Today marks my final day of active cancer treatment from my oncology team.
I completed the second phase, 4th cycle of chemotherapy (8 cycles in all). Just over 4 months of chemo in all. Throw in 2 months for my tumor removal and gastrectomy, I completed 6 months of treatment today. Very emotional!
But to continue my marathon analogy from my last blog post, I feel like I just past the 26 mile marker on the treatment race course. But I still have that cursed .2 miles to go!
For those lacking in-depth marathon histrionics, the marathon course distance was not always measured at 26.2 miles (42 kilometers).
The marathon, for centuries, was 25 miles long (40 kilometers) as that was the distance between the city of Marathon and Athens. It wasn’t until the 20th century return of the marathon to the Olympics that the distance was set at 26.2 miles in the 1908 London Games for the oh-so-technical reasons to accommodate the British Royal Family’s desire to watch the race start from a garden window and the finish from the Game’s Royal Box. To meet the Queen Alexandra’s requests the course was extended not just a mile from 25 to 26 miles (41.6 kilometers), but 26 miles and 385 yards…26.2 miles (42.1 kilometers). The 1921 Olympic Games formalized the new distance and since it has remained the official marathon running course length.
The thing I dislike most about running a marathon manifests at the 26 mile marker. I know that as I cross that point, I still have those .2 blasted miles to go.
They are the longest 385 yards to run, every time.
And sometimes (curse you Marine Corps Marathon), the last .2 miles includes the longest and steepest course obstacle or hill – for some sadistic purpose known only to the race organizers.
It’s the last .2 miles that gets me every time.
Again, today I feel like I passed the 26 mile marker. I wish it was the finish line, but sadly it is not. I still have to endure the effects of the FLOT chemotherapy regime for the next 7-10 days…my additional 385 yards to go.
Even then, unfortunately, I am not completely done.
In an additional four-to-six weeks, I’ll go back in for an out-patient procedure to have the two esophageal stents removed that have been covering the esophogus-jejunum perforation I experienced after my surgery…you remember, that little “incident” that left me in the hospital for four weeks. 😩
I have to wait these few additional weeks to ensure my body’s recovered sufficiently from the effects of chemo…which includes thinned blood, sensitive internal tissue, nerve sensitivity, white & red blood cell generation, and personal energy levels (have to keep eating…I am still nearly 30 lbs below my normal body weight).
Regardless of the course I still have to run, today was a great and historic day for me and my family!!! 🎉🎊🎆
I am grateful to all the friends that came and sat with me during my day-long infusion sessions. Not to mention the prayers from family and friends far away…and those that fasted (especially my father-in-law) every session.
So let the bell(s) ring out:
Twentythree/5 