BCA! - CANCER FREE

To many CANCER SURVIVORS getting the chemo port removed is a sign that not only are you cancer free but that you won't be getting anymore treatments. Today was my day to feel that joy and I can tell you that this is another day I will never forget.

The surgery went as planned, I reported to the Outpatient window at 10:15 AM and was on my way home prior to noon. From a timeline of my Cancer it was June 26, 2011 that I had my colonoscopy  and was told there was a blockage. July 2, 2011 my wife brought home the report from the test and I found out that 4 out of the 5 polyps tested positive for cancer. July 15, 2011 I was having a scope to tattoo the tumor and that is when I was told that the cancer was in Stage 3. August 3, 2011 I had a colon resection and the doctor said chemotherapy would start within 6 weeks. Beginning of September 2011 my chemo port was implanted and I started treatments September 15, 2011. My last treatment ended February 15, 2012 and today the port was removed.

While I am a survivor I also consider myself as a fighter and continue to fight this horrible thing called cancer. Yesterday I started acupuncture to help get me some relief from the side effects that continue to cause me some issues. My training is starting over as I need to rebuild the muscle loss from the treatments.

On Sunday April 29, 2012 I will ride my bike for 36 miles and continue to train for the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon, May 20, 2012. These events will help me mentally that I can rebound and show everyone that you can succeed no matter what the odds are.

Post run pain

Okay on Saturday I ran/walked a 5K and since then my joints have been killing me. Let me say that the pain level has been a plus 10 on a scale of 1-10. The joints from the hips down are in pain and I have had to rely on using a cane so I don't fall from the dizzy spells. These little pitfalls are keeping me from advancing my recovery. What I need to do is find a way to train around the pain and gain the advancement needed for me to run a 10 mile run April 1, 2012.

Going to see my oncologist this afternoon to see what can be done if anything to get through this sooner than later. You see, I just want to be me and out there running, biking and swimming.

St Patty's Day 5K Ocean City, MD by bclqac at Garmin Connect - Details

This race was the most difficult one ever, I was having joint pain from head to toe and still went out there. My pain level post run is about an 8 and raising.

St Patty's Day 5K Ocean City, MD by bclqac at Garmin Connect - Details

First Ride Post Chemo Treatment by bclqac at Garmin Connect - Details

So today was the big test and could I ride outside or would the side effects from the chemo keep me indoors. The ride went well and I will get out there whenever the weather permits it. The adrenaline is still pumping so I will see how long I stay pumped but this is a big milestone for me.
First Ride Post Chemo Treatment by bclqac at Garmin Connect - Details

BCA! - 5K Run/Walk

Well it has been a real whirlwind these past few days and I am exhausted. Saturday I helped the wife in the garden by tilling the soil to get it ready for planting. When that was done I took a nap before going to the Bike Doctor open house. The event was fun and I really enjoyed catching up with my fellow Iron Crabs. Oh and Marion won a bike jacket that is awesome.Sunday was an R & R day where I slept for several hours and ran a low grade temperature off and on all weekend.

Today, I got up after getting 2 hours of sleep and went for a 5K run/walk. This was a good run as I only walked about a half a mile during the run. The timing was a little slow but I am told that is to be expected and I should be happy that I am able to get out there in the first place. So I celebrate the successes and keep striving towards more of them. This Saturday I will run the St. Patty's Day 5K in Ocean City, MD and I am hoping for a sunny morning run on the boardwalk.

Nation's Triathlon 2010

With the warm weather I will take my bike out for my first ride post chemotherapy. This will be great if i can just get through the 7 mile loop around the house. From there I will build up to the 37 miles I will need to ride in May. The Nation's Triathlon this September will be a big event for me and were I will prove what a cancer survivor can accomplish. Just when you think I cannot do much more my wife and I will be training to run the Marine Corps Marathon in October. While this will be my third time running this event I will be counting it as a first along with Marion's first marathon.

