I don’t walk well, but here goes.
The Dennis-Yarmouth Relay for Life will be held June 18-19 at D-Y High. Maureen came home from school and told me about the school relay “Team Special K” named in honor of Kim Oliver an eight grade science teacher who passed away after a battle with Breast Cancer.
Maureen told me she was volunteering to walk so I thought it would be great to support her efforts and will join her in the Relay. Even though I love to ride my bike, I really hate to walk and don’t do well. Maureen’s gonna kick my butt!
During her high school years Amanda walked with friends, later I found out that one of the reasons she did was because of my earlier diagnosis of Melanoma. She never made a big deal of it.. just did it.
Well fast forward. I’m now Stage IV and fortunate to be in medical trial that seems to be working. Last year I couldn’t walk to get out of my way. This year I feel more like a 20 year old.
The Melanoma Foundation of New England is my favorite Melanoma charity, and I’ll work hard with whatever time I have left for them, but I would like to ask you to consider a small donation the American Cancer Society in memory of Kim.
Click here for Maureen’s Relay Donation Page
Click here for Jerry’s Relay Donation Page
Check back to our pages for updates
Lets back up a bit, rewind if you would. I’ll do my best to keep the update to the point.
December 2009.
440 miles on the bike at Planet Fitness. I was all set for 500 when I came down with the “cold from hell.”
The holidays were great. Nice crowd at Mary’s Christmas Eve and a great breakfast Christmas Morning. NO TEXTING AT THE TABLE GIRLS!!!! I guess I’m just an old fuddy duddy.
January 2010
My 48th week in the trial was reached on January 5th. Last year as we were getting the trial info Dr. Atkins told us that he had a patient in a similar trial using the same treatment that was then at week 48 and it was a milestone. Well I found out that that gentleman is still going strong at week 96. Scans were good and treatment went well with a few minor side effects. My immune system seemed to go crazy attacking the “cold from hell.”
Seems kind of funny sitting out during a snow storm. I did get one call to help out the young man who took over my plow route.
February 2010
My brother surprised me when he told me that he was selling his landscape business and was going to work for Penny, his wife. They expanded the offerings at the Village Store and Charlie was going to be the “Sandwich King” of the Dog House Deli. Charlie was even going to deli school.
Read More »
I guess I’ve been hooked by this cycling thing. In some respects it’s my way of fighting back. My doctors are doing everything they can do to keep me alive and I’m just along for the ride.
When I started getting my strength back (thank you Ian) with the testosterone treatments. I knew that I had to get back into some type of reasonable shape. I had gained almost 45 pounds during the 9 months leading up to the diagnosis and I was just bloated.
Once I got back on the bike and decided that I should have the goal of at least one day of the Pan Mass Challenge I knew I found a way to fight back. Cycling! I had to get in shape and the way I figure if I can take a load off my system by being healthier all the better. The added benefit is that if this bastardly disease goes out of control I’ll be in better shape to tolerate some of the other treatments.
I’ve got a long way to go. I figure that I have to lose the equivelant of one small person to be at a real healthy weight.
All that rational out of the way. I’m have a good time working at this. During the month of November I have pedaled 328 miles with 8 days off due to schedule problems. From the day I started being able to track mileage on the bike sometime in October I’ve logged a total of 434 miles.
With the bad weather I’ve been forced into the fitness club most days although I did get to do a few “real” miles on Thanksgiving. The weather was a bit cold by the roads were only damp and most of the leaves had been washed to sides of the road so I rode until my lungs started complaining from the cold air.
So I am a bit obsessed with this cycling thing. I’m even looking forward to the ability to do long rides in the spring once the weather turns back. The stationary cycling does have it’s benefits besides warm and dry. There is no interruption for traffic / intersections / etc. There is no coasting down a hill and I’m able to keep a steady pace for the entire length of the ride. I can also vary the intensity of the workout. I’m increasing one step a week right now.
My legs are coming back to the shape I expected. I’m not loosing weight as much as I’m loosing inches. My testosterone levels have increased markedly and I’m just reach the 3 month mark when I should see the beginning of the significant impact according to the doctors.
I’m still not a bear on the hills because I’m carrying a lot of weight but on average terrain I can hold my own. I can’t wait to see what it will be like this spring after a few steady months of work.
By the way, I’m not obsessive, I’m DRIVEN!
~Jerry
Let’s get one thing out of the way first. I’m a sentimental, emotional person. PHEW! That’s enough for now Dr. Freud.
When I started riding the bike and decided to make it something serious I took my new bike helmet with me to my appointments and asked all the health care professionals who worked with me to sign the helmet. It reminds me that it’s taken a whole team effort to get me riding and somehow it makes the sore butt and muscles worth the effort.
After a relative of a Warrior Angel asked permission to write names on his NY Marathon shirt I decided to add the names of Melanoma Warriors and Warrior Angels to my bike. The Trek Hybrid I picked up has a good sized frame and there are so many spots to put names. I want people to know why I’m riding when I start entering fund raising events. It will also give me a sense of purpose as I pedal during training and honor all who are listed on the bike.
