ALL CLEARED

Met with the surgeon today and i'm officially back!!!  Said all stitching is healing perfect and everything looks good.  Said during they surgery they removed about 30 lymphoid and they came back "clean."   So I can return to the gym with a low weight workout for about 2 weeks and then back to normal.

Super excited to get back into a routine and see the progress.  March 26th is going to set my year off in running. Sleepy Hollow 1/2 Marathon @ 9:30am and then heading to Grand Central Station for the 24 hour treadmill Challenge!


I'm Back!!!!

40!

The morning I went into the hospital I had my family place the number 40 on the wall at the foot of my bed.  This number represents March 26th.  This is the day I planned to compete in the Sleepy Hollow Half-Marathon at 9:30am and then hop onto the Metro North to Grand Central and take part in a 7 person relay race for 24 hours straight on treadmills to raise money for M.S.

Insane?  No!  Insane is not doing something because people think its impossible or not something they would do.  Between the half-marathon and treadmill run I hope to log about 50 miles.    I plan to get ready for the training once the Dr. gives me the green light to get back to normal activities.

I plan to use my blog to document numerous workouts I use/develop to get me ready for races and just everyday life.  Hey these workouts work for me and they may become helpful to you as well.

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."
-Jacqueline Gareau-

 

Eye Opener Timeline

Jan 18th 2011-  I go in for a test based on family history just to make my family doctor(s) and parents happy.  Well an hour later I walk out knowing I have a tumor in my large intestines..

Jan 20th 2011-  Go get a C-Scan of my pelvic region to determine the demensions of the mass.  However, in the process my pelvic bones shows some type of spotting on the results....

Jan 24th 2011- I go see a specialist to determine how they are going to remove the mass.  They say before they can do that they must test me for bone cancer based on the spotting.  They make an appointment for a bone scan and schedule my surgery

Jan 27th 2011-  Go take the Bone scan and then get sent for skull X-rays based on something showing up in my upper forehead region.

LONGEST WEEKEND EVER!!

Jan 31st 2011-  Doctor calls and said bone scan came back clean and they are going to move forward to remove the mass on Feb 14th 2011.

Feb 14th 2011-  Surgery takes about 90 minutes to perform and while doing so they also repair a hernia they found.  I came out of surgery super sore and frustrated as it would take me a solid 20 minutes to adjust my body to lay on my side.  Which lead into the longest night sleep ever!!!   Pain meds every 3 hrs and sleeping patterns consisted of 20 minute intervals. 

Feb 15th 2011-   Dr said surgery went well and tell me that walking around as much as it may hurt is the best medicine.  Also, they said the less pain meds I take the faster the healing process.  I guess one of the chemicals slow things down.  Well that day I walked the hallways with friends/family and alone at least 50+ times.  The nurses station nicknamed me "Pacer" as I was leading the march at 7am and would be the last one  to go to sleep cause I wanted that 10pm walk to relax.  

Feb 16th 2011-  Everything is starting to feel good-  I can walk the hallway so much faster and easier that the doctor feel I can start a liquid diet a day earlier (Jello, Ginger Ale, Chicken Broth and Italian Ice).  The hospital is getting boring.  Between walking the hallways and working on my breathing techniques in the machine I have nothing to do all day.  You can only watch so much TV.... 

Feb 17th 2011-  I wake up at 7:30am feeling amazing.  I slept a solid 8 hrs and can move around with just a little soreness.  I start walking for a solid 20 minutes in the hallways before they serve me my liquid diet of champions LOL....  But, at 9:30am the Dr came in and said "Jeff you are healing great, you can move with ease and we see no reason to not let you go home today!!!!"    WOW-  Music to my ears!  72 hours after having a portion of my large intestine removed I'm breaking out.  But, 10:30am as I sit in my room my doctor came back and said "Jeff- Do you want some more great news?, your pathology reports came back and their is NO sign of cancer." -----  Chills and every emotion hit me like I had just won the lottery.  The month long emotional roller-coaster has come to an end!!!

So what now?  Well I'm still home and things are getting better day by day.  Can't lift anything over 15 lbs and my diet is slowly coming back to normal.  The last 34 days has felt like an eternity.  However, it has given me a greater appreciation for health and just added to that drive to push myself harder.  I truly believe that my running/exercise and diet is the reason I've been recovering so fast......   

 

The Beginning!

"The Passion behind an idea does not come the mind, but from the heart"
                                                -Jeff Micklas-

     In 2004 I began running as a way to honor my grandfather who passed away (2002) do to cancer.  I was never a runner, I actually hated running.  I believed their was no real purpose.  Well its funny cause here we are eight years later and I have run over 10 marathons, 2 ultra-marathons, and a ton of smaller races.  

     I've come to respect running for more then just the physical aspect.  Running is a mental game that if you don't get under control can destroy your stride and breathing technique.   Once you respect running it will respect you!