Thursday, September 24, 2009
Oncologist Dr. Dennis Scribner: Pushed along by his patients
A Roanoke oncologist honored those he helps by pushing himself to his physical limits.
ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times
Dr. Dennis Scribner rides his bicycle on the Roanoke River Greenway. On Aug. 30 he completed an Ironman triathlon in Louisville, Ky., in just under 14 hours.
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Dr. Dennis Scribner could have picked a much easier way to show his patients he cares -- but that just wouldn't have been like him.
Scribner, a 43-year-old gynecologic oncologist with Carilion Clinic and self-described Type A personality, finished a 140.6-mile Ironman triathlon Aug. 30 in Louisville, Ky.
Scribner, who has treated patients with gynecologic cancers for almost six years, said he's been heavily invested in the lives of many women.
"Basically, they're our patients from the beginning of their cancer journey to the end, so it allows us to be a really big part of their lives," Scribner said.
Because of this, he thought it appropriate to honor his patients with a show of support by competing in the triathlon. About a month before the race, Scribner hung a shirt with an Ironman logo in the chemotherapy center at work, which many patients signed.
Scribner's journey began six months before the event. He had competed in marathons and triathlons before, but never on this scale: The Ironman consists of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of bicycling and 26.2 miles of running, to be completed in 17 hours.
His six-day-a-week routine consisted of getting to the gym by 5 a.m. Then he'd begin a day of performing surgeries and consulting with patients. When he got off work in the evening, he'd fit in another workout.
"I think I'm a goal-oriented guy," Scribner said. Still, he said, the people he works with every day are what really put things in perspective and kept him from making excuses or feeling sorry for himself.
"There are so many patients of mine that have a much, much harder struggle than I do. I'm just getting up in the morning -- they have to fight surgery and chemotherapy every couple weeks," Scribner said.
He said when he woke up the morning of the competition, his main goal was to finish the race, to honor his patients who are fighting cancer and those who have succumbed to it. He also set a personal goal to cross the finish line within 14 hours.
Scribner, one of 2,300 participants, jumped off the dock and entered the water at 7:37 a.m.
As the race wore on, Scribner said he called upon the mental toughness he gained from his workouts and thought of his patients to stay focused.
More than 13 hours later, Scribner said, he was physically exhausted. A mile from the finish line, he retrieved the T-shirt covered with patient signatures and put it on.
"I ran the last mile totally on an emotional high from wearing the shirt," he said.
Scribner finished at 9:32 p.m., with a time of 13 hours, 55 minutes. He said the support of his patients allowed them, too, to cross the finish line with him.
Scribner called the months of training and hours of competition an "amazing adventure" and said he's looking forward to doing it again.
In the meantime, he's training for smaller events. He also plans to develop a foundation to allow other athletes to compete in events for health-related causes.
His wife, Liz Scribner, said helping patients is her husband's passion, and she knows that with them as his motivation, he'll persevere.
"When he needs to get his mind off any pain that his body is having, he thinks of his patients," she said.
"I foresee him continuing to do this for a long time."
