"It's Not a Tumor!": A Cancer Group discussion

Again for about the sixth time, the same allegations are being leveled against Lance Armstrong stemming from his seven consecutive victories in the Tour de France. We've heard all of this before: Lance cheated with performance-enhancing drugs, and should be stripped of his wins. The recent Sports Illustrated article is particularly damning.

Certain self-perceived purists of cycling apparently will never give up on going after Lance. It appears that Lance's critics believe that these allegations will gain traction if they're in the news often.

I am hereby offering the view of a cancer survivor --- my own.

In 2001, I was treated for cancer with twelve consecutive weeks of radiation to the face, throat and upper chest. After only four weeks, my condition had deteriorated significantly, causing my oncologist to reveal me on a Monday morning that I would be dead by the coming Friday.

As I lay in a hospital bed that week, and in very bad shape, a dear friend visited and gave me his cherished copy of It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life, by of course Lance Armstrong. At that time, I did not know much about Lance.

His book was riveting. This young man had tumors in a testicle, his lung and his brain. After surgery to remove as much of the tumors as the doctors could, Lance endured months of the worst chemotherapy. Many concluded that he would die; others knew that he would never race again, even if he survived. To add insult to injury, his health insurance was cancelled during his treatment.

Emerging from the cancer treatment, Lance persevered and worked hard to get back in shape. He yearned to race again. But he could not find a sponsor for over a year, until the U.S Postal Service signed on.

Lance lost a great deal of weight and muscle mass during his treatment; he never gained either back fully. Before his cancer diagnosis and treatment, he had never won the Tour de France.

Through dedication, humble but surging self-confidence, this young man came back and won the Tour seven consecutive years. Lance takes his role as spokesman for all of us cancer survivors very seriously. With his partner Nike, he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for cancer research. Even more importantly, he gives hope to thousands of cancer patients all over the world by his example. He has become in a sense the saint of the cancer community.

I also know from first hand accounts that Lance quietly visits those suffering from the disease. For one example, a teenage boy was dying of leukemia here in South Carolina. His parents somehow got a message to Lance that their son's dying wish was to meet Lance Armstrong. Cancelling obligations on his very busy schedule, Lance flew to Charlotte, North Carolina, and rented a car to drive to the boy's home. He stayed with the family for a weekend, devoting all of his time to the teenager who was facing death. The boy died the day after Lance left. His mother stated that she had not seen her son so happy in years as he was while Lance visited him. Lance gave the kid a good send-off from this earth, his mother felt.

After I read It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life in the hospital, I was inspired and uplifted as never before during my own war with cancer. I will never forget what his story did for me during a very bad time in my life. I remain in awe of Mr. Armstrong's tireless devotion to all of us around the world who have had or are suffering from cancer.

I'll make this observation: when he rode in the Tour a couple years ago, in a sport when most cyclists are burned out at age thirty and he was in his late thirties, he still finished third. He is the most tested athlete in history, and voluntarily submitted to additional drug screens in all of his Tour appearances following his cancer treatment. His attackers make the same allegations every time, but have lost in every forum thus far. Even the French sporting body found he had not cheated.

Ergo, I don't give a damn about these allegations against Lance. I hope that he did not cheat; but for me that is not the point any longer. He has helped countless people in every inhabited continent by his example, hard work, dedication and sacrifice. He will always be a personal hero of mine. I will continue to wear my yellow LIVESTRONG bracelet proudly and, if necessary, defiantly.

LIVESTRONG!

They can't get Lance on the doping, year after year. Sure looks to me like he didn't do any.

So many want to bring down the top dog ...

Cool insights. Stay healthy, Doug!

John wrote: "They can't get Lance on the doping, year after year. Sure looks to me like he didn't do any.

So many want to bring down the top dog ...

Cool insights. Stay healthy, Doug!"

John,

Thank you for your good wishes.

You are absolutely right about Lance: none of these allegations ever lead anywhere, yet some folks relentlessly are determined to take him down.

Best wishes on your writing. I am looking forward to your next book. Van Gogh, Encore is special.

Stay well, my friend.

Doug