BCA! - Cancer Transitions

So last night Marion and I went to the first meeting for a cancer support group for those that have completed their treatments. The group is Cancer Transitions Moving Beyond Treatment by LIVESTRONG and is 6 weeks and seems like it will be a very good support group. We talked about what it means to be a survivor. The Cancer Support Community defines a survivor as one that has been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of their diagnoses through the rest of their life. This is hard for me to except because I consider myself as a fighter or warrior. When I started chemotherapy I was told that once I was done my treatments I needed to be cancer free for 5 years. That is when I will consider myself a Survivor.

So now that treatments are done I am getting myself back in shape to compete and be better than I was before my diagnoses. To that end I did my second 2 mile Run/Walk today. This was a little faster than Tuesdays activity by 10 seconds but hey every second counts. While I am feeling happy to be running again it distresses me that I have lost so much over the past 8 months. My resting heart rate used to be 50 bpm now I can't seem to get it below 75 bpm. The hardest thing for me to address are my feelings and I will be working on that here with my friends and followers. So if you don't seem to be understanding my feelings or I seem to be skimming over them call me out on it. Next week I will begin my strength training program at the Y with Marion.

My first goal of running a 5K is just over a week away and I am doing everything to be ready for the St. Patty's Day 5K on March 17, 2012.

BCA! - 2 Mile Run/Walk

Well today was the day to lace up the running shoes and get back outside and start running. The run today was very different and my muscles were screaming: WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US? While my timing is way off I am impressed that after 8 months off that I was able to complete the 2 miles. This is the start of my half marathon training as I am scheduled to run the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon on May 20, 2012. To achieve this goal I will be running 3 days a week with my long run on the weekend.

To work up to the half marathon distance I have a 5K run March 17, 2012 and a 10 mile run April 1, 2012. The 10 mile run will be a challenge as there are many hills to run but Marion will be on course with me. The goal is to start out slow and build up with speed workouts late spring, early summer. The weight training will start next week to help regain the muscle mass that I lost while undergoing chemo treatments.

Thanks for all your support during my treatments, I need your support more now than ever before.

Brian Comes Alive! (BCA!) 2 mile run/walk data from my Garmin 910XT.

BCA! - Marion completes her 1st half marathon

Well the race started on time and on March 4, 2012 at 7:30 AM EST Marion started her first half marathon. This is a really big thing as many who know her is that she was never an athlete when she was growing up.
She talked to me about running during the summer of 2010. When I recall the conversation it was agreed that she would follow my directions and I would help her cross the finish line. Her first race was the Halloween 5K in Ocean City, MD. We ran that race together and it was a great feeling being able to share my running with my wife who was always at the finish line for me.

Over her first year would continue to run 5 & 10 K runs often times while I was running a longer distance. She even expressed an interest in cycling so I got her a hybrid bike and was quick to get 15-18 mph out of the bike. We rode the Ride for Sight 36 mile course and finished the ride an hour faster than she planned.

The training and all was going great and she even rode the bike part of the Assateague Assault Sprint Triathlon as I did the swim and our daughter Tesia was the anchor on the run. July 1, 2012 I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer as a result from a routine colonoscopy. Well our world was turned upside down and I had surgery in August and started my Chemotherapy in September. Marion continued to train and ran the 2011 Halloween 5K in Ocean City, MD. The weather was pouring rain and windy but she still laced up her running shoes and ran the race. Shortly after that she talked to me about running the B & A Trail Half Marathon in my honor.After our talk I signed her up and developed her training program. She was dedicated to the plan and doing great until she came down with an upper respiratory illness. She trained as much as she could and still laced up her shoes and went out to the starting line to run her first half marathon. 


The funny thing is that she still says that she isn't an athlete. My response to her is that only an athlete will go out there and run in the rain and cold weather. Join me in congratulating Marion for finishing here first half marathon and let her know that she is an athlete. Thanks Marion for all of your love and support.

BCA! - Marion's First Half Marathon

Thursday I started taking MaxGXL and Max N-Fuze now it is to early to say how these are helping me at this time. Since the doctor was able to attack the pneumonia and I didn't wind up in the hospital, Thanks doc. The chemo side effects are kicking my butt the neuropathy is the worse of all. My hands hurt so much that it hurts to type. The dizzy spells are pretty bad I almost fell on my ass a few times yesterday, so I am walking with my cane.

