Since my last update in March 2019, I dealt with increasingly debilitating symptoms of Smoldering Multiple Myeloma. In April 2019, I entered a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. Over the course of 8 months, I endured 48 chemo treatments.

The good news is that these treatments suppressed the disease and most of the symptoms. The NIH team is truly amazing.  The bad news is that the chemo and steroids took a serious toll on my fitness level. Chemo forced me into being more of a couch-potato.

After tallying a total of 3000 miles on the bike in 2018, I only was able to achieve 500 in 2019 (all before chemo treatments), and 375 in 2020. I spent most of 2020 and 2021 rebuilding my strength and stamina.

As I’ve worked to rebuild muscle, strength and stamina, I’ve accepted that my post-chemo fitness will never be as strong as it was before.  Frankly, the drugs weakened my veins, especially in my arms.  And no amount of effort on my part seems to help to restore them. I’m not complaining because, relative to the way I felt pre-chemo, I feel great today!

I returned the the bicycle in early 2021 and, with sustained effort, have achieved strength and stamina that “good enough.” I felt good enough to sign up for a multi-day ride that I’ll cover in my next post.