Over the past year, I've had a spot in my back that I thought was muscle spasms. After having it treated in a variety of ways, it would never go away. That led me to get an ultrasound, MRI and biopsy. The final diagnosis came back as cancer - a soft tissue sarcoma in my paraspinous muscle. Soft tissue sarcomas are quite rare. Fortunately, they are also treatable when at a major cancer institute that has a sarcoma specialty. As good fortune would have it, we have MD Anderson here in Houston with one of the top Sarcoma Center's in the country...maybe the world.
2010 was to be a turning point in my life. After a long battle, my first wife died of cancer in 2008. On January 1, 2010, I married Sarah - who absolutley rocks my world. She loves me and my kids with all she has. Little did she know what she was signing up for. I thought I was done with MD Anderson. Now I will be there for the rest of my life.
I was registered for Ironman Florida in November. Between treatment, logistics and more, I've decided that Ironman Florida is not going to happen in 2010 for me. However, I have every intention of fulfulling my Ironman goal in May 2011 in the inaugural Ironman Texas. From Cancer To Ironman In Eleven Months. I've wanted to do an Ironman since I first learned of them. Now is the time.
Feel free to follow my journey as I begin this quest. My diagnosis came on July 1, 2010. I start radiation in 10 days. Possible surgery in 10 weeks. In the meantime, I will work, train and live. My quest will end before midnight May 21, 2011. See you at the finish line.