This weekend Marion will run her first Half Marathon on Sunday in my honor. Here is the t-shirt she had made to wear for the race. This the first time I saw my name with Survivor next to it. That is what I am a SURVIVOR of Colon Cancer. So while Marion is out there on the trail running I am asking everyone to wish her well and say a prayer for her success. It will be so great to watch her cross that finish line and get her medal will be awesome. She has trained hard and is fighting a cold or something but still lacing up her shoes to run. When I see all that she has done for me over the past eight months I can only say that I owe her big time. Without Marion and my daughter Tesia I am not sure where I would be today. The support before, during and after treatments. The many lunches with Tesia which really were a way to check up on me during the day. These all mean so much to me that I am not sure if I will ever be able to thank them enough for being in my life.

Good Luck Marion on your first Half Marathon and know that I will be at the finish line to hug the stuffing out of you.

BCA! - Health/Training update

Okay so last week I finished my chemotherapy treatments and came down with a cough. Went to the doctors and he said it seemed like a bronchitis issue and put me on levaquin for 10 days. Went back to see him on Monday of this week and had a chest xray and come to find out I have the start of pneumonia so he put me on a steroid pack for the week and changed the antibiotic to augmentin which I start tomorrow. The chemo side effects are so confused with all the other things going on so my body doesn't know what to do.

Next week is March 1, 2012 and my training will start with the goal to become stronger and better than I was before I was diagnosed with cancer. There will be many ups and downs but I am going to be trying to gain the strength and speed to win my age group in every event. We all know how big the 50-54 age group is so I have a lot of work ahead of me, I know that I can count on my friends for support. The current goal is to get off the percocet  so that I can start to drive again.

The bike is in the trainer and the treadmill has been cleaned and maintenance has been completed so everything is ready. It will be about a month before I attempt to get in the pool but I really do miss it and can't wait till I can become a fish. The first race I have is March 17 the St. Patty's Day 5 K in Ocean City on the boardwalk. Now I am sure that this won't be a winning race but the goal is to finish it. Simple as that right? We all need to have goals to reach and that is what important.

Along with my training program I will be tracking my diet and all of the vitamins and supplements that I will be using. There will be reviews for you to read and maybe help you decide if something will work for you. One of the first things I plan to review is the Garmin 910XT. The next thing I will be reviewing are the vitamins that I will be using to help rid my body of the poison that the chemo has put in to me. These vitamins have been approved by my doctor for use starting March 1.

BCA! - Brian Comes Alive! 2012 is my year to prove that you can come back from cancer with the support and caring of those around you.

FCA & BCA Frampton & Brian Comes Alive

Last night my wife and I went to see Frampton Comes Alive 35 years. She gave me the tickets for my birthday in December with four chemotherapy treatments left. During this time I was not doing well and she thought that giving me something that I could celebrate my final treatment would get me through the tough road ahead. Well I made it through all of my treatments and I couldn't have had a better celebration. Three hours of great music in a wonderful theatre in Washington, DC.

While I am completed with the treatments the side effects are hanging on but not for long if I can help it. You see my half marathon training program starts this week and my full triathlon and strength training programs start next week. My first 5K race is St Patty's Day in Ocean City MD and my goal is to finish it running and hope to run the whole distance. No worries no chemo so I will have a beer at the end maybe two. If you're not busy come on down and run the boardwalk with me and help cheer me on the road to recovery.

My current status as it relates to cancer is I AM A SURVIVOR and plan to come back stronger and better than I was before. Colon Cancer is a difficult cancer to deal with as it comes to the side effects from the surgery through the chemo treatments. What most do not understand is that they remove you whole colon and in my case more. Then you have to try to regain control of your bowls in six weeks because that is when the chemotherapy starts. The side effects from chemo are many but one is diarrhea and this is the most embarrassing. There were times when you got to go and don't make to the facility in time. To gain control of this I wound up taking 5 imodium tablets every 4 hours throughout treatments. The other side effects are not as embarrassing but do to the pain I started to take pain medication and could not drive. Well I could but I don't want to get a DUI or worse yet kill someone because I was to proud. So I turned the keys over to the wife and she has been driving me around for the past 3 months.

