Today I began my last round of post surgical chemotherapy for rectal cancer diagnosed on 3-31-14. This round will be done Sunday morning, I go home wearing an IV pump and my DW disconnects it from my port (central line) when it's complete. This was all known and progressing as predicted nearly from day 1. The unexpected good news came once I was home and the surgeon's office called wanting to schedule ostomy reversal (I have been on a "bag" since surgery to allow for healing of the resection) surgery before the end of the month! I previously had an appointment to see the surgeon on 1-29-15 and expected surgery to be several weeks after that. It's great to have a date already scheduled, they moved the consultation to a day prior to the surgery, naturally. Following pre surgical chemo and radiation (almost IMMEDIATELY following!) my goal was the 2014 rally and I didn't miss a minute, riding to and from the event, admittedly a relatively short 4 hour ride. This year, Cortez is the natural goal and destination, though we will trailer the bikes behind the class C RV and alternate drivers hoping to make the drive without stopping to sleep (someone will sleep in the bedroom alternately to be fresh to drive). We hope to manage 3 bikes in the trailer, it will be tight but I think it's do-able. See you in Cortez!

Good news is always welcome. I hope things continue to go well for you.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you for full remission. Get well.

Outstanding Blaise- great to hear!

I assume this all means you will be back to stealing firewood from Paul Blart in no time! 

[Blaise and I.... mostly Blaise.... got caught "stealing" firewood from the hotel stock of firewood, to burn in the hotel's firepit.... which is what the firewood was for in the first place. The hotel security guard really had Blaise in his <proverbial> sights and things could have gone quite badly for us WHEN SUDDENLY, Mr. Blart was distracted with a far more serious crime: apparently interlopers from a nearby wedding were drunk and had snuck into the hotel's hot tub. Mr. Blart was doing his best to persecute (sic) them to the fullest extent of the law but he found himself locked out of the pool / tub area; it seems our intrepid interlopers climbed the fence to get in in the first place, and that feat was just a bit beyond Mr. Blart's <ahem> physical abilities.  ]

I hope you will be doing as well in Cortez as you were in TN; I thought you looked and acted fantastic at that time considering you just finished your first round of treatments. Our very best wishes and thoughts to you and Kathy, and my sincere respect for your courage through this trying ordeal. I do not think I could have or would have handled it as well as you did (and are).

Brian

Today I began my last round of post surgical chemotherapy.... <snip>

This year, Cortez is the natural goal and destination, though we will trailer the bikes behind the class C RV and alternate drivers hoping to make the drive without stopping to sleep (someone will sleep in the bedroom alternately to be fresh to drive). We hope to manage 3 bikes in the trailer, it will be tight but I think it's do-able. See you in Cortez!

Best of luck mate, hang in there and I hope to hear even more positive feedback real soon!