The first name on the bike is that of my uncle/godfather John Sullivan, Warrior Angel.
I’d be honored to add your name or that of your Warrior Angel to the bike. Please send me an email Jerry AT JerrySullivanCapeCod.com
Everyone who asks about the names will get a brief written request for support of a melanoma charity of their choice.
Here are a couple of photos of the helmet
Today a woman I know called me her hero. I thanked her and as she continued on she explained that because I was in a medical trial she felt it was easier for her to consider a trial for her own battle with an advanced cancer. We chatted for awhile about treatments and hospitals and are forever bonded by the shared experiences.
I’ve known this kind lady for many years, but until recently not for much more than a hello and how are you and the family, but now we had something real and threatening in common. It’s easy to stop by and chat for a moment and add a couple of encouraging words and understand a bit of what each of us is experiencing. Read More »
What is it about this seasonal delicacy that drives people crazy, almost a lust, have to have it, hunt different farm stands for the best ears. After all this innocent looking veggie has been around since the before the pilgrims landed in nearby Plymouth.
In our little corner of the world real corn season starts around the tail end of July and is usually over by mid September. This year seems a bit of an oddity or maybe we’ve just spread our wings a bit in our search for late season delights. Let me set the record straight before I go any further. Real corn can rarely be bought at supermarkets. So rare, that we’ve only encountered decent “store bought” corn one time in the last ten or so years.
The butter and sugar (yellow & white) variety is by far the local favorite and in my opinion only grows well in the soils north of the beaches of RI and south of the White Mountains. We’ve been fooled in southern Rhode Island with some very flat tasting fresh off the stalk corn. It must be the soil in the area. Locals liked it though.
It’s maintained that corn should be picked and cooked immediately as the sugars start converting immediately after picking. I think that is overstating the case, but not by much. Fresh corn is not 3 days old on the shelf. Today’s corn should mean picked this morning, sold today. Read More »
The following was shared on a forum recently. I think it sums up a lot. ~jerry
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home.
“The remarkable thing is that we have a choice each day regarding the the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have – and that is our attitude.
“I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
Rev Charles Swindoll.
Jen Ouilette the reporter for our local weekly paper The Register, requested an interview for a update story about the melanoma and treatments as I had made the condition known during the first selectman’s meeting after the initial hospitalization and the paper felt that the townspeople might want an update.
Monday morning Jen arrived and was promptly commandeered by Monty. Within ten minutes the photographer arrived and suggested that Monty be in my lap for the photos. You know what they say about babies and puppies… Well he stole the show.
The photo was published with the article today and he looks just like the Prince he has always claims to be.
I’ll post a copy as soon as I can get a digital copy.
~Jerry
After a couple of months of research I made the big move last Friday and purchased a used bike as in bicycle. I’ve had a mountain bike in the garage for the last 20 years and I’d ride it every once in awhile. The bike was a bit too small and like all mountain bikes it really wasn’t a suitable longer distance road rider.
I’d been searching Craigslist for a used hybrid. A hybrid is a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike designed to spend most of the time on pavement or packed gravel. As luck would have it I found a good deal in the Boston area. After a quick phone conversation with the seller we agreed to meet just north of Boston on Friday evening.
Have you heard about the work on the canal bridge? The ride up to Boston was a piece of cake and I was actually a half hour early for our meeting. The trip home was another matter, hit the edge of the backup at 9:30 pm and didn’t get home until 11pm. A long day….
Saturday I dropped the bike off to a local shop and had a tune up and some repairs done. The shop is run by a fellow named Chris Metcalfe, his wife Cat and german shepard Dakota. Its a full time love and part time business for Chris. He’s open 7 days a week but only after other job. He did a fantastic job getting me all set for the road at a very reasonable price. I’ve made new friends and I’m going to do a new website for Chris.
I took the bike out today for an hour on a portion of the Cape Cod Rail Trail. I returned to the car totally wiped out and drenched with sweat because of the heat and humidity today. But I felt SOOOO GOOD. My only question is how the heck do they construct a trail that is uphill going and coming?
1st bunch of evidence
Hi all,
It appears that some pranksters were about during the afternoon hours of September 10th. It was fairly obvious who was to to blame, cousin Squirrely, excuse me I mean Maureen who lives across the street. We only call her squirrely because of her habit of feeding and coddling the little rodents.
When confronted. (shout across the street) she readily confessed and pointed the blame soley on co-conspirtor cousin Peg who was aided by her daughter Jacki.
Visual evidence #2
Seems cousin Peg was kind of bored while driving to work and the extra cup of coffee had jolted her wide awake. So she calls Squirrely and upon hearing it was my 60th birthday “We have to make sure we try to embarrass him real good.” The two of them hatch up the balloon and sign caper and enlist the support of Jacki whos was given the task of making the sign.
Sometime around 3pm Squirrely and Jacki committed trespass on my property and then vandalized by attachin said sign to the front door and the balloons to the lamppost.
I for one think they did a damn good job and I’m gonna make sure that the payback fits!
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