Being a long time marathon runner, I have always kept myself in good shape throughout high school, college and middle age. When I started to experience pain after completing my training runs I realized something was wrong.
Internal pain was coming from below my waist, and was more prominent while sitting down. After 2 years of visiting 4 different doctors, it was finally determined to be cancer related. This cancer which generates from the coccyx bones and into the sacral bones is called Chordoma.
It is very rare and not commonly known by most doctors. Considering my age 46, and because I was in fairly good condition, the odds of a good recovery were in my favor. The operation was performed on October 5th 2004, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. It consisted of removing the coccyx bones and 3 sacral bones. I was concerned about how this would affect my quality of life after the surgery.
Find out what's happening in Yorktown-Somersfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
I went into the operation with a positive outlook and waited to see if I would have limitations afterwards. The operation was a complete success, with all of the cancerous tumor being removed along with the bones and severed nerves. My recovery period would only be 3 months since I already was planning to run the upcoming Boston Marathon that April. I was anxious to get back to running again with my friends and running mates from the Taconic Road Runners Club.
Over the next 9 years I have completed another 7 Boston Marathons and 8 NYC Marathons!
Find out what's happening in Yorktown-Somersfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Although I have to be careful with my condition, I basically live a normal life and was able to continue with the things in life while I cherish the most. These are my wife Karol and our 2 daughters, Gina and Diana. I learned to adapt to my limitations but also to work harder to achieve my goals. There is no limit to what you can achieve if you are focused and determined to get there. My experience battling cancer was recently passed on to my daughter, Diana, which successfully completed her fight with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
-Ted Pernicano
For more information on preventative care, staying healthy, support & more, please visit: http://www.cancer.org/
To join Relay for Life, visit: http://www.relayforlife.org/
