Category: Health
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Up on the Wall
So, if you are driving in downtown Toronto on University Avenue and pass by Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have a look up at the banner they put up in the last couple of days.
The 2022 Ride banner on the PMH What are those circular swirls you ask?
My name, not quite up in lights, but sort of ? It’s the names of everyone who signed up early for this years Ride to Conquer Cancer.
I’m riding again this year and if you’d like to support my efforts head over to my personal Ride to Conquer Cancer page.
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Hit me with your best shot!
Yesterday was COVID-19 shot #4 and Moderna at that!
I’ve always liked the 1980 Pat Benatar song, Hit me with your best shot. And it seemed appropriate today.
As I’m getting my paper work processed it seems like I might not be allowed #4 as Manitoba has not yet approved a second booster. However, when I show them the CancerCare document about my immune compromised situation, #4 is a “GO”. Strangely, to work around the “no 2nd booster” they consider my first three shots as the base vaccination and #4 is actually my first booster.
As I’m getting checked in by the supervision she asks if my oncologist has discussed the COVID shot options. Nope. It seems there is some possibility that the Moderna vaccination might provide better protection against the up and coming variant, Omicron BA.2. So, split second decision, I go with the recommendation for Moderna as it seems like it might be the “best shot” for my situation.
I’m at the RBC vaccination site and what a difference from a year or two ago. The place is almost empty. Probably 10-20 people, minimal waiting compared to a packed out 3rd floor convention area and 1,000s of people being processed daily.
Of course the arm was sore at the injection site but it was a pretty rough night as I was up a lot, chills, achy all over and in the morning I’m tired, a temperature of 101 and taking Tylenol. Things settle down during the day, but it’s a quiet afternoon on the couch after church
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Social Distancing
One of the few things I actually like that has come about because of Covide-19, social distancing.
I’ve never been a fan of large crowds or being pressed together in a line to get into or out of some venue with a bunch of strangers. I need my space. So, being spaced out is quite nice IMHO.
Now, being separated from friends, family, loved ones etc. that’s not good. 🙁 I’m sure as time goes on I’ll come to hate the phrase “social distancing”. Actually, I hate it now.
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Historic
After the 2nd shot While the whole Covide-19 pandemic crisis is certainly historic I really got a better sense of this when I was getting vaccinated.
Filing into the RBC convention centre with hundreds or perhaps even thousands of other people and watching the co-ordination and effort going into the vaccine process really drove home the magnitude of the global impact that Covide-19 is having. To think that this whole process is happening continuously around the world is quite amazing.
As time goes on there is more and more controversy surrounding the vaccines and the associated mandates that are coming into place. I’m happy to get vaccinated and satisfied with the science behind it. Is it perfect? Probably not. Long term risks? Possibly. Life is full of imperfect choices that we make every day with whatever information we have. Life itself is not perfectly safe, there will be trouble. There are no guarantees beyond the present moment. Memento Mori
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Me and CAR-T
As some readers will know I’m about to get CAR-T therapy for the lymphoma cancer. In short, this involved extracting some of my T-cells, genetically modifying them into CAR-T cells, growing more of these special cells and infusing the new CAR-T cells back into my body.
Yeah, that’s right I’ll be genetically re-engineered and there is no turning back. Once they are in my body they will replicate and become “the new normal” a “living medicine”.
How do I feel about that? Well, at this point it’s the only currently available shot at a cure so I’m doing it. Unlike other treatments like chemotherapy the drugs do their work and leave your system hopefully without any lasting negative side effects. This is different. The new cells will be a part of me, a “living” medication that will hunt down and destroy the lymphoma cancer cells. I was feeling a little so so about all this, until this morning.
My day starts out with devotions using the youversion app. The first thing I read every day is “The Story” which is an introduction, the verse of the day, a video of someone explaining the verse of the day, and a prayer. Today’s verse was Isaiah 43:19 and it was explained by Levi Lusko.
Right at the end of the explanation Levi says “… your (my) good God is seeking to do something new inside of you (me)”.
Do something new inside of me?!?! Something like new T-cells? Like CAR-T cells? It just struck me hard in a very literal sense. I made a note of the thought in my journal and moved on to the next devotion.
I really should not have been reading this next devotion today. I’d gotten behind and I should have read it yesterday. But, here I am reading this.
“then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 4:7 TPT
https://www.bible.com/1849/php.4.7.tptThere are coincidences and then there are God arranged circumstances. To me this was a God thing. These two insights, back to back, it was like God speaking to me. God is making a path in the wilderness, a river in the desert, a way where there seems to be no way for me to receive this treatment and He is doing something new inside of me, literally and making the answers known to me.
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:19 NLT
https://www.bible.com/116/isa.43.19.nltThe result? I’m at peace with the treatment that is coming up in a few weeks. God is it it, He is with me, He is a good God.
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Tour of Sufferlandria 2021
There are may days when I go to bed and I’m thanking God for his goodness and faithfulness in my life that I thank Him for cycling. I often pull into the garage and look at the bikes on the rack and think “Who knew that at my age I’d have 5 bicycles and ride indoors and outdoors all year round, including several years of daily year-round computing to work.”
Especially with what’s going on these days I’m so thankful that I’m able to ride the bike, able to take on a challenge like the Tour of Sufferlandri, able to ride outside with my friends Dave & Rene and out at the lake with the Kenora crew. Thankful that I still have the will, desire and physical capability to do these things and I think do them fairly well given the circumstances.
But this is not about me, it’s about giving God the glory that He enables me to live and do these things.
Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
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Shalom, Shalom
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
Origin: Hard to say…It’s likely you’ve heard that saying and this morning it came to mind as I was listening to a podcast and riding the bike in the basement on the trainer.
So, who is “the student”? Well, that’s likely to be you and me. And, who is “the teacher”? Initially, I thought the teacher would be a person. This is probably because of my school experiences with teachers and classrooms, the traditional learning environment I’m used to. However, these days I think “the teacher” can be more that a traditional school/college/university teacher person. Perhaps the teacher can be:
- a book
- a podcast
- a YouTube video
- a friend
- a spouse
- the Holy Spirit, Jesus, & God for sure
I’m finding the more open and teachable I am, the more I’m looking, the more available I am, the more often “the teacher” appears.
In these challenging days, what are people looking for? Is it peace? I think so.
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord GOD is the eternal Rock.”
Isaiah 26:3-4 NLTWhat is this “perfect peace”? It’s the English translation for Shalom, Shalom a double portion of peace, the peace of God.
This guy explains it better that I ever could. Worth a watch for sure, if the student is ready.
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2020 Strava Stats
Well, 2020 wasn’t exactly a banner year on the bike. Things were looking good in January & February as I was on a training plan with some pretty lofty goals and then the journey continued.
I did get back on the road in late summer with some easier and shorter rides as I recovered. Into the late fall I was feeling good on the bike and starting to handle some longer and faster rides. A big surprise was a late season road ride for 103km on Dec 9, 2020.
I’m still riding year round and typically outside on Wednesdays in the winter with some diehard buddies on fat bikes in the snow and cold.
Fatboy Trail at The Lake For the rest of the winter season it’s indoors on the trainer, typically with Zwift doing a workout, or a group ride, or the occasional race.
