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Pedaling Through Fear (for 100 Miles)
After Mom contracted cancer, I signed up for a charity bike ride to save her. But the journey held unexpected detours
Another long, stressful business trip was over. Rushing to catch my plane back home, I received a phone call — one that changed everything.
The call was from my 65-year-old Mom. In her usual, straightforward fashion, she delved right into the facts: Her blood tests were back, and the diagnosis was non-Hodgkin lymphoma — a type of cancer of the immune system.
My throat tightened. “Mom,” I said, “What’s lymphoma? Just how serious is this?”
Mom kept her voice calm and steady. “Oh, honey, don’t worry,” she replied. “The doctor said at least half his patients survive.”
A desperate deal
On the flight home, my thoughts swirled. How could this be happening? Mom was my rock, taking care of everything. Growing up, I always had clean clothes, hot meals, a listening ear, and a shoulder to cry on.
Now, in middle age, I needed Mom more than ever. Fresh off a painful divorce, I juggled the demands of an exhausting job while solo parenting my 13-year-old daughter.
