My Story...

I was asked to write this for a cancer awareness organization so I thought I would post it here as well.

After many years of taking my health for granted I took up walking and running as a hobby in June 2002. Wasn’t long before I was hooked! I completed my first marathon in January 2003 in Houston. Just to be clear, a marathon is a running event covering a distance of 26.2 miles. Not only was I hooked on running I had made many new friends; friends I’ll be close to forever.

I continued to train and run races for years, making more friends along the way. In early 2006 I decided to get serious...very serious! I was going to train like never before, lose weight and participate in two marathon challenges unique to Texas. The first was The Texas Marathon Challenge requiring you to complete five marathons between October and May; the second was Marathons of Texas, requiring you to complete Dallas (November), Houston (January) and Austin (February). Completing one of these challenges is formidable. Running them concurrently is a little over the top!

Picture a 54 year old man running along Clear Lake, starting anywhere from 3:00AM to 4:00AM, 4-5 times per week...IN THE SUMMER! Did I lose weight? You bet...54 pounds! I was racking up to 70 miles per week, going through a pair of running shoes every four weeks. I had never been healthier in my life! Or had I?

Starting in October 2006 I set out to complete eight marathons in twelve months...

October 29, 2006 – Marine Corps Marathon, Washington, DC
November 12, 2006 – San Antonio Marathon
December 17, 2006 – Dallas/White Rock Marathon
January 14, 2007 – Houston Marathon
February 11, 2007 – Austin Marathon
March 21, 2007 – Seabrook Marathon
October 7, 2007 – Bizz Johnson Marathon, Sierra Nevada Mountains, CA
October 28, 2007 – Marine Corps marathon, Washington, DC

Sometimes during training, especially the long, hot runs I would get the urge to urinate. This isn’t uncommon since I hydrate heavily during runs. But, when I would try to go nothing would come out. It wasn’t painful but very uncomfortable. Typically I would continue to hydrate after my runs and, in a few hours things would be back to normal. This actually started in January 2004 but I wrote it off to being an endurance runner. Endurance sports tax the body to such extremes that abnormal becomes normal...at least to us. Besides, I had never been healthier in my life! Or had I?

In August 2007 I saw my PCP in hopes that we would figure out what the problem was, assuming it was a problem. He did blood work and checked my prostate only to tell me I’m extremely healthy. He was thrilled I had lost 54 pounds. He did suggest a stress test considering my running habit. My cardiologist passed me with flying colors. I was perfectly healthy. Or was I?

At the Marine Corps Marathon in October 2007 I was gliding along when it happened. At mile 18 my abdomen cramped up in a way it never had before. I struggled to finish the final 8 miles but I did finish. Like always, it only took a few hours to get back to normal. BUT, I knew something was wrong. Did I go to the doctor when I got home? Of course not...I’m a Man! We don’t go to doctors...

I continued to run and have issues for another 10 months before I had had enough. The symptoms were worsening and occurring more often.

I saw a urologist in August 2008. After a basic exam he told me I had micro hematuria, trace amounts of blood in my urine. He said it is a common condition in runners because the bladder takes a beating, especially when one runs long distances. I passed a flow test so we assumed there was no blockage. He asked me to come back in a few weeks to test my urine again. He told me not to run the day of the test. I did go back but got irritated with the long wait and left. I figured I was healthy so why go back.

Hurricane Ike forced us to evacuate to north Texas in September. At a rest stop I noticed my urine was very dark, probably from not drinking enough water...OR? The next day I went to the bathroom and saw bright, red, thick blood when I urinated. No pain or discomfort. Just blood! I immediately called my urologist but Ike had everything shut down. I drank tons of water over the next few hours. No more blood!

Now you would think a fairly intelligent person like me would hurry to the hospital after peeing blood. Not Bob! I just assumed it would go away. It didn’t! After several recurrences over the next couple of months I went back to my urologist. Now we are dealing with gross hematuria. He scheduled CT Scans, blood work and a cystoscope, a procedure where they look inside your bladder with a camera inserted through the urethra.

