Glorious have been the days tagging along with my sister Girlz to Graceland. I left Saturday morning with the girlz and I arrived back home Tuesday evening without them by my side on the highway yet they were and forever will be totally in my heart. I think I will be able to meet up with them next week as they are on their way back but for now I am still on a high from tripping with them on a Le femme fun filled adventure.
I found myself thinking of chemo a lot because my last round sucked and because this week I was on the road versus in the hospital bed. Three weeks ago my last round of chemo was the worst ever. I had a week of vomiting, followed by a week of some diarrhea, then a few days of terrible tiredness and weakness in general. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make the trip but I was determined to go even if only for a few miles. By the time Saturday came I was feeling good enough to go. So, I showed up at Mc Donald's at 6am to gather with the gilrz and get on with it.
I woke Sunday in Globe, AZ and it felt like a dream to be on the road instead of getting my regularly scheduled chemo dose. I was beginning a break from allopathic treatment just in the nick of time as I barely transitioned from a semi garaged spirit to a biker surfing the interstate.
When I’m riding I do not feel sick. I actually forget for many miles that I have cancer and all the effects fade away. I notice no pain of tumors pressing on nerves and organs in my belly and pelvis. My thoughts and feelings are that of a biker (and yogini) versus a person with a seemingly chronic life threatening condition. Absent on the asphalt is my awareness of being anything less then a vibrant and healthy rider full of well being.
I rode 1800 miles in four days. I might have started out a bit weary however I returned more strong and full of energy then I have had since the end of my last chemo break.
Saturday June 21st. Day 1:
We got a little late out the gate and so the ride began a series of late starts and frequent Mc Donald’s stops ! The heat was intense and fuel stops were almost fainting stops. We took lunch in Dateline and there was our first encounter of strangers treating us like celebrities.
A woman came up to us and said “I just wanted to say I really admire you all...”
Then her husband came over and asked us about our t-shirts “Girlz to Graceland”.
The serendipitous connection sprouted from there.
We learned that the man’s father worked for Elvis, and the man and his wife were great Harley Davidson enthusiasts (their wedding rings were gold motorcycle wheels). The wife had a Dynaglide (one of my favorite models of Harley) that she suffered an accident with that left her in a coma for months. She is miraculously functioning on just one the third of her brain...
The couple was generous as they offered a donation of $100. And this was before they even knew we were on a mission in part to serve the Presely Place charity. When Lilia expressed concern that perhaps the sweet couple was caught up in the moment and that they didn’t have to give so much the man said “Did you see what we’re driving ?”.
They had a snazzy new corvette. Since the wife’s accident they couldn’t ride together anymore so they got a cool car to do road trips in.
I wonder if that would work for me. I often jones for a ride and have had to graciously settle for being a passenger when I cannot muster the strength to ride myself. I miss riding my Indian. Would I be able to substitute a motorcycle with a sports car ? I had a 280Z once and while it was super sleek and sporty it was not a motorcycle. The pirelli tires were precious and gave me plenty of peak experiences on the pavement yet I don’t think four wheels could replace two.
I’d be willing to experiment and see how close it could come. If a rich man or woman would like to donate a corvette to me I would be willing to try it on for size. In reality, I need new boots more these days.
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