Cycling with cancer

This is the 2nd worst time. The absolute worst is if they tell you it's stage 4. Hopefully that will never happen. Everything else is manageable because normal life continues, just with more medical appointments.

And hey, I could only have got through the last 4 years with the support of my fantastic friends. So lean on yours.

I really hope we don't get to experience that, and sorry you have had to.
I'm yet to tell anyone really, doesn't feel like I've had the chance and am holding off until we know for sure.
Had had my mother in law staying since the first hospital visit and she has been amazing, very french and very matter of fact.
Thanks again, really really appreciate it.

Sounds like we need a cancer ride soon. 2nd time round, treatment starts tomorrow evening.
Spine/marrow biopsy tomorrow, followed closely by getting a line fitted, followed by getting checked in.
4 days on, 3weeks off. Repeat x3

Destroy it.

Again.

Best of luck to all of you. Romantic I know, but my view is that we are all pathfinders. Some of us will fall, but as a collective we will not yield to cancer.

Ahhhhnnnnnd the verdicts in.
It is cancer.
BUT, looks like stage one, and pretty common, walk in the park.
As a wise man once said...

"Everything else is manageable because normal life continues, just with more medical appointments."

Reading all your stories makes me realise this isn't going to be as hard as I once thought it could of been, thanks again chaps, time to crack on.

Rowhan has an excellent suggestion cancer ride soon. I am so unfit, no excuse really, but I reckon we could start something, and encourage bone marrow, blood and plasma donations on this forum. Riding bikes could be included too of course.

When I rode with the Fireflies in 2010. I suggested pooling donors among the veteran riders, but folks were more interested in buying custom built Colnagoes..

Stay strong y'all
Al x

bump and help andy @rowhan out

https://www.gofundme.com/7w5xpbqq

Bump

Bump

Good luck.

It's not payday but

Bump

Even if it isn't payday, put your hands in your pockets you fuckers.
Bump

^This

Will donate when I locate my fucking wallet.

Bump.

Payday schmayday, bump.

Sunday, cosy watching tv?
Bump.

BUUUmmpp on the old Cancer ride thing. Anyone up for it before I go back in to hospital?

Saturday late morning for a few hours may be the only weekend time I have free now as it turns out my Grandma's just got Pancreatic cancer too (how's that for solidarity!)

Coffee, late breakfast, ride through a park or 2? I don't know. I just want to ride and chat shit liek I've managed for the last 8 years

it was payday last week

help andy @rowhan out

gofundme.com/7w5xpbqq

Cheers James. Either link works but I have now updated it to
https://www.gofundme.com/Andy-2-Cancer-0

Felt it better reflected my progress so far ;)

good good. All the very best.

Cheers. And cheers to George, whoever and wherever you are!

Done.
And @Rowhan if you ever need help with anything feel free to give me a shout. I know technically I'm a stranger but I know sometimes it might be nice not to see friends who constantly talk about how you are doing and have a sad look in their eyes. I know they mean well, but...

recent paydays, xmas approaching so bumping

https://www.gofundme.com/Andy-2-Cancer-0

Cheers for the posts all. Been almost a month since I last even logged on to the forum...

Just had my 7th post-treatment check-up today and despite frankly excruciating bowel, lung and joint pains, apparently everything seems good so far.

Next PET scan at Royal Marsden in 5 weeks to finally find out just how effective the stem-cell treatment / bone-marrow replacement and mega chemo has been.
So only 5 more weeks in limbo feeling.

Haven't been on a bike now in 3 months, and the 2 times I have been, it was short, slow and painful.

So many things I hadn't taken in to account -
The positioning on my favourite bike doesn't work at all. Crank length seems wrong. I feel so stretched out and uncomfortable, the 130 stem may as well be TT bars (my back, core and arms are so much weaker, I can barely support myself in the saddle).
I've managed to maintain my weight (+-1kg) throughout at 84kg, but thanks to the super-dose chemo I've lost roughly half of the muscle mass in my quads. After 20months heavy-duty training prior to my diagnosis, 15mph @ 170Bpm feeling like I'm riding through treacle is one of the hardest things to come to terms with.

Close 2nd has to be the automatic exclusion from any social riding, thanks to limited speed, range, stamina, strength, confidence, and worst of all - the cold.

Sorry bit of a long post - guess I need to log on more often.

Everyone keeps on telling me to kick back / chill out / "give myself time to heal", but I'm hoping to start a trial month at a gym down the road soon before I lose my mind from inactivity - here's hoping it gets me back in the saddle where I belong!

Hope everyone's had a great Christmas anyway. See youout on the roads soon with any luck.

Anyone who can possibly consider any size donation to my page mentioned by James above would still very much be welcomed, but I completely understand Christmas has only just finished and most people are broke.

p.s - this was the only all-out effort on any bike I managed between treatment session 2 and the final massive dose. Amazingly there was a £2,000 Wattbike in the intensive chemo ward so I had a chance to let out a bit of stress on it the day before the 5 days of intensive treatment began.
My aim is to try one 1-min effort every month at the ward, and see if I can beat this by the end of next year. Bit of a big ask, but the thought of the challenge is definitely helping to keep my spirits up.

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