My Cancer Victory.com

Been a long time since I posted. The cancer is what we call NED, no evidence of disease. I'm clean but still doing maintenance treatments to keep it that way.
Why am I posting? It was 9 years ago today that Steve Jobs died of cancer. I was getting chemo when a friend called and told me. It was also 9 years ago today that my friend Cam from the Vancouver Olympics was getting a new heart. Cam had cancer years before so we kind of bonded. Cam died later of cancer that was allowed to reappear because of the immune system suppressing drug needed for his new heart to work.
In 10 days it will be my mom's birthday. She's been gone for 23 years.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For some of us it's always cancer awareness month. It's also cancer awareness week and day. There is not a day it does not enter our mind. We look in the mirror and see reminders. We do our best to close our mouth but hints sneak out. That extra little bit of sadness, frustration and even happiness. Nothing is taken for granted.
I know a good writing should have a conclusion. Wrap up all the thoughts and clarify the point. I don't have one. I just felt the need to let you in the corner of my mind. I guess also in a way to let Steve Jobs, Cam, Mac, Stewart, Josh's dad, Suz, Mom, Uncle Marty, Uncle John, Grandpa and Grandma Mazur and all the others know they are not forgotten. I do my best every day to know how lucky I am.

I was first to the chemo room this morning. The chairs are arranged like that for distancing but I got my pick. Looks like I may be the last to leave too.
I don’t think anyone can ever say they enjoy chemo but you can say you enjoy doing something about a problem.
Again, as far as we know there is no cancer. This is to keep it away. This is my choice in life. It’s the same choice a lot of other people have to make. Unfortunately there are a lot of folks who don’t get that choice any more.

I've been busy. Busy with mostly good things.
I have been, at a minimum, walking 1 mile a day since January 1st. Some days I get to run. That's what has me so excited and sorry this may be long.
I had a goal of doing a mile under 9 minutes before my next chemo. I knew it would be hard but I had till September 10th. So last Thursday I went and saw my oncologist because I am not satisfied with my energy levels. He agreed to look into some things in my bloodwork. We know I have the bloodwork of a cancer patient in treatment but he agreed to look deeper. HOWEVER he also told me studies showed that the maintenance treatment I am doing shows better results and is approved to do every 2 months. So treatment got moved up to what is now tomorrow.
So I ran last Monday in my neighborhood, with some hills, and did a mile in 9:37. That meant I had 2 days to take 37+ seconds off to meet my goal. I knew it wasn't realistic but I also knew I could find a flatter place. Sooooo this morning I hit the track at the high school. A nice flat rubberized track. Temps were better and humidity not too bad than we have had lately. I walked a half mile to warm up, took my asthma meds and gave it my best shot. Whatever it was it was. You don't always make goals but you keep going. You try again.
I knew I needed to do better than 2:15 per quarter mile. First quarter was 2:12. I thought to myself it would be tough to make it if that stayed my pace. No break at the ¼ mile mark with an ever so slight increase in my stride. Half mile was 4:20 something. All I cared was that I was under 4:30. I took a very short walk to catch my breath and then took off. I matched my old pace and then on the back stretch increased my stride ever so slightly again. I have no idea what my split was at ¾'s but it was under the math I had been doing in my head. I took about 5 or 10 walking steps then took back off again. When I was about halfway through the final turn I opened up. It was hard but I told myself to just go like hell and accept whatever it was. I was never so happy to hear that ding in my headphones telling me I was done. I looked down and saw I was under 9 and tried to breath. It wasn't till I walked a bit before I could look at my phone for my official mile time, 8:28. I almost cried. Hell let's by honest I kind of did but just a little. I could not believe what I did.
Tomorrow is chemo. Friday is rest, but I will still walk my mile both days. Saturday I don't know what I'll do but it will be the official start of me going after sub 8. I have only done that one other time since high school.

Hello old friend.
Getting a maintenance (chemo lite) treatment today to make sure it stays away.