TRIP

Cancer survivors line up as opponents in Super Bowl

Reuters Health News, 2012

Fri, Feb 3 2012 Fri, Feb 3 2012 Fri, Feb 3 2012 Thu, Feb 2 2012 Thu, Feb 2 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - There can only be one winner in Sunday's Super Bowl but for two opposing players, a bigger battle has already been won, victory over cancer.
New York Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich and New England Patriots offensive lineman Marcus Cannon have both had to deal with life-threatening illness and came through their treatment to achieve their sporting dream, a place in the biggest game in American sport.
After an outstanding season for Boston College, Herzlich was diagnosed, in May 2009, with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer affecting bone and soft tissue.
He underwent a six month course of chemotherapy and radiation and also needed surgery and a titanium rod inserted into his leg, which remains in place to strengthen his bone.
The linebacker said his aim of making it in the National Football League (NFL) motivated him through the arduous treatment.
"You don't want to move but I said 'I am going to be playing football again in eight months, so I need to go and workout.
I need to go ride a bike, get some cardio in." Herzlich said he made a highlights video of his 2008 season to keep him motivated.
"I would put that on in the chemo room and watch it over and over again just to see myself succeeding," he said.
The pain coming after the surgery where I had to get the scar tissue kind of kneaded out with massage and stuff.
"That was probably the worst pain I have ever been in because they had to actually tear the muscle off the bone and tear the scar tissue away.