Abramson Cancer Center patient Marc Barag started training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer about two years ago—he just didn’t know it. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and enduring 96-hour sessions of chemotherapy, Barag decided to jump on an exercise bike he spotted on the infusion center floor one day to help keep the water weight off. “I asked the nurses to pull it into my room for me,” remembers Barag, who’s been physically active most of his life. “It was the one redeeming thing for me.”
These days, you’ll find the 63 year old off chemo and likely pedaling out on the road or in spin class as he officially trains for the Ride alongside his wife, Nancy, both of whom are a part “Team Quatro Amigos!” with two other friends. The Inn at Penn hotel is also part of the team. So far, they’ve raised over $18,000.
The 150-mile, two-day Ride, set for October 11 and 12, is a first for Philly, and will benefit Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center. All the funds raised through the event will help support the innovative cancer research, education, and patient care here. The course starts in Philadelphia and heads out to Emmaus, Pa, where the riders camp out overnight, enjoy some food, beer, and live entertainment and then head back the next day.
“I immediately showed it to my wife, and said ‘We gotta do this,’” said Barag, a professional photographer who lives in East Falls and has two daughters. “They’ve been great to me and felt like it was an important thing to do. I want to see more money raised to further research for not just lymphoma, but all types of cancers.”
But he knew the training and the Ride would be a big challenge for him. Cancer isn’t the only thing he’s battled in the last few years.
Barag’s health issues actually started six months before his diagnosis. Pain in his lower extremities and weakness led him to a doctor, who recommended an MRI to explore the discomfort and any potential nerve damage. The tests revealed a rare condition known as transverse myelitis. Often presenting itself as multiple sclerosis, the neurological disorder is caused by inflammation across parts of the spinal cord, and can be the first symptom of lymphoma.
“When I was at my worst, I had trouble walking up a flight up stairs,” he sa
id.
With Amy Pruitt, MD, as his neurologist and Edward Stadtmauer, MD, as his oncologist, Barag underwent a series of treatments—a neurotoxin for the TM and chemotherapy for the lymphoma—to combat both.
After successfully completing his chemo, Barag got routine checkups every three months and doses of medication to help fight off cancer cells that may act up. Although he still battles with the residual effects from TM, he’s happy to report that he was declared cancer free recently—just in time for the Ride next month.
“People think I’m kind of nuts, but at the same time they are encouraging me,” he said. “I feel like I am going stronger every day.”
Check out Marc’s Ride to Conquer Cancer page here and to join the Ride (it’s not too late!) visit here.