Transitions

I started this blog in 2008, to chronicle my participation in The 2008 Israel Ride, my third Israel Ride.  At the time, I wrote: "I will keep it as my journal for the ride, then see where we go from there."  I've kept it as my journal for three more Israel Rides, 2009, 2010, and 2011.  It isn't like there was nothing else going on these past few years -- my four 'kids' all continue in their transformation from great kids to amazing (in the unbiased eyes of their dad) young adults, and couldn't be a source of more pride or pleasure for me.  In 2009/10, I was dealing with prostate cancer, including major surgery on March 18, 2010.  My father passed away this past December.  And, in addition to the Israel Ride, there are several other bike rides, such as the Pan Mass Challenge, that I have also done each year.


As important as each of those things are to me, there are a host of reasons (family privacy, the way that I like to be 'defined', my personal passions, etc.) that had me stick with the original focus, The Israel Ride.


Now it is time to 'see where we go from here'.  For the much of the past year, I've been wrestling with a new challenge, bladder cancer.  Initially it was missed, then it was classified as a relatively manageable, "non-invasive" cancer -- one that is readily contained.  Over the past 2 weeks, however, we've confirmed that it is more advanced than that, calling for much more aggressive treatment.  So, where do we go from here? After giving it a lot of thought, I've decided to try to use the blog as a bit of a personal resource.  I hope that it will permit me a few luxuries during a challenging time:

• the luxury of being able to keep my friends informed without me or my family repeating the same, sometimes difficult, information too many times;
• the opportunity, if I find it helpful, to chronicle my story, thoughts, and experiences; and,
• perhaps the gift of being able to in any way help others who face similar situations, by sharing some of my own experiences and learning.

I'm not sure how chronicling this will work out.  I find it much easier to write about good things, like the Israel Ride, that truly excite my passions and interests, leave me feeling wonderful, and don't infringe on the privacy of others (my reason for not blogging more about family - it is for each of them to decide what, and with whom, they like to share things with, not for me).  This cancer, on the other hand is, well, scary.  That is not my thing.  In this context, it isn't anyone's.  So, please be patient with me.  Read it if you like, or not -- the choice is yours.  I'm writing it to try to keep you informed and, perhaps, to create my own chronicle.  If it works for me, I'll continue it.  If not, I won't.  I look forward to turning mine and the blog's attention back to the Israel Ride, and good things.


For now, I appreciate your prayers and support.