Prostate Cancer Surgery One Year Removed

     Today is the one year anniversary of my prostate cancer surgery. It has been a rather eventful year. I had to potty train myself and learn to run again. I can kegel as good as anybody, but it was a fun few months learning how to do things I used to take for granted.

     Before I get into the highlights of the past year, I need to thank my wife Robin for everything she does for me. She was a big help keeping me positive when things were a little rough. I need to also thank some wonderful friends that went with me to various running races as I attempted to get back to my normal self. Okay, those of you that know me can stop laughing about the "normal" part. We all got matching shirts and went to various races around California, Nevada, and Oregon. We trained hard, raced hard, and celebrated finishing those races by partying hard. Okay, not like the 80's, but we all had a good time.No matter how the race went we made sure we had fun before and afterward, sometimes even during the race. Some of my friends would make me laugh so hard I peed myself, but I wouldn't trade those moments for anything.

Sporting our matching Running with Prostate Cancer shirts at the Wild Wild West Marathon

     Besides all of the running I did this year, I was also the Grand Marshall at our local Relay for Life. It was different being the person that stood up there talking about my experiences battling cancer. The event was cut short by a violent microburst, but we all made it back for the luminaria.

     I also became a grandpa for the first time when Brandon and Torri gave us Henry. I can't wait to teach him about the finer things in life from my perspective as he grows older. We flew back to South Carolina to visit. I ate at a Waffle House for the first time. Life was good that weekend. 

     Robin and I got up to Oregon again to visit Kris. We all had a blast and did a fantastic trail race up there. We sampled as many of the local dining establishments as possible.

     Through all of this, I have learned about how my body has changed because of the surgery. I don't pass up rest stops when traveling anymore. I'm able to consume drinks with caffeine again, but that has only happened recently. I can do anything without needing a diaper or pad except run hard. Running easy seems to no longer be an issue. 

     The best news of all regarding my cancer is it's still undetectable. I've had three PSA tests since my surgery and all of them have come back as undetectable. I still get nervous during the time between the test and the appointment to get the test results, but this is normal, and I will be nervous next June when I get tested again. Until then I plan to keep running, help Robin train for her first trail marathon, meet up with friends to practice, race, and consume post run nourishment, which is a good enough excuse to want to keep cancer at bay for the rest of my life.