I Ride for: Kacie

All I know about Kacie is what I could scour from Instagram. My daughter gave me her name and an Instagram link. So, I know she is battling ovarian cancer, which apparently has metastasized. I deduce this because in the surgery she describes they took out everything south of her rib cage. Ok, that may be an exaggeration. She did not mention stomach, or kidneys, or liver, or small intestines, or large intestines, or pancreas. She did, however, get rid of her Appendix in the deal. I wonder if the surgeons (she had 4) thought “We are in the neighborhood…we might as well.” Probably not.

There are no dog, cat, or pet pictures. There are also zero pictures of plants or food. So I conclude Kacie has other priorities. There are wedding pictures that look amazing and a tribute to her dad who died way too young.

The only thing consistent with all the pictures, including the one just after the surgery (where they removed her appendix for free), is her smile. With hair she smiles. Without hair she smiles. With a 60s era wig and head band she smiles.

The LiveSTRONG Manifesto from many years ago had a line, “Attitude is Everything.” Well I don’t know about everything but it for sure is a game changer. Kacie has about the crappiest row to hoe I have come across in a while. (Pun absolutely intended.) And even this week in the midst of what is probably devastating chemo - she smiles.

Kacie, my cancer and treatment is way different from yours. Even though there is no cure for multiple myeloma, I have not been through surgery or chemo. I still, however, have hard days. We all do. The next one I have I will think of your smile. Thank you!

SHINE!
The Road Rider