St. Paul Pioneer Press

9/16/2011

Turning Point: Cancer diagnosis hasn’t slowed down dedicated marathoner from Lake Elmo

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By Rhoda Fukushima

Don Wright (Debra Gendel)

Don Wright of Lake Elmo ran his first marathon, Grandma’s Marathon, in June 2003. That month, he also was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow. Since then, Wright, now 70, has run 54 marathons in 36 states. He wants to do a marathon in every state. Today, Wright plans to run the Erie Marathon in Pennsylvania.

“I wasn’t expecting cancer at all. My family doesn’t have much cancer. When I got the diagnosis, I was scared. But I felt good. It was easy to be in denial, and I was, at first.

“After the initial shock, my reaction was to see if I could qualify for and run the Boston Marathon in 2004. I ran eight 20-mile runs between Grandma’s Marathon (in June) and Twin Cities Marathon (in October). I had qualifying times for Boston twice – at the Twin Cities Marathon and at the Tucson Marathon in December 2003.

“The doctor was totally supportive of my running. He believed it would strengthen my bones. I believe that, too.

“At that point and even yet, the myeloma hasn’t caused any symptoms. It was caught at an early stage. It was two more years before we started treatment.

“I started taking Thalomid. It didn’t do anything but give me a rash. I tried the supplement curcumin, but it didn’t do any good.

“In March 2008, my doctor put me on an experimental drug called pomalidomide. I have been stable ever since. I take that pill every night before I go to bed.
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“When I ran my first marathon, I was thinking, ‘Why on earth would anyone do this?’ It’s a lot of hard work and pain. When I got across the finish line, I knew I would be doing another one.

“Running is emotional, spiritual. Something just draws me to that long run. When I’m running, my mind is free to roam. I can just sort of float across the ground. I love that feeling.

“A friend of my dad’s once told me, ‘I was always ready for a marathon.’ I liked that sentiment. Now, I am always in marathon-ready shape.

“We do this as a family. My wife and daughter run either the marathon or half-marathon. That’s part of the joy.

“I train on the Gateway Trail, and we recently discovered the Lake Elmo Park Reserve. We enjoy running on the trails. This is the time of year to run in the park.

“I like to run when it’s cool. In summer, that means morning runs. In winter, we often go to the Stillwater Dome and run on the indoor soccer track. I’ve run a 20-miler in there. It’s not the most enjoyable thing, but it gets the job done.

“We are very careful about what we eat. We avoid gluten because there is some indication gluten can affect some myeloma patients in a negative way. We also buy organic food.

“I deal with injuries all the time. Name a runner’s injury, and I’ve had it. Sometimes, we have to take time off. Right now, I’m fighting a little injury, a pulled muscle in my abdomen. I’ve been going to the health club to run on the elliptical machines.

“We get to races at least one day early. We try to drive the race course and get a feel for the community. We’ve learned a lot of geography.

“My myeloma is stable. When I was diagnosed, the median survival time was eight years. Now, the median survival time has increased greatly because of new drugs.

“I feel great. Life is good.”