LIVESTRONG BLOG

Blood, Sweat and Chemo

Jan 25, 2011 by Guest

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It was early December when I first noticed the pain ? a dull ache in my right testicle. I figured it was nothing, so I ignored it. Soon thereafter, the ache was accompanied by a lump. That?s when I knew. Something was wrong.

After a whirlwind of doctor appointments, an ultrasound, CAT scan, PET scan and a barrage of blood tests, they discovered the tumor, which was causing a small infection resulting in the pain.

I met with my urologist on December 23rd. That next morning (Christmas Eve) he removed the tumorous testicle and officially diagnosed me with nonseminoma testicular cancer. More tests. More scans. More results. This time, revealing that the cancer was also in my lymph nodes. One more blood test led to a meeting with my oncologist, who delivered the final blow: three cycles of chemo, starting Monday, January 10, 2011.

The Friday before my treatment started, I got a call from my nurse.

Nurse: Hey Andy, ready for Monday?

Me: Yup. Ready to roll.

Nurse: (chuckling) Glad to hear it. So, here?s the thing.

Me: (panic)

Nurse: There?s a nationwide shortage of Bleomycin ? your Tuesday dose.

Me: Okay??

Nurse: If we can?t find any by Tuesday, we?ll need to proceed without it and you?ll go one more cycle with the other two drugs ? Etoposide and Cisplatin. Don?t worry. It?s just as effective.

Me: Ya, but. One more cycle?

Nurse: We?ll do everything we can to find the Bleo.

Unsure how Tuesday would pan out, I was getting a little nervous. Despite my recent orchiectomy, all I wanted was to ride until I was lost and sort things out in the saddle. Thing is, I live in Minnesota. The roads are frozen and covered with snow. An epic ride was out of the question. My only option was a spin session, so I called my riding buddies and organized an indoor trainer ride for Sunday afternoon ? the day before my first dose. Fifteen friends showed up. Ten rode. The only space big enough was my garage. It was five degrees that day. We rode for two hours in the freezing cold.

That next Monday, I started chemo. I?ve ridden every day since then, and I?ll continue to ride every day ? straight through treatment. Thus far, I?ve been lucky enough to dodge the chemo nausea, but even if I?m sickly and frail by that fourth and final cycle, I will get on my bike and ride. Every day. Even if it?s just one rotation, every pedal stroke is one revolution closer to remission, and Spring road riding on the half-thawed streets of Minneapolis, riddled with pot holes and grimy with leftover salt and sand from an unrelenting winter of snow, ice and cold. I can?t wait.

This October, my wife and I will be in Austin for the LIVESTRONG Challenge and Ride for the Roses weekend. I?ll be riding the 90-miler with a $20,000 fundraising goal, in the hopes that research and drug creation will ultimately prevent a bad Bleomycin phone call, from a nurse like mine to a guy like me, who just got diagnosed with testicular cancer.

LIVESTRONG,

Andy Thieman

Documenting the daily grind behind four cycles of chemo at BloodSweatChemo.tumblr.com