No stopping twp man
The doctor-patient relationship is a vital part of handling any diagnosis. Many times, patients are inspired by their doctors' upbeat approach to recovery.
And sometimes doctors are inspired by their patients' positive attitude.
Dr. Bushra Haq, a medical oncologist with Allegheny Health Network, thinks of the cartoon tiger, Tigger, when she thinks of her patient Michael Braunstein.
“He's full of energy,” Haq said. “I was lucky to be his oncologist.”
Braunstein, a 70-year-old Butler Township resident, received chemotherapy treatments for non-Hodgkins lymphoma this spring.At the same time, he trained for his first marathon. He ran that marathon in September.“That's very unusual,” Haq said. “That's really inspiring.”“You got to look up,” Braunstein said. “I'm thankful there's a treatment for what I have.”Braunstein didn't know he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma until last summer, when he passed out at Lowe's while shopping.“They had to call the paramedics and everything,” Braunstein said.After spending the night in the hospital, Braunstein said his heart rate dropped and he “went septic.” An X-ray eventually revealed a mass in his back, leading to Braunstein's diagnosis.Around the same time, Braunstein said part of his toe was amputated following a bone infection.Neither stopped him from running a half-marathon in October 2019 to prepare for a full marathon this year.“I wrapped that toe, had a good pair of shoes, and I ran,” Braunstein said.Braunstein said he first started running to share a hobby with his son and daughter.When his cancer was diagnosed, it became a motivator for him.Braunstein underwent six rounds of chemotherapy for his lymphoma, according to Haq. Those concluded in March, with Braunstein experiencing “some discomfort.”“I had — thank you, Lord — no side effects,” Braunstein said. “So I continued to train.”Training included running three or four miles almost daily, according to Braunstein. On May 17, Braunstein said he planned to run his marathon.Despite not experiencing pain from his treatment, his plans were temporarily delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.The Jim Thorpe marathon scheduled for May in Jim Thorpe, Pa., was rescheduled for September.Because of Braunstein's compromised immune system as a cancer patient, he asked race organizers if he could participate in the event virtually. They agreed.On the morning of Sept. 27, Braunstein said he and his son, Michael, took to the Butler-Freeport Community Trail.Braunstein's daughter, Erin Hubbard, joined their run later in the day. Braunstein's granddaughter, Lillian, and wife, Linda, checked in at the trail heads to cheer the trio on.Braunstein said he finished running 26.2 miles in 9 hours and 40 minutes. The first thing he did when he stopped running was say a prayer of thanks.“I always say I'm running to Jesus in my heart,” Braunstein said. “He's my main man.”Braunstein said he followed a key rule of running to make it through his marathon.“I always had to remember to look up,” Braunstein said. “You always want to be looking up and looking ahead.”That advice can be applied to working through cancer, too.“I think God has a plan for each of us,” Braunstein said.Braunstein is Haq's first patient to run a marathon. Many chemotherapy patients experience side effects of fatigue, weight gain and nausea, according to Haq.But she believes Braunstein's constant positive outlook helped him handle the chemotherapy process.“I think it's motivating,” Haq said.Braunstein's cancer is now in remission. He's not sure if he'll run another marathon, but he'd like to participate in the actual Jim Thorpe race next year.In the meantime, he said he plans to enjoy retirement with his family and friends. The less planning involved, the better.“Whatever that day brings, I'm going to do,” Braunstein said. “Things pass so quickly.”