Don't ever be to proud to ask for help there are so many people out there willing to help you just need to ask. So as I come off the medications and get my life back together I am a SURVIVOR.

Last chemo treatment

My last treatment ended on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 and I am now feeling the full effects of the treatment. During my treatment I was able to stay healthy and bang the last one I get a cough. The doc says it is not in my lungs but I am on some antibiotics to keep it from getting worse. Today I ordered my vitamins that I will start taking March 1, 2012 when I start to detox myself and rid my body of the poison that has been pumped in to me over the past 6 months. The hot showers with Sea Salt scrub will be done 4-5 times per week. The hot tub will get filled and started up and I will be looking at aromatherapy to help while in the there. Just need to find the proper oils to use and mix the up I should have what I need. My strength training and running will start March 1, 2012 with some cycling using the indoor trainer. Will be going to the Y to get some spin classes and maybe some yoga to help get the balance back. There is so much to be done and documentation will be the key to make adjustments when things aren't working. Getting off the pain medication will be a primary goal but I know cold turkey will not be the correct path to follow.

Looking forward to becoming a strong triathlete that can compete and place in my age group.

Valentines Day 5K

February 11, 2012 was the first 5K of the Annapolis Striders Championship Series. The weather was snow & rain mix and the temperature was around 30 degrees. This excluded me from even attempting to run/walk the course. This being said we picked up our granddaughter Alaina on the way and her and I cheered on my wife Marion who is running the series for the first time. We saw her of at the start and went to the van and played for a bit and then went to the finish line. When Marion came in to view I told Alaina there is Mom mom and she started cheering her in to the finish line. We met up with her and Alaina ran up to her and said you did it. Marion said that made her day.

This role of the support person is not one that I am used to being in but it is satisfying when the ones you love and train cross the finish line. We spent the rest of the day having lunch at Applebee's and then bought our little one some new sneakers and then went to Build A Bear. This was a great day and one I needed as I prepare for my last chemo treatment on Monday. With Valentines Day on Tuesday make sure you take time to tell the ones you love how much you love them. We will be celebrating today so that we can enjoy a nice dinner of lobster and steak. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY to everyone and thank you for your support.

Finial Chemo Treatment

Monday starts chemo treatment 12 - which is my last one YAHOO!!!! This has been the longest 6 months of my life. The education of cancer and what stage means was an eye opener. When I was first diagnosed the PET/CT scan should no lymph nodes affected. Within 7 days when they were tattooing the tumor they realized that it had already spread to the lymph nodes. WOW, 7 days and I went from stage 1 to 3 and my world was turned upside down. The chemo treatments have been an experience that I could have lived without and one that I will never forget.

March 1, 2012 my doctor has given me the go ahead to begin taking my vitamins to clear the free radicals and begin the detox phase. The sooner I can get this crap out of my body the sooner I can get back on track.The products from Max International will help me with the free radicals. There will also be some soaking in my spa some special spa mixes to open the pours and release some toxins from the skin. There will be a gradual reduction from the pain medications so I can get my faculties back under control.

The training program will start gradual and focus on building strength and the long and slow process of building miles in my running and cycling. The strength training will be based in the Visual Impact Muscle Building. This is the same training used by,  Taylor Lautner, Cam Gigandet, Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Dwayne Johnson (now he has slimmed down), Hugh Jackman, etc...While there are many different training programs I have chosen to give this one a chance and will stick with it in hopes to get myself in tip top shape. Should anyone want to help me get back to race shape I am looking for training partners and I need some coaching to increase my speed with my runs.

Training ponderings

So as I sit here pondering the upcoming season with two more chemotherapy treatments left I wonder what to expect. With these treatments I have lost so much muscle that I wonder if I will rebound as fast as I expect. My strength training program will be the Visual Impact program used by many stars. My training weeks will have 3 days of strength training, 3 days of running, 3 days of cycling and as much swimming as possible. This looks like a tough schedule but with 2 a days and some single days I should have time for recovery. The training will be phased in beginning with strength and run training since my first events are running. Looking forward to the imput of my friends on this plan and maybe some help getting me going. Most of my training will be done at the Easton MD Y and cycling on the eastern shore with some Annapolis MD rides with my ATC family.