Who says...

Who says Chemo makes you nauseated, sick and wanting to curse all food that you see? Well, that's what the books say, but because Tim is a warrior, and is counting on GOD instead of DOCTORS, this is what happens when you put food in front of him in the morning (cooked by me his amazing wife of course...hahaha)

Before...

and AFTER!

We are more than conquerors...

-Christa

Home Sweet Home!!!

Ah - Home Sweet Home! I love it here! This is my haven. My getaway. My paradise. My sanctuary. It is so nice to be home. I feel so refreshed, energized, renewed and strengthened. I feel better today then I felt before I was diagnosed. I have lots of color, eating lots (steroids...gotta love em), have had a full body workout every day this week, and loving every single minute of it.

Don't get me wrong, there have definitely been times where I have had my down moments and feel discouraged or wonder why the **** (fill in the blank) I am going through this again, but there ain't no time to ask such silly questions. But if I am gunna bring it up...then let's open the table for discussion. Why do I have cancer again?

I've been reading a book on fighting cancer by this doctor who did mounds of research on the disease and broke cancer causing agents into three categories. 1. Our environment: From the chemicals we use to clean our house to the pollution in the air to our work environments and the things we breathe in on a daily basis. 2. Our diets: Apparently over 80% of cancers are caused by our diet. Which I find interesting. Back a while ago before I even started treatments Harold and I from work had a few interesting conversations about cancer and if things like second hand smoke and alcohol and all that apparently "number one" cancer causing stuff really is the answer. Frig, even the other day when I was in the elevator at the hospital I saw a sign up about receiving support for anal cancer. I mean - C'mon, are we not allowed to poop anymore! Give me a break. I mean I definitely agree that somewhere along the line we as humans are responsible for our health and why so many of us are inheriting diseases - but I look at my family and extended family compared to other families...If you don't have cancer in my family...something is wrong with you. You better head back to the take it or leave and tape a sign to your chest because you are in the wrong gang. But yet I look at other families who definitely ain't reaching for the healthy lifestyle and sickness doesn't even consume them. So, is it possible that maybe because I've had two types of aggressive cancer that maybe my body needs extra attention when it comes to diet in order to keep these cancers at bay...or is it possible that those who give a rats rear end about their health are only setting themselves up for problems in the future. Either way I do agree that diet plays a big roll in how we feel, our performance, and keeping illness away.

When I was training for my bike tour I eventually was asked to meet with a nutritionist who wanted to put me on all sorts of supplements, herbs, organics, and God knows what else. At first, I thought your kidding. I'm going to eat Kraft Dinner and McDonald's for the rest of my life...and watch...you might live healthier - but we are both going out the same way...we're gunna die sooner or later. But then I discovered...would I not want to live a healthy life, feeling energetic every single day, with passion and fire, and eagerness to enjoy the outdoors, and die at 90 rather than living a life on my couch and can't even roll myself over because...well...you get my point. I learnt very quickly that when I started eating more organic foods, making healthier choices, taking in supplements that we don't normally find in most foods, and living an active life style...I FELT FANTASTIC! And I believe that most of my success from my bike tour came from my diet which gave me the nutrients I needed to perform at such high intensity. Christa and I have made some major changes in our diet and when I am through with my treatments we will continue to make some major changes!

The third point the doctor discusses in his book is our thinking. A psychologist (forget her name) recently did a project called Who turned my brain off - which unlocks thinking patterns in our brain which is tied to our physical body and our health. She shows us that our attitudes and our thinking greatly effect how we think and feel about ourselves. She's not talking about the speaking your future into existence type of thinking - the whole you want a new car and a new house theory and you just gotta tell yourself 50 times that's what you want and you'll get it. Because we all know, that you can tell yourself 1 million times you are gunna get a new house, but if you don't have the financial means and knowledge to get yourself that house - your hooped. She's talking about training your mind to speak encouraging thoughts over your body and how our overall well being is uniquely and intricately tied to our thinking. When our minds are negative and we continue to allow ourselves to feed those thoughts...eventually what's in our minds flows down to our mouth...and what comes out of our mouth eventually builds into our hearts and becomes part of our make up. But instead we need to be taking captive thoughts that are negative and turn them into positive thoughts - so that the only thing that flows from our mouths are good, positive, and life giving words which eventually build into our hearts and then becomes part of our make up.

It is definitely an interesting book and study performed and is worth looking into more. So getting back to my thinking and about me having cancer again. Honestly, I don't know why I have cancer again. Beats me. But I know that instead of laying back and soaking in it all day, I...and Christa have chosen to rise up against it and continue living life...not allowing it to get us down.

When I am finished with all the treatments - you can expect another wild crazy adventure coming from us...who knows where. But we are excited to see our story unfold, and the hundreds and thousands of people who's lives are being changed because of our story!

Until next time!

Tim Harriman

June 5 - Day 5

This morning I woke up and felt very at peace when I looked over out my window and could see rain drops coming down. To me, it's a sign of tears of joy and excitement from up above as I walk in victory!

