The celebration is less than two weeks away! Men’s health month, Cancer Survivor Day and my reflection on the journey

How appropriate that June, men’s health month, is when this epic journey will conclude! Scott is over 9600 miles, and we are in Medora, North Dakota.  We have less than two weeks to go! Scott did a video yesterday during our hike in the Badlands at Theodore Roosevelt National Park to remind men to get their physicals, and to get their PSA checked.  Today is also cancer survivor day, a day to be grateful for the each day that Scott beats this disease.

 I too want to remind women to encourage the men in their life to get their physicals (and their own preventive physicals.) I pestered Scott about getting a checkup as I said "it was the thing to do" in our early 50’s. He felt great, he was strength training, playing hockey, softball, and had absolutely no symptoms of any ill health. We had only been married a few months when he was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer.   Scott had an elevated PSA detected from a simple blood test, and a biopsy confirmed the aggressive prostate cancer. 

Imagine what is like to be newly married to your strong, healthy, athletic spouse, excited about a long future and growing old together, only to find out your husband has cancer. Imagine further what happens when you find out it is stage 4 prostate cancer. The journey of surgery, radiation, hormone deprivation therapy, chemotherapy, and then more hormone deprivation therapy and radiation is 7 years long now. Though the journey is not the dream I imagined when I married Scott, I truly love him, and I am closer to him now than ever before.  Scott chooses to see the blessing in the cancer diagnosis - to live like you are dying and follow your dreams!  As a caregiver, a spouse, I too choose to see the blessing in the gift of each day.   The cancer journey certainly helps you focus on not sweating the small things! 

When Scott was going through chemotherapy he never complained, but the truth is he was sick. He couldn’t eat, he was tired, he had a clinically depressed immune system and yet he continued to work at the post office. One of the few things he could actually taste and tolerate was chocolate protein shakes. He still loves chocolate to this day!  He also continued to exercise as the doctor encouraged him, he could have a 250 percent survival benefit by exercising 6 days a week, 60 minutes at a time. 

Chemotherapy happened during covid, which further challenged us because I could not go into the treatments with Scott, which meant I sat alone in the vehicle waiting. It also meant he went to work with his depressed immune system at the post office, with no remote work option.  If chemotherapy, and covid was not enough, Scott also got the call during this time that his 25-year-old son Benny had committed suicide. We only learned after this that Benny had schizophrenia. 

Scott turned very internally after this – thinking and praying.   Shortly later he approached  me to propose how he wanted to  “make a difference. ” He wanted to cycle about 11,000 miles around the exterior of the United States.   Truly,  I thought he was slightly crazy. He was still sick from chemo and even a 20-minute cycle on a stationary bike wiped him out. He was also still immune depressed. Physically, I had no clue how a healthy person could contemplate an almost 11,000-mile bicycle trip, let alone a person with stage 4 prostate cancer. I also had no idea how we could possibly do this practically, or financially, as the logistics overwhelmed me.  After over 2 years of planning we set off June 26 2023 with the truck, trailer, the dogs, my mobile office and of course Scott's bikes.  

Well, here we are, 11 ½ months later. Scott is still actively fighting stage 4 prostate cancer. He has biked through 33  of 33 states on this perimeter ride, and he is approaching the finish line.  With the help of many friends we have a  huge party at Itasca State park to celebrate. At this party we celebrate not just the conclusion of a big cycle trip, but the ability of one man to do something extraordinary. One man with a dream, who did not let life’s obstacles, ( nor the obstacles on the road including weather, road construction, dead ends, route issues, or a head first crash into a guard rail, )  stop him from reaching for and accomplishing his dream. But he did so much more than accomplishing that dream, he also did it while raising awareness and funds for the two causes that greatly impacted him.  Through the various means we have used we know that many thousands of people have been reached with the message, and hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised for the two charities.   

 So, on this, one of my last blogs, I am quite emotional thinking of where we started and where we are. Not just on this cycle journey but on the cancer journey. This is not what I envisioned when we got married – but it is so much more. 

So please, celebrate with us. If you cannot come in person, celebrate remotely. We celebrate not just the conclusion of a journey, but we celebrate reaching dreams, and living life to the fullest regardless of obstacles. Thank you for your donations, your encouragement and support.  Thank you for reading these blogs, sharing Scott’s story. As always, we continue to  appreciate your donations so that we can support the great efforts of zero prostate cancer, and SPAA as to these diseases, through links on Mile$ for Money (milesformoney.org). Katy and Scott Freitag