Post by RUBICON19 on Sept 1, 2006 19:15:57 GMT -5
I'm sure that some of you may be wondering what has happened to old MC!? Well, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to tell this story...I don't like to burden anyone with hearing any strories about "tough" situations I have to deal with. But, I feel like you guys oughta know, since I have spent so much time with all of you up until recently. You might remember that I made a remark in my journal last May about having "minor" surgery. The surgery was to remove a cancerous lesion from my back. Well,the surgery appeared to have done the trick as the lab report indicated no further cancer was present. Near the end of June, as I was dealing with that freakin achilles problem I had, I began to have minor soreness in the exact area where the surgery had taken place. It got to the point to where I went to have it checked and another biopsy was done of the area and this time a positive result came back. My doctor performed another surgery, removing more tissue this time, but when the lab report came back it indicated there was still cancerous tissue present. Now this , as you can imagine, was really starting to get my attention, and my doctor at this point referred me to an oncologist. The oncologist examined the area, did some tests and informed me that original cancer had spread into tissue below the skin surface in a tentacle-like fashion. This had gone from what I thought was a simple surgical procedure and removal to a situation where I now had cancer "fingers" growing in my back. The oncologist stated that while the cancer was NOT life threatening as it was, it needed to be removed as that could change if it was ignored. I already had a 3 inch scar from the two previous surgeries and the doctor told me that standard surical removal would involve a fairly large portion of tissue and leave a significant depression and scarring of the area. Aware of the fact that I was a bodybuilder, he suggested I undergo a relatively new therapy that involved the use of electron radiation. I thought..whoa..radiation therapy?...you mean where I throw up all the time and lose my hair? He explained that this was a non-invasive procedure and was highly successful in these types of situations. This was not the chemical radiation therapy that I was concerned about. The only drawback was the length of the treatment and the discoloration of the area treated...though that would be temporary and within 3 months of treatment cessation, he said you wouldn't be able to tell anything was done. Five days a week for six weeks, that's how long the treatment lasted....I just got the word last week that the cancer was completely gone now and all I have to do is have 6 month follow ups. The past 3 months have been a real emotional strain as I had to give up my plans of doing the States due to injury, and then had to deal with the uncertainty of the cancer situation. I was SO concerned about what effect it would have on my wife and children if something bad were to happen...the thought of their possuible pain was constantly on my mind, and when I got the word that the treatment had been completely successful I was much more relieved for their sake rather than mine. Needless to say, my training suffered during this time, more from mental anguish for my family, rather than any physical pain, and the two November shows were out of the question. To tell you guys the truth, my heart wasn't really in the smaller shows anyway.......when I could not compete in the States, my enthusiasm took a big drop. I've said this before, but I am not one of those guys that enters show after show to win trophies. I've won plenty of contests as it is, and the only titles that hold any significance to me are those that are national titles that would give me the opportunity to call myself a pro! It's been my big dream and it is what motivates me to continue in this game. I will now gear all of my training to the Nationals in Pittsburgh next July....I also am going to see if I can compete as a light-heavy this time instead of my usual middleweight.
I am going to do basic P/RR/S training, one bodypart a day, five days a week, through the end of December, with a focus on GROWING for now, the only variation is that I will rotate the cycle as follows..P/RR/RR/S...all the while striving to lift as much weight as possible. If Coach will take me back as a client I plan on working with him personally from January straight throught to July. I'm gonna win this thing!!! I will start posting in my journal beginning Monday.
I am going to do basic P/RR/S training, one bodypart a day, five days a week, through the end of December, with a focus on GROWING for now, the only variation is that I will rotate the cycle as follows..P/RR/RR/S...all the while striving to lift as much weight as possible. If Coach will take me back as a client I plan on working with him personally from January straight throught to July. I'm gonna win this thing!!! I will start posting in my journal beginning Monday.