Today I feel great! Better and better every day. I am excited to go home today and sleep in my own bed (with my beautiful wife), hang out in my own home, and continue living life with passion and a desire!

Here is a little clip I felt like adding from my tour. If you cannot view this link go to www.youtube.com and search for Spokeman Tour...there you can see all of my videos from my tour. You can also view my website www.spokemantour.com which talks about my tour, my battle with cancer before, and the thousands of kids who I met with cancer and over 40 million viewers we reached through media outlets!

You Tube Video - Triumph

And of course...a shout out to all my friends at the ALberta Children's Hospital Video

Know that you blessed today. Today is a gift...that is why it is called the present. Keep pressing on...and know that life goes a heck of a lot deeper then work and running errands, and having a busy life. Take time today to observe what you have...because today is a GOOD DAY!

PS. We are still trying to figure out how to get video's up, so once we can that nailed I will add a mini video clip :)

Cheers my friends!

Tim

PS:

Just had a visit with the doctor and she says my lumps on my neck have gone away! Amen! I am feeling fantastic. I had french toast and bacon for breakfast, a nice hot shower and am lovin life! Doctor doesn't see why I wont be allowed to go home for the rest of week and come back next week for my stem cell shots and then go home for night passes! She expects my counts to start dropping by early next week and begin rising by late next week or mid June. She expect my transplant collection to be on schedule and for no complications! Wow! Life is good...ALWAYS!

Cheers my friends. Keep pressin on and doing what your doing...because...WE WILL WIN!!! WHOO RAH!

From the one and only,

Tim Harriman
Canadian Cyclist, 2 time Cancer Survivor, Motivational Speaker, and more to come! Bring it on!

June 4 - Day 4

It's a beautiful day! Didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night but having this amazing view over looking the city and the moon shining down, the sky was clear, and the presence was peaceful. I keep reminding myself that I've got this :) Basically one week down and 2 more to go till I am discharged for a little break. And then I am admitted again June 30th and after EVERYTHING GOES WELL and ACCORDING TO PLAN I will be walking out of this hospital on July 16th, cancer free, a new system, and never having to do another shitty chemotherapy treatment in my life - Who rah!

Just a recap of what's all be happening:

Monday I had my central line put in and on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday my day basically looks like this:

8AM: Nurses comes in to start my steroids which keeps my weight stable and my appetite up and also checks my vital signs, height, weight, temperature, pulse, heart, etc.
8:30AM: Breakfast comes...The food is amazing here...I am serious! Or maybe it's the steroids!
9AM - 10AM: Nurse starts the chemo. Once the chemo is started I usually try and get out of bed and go for walks, freshin up (today is shower day), and do my exercises that the physio team has me on (It's a full body work out, and let me tell you...it's quite the work out...and I'm proud to say that I on the highest intensity program they have and hope to keep it there :)
12:30: Lunch...mmmmm....lunch
Usually around lunch time one of Christa's friends comes in to visit whom she met back in EMT school and is now studying to be a doctor. And occasionally I get the odd visitor around lunch as well.
2PM Chemo finishes and they put another drug in me which helps protect my bladder and make me pee A LOT. Literally, as soon as the drug goes in, within minutes I might as well just stand beside the toilet because for the next hour I have to go literally every minute. It's a little annoying but if it's part of getting better then it's what I gotta do!

Then for afternoon I just hang out, watch TV, go on the computer, and at 5:30 supper comes and then a couple more visitors comes and then the rest of the day is just hanging out, walking around...and being a trouble maker like always :)

They have this drug called mezna which they started on Tuesday and will finish tomorrow (Friday). This drug also helps to protect my bladder and I'm hoping believing that once it's done tomorrow that I will have no infections and my counts and temperature will be stable and I will get discharged until Tuesday. Next week on the 10th is when I start those shots to boost my stem cells and the Doctor said If I am feeling well I can probably just come in, get my shots, and then go home again. So if you are praying, pray with us that I will not have to be here and that I can go home. The hardest part of this journey so far has been seeing Christa leave at the end of the night...I'd much rather be at home in our own home and sleeping in our own bed and hanging out together. But...if I gotta be here then we will make the best of it :)

On June 15 (my birthday!) they take my stem cells from me and will mature them and freeze them. Basically it's almost like a transfusion. They hook a line up to meet which draws my blood into something like a dialysis machine which separate my stem cells from my blood and then returns my blood to my body through another line - a total of about 5 hours. I just gotta lay back and watch TV.

So that's the scoop for now. I just went for a little walk over to the kitchen to grab some orange juice and some crackers because I am hungry...so hopefully breakfast will be here soon. I've ordered french toast and bacon :)

Take care my friends...we will be in touch!

Tim Harriman

Nehemiah and Brailey

Today I was inspired, yet again by Tim and just what we are facing. A friend of ours came to visit and her and I started talking about the stories Tim and I will have in our future, even the ones we tell our kids. I pictured Tim and I sitting there, at bedtime with them after a story and a snack and sharing with them the amazing things "daddy" went through and how he is such a hero. Then something really neat happened later in the day, I imagined our kids talking to their friends about their dad, and how proud they were of him, and how their daddy was the coolest and strongest daddy because of how he faced the monster and pushed it out of the way.

"Dear Brailey and Nehemiah...

Although neither of you are born yet, as I sit here in Tim's hospital room, I am excited for the day we get to hold you both in our arms. Tim is nervous about being a dad, and wants to put it off for awhile and enjoy being married to me, but I know when you both come along you will change our lives forever. I imagine the days of braiding your hair Brailey, playing dolls, dressing up and taking walks. Tim tells me about the date nights he wants to have with you, the summer nights with ice cream cones and picking you up on his shoulder and tickling you until you can't laugh anymore. Brailey, you are a blessed girl to have a dad like Tim one day. Nehemiah, I'll be sure to be your friend and spend lots of time getting to know who you are and investing into really fun moments. Tim wants to play every sport with you, teach you golfing, take you out for a coke often, and create a bond that is so strong between dad and son. We can't wait to go hiking with you both, on vacations, to disneyland, on a cruise, search for faires in the garden, find frogs in the swamp and keep really quiet as Santa drops off his gifts for you!

As you grow up, I'm sure you will quickly discover the heart your dad has. He will protect you, pray for you, love on you, and be your favorite...your hero, the best dad in the whole world. He will help change poopy diapers, and proudly watch you graduate. He is a man of strength, fighting cancer two times...and winning! He is wise, focused, determined and will help you accomplish your goals, and will never tell you what you desire is too big for you to reach. He will teach you, motivate you, train you and never ever turn his back on you when you need him the most. He is so devoted to me, putting all others second, and I know he will do the same for you both. Any time he makes you mad, or when you're older and you are frustrated with him, remember this; He knows alot, he's faced alot and loves you like crazy. He wants the best for you and wants you to grow, flourish and succeed. He wants you to fulfill your dreams and accomplish your goals. He wants you to dream big, and win every battle you ever face. Your dad is my hero, and I know he will be yours.

We both can't wait to meet you...until we do, we're going to grow stronger together, in Christ and fight fight fight the good fight of faith. Wait until you meet your dad....you'll love him!

-Christa (your moma in a few years)"

June 3 - Day 3

Rise and Shine Peoples!

It is now about 8AM and what do I wake up to? Beep...beep...beep. I called the nurse but no one has come yet. I became a master at controlling these pumps when I went through treatments the first time...I am very tempted to start pushin buttons...and possibly even un hook myself and go down the street to Denny's for breakfast. Yesterday after my 5 hours of chemo I was allowed to go for a little walk outside. I was bugging Christa when I stepped out to the street and put my hand up yelling...TAXI! Then I got a whole lot of stares from doctors and nurses and who knows who else who were probably thinking...this guy is nuts...he is still hooked up to his pump and has a million bags on him...where's he going? Someone call security. Ha-ha :)

Good times. Yesterday I arrived back at hospital at around 8am from my overnight pass. They hooked me up pretty quickly to some all sorts of meds to protect my kidneys and me bladder and then they started the chemo. I don't remember how much chemo I received last time I went through this during the first week of my diagnosis but it amazes me that I only have 3 days of a few bags each day and that is enough to wipe out my entire body. They doctor's and nurses don't expect that ill be too sick with this and plan on having me rebound pretty quickly. I've heard that the transplant process can be a bit painful leading up to it when they give these shots into my tummy which will draw the stem cells from my bone and into my blood stream so that it can be taken for transplant. Technology amazes me.

Yesterday one of the nurses who was helping me was very keen on hearing more about my bike tour and how did I train for and how much money we raised, etc. She said it is really nice to have patients come in once in a while who have done amazing things because it helps to keep the nurses attitudes positive and remind them why they are doing what they are doing. Christa's uncle Laurie Skreslet who was the first Canadian to climb mount Everest is also friends with Alan Hobson who is an acute leukemia survivor, had a donor blood stem call transplant, and was only given 1 year to live. Alan was on his third expedition to reach the summit of Mount Everest as well when this terrifying news came. Not only did he summit to the top of Everest but he also summits to the top of Cancer and is still alive today writing books and speaking around the world on his climb back from cancer. This is just a few of the people that I have met in my journeys and have a had a chance to hear their story and be inspired but what they have done...and what I will continue to do as well.

There is a hall on this ward called inspiration highway where it is lined with pictures and stories and newspaper clippings of cancer patients who have walked this road given the worst prognosis and are still alive today achieving their dreams and living life to the fullest!

I thank you all for your encouragement and support as I press on into victory and as I become the 1 stat that rebounds and reacts to these medications so mildly that doctors are astounded and can't believe my case :)

Cheers to you :)
Tim Harriman