Featured Sprint End Of Road For My Sprint Love Affair

Been on the Triumph site for awhile now and have really enjoyed all aspects of it.
I really have enjoyed the interactions and just surfing the different things and areas through out.
Two months ago I was preparing for a west coast trip to the pacific northwest in Washington State USA from my home in eastern South Dakota.
I have rode my 1996 Sprint there twice and trailer-ed it her once over the past 23 years of my ownership of what I believe is the best bike I have ever owned in my 45 years of motorcycling.
This trip was going to be a good one I suspected as I purchased a 2006 BMW K1200S (w/only 10K miles on it) and a new enclosed trailer to haul out for a visit with my slightly older sister, her husband and my nice and nephew and their young families.
Didn't feel well one day and was really short on breath when doing yard work and such, but really have been in good shape up til then. Saw doctor and had some fluid build up around my right lung some antibiotics for a week and reported back to doctor after the two weeks he set. New x-rays revealed that the fluid was still there and needed to be drained. Meant postponing my trip but I was OK with that as i needed to get health stuff figured out. Fluid removed, got some relief when pressure was removed until the doctor called late one night and informed me that there were no blood clots present but they did discover cancer cells so more testing was in my future. Three weeks of Chest X-rays , CT scans, PET CT Scans, Pulmonary Function Testing, and brain MRI.
Worst possible news came next as I have COPD in my right lung (group 4) and a tumor around the right bronchial tube and the cancer has progressed through all my right anodes and has moved into my glands in my lower abdomen. I have Stage 4 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. 15 years ago my 32 year old wife was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer we spent five years fighting it but eventually at 37 the cancer, chemo, radiation and all kinds of other treatment options just could not over come it. Going through that gut wrenching part of our very short life together taught me a lot and I knew if I had to face cancer someday that I was going to choose have the best quality of life as possible. Not worth the possible extension you may or may not get as the treatments make you worse and really are hard to go through when they make you feel so bad.
I am going to spent my last 6-12-18 months doing what I have enjoyed my whole life, riding, being outdoors and communing with the creator, living life to the fullest. Please don't feel sorry for me as I have smoked cigarettes, hash, marijuana and hard partied the whole time hard for the past 45 years and am no angel by any means. True rebel, black sheep, and non conformist, loved Amsterdam when I was stationed in Germany from 1980-83. Did want to get back but will be focusing on my stateside bucket list for now.
Peace out, live to ride, ride to life my brothers and sisters in Triumph world been a pleasure all the way.
Tim Schultz, Sioux Falls ,South Dakota USA

 

i really appreciate the well wishes from all and i encourage you all to view my profile page photos and albums as i have some interesting over the years photos going back to my early years up through last year.
Will try to add more as i continue to tear up the USA pavement until i am no longer able to. Planning on a Black Hills trip soon, probably after the big Sturgis Rally as i prefer riding the mountains versus hanging out in the HD crowd. I do like the scenery but have attended in two many times to count and would rather ride my favorite twisty's any day of the week. Also planning on attending this years Formula One Race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas come November. Going to go all out with a couple of my life long school buds that we have been there for each other over 40 years of riding, racing, partying and generally living life like there was no tomorrow. Peace brothers and sisters, live each day like it may be your last as it just my be as i have found out.