billwixey.com

I went out for a little skate with the Lunch Hockey Legends on Friday, and I got clobbered.  Some kid didn't have his head up, and just slammed into my chest.  I don't think he meant to do it.  A buddy of mine that I play with is a doctor.  He looked at it and said it was probably a bruised sternum.  It hurt like hell on Friday.  I could hardly raise my right arm.  I don't think hockey is a good activity for cancer patients.  I think I'll stick to running for now.

I felt much better yesterday, and ran five pain-free miles at 8:30 pace.  I've been running about five miles a day, but I needed to get a long run in before next Saturday's Rock and Roll half marathon , so I banged out nine miles today, and felt remarkably good.  As I was heading home along West Lake Sammamish Parkway, I was passed by a number of bike riders taking part in the Livestrong Challenge.  I cheered them on as they rolled past, thanking them for supporting cancer patients like me.

There's one thing that freaks me out most about running the Rock and Roll half marathon next Saturday.  I'm only going to have four recovery days from chemo before I do it.  That's why I'm trying to get in as much mileage as I can now.

A well-meaning friend wrote me an email saying: "I read your blog and I am concerned" about the amount of physical activity that I am engaging in. 

She says that she watched a close friend of hers fight off some nasty cancer by going down to Mexico, where a doctor gave him  some strange liquid in a bottle, which he would mix with milk.  Her friend would drink that concoction, along with grape juice all day long.  A doctor told her friend to refrain from physical activity, because the body needs the strength to fight the cancer.  He fought it, beat it, and is the "healthiest sick person" my friend had ever seen.

I appreciate the concern. But there are many things that you aren't factoring into this equation.

First of all, there are numerous studies that indicate strongly that moderate physical exercise (not "excercise", notice) is hugely beneficial to cancer patients.  Studies have shown the oxygenation of the blood decreases inflammation in the body, thereby fighting off the bad stuff.

Second, my doctor doesn't work in Mexico.  Dr. Stephen Petersdorf  is a respected oncologist, who specializes in Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  He is treating me at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, ranked among the top 6 cancer facilities in the world.  Mexicans, and people from all over the world, come here to be treated.  I trust him when he tells me that running this half-marathon will not be harmful for me.  He says I should get as much exercise as I can handle.  He says he once had a patient training for an Ironman, who would run for two hours before coming in for chemo.  Coaches with Team in Training tell me they've coached countless cancer patients who have completed 26-mile marathons.

I am a runner.  I have always been a runner.  This is what I do.  I've run probably a dozen half marathons (PR 1:28).  I've run 5 marathons (PR: 3:13).  I have run countless 10-K's (PR: 39:59).  I've competed in several triathlons.  I've summited Mount Rainier.  I've played competitive hockey since I was 6.  I once swam from Bainbridge Island to Alki Beach.  In case you were wondering, that was about 4.5 miles.  In Puget Sound.  Numb from the cold.  Getting stung by Jellyfish.  I won't do that one again.

A half marathon is 13.1 miles. Usually, I could slap on my shoes and bang out thirteen miles without great struggle.  

I'm sick right now.  I get that.  Chemo sucks huge wang.  I hate it.  It's the worst hangover you'll ever have, and it lasts for days.  The two days after chemo, I lay on the couch and try hard not to move.  After chemo on Monday, I will feel lousy on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I will feel better on Thursday, and will probably run a little bit then.  I'm scheduled to anchor the morning show on Friday, and I really enjoy doing that, but I may not want to get up so early.  We'll see.  I won't run next Friday.  And I will go out next Saturday, and I'll run this half-marathon.  I may walk part of it.  I may walk most of it.  We'll see what my body tells me.

That's the other part of this.  As an athlete, you have to know your body well to perform at an optimal level.  That's how I detected my cancer.  I noticed swollen lymph nodes and immediately called one of my best friends, Dr. David Perdue.  He is a highly-respected gastroenterologist in Minneapolis.  I described my symptoms to him and he told me to go to an Ear, Nose and Throat doc immediately, and then gave me a list of questions to ask and tests to have performed.  That's how we caught it so early.  My oncologist says Hodgkin's Lymphoma is rarely detected simply from swollen lymph nodes, like I found it.  A "one-in-a-thousand chance" he says.  It's usually discovered by  the side effects associated with it, symptoms such as fatigue, drenching night sweats, nausea and fever.  I never had any of those symptoms.

I went out and ran nine miles today.  With cancer.  And I'm better for it.