Edward Denton
Nashville, Tennessee
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I worked for a middle size retailer for the last 3 ½ years as a Senior Systems Analyst. Managing over 100 seat local and 71 registers over wide area network, including 8 NT 4.0 Servers, 20 P.O.S. Servers in 20 locations across Middle and West Tennessee, connected via multi-segment LAN and ISDN/frame relay WAN (Ascend and Cisco routers). Managing and maintaining over 2GB data warehouse for all retail stores sales data for the last three years. Started our data warehouse in Microsoft Access 7.0 until we max it out and moved to Microsoft SQL 7.0 last year.
I grew up, in East Tennessee (Sweetwater, Tennessee = Home of the World Largest Underground Lake called: THE LOST SEA), this where I first started my riding for fun. In High School and later at Tennessee Tech University (TTU) in Cookeville, Tennessee, I could away be found on my bike logging miles. During these years I would average 5000 miles a year. Since graduating from TTU in 1992 with BS in Accounting and BS in Management Information Systems, my riding has been down to about 1500 miles per year. I have been able to go on 3 cycling vacations since graduation ranging from 400 to 600 miles in a week. In January 1999, my life changes when a truck ran a red light and totaled out my car with only 10 more payments to go until the car was paid for. My goal after that was get myself back into shape for the 2000 cycling season that was when I was hit by cancer in late November. It was during Thanksgiving Weekend, I decide to stay home instead of heading to my parents for the Holiday to get a workout in before finishing up the Y2K project for my company. I notices something that did not feel right, I logged on my Computer to WebMD and did a search for what it might be. During the search I came across the CCC web page. Due to the Holiday Weekend I could not get into my Primary Care Physician until mid-December, who schedule me to see a Specialist ASAP on January 4, 2001. On this day, I got to see not one, but three specialists -- all who agreed that I needed to have surgery ASAP. The soonest they could get me in was only 22 hours later. So, I had to make phone calls to both my parents and inform them of my operation. Both my big Brother and Dad knew about my possible operation during Christmas, but I did not inform Mom until I knew for sure. To help my Mom deal with my operation, I mentioned Lance Armstrong had it and came back to win the Tour-de-France. After the operation, it was confirmed as Testicular Cancer on January 5, 2001. They scheduled me an appointment with a doctor with Tennessee Oncology to go over my options in what needed to be done next to fight the cancer.
My oncology doctor had a discussion and made recommendations with me on how we should go forward. He mentioned I had the form of Testicular Cancer with a mixed germ cell & seminoma type. He mentioned this was a rare type with only about 400 cases per year in US. The prognosis is generally quite good usually curable. Historically, patients underwent a large operation to evaluate "retroperitoneal" lymph nodes. But only about 40% - 50% are positive, and the surgery can cause long term problems with ejaculation. A modern approach is too not do the surgery, but instead watch you VERY CLOSELY, especially for the first year. Then you could receive treatment only if it returns (about 50% change). Even if the disease returns after a period of observation, it is generally quite responsive to treatment with chemotherapy. From hearing my options with my oncology doctors, I decide to go on the wait and see option this mean for the 1st 4 months getting the following done: blood test = tumor makers (beta HCG, alphafetoprotein) and a CT-scan of the abdomen and pelvis. After the 1st 4 months visit, then appointment moved to every 6 weeks, with CT-scans every other time for the first year. After the 1st year, then appointment moved to every 8 weeks, with CT-scans every 12 weeks for the second year.
I have been working on building my body back up since April 5th, when my doctors mentioned I could start easing back into a training program. My training program is made-up of a combination of cycling, running, weight training and attempted swimming laps. I have logged 642.3 miles on the bike and 43 miles on the treadmill. My doctors have been very positive in me keeping my body strong as I go through my appointment each month. I know each month I that return to the doctor for my check-up this could be the month I start my Chemo Treatment. I have read Lance Armstrong book "It's Not About the Bike -- My Journey Back to Life." The Chemo process really wore him down through his treatment, but in between appointment he would cycle on his trainer to help keep him strong. I don't look forward to the Chemo process, if I have to go through it.
For the last 4 months my blood work has been normal range and my chest X-ray has came back negative. Since, the first of the year I have lost 30% of my body weight, which put me back at my college weight level. I am glad things have slowed down at work where I work more my normal working hours again. Over the 1st 4 months I would experience good days and bad days, but since I started with my training program in April, I am experiencing fewer bad days as I built back my endurance levels. My long-range training goal is to re-enter the bicycle road racing circuit next season. Plus, I have pick-up two more computer (Comptia Certifed Network+ Technician and Comptia Certified iNet+ Technician) certifications this year. On my bad days when I was feeling weak -- I would stay mostly in bed and prepared for my next exam.
I am now in my second year of my bloods work and CT-Scans coming back negative, and my appointments have moved out to every 8/12 weeks. My company has been keeping me busy as we grow by 20% this year with new locations in the state. This past spring I purchased a new racing bike (a 2000 Carbon Fiber Trek 5200 model). This is to replace my old entry level-racing bike (1990 Giant Perigee model) with 37,000 miles on it as of this April. I am working toward 4 more computer certifications: Cisco Certified Network Associate 2.0, Certified Internet Webmaster Professional, Comptia Certified Server+ Technician and Microsoft Certified Professional. Between working and studying, I am only getting in a ride on the weekends. I should be able to get back to my training schedule in late October after we open our last store for this year.
My next appointment for blood works will be in September and my next CT-Scans will be in October.
Cancer Overview:
General Cancer Type: Testicular
Specific Cancer Type: Seminoma Type
Treatment Summary:
My oncology doctor had a discussion and made recommendations with me on how we should go forward. He mentions I had the form of Testicular Cancer with a mixed germ cell & seminoma type. He mentions this was a rare type with only about 400 cases per year in US. The prognosis is generally quite good usually curable. Historically, patients underwent a large operation to evaluate ?retroperitoneal? lymph nodes. But only about 40% - 50% are positive, and the surgery can cause long term problems with ejaculation. A modern approach is too not do the surgery, but instead watch you VERY CLOSELY, especially for the first year. Then you could receive treatment only if it returns (about 50% change). Even if the disease returns after a period of observation, it is generally quite responsive to treatment with chemotherapy. From hearing my options with my oncology doctors, I decide to go on the wait and see option this mean for the 1st 4 months getting the following done: blood test = tumor makers (beta HCG, alphafetoprotein) and a CT-scan of the abdomen and pelvis. After the 1st 4 months visit, then appointment moved to every 6 weeks, with CT-scans every other time for the first year. After the 1st year, then appointment moved to every 8 weeks, with CT-scans every 12 weeks for the second year.
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