I wanted to thank everyone for following me as I went through my tough times battling Brain Cancer. Today marks 5 years since I was first diagnosed and am pleased to say I will be doing a 1300 mi bicycle ride from Bar Harbor, Maine back to my hometown in Fort Wayne, IN.  Alone.  I'll be leaving July 4th and it should take about 4 weeks.  This trip is to raise awareness for Cancer Survivors and will be raising support.   I made a Facebook page and plan to update it as the time comes closer.  There is hope after Cancer!

Thank you all again for standing by my side and supporting me.  

https://www.facebook.com/TheHopeRide

My bio is below:

Everyone has a story, and this is my incredible journey… 

My name is Kevin Sanders & I’m 31 years old.  On May 5, 2008 I was diagnosed with a malignant stage 3 cancerous brain tumor.   It was discovered after I had a 30 second seizure in the middle of the night, forcing me to go to the ER.  The next morning I was sent to get an MRI & there it was:  a tumor the size of a golf ball, in the front left lobe of my brain.  The tumor was later classified as an Oligodendroglioma (it took me a while to learn how to say & spell that!).

One month after my original diagnosis, a new MRI showed my tumor had grown to be the size of a tennis ball.  It was time to discuss surgery.  The surgeon asked me how aggressive I wanted him to be with the surgery because the more tumor and brain tissue he removed, the higher my chances were of having permanent brain damage.  This was a big decision.  But, go big or go home, right?  So I told the surgeon, “You get as much out as you can.  You do your job, and I’ll do mine.”  After being given only a 20% chance of ever being able to use the right side of my body again, & being told I would need at least 6 months of rehabilitation, I opted for a very aggressive brain surgery.  I made a promise to myself & everyone around me that I was determined to cut that rehab time in half.  To prepare for this major life changing event, I made “how to” videos instructing myself how to literally pick up & put down my right leg, & how to wave my right arm back & forth.  I spoke into the camera, telling my future self, “This is how you do it!”  I tried to be as ambidextrous as possible & mentally prepare for the challenge during that month of preparation.  After a long 8 hour surgery & 95% of the tumor removed, I opened my eyes to a new reality.

After the surgery I had difficulty getting my thoughts into words.  For example, the speech therapist asked me to name my favorite movie & then describe it.  My response at the time was “A guy uh… goes into the wild…uh and he died.”  I also had a difficult time creating original thoughts.  When the nurse came into my hospital room & asked my pain level, I could not respond until she gave me choices.  When she asked, for example, if my pain was a 4 or 5, I would simply repeat “5”; the last variable in the sentence.  At the consultation before leaving the hospital, my neuro oncologist told me statistics indicate that people with my grade & size of tumor generally have about 5-7 years to live, so I didn’t waste any time.  I had a promise to keep.  On the third day after having brain surgery, I left the hospital.  Only I did not go home, & I did not go to rehab.  Instead, I went to the Mall of America.  And I walked the entire mall, even with 30 staples holding a large piece of my skull together.  I never did attend a single session of physical therapy.  I still smile while recalling the words of my excellent surgeon as he pointed me out as his “star” patient to other doctors.  Even though I could not verbally communicate well, I could stammer out single words & gestures enough so others would understand me.  Within a month after surgery, I underwent proton radiation five days a week for 7 weeks while starting chemotherapy at the same time.  I had Chemo for 1 week each month for 12 months, which left me sick & lethargic, but I was determined to get on with life. I even went back to college to prove I could get another degree, sometimes having to leave the classroom to throw up.  It was the toughest year of my life.  According to my doctors, I am now in clinical remission.

I have always had a zest for life & have taken advantage of every day I’m alive, even before cancer.   Carpe Diem (Sieze the Day) has been my motto for many years.  I viewed cancer as just another one of life’s hurdles for me to overcome & now I try to teach others how to deal with fear and disappointments in their own lives.  Life is short & this experience just reinforced that fact for me.  I want to see, learn, & do everything I possibly can.  I have checked off many “bucket list” items, if you want to call it that.  Some of my biggest accomplishments are having 2 degrees in Computers and, after cancer, going back to get a BA in Computer Art & Design.  I graduate in just 3 more semesters.  I also spent the spring of 2012 on a Semester At Sea ship; 800 students sailing around the globe for an incredible 105 days, stopping in 11 different countries.   My adventures have been many, including skydiving & hang gliding.  I rollerblade, snowboard, & I’m a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

I am always striving to make the next year better than the last so, this summer, on the 4th of July, I plan to fly out to Bar Harbor, Maine & ride a bicycle back to Fort Wayne, Indiana.  It’s almost 1300 miles that I will travel alone; it should take about 4 weeks.  I will rely on God, a single tent, & the grace of good people along the way for sleeping accommodations.  I’m calling it, “The Hope Ride”.  My heart’s desire is to bring hope to cancer patients & show them first hand that life doesn’t have to end after cancer.  You can thrive & be a better person than you were before because you never take life for granted & you see the beauty & true value of each day!  Any support you can offer as I undertake the Hope Ride will be sincerely appreciated as I hold the torch for fellow cancer patients & move on to the next chapter of my life.  God Bless You!

-Kevin Sanders

E-Mail :  TheHopeRide@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/TheHopeRide