cocktails" intravenously pushed into my body to start to kill any remaining cancer cells that could be lingering. It also kills almost everything else in it's course and can make me feel like junk. Scared? Hell yeah I'm scared! It's mostly the anxiety of not really knowing how my body will react. I just started to feel like myself again. Not really myself but a new form of me. Now what will happen to my body? I know many women have been through these same treatments and remind me that I will get through this and there is a life on the other side of this but no matter how brave I can try to be and how strong I know I am, there is always fear. I have to look at this as my very own Tour de France. My cancer treatments will be like a very long stage race. For those that are following the 2010 TDF, I am entering the mountain stage of my personal race this week and of course I am looking for a podium finish!

Speaking of biking. Onto something more exciting.... Sunday morning I decided was the day to go for my first bike ride post surgery. Although you would think I would be excited, I was nervous. What if I wasn't ready? What if I hurt myself? One would think that I wouldn't get injured on the North County Trail ( paved bike path that starts up the road from my house) but you never know. I don't want to set my recovery back. I will just have to take it easy.

Getting pumped up. I am still unable to lift anything especially my bike so here is G getting the bike all set to go before taking it down to load on the car. Normally we would ride from the house to the path and be on road bikes but the hill going to the bike path would be a bit much for the first time out and the mountain bike is that much more comfortable.

Tires were pretty flat.

Count them. One, Two bikes on the top of my car!

Getting ready to roll. Can I even reach the handle bars? This was a lot harder than it looks and quite humbling considering what I could do 7 weeks ago.

A lot harder than I thought.

And off I go.

Whoot!

I think we did about 7 or 8 miles in 45 minutes. This should give you an indication of how sloooooow I was moving. Stay tuned for the short video. I still have a very long way to go before I can "ride" my bike but I will be back. In the meantime, I will try to get in these training rides as much as my body will allow.

NCT-Riding Bikes.

See ya on the trail. North County Trail that is!