Last year’s ride didn’t turn out as planned for me, but then cancer patients learn early that plans are always at risk. I totally ruined my foot and ankle and had to undergo reconstructive surgery to put things back together. After a lot of physical therapy, I’m ready to go for this year and have been pedaling in the basement to build up for our 30-mile route.

It struck me when I registered for the ride how Roswell asks the question “Are you riding in Honor or Memory of someone?”, but then give you room for just one name. That’s probably a good idea for them, since I think I could go on for a full page or more if I listed everyone that I think of as I pedal along that day. It's a lot of people in my life.

I also think about another group who is impacted in a major way: the team at Roswell that cares for those of us with cancer. They get to know us very deeply, and it must be awful for doctors to have to share bad news of a diagnosis or failed treatment with us, or the nurses who administer "medicine" to us, knowing the side effects it will cause, but hoping for good results in the end.  And then how awesome it must be for all of them when they get to share in the news of remission.

The sharing of good news is what I got to hear this year. I have reached Complete Response in my Multiple Myeloma treatments (similar to remission in other cancers). I had relapsed in 2018, so it took 4.5 years, a second stem cell transplant, and a lot of chemo treatments to get back to this state. What better way to celebrate than to ride in support of the team that worked with me to get to this point.

Please consider a donation in support of my ride to help the team at Roswell keep doing the work they have been doing to help people like me. Any amount is great, just click and join in the fight!

https://give.roswellpark.org/site/TR/SpecialEvents/General?px=1180271&pg=personal&fr_id=1830

Thank you!