You could say that my life has taken many turns and has been quite an adventure so far to say the least.

Looking at me today, you would never guess that I have had kidney disease, undergone kidney dialysis, a kidney transplant, a near fatal post transplant infection, hepatitis, 2 separate episodes of DVT’s which ended up as serious pulmonary embolisms in my lungs, a near fatal Sepsis infection, seizures and finally brain cancer.

In 1978, I was a high school senior with big dreams for my future. Warm weather and year-round golf would take me to the University of Arizona, where my dream of playing professional golf was supposed to come true.

During my senior year, a blood drive at my Minnesota high school revealed that I had high blood pressure. After visiting my doctor, I was diagnosed with impaired kidney function. I went to the Mayo Clinic, where I was told I had about six months to maybe a couple of years before I would need to go on kidney dialysis and then hopefully receive a transplant.

Against my parent’s advice, I left Minnesota to attend the University of Arizona to play golf and pursue my dream of some day playing professional golf.  During my senior year of college, I started kidney dialysis and went back to Minnesota after the semester ended to one of the top transplant centers in the country (HCMC) in Minneapolis. I was given a kidney transplant on Halloween – Oct. 31, 1982.

Thirty days after my transplant, I developed a life-threatening CMV infection and was admitted to the hospital. For the next twenty-six days, I endured high fevers from 104 to 106 degrees, weeks of antibiotics, hourly ice baths, ice showers and I even had to sleep on an ice mattress to try to lower my temperature. Nothing worked. Finally on the 26th day I had a major seizure. The new kidney I had received ruptured in 3 places from the infection and the high fevers and I was rushed to surgery where doctors sewed the kidney back up. Thankfully, the kidney began to work immediately. Six weeks  after I was initially admitted to the hospital I was released.

I was determined to get back my strength and weight, so I started bowling again. I trained at a gym. I ran miles. Three months after my kidney had ruptured, I developed hepatitis from some tainted blood that I received from my kidney surgery.  But after a month, I was working out and throwing strikes again.  A few months later, I threw enough strikes to win the Minnesota $100,000 Classic single elimination match game bowling tournament. My accomplishment made national news. I even received a letter of congratulations on my accomplishment, perseverance and admiration from President Ronald Reagan.

As I got older, I wanted to return to the desert southwest. So my wife and I made plans to move  to Tucson in early 2000. After buying a home in Tucson and planning on moving there in a month, I developed a DVT which led to a serious pulmonary embolism in my lung. But that wasn’t going to stop my dream of coming back to Arizona. We moved on schedule.

In 2003, while waiting for 5-6 hours with my ill 4 year old son in a late night hospital ER, I was exposed to Sepsis. Two weeks later, late in the night, I drove myself to the ER with flu-like symptoms, rapidly increased difficulty in breathing, and in the ER it was discovered that my toes and fingers  had turned blue and I had dangerously low blood presssure .
But it was much worse. My kidney failed again, but massive doses of antibiotics saved me from what could have been a life ending experience. I was out of the hospital in about six days and my self-prescribed rehabilitation therapy was excruciatingly painful. Like a frostbite victim, when blood tried to get to my extremities, it was extremely painful. I could not accept losing even one finger or toe, so every night I would force myself to get up and walk around forcing blood into my damaged toes. I would scream out loudly at night from the pain for weeks, but it slowly started to get better. I still have all of my toes and fingers.

In 2004, after falling for a woman with a passion for cycling, I took to the road and began riding and competing in most of the major races and rides in Tucson and even some of the most challenging rides in northern Arizona and California.

In 2006, while on a 50-mile training ride in preparation for an upcoming cycling event (109 mile El Tour de Tucson), I developed another DVT, which led to a second pulmonary embolism. But there was no way I was letting that stop me. One month later, I was climbing Mt. Lemmon and training again for El Tour. Despite weeks of lost training and conditioning, I finished the 109-mile race in a very competitive five hours and 30 minutes which was my worst time ever, but  it was the most rewarding ride I’ve ever done. The following year, I tackled the “California Death Ride” — a grueling, 129 mile, five-mountain pass one day ride in the Sierra Nevada mountains and considered by many to be the most difficult one day ride in the country.

My latest medical hurdle just recently happened.  In late 2008, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In December, I had my first brain surgery to biopsy the tumor. In March 2009, I had my second brain surgery and the cancerous tumor was removed. I was released from the hospital less than 48 hours after major brain surgery.

Finding the strength to rebound again after the brain tumor was easy. I have 2 sons ages 10 & 13 to live for. You can’t just sit there and wait for the next shoe to drop. You have to live your life.

Ten days after my brain surgery, I was back on my bike on a easy 25 mile ride. And now I am training hard for this November’s 109 mile El Tour de Tucson. To help me train, I climb Mt. Lemmon. I climb Kitt Peak. I climb every hill and every mountain I can find.

I’ve still got a ways to go to get back to previous levels of speed,distance and fitness, but I’m determined to get there. I’m already doing 50 – 100 mile rides and my fitness is coming back very quickly.

I’ve pretty much accepted the fact that I was a cat in a previous life. I’ve definitely used up at least five of my nine lives. I still have several  to go and I plan on using them wisely. After each health crisis, I have grown stronger and stronger and am now more determined than ever to inspire, motivate and give hope and encouragement to all those who need to find the strength to overcome adversity and difficult times.