After a nine hour operation, in which I was revived three times, it was clear that only half of the tumor could be removed. Two days later I had a hematoma. The results were partial paralysis, artificial nourishment, artificial respiration. I was written off as a nursing case and the doctors advised us to look for an apartment in Berlin because I wasn’t fit to travel. After being in the intensive care unit for 3 months, I went to rehab in Grünheide. There they achieved the unexpected. It took three months for me to learn how to eat walk and breathe on my own. After that my fight for a normal life began. I started bicycling every day. My first destination was the Brandenburger Gate (7 km away from my home), which I reached in 2 months. I will never forget standing at the place I knew so well. The place that for many was a symbol of freedom became something very special to me. Because I knew that from then on, I can achieve even more. By now I have been to 28 European countries, I was in the U.S. Japan, Egypt and 19 capital cities with my bike. Altogether I have travelled 48.000 km, optimize my equipment and built my third bicycle (the world tour bicycle). I am planning a world tour for 2017 and until then there will be many test runs. I still have some restrictions so I have to be slow in my approach and have to pace myself and have a firsthand impression of the places I wish to visit. So technically I am doing my trip around the world nearly twice, of course on different routes. And by the way in 2011 I went and got myself a big ol’ portion of skin cancer. That  meant another operation. My wife told me that I should say no the next time there is something for free. As you can see I haven’t lost my sense of humor, and I think that that is the main reason why I am doing so ‘well’. Giving up is no option, and this is what I want to show others.