( CNN ) -- I feel incredibly lucky to have the health and the years needed to run a marathon in each of the 50 states . When I was first diagnosed with multiple myeloma nine years ago , only half of newly diagnosed patients survived more than five years . Since then , I 've run 70 marathons , the most recent in Hawaii , my 50th state . Hot , exhausted , sore , bent a little to the right , and walking a lot , I finally trotted across that finish line in Honolulu . I 'm sure I had a big grin on my face because it was the end of a long quest , the completion of which was never a certainty . There are more people who climb Mount Everest each year than there are runners who finish 50 states of marathons . I remember laughing a little , feeling a mixture of joy and relief , as I limped to the table where I could pick up my finisher 's shirt and medal . I did n't dare sit down at first , afraid that my muscles would cramp up -- I had to keep walking for a few minutes at least . Everything was sore . But muscles recover , and I was soon off to the other events of the day : an interview , then to collect my wife and daughter ( who also ran the full marathon ) . We checked out of the hotel and hustled to catch a plane , where I could finally relax . Sleep came easily , even on the plane . 'American Idol ' favorite overcomes Tourette 's , Asperger 's . Since then , the 50 States Marathon Club has accepted my documentation , so I 'm a certified `` 50 Stater . '' It 's done and official . Right now I 'm savoring the temporary freedom from goals and running just for the joy of it . One big reason that I can run with myeloma is a drug called pomalidomide . It 's just a little red pill that I take every night . It does n't cure the cancer but has kept it at bay for almost five years , without the severe side effects and clinic visits of regular chemotherapy . It 's a miracle drug for me . A cookbook for cancer treatment . When I started taking pomalidomide , it was an investigational drug , not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration . I wish that life-saving experimental drugs such as it could be much more widely available to people whose lives are threatened by illness . Happily , pomalidomide has been approved by the FDA and will be available to those who need it soon , marketed under the name Pomalyst . It has the potential to do for thousands more what it has done for me . We do n't know what 's next for us yet , but whatever it is we 'll continue to do it as a family . My wife and daughter have 48 states , including their marathons and their half-marathons , so we 'll certainly run in their remaining states , Virginia and Massachusetts . And whatever we do , it will be in support of worthy charities . Live one day at a time and make it a masterpiece . See more from the Human Factor series .
Don Wright finished his goal of running 50 marathons in 50 states last month . The former NFL player and coach has been training for the race since he was a high school student in Texas. Wright says an experimental drug has helped him keep his cancer at bay .