Pain of cancer subsides when Pittman buckles in
By Ozzie Altman
Victory Lane Communications
Arlene Pittman
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. That is exactly the motto that Vidalia, Ga., female racer Arlene Pittman is living by these days.
Pittman, a former short-track promoter of two south Georgia racetracks who formerly raced in the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series, finds herself in the race of her life as she battles cancer. But instead of giving in to the disease and and the lingering challenges of her medical treatments, she is using her racing skills as a motivation in her own fight and to become an inspiration to others who face similar illnesses.
Last weekend Pittman recorded another top-five finish in the Late Model feature at Cochran (Ga.) Motor Speedway to move back into the lead of the 2011 division standings at the dirt oval in south Georgia. At the midpoint of the season Pittman has scored nine top-five finishes along with one pole award in her efforts against a stout field of regular competitors that includes her husband Phil Pittman.
This week the Pittmans focus moves from on the track back to her doctor's appointments and hospital visits, where she is scheduled to undergo further diagnosis and treatments at Emory Hospital in Atlanta. Pittman is hopeful that once she begins chemotherapy treatments to battle her illness, that doctors might find a way to allow her to continue her racing activities.
“When I was first diagnosed, I just wanted to lay down and cry,” said Pittman, a mother of two daughters. “Then as I worried, then prayed I listened to the message in my heart that told me to get up off my butt and let the doctors do their thing while I continued to race and do what I need to do in order to keep my mind and body active.
“When I get into the car, my attitude changes and all I focus on is my job inside the cockpit. That took my worries away while also keeping me in a positive frame of mind and as I have been told by my doctors, staying mentally tough and looking into the future helps me fight this disease. I'm not going to give up and by keeping myself active on the racetrack, it helps my body in its battle against the cancer.”
Pittman doesn’t back down on or off the racetrack. During the past decade she has squared off against foes in some of racing’s top divisions. In 2002 she ran the full schedule on the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series and finished the year 15th in the championship standings among 86 fellow racers in her rookie season. She was also awarded the NASCAR Goody's Dash Diplomat of the Year recognizing her exceptional leadership qualities.
The 2011 racing season was filled with optimism for the Pittmans as the husband-and-wife duo prepared to do battle on the track against competitors from across the Peach State, and go head-to-head for a little added family rivalry.
Things were going good on the track, but as the calendar turned to May, doctors diagnosed Pittman with adenocarcinoma in her lymph nodes. Since then she has undergone various forms of treatments and is now under the watchful eyes of specialists.
As the dreadful news became a reality for Pittman, she and her friends and family had reasons to turn the fear into celebration. She won her first pole award as Cochran's fast qualifier May 21, then one week later celebrated her birthday with inspired optimism.
“My family is an extended one, involving many dear friends in the racing industry and they have helped me keep the faith,” Pittman said of the support and encouragement that she is receiving from racers and fans from across the nation. “The most important thing to me right now is to not let myself down and to keep mentally strong in hopes that it keeps my body fighting the cancer.”
The effects of Pittman’s treatments have at times made it painful just strapping into her race car. But she presses on, and her performance on the racetrack has shown no sign of her slowing down. She says that encouragement from others who have faced similar health situations has helped her continue racing.
“It hurts when I get into the car and start buckling in, but once I'm inside the car it's almost like I've entered another world and my concentration on the race car and the track seem to help make the pain go away,” Pittman said. “I've told myself that I have to not only be strong for myself, but I need to use my life's situation as an incentive for other's with the disease to put up the good fight and to encourage them to have faith and not just lay down and die.”
In addition to their busy schedules on the racetrack, the Pittmans own two businesses in their hometown of Vidalia: Pittman's Consulting & Design, a construction firm specializing in erecting large metal buildings; and A&P Metal Recycling. While juggling racing and work can make for a hectic day-to-day schedule, Pittman says she prefers it that way.
“I'm having to spend a lot of time with the doctors and undergoing my treatments, and that means a lot of downtime to keep my body rested, but we stay very busy with our day-to-day businesses,” Pittman said. “It's a good thing because it keeps my mind active and doesn't allow me a lot of time to feel sorry for myself, heck we're too busy with work and racing to think about it.”
Pittman's Pink Fire race team has stirred up a lot of support from fans and racers all across the country. Many women close to the sport are using Pittman’s challenges as a rallying cry for causes that help others in their medical and health issues.
With plans to build momentum for the cause through charity works, Pittman and her close friend Heather Fields, owner of Dirt Divas Racing, hope to unveil a new line of specialty racing apparel targeted to increase support for worthy causes such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation fighting breast cancer.
“I've got a lot of love and respect for Arlene and what she is going through right now,” Fields said of her friend. “We've both faced this battle and we have been blessed by the grace of God and a whole lot of great friends in overcoming our own personal challenges. She and I have been able to spend a lot of time talking, praying and keeping each other's faith in line for a positive resolve for her health. We're are getting ready to introduce a new line of products which should prove helpful to Arlene and many other women who find themselves in this situation.”
This week Pittman will go through more tests and treatments in order to curtail the effects of the cancer on her life, but as she has pointed out to her colleagues in the sport, she is going to keep moving forward as fast as she can.
“I can't afford to slow down right now,” Pittman said. “I'm going to outrun this disease and I hope that I can put it a lap down as I continue to race as often as possible through my treatments.”