January 2, 2009... “You have bladder cancer! Two large masses in the bladder, one of which is blocking the urethra. You need surgery as soon as possible to remove the masses and determine the stage of your cancer. I have scheduled your surgery for Monday, January 5.” My only response was to ask him to call in my wife, Ginger and explain this to her. That was arguably the most painful day of my life. Telling my daughters I was sick was more than I could handle so Ginger stepped in to help.
The surgery was supposed to be an outpatient procedure. I ended up staying three days for pain management. Thursday, January 8, 2009... I’m still in the hospital, waiting for my doctor to release me. My oncology nurse (Debbie) came in with my doctor. He was visibly shaken, to the point he had to sit down. I remember a few of his words like high-grade, dangerous, and scary and so on. He referred me to MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDA). Instead of calling an orderly, Nurse Debbie wheeled me to my car. I’ll never forget her words... “Ask God for a miracle. When it happens tell people.”

My first visit to MDA was a whirlwind full of tests, scans, discussions, interviews and an occasional nap. It was Tuesday, February 3. My doctor (Ashish Kamat) said you’re scheduled for surgery on Thursday, two days from now. It was the same as my first procedure but this time he would be staging my disease. It went off without a hitch.

Dr. Kamat talked with Ginger while I was in recovery. He told her it was likely he would recommend a radical cystectomy (RC), removal of the bladder, prostate and surrounding lymph nodes. He believed due to my excellent health, other than cancer, I would be a candidate for a neo bladder, constructed from my small intestines. It is as close to original equipment as you can get. He said I would be able to run again and lead a long, normal life. BUT, this was all dependent on the pathology report. Now we wait!

During the waiting period I was dog, damned determine to keep my bladder. I figured they can do chemo for whatever period of time and that would do it. I didn’t have to have the RC if I didn’t want to. So there!

So much for being dog, damned determine to keep my bladder. T2G3 was the diagnosis. I was extremely fortunate we caught it early. Dr. Kamat offered BCG (chemo) but told me I had a better than 80% chance the cancer would return in an aggressive way. He used words like dead and done (as in dead) if that happened. He scheduled my RC for March 23, 2009.

Surgery lasted seven hours and went off without a hitch. I was on liquids day one; soft foods day two and then cleared to eat at day three. My hospital stay was six days, slightly less than average. I went home with a catheter and kidney stints still attached so my new neo bladder could heal. They would be removed at my three week checkup.

I have to admit I got a little depressed during recovery. I’m not one to sit around let alone have to be cared for. Ginger was (is) a saint. She made sure I was fed, cleaned, entertained and rested. She got on me to get up and move around, a critical requirement for quick recovery. My little dog Lucy stayed near me the entire time.

At my three-week checkup I had another scope where they looked inside my new bladder for leaks. It was doing fine. My catheter, stints and staples (over my incisions) were removed.

Remember nurse Debbie and the miracle? IT HAPPENED!

Dr. Kamat gave us the news. The cancer was contained in my bladder and there was no involvement in the lymph nodes. I am cancer free. No need for chemo! Just come back in three months for another checkup. Ginger and I cried like babies. I couldn’t call my daughters fast enough. We celebrated with a Whopper Junior at Burger King...the best tasting burger I have ever eaten.

As the weeks passed I continued to gain strength. At eight weeks I actually walked/jogged about six miles. Silly me! I over did it. I didn’t hurt anything but clearly my body wasn’t ready to go full speed. I went back to work after ten weeks.

As I write this I am fifteen months post RC and I am strong and healthy. Better yet, I’m still gaining strength. I am back into running and losing weight again. My goal is to run the Athens (Greece) Marathon in 2012 at the age of 60. This is the original marathon run 2,500 years ago. It would complete my comeback in a meaningful way.

So, how did a guy like me get bladder cancer? I smoked at least a pack of cigarettes a day for over 30 years. No doubt in my mind that was the cause. In fact smoking quadruples your chances. Although I quit smoking at age 50 the damage had already been done...I just didn’t know it! I probably had the disease for at least six years prior to being diagnosed. So if you smoke...STOP! NOW!

People assumed I was scared during treatment. I wasn’t! I was profoundly saddened at the thought of not seeing my youngest daughter graduate from college or not being able to spend time with my grandchildren. I asked God to give me a couple of years to get to graduation and maybe a few more with my grand babies. He gave me even more! Like I said... IT HAPPENED!

In closing, I would say be your own advocate. I should have been diagnosed at least a couple of years sooner. If something feels wrong it probably is. Most of all, know there is hope. Cancer is not a death sentence. It’s a treatable disease if caught in time. God’s Peace!