2010 Jamaica Tale of Woe Winner

I just got back from watching the Tri and felt very overwhelmed with emotions... excited to see the elite pros, happy to see the first-timers on their mountain bikes and inspired by the ParaTriathletes.  More than anything, I felt regret over missing this year's race.  While I've done triathlons in the past, this race had special meaning to me as it was a comeback of sorts.  You see, a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer.

On May 10th of last year, I was lying in bed when I felt a mass in my abdomen.  I didn't think much of it, but my then-fiancee (now wife) insisted I see a doctor.  Thank God she did.  A few days later, I began undergoing all sorts of medical exams.  The following week, I met with specialists at New York Presbyterian Hospital and learned that I had what appeared to be a grapefruit-sized tumor growing in my abdomen.  I was immediately scheduled to have the tumor removed.  On May 28th, I awoke after 7-hours of surgery - three hours longer than expected.  When I awoke, I was told the tumor had been successfully removed and that it was actually the size of a football.  Unfortunately in the process, I also lost a kidney and my spleen.  On June 5th, 2009, after the pathology results were reviewed, I heard three words that would change my life: "You have cancer"

Words cannot explain the feelings that come over a person when you hear those words.  Fear.  Panic.  Desperation.  Thankfully the cancer had not spread.  However, I still had challenges ahead.  The following week I was readmitted into the hospital after experiencing severe abdominal pains.  I ended up going into surgery a second time to remove some scar tissue that was blocking my small intestine.  Unable to eat or drink anything, I kept losing weight.  I was 6' 3" weighing 185 pounds before the initial surgery.  By now, I had lost 30 pounds and couldn't get out of bed.  Over time, my wounds would heal and I would began regaining my strength.  On July 6th, after spending a total of 31 days in the hospital, I was finally released for good.

Cancer is a funny thing.  You hear about it.  You know, or will know, someone affected by it.  If it happens to touch you personally, you find yourself reevaluating your entire life.  For me, I kept looking for a way to fight back against this disease and pay thanks to those that had helped me overcome it.  It wasn't until January 3rd of this year, shortly after completing aggressive radiation therapy, that I found my answer.  I found the NYC Triathlon.  It seemed poetic that the race would be almost exactly a year after I was released from the hospital, barely able to walk.  I had previously run triathlons, most recently the 2004 Chicago Triathlon, but had lost time for the sport as work increasingly became a priority.  I tried to get back into the sport a few years later with the Team-in-Training, but ultimately couldn't compete due to massive flight cancellations the night before the race. The 2010 NYC Tri was perfect!  This time I decided to run the race with the American Cancer Society.

After months of training and fundraising, I was feeling strong again and was nearing my goal of raising $3000 for the American Cancer Society. Unfortunately, on May 17th, after a routine scan, my doctor told me the cancer had returned.  It seemed that two surgeries and 33 rounds of radiation therapy were not enough.  This time I would need to undergo six months of chemotherapy.  It also meant that I wouldn't be able to compete in this year's triathlon.

Today, as I sit on my couch writing this email and thinking about the race, I am reminded that life is a journey.  Sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don't.  Life presents each of us with challenges. Unfortunately my challenge today wasn't in completing the triathlon. My challenge is once again beating cancer.  However, if I have learned anything over the past year, it is to never give up and know that things happen for a reason.  Those reasons aren't always immediately clear, but they will reveal themselves with time.  Why the cancer came back, I cannot say.  Perhaps one day I will know.  For now, I look forward to finally completing another triathlon and celebrating my 2-year cancer anniversary at the 2011 NYC Triathlon!