tracing back

Like many runners, I keep a pretty detailed log of my daily runs that contains all sorts of interesting details about the weather, how I felt, etc. I have these ratty handwritten logs (I won’t trust the computer) all the way back to 1998. Pretty impressive. I have every run logged, including my relatively rare races. I have been combing through my old running logs, curious about what my first Hodgkin’s Disease symptoms may have been and when it may have actually begun. I found the following:

• In April of 2005, I complained of being tired, having a headache, and having mild night sweats. I think this must have been my very first inkling of Hodgkin’s Disease.
• In June 2005, I had a routine blood test and was anemic (hemoglobin of 11.0).
• Another mention of mild night sweats in July 2005, along with aches in back and shoulders.
• In November 2005, complaints of shortness of breath doing speed-work, cough, periodic fever and night sweats. Also same symptoms in December 2005.
• February 2006, first mention that my left side seemed hard like a rock.
• March 2006, June 2006, July 2006: the same symptoms I had in November 2005.
• Mention of severe itching on chest that won’t go away, July 2006.
• August 2006: same symptoms, but additional complaint of stuffy head, chest pain. (This was probably SVC Syndrome.)
• November 2006: severe pain in right neck and shoulder, attributed to the computer.
• December 2006: another bout of symptoms, along with more pain.
• January 2007: finally see the doctor.

By the time I was diagnosed, my hemoglobin was dangerously low, my platelets were too low, and I had visible SVC syndrome to go along with the abdominal mass that I didn’t realize was a mass.

I slowly over the course of 2005 through 2007 watched my pace increase (the wrong way) from where I could run a 5K in about 23 minutes to where by the time I was diagnosed in February, I couldn’t run one if someone was chasing me with a knife in under 35 minutes. Now, for example, I can do most of my longer runs at a 8:30 pace (I still lack the short distance speed I once had).

I’m posting this as a warning as to why vague symptoms — even things as simple as “I’m having trouble running hard” or my pace is increasing and I don’t know why — need to be checked out and not ignored.

Tags: cancer, hodgkin's, Running, symptoms