Finding My Inner Rocky

My three nurses and I braved the chilly weather and headed to Philly today. We had delicious drinks at La Colombe, a wonderful dinner at Cichetteria 19, caught up with my Duke buddy Eric and his friend Christa, and soaked up the City of Brotherly Love.

And, of course, we went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the location of the famous jog up the steps and triumphant pose struck by Rocky Balboa during the ever-inspiring training montage in Rocky.

I had dreamed of these steps for the past few months, and tried to channel Rock as I pushed myself at the gym, during my jogs, and while I shot hoops. I thought of Rocky as I gritted my teeth and hauled myself out of bed a couple of days after my surgery. I thought of Rocky as I wheeled my IV pole down the halls of Washington Hospital Center. And I've been thinking of him every day since I've left WHC, as I've pushed myself to get stronger every day.

And today, feeling strong and healthy, I posed with the Rocky statue next to the stairs, climbed the stairs -- walking at first, then briskly hopping up the last half dozen steps. When I got to the top, I outstretched my arms, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and gave thanks for the triumph of this cancer-killing adventure. In that moment, I knew how blessed and lucky I truly was, and how meaningful my life would always be as a result of this fight for my life. I fought for my life and I won.

I felt like a champion today. I felt like Rocky. It was the feeling of coming full circle, and it felt beautiful.