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Lost In Translation

I truly hope you were able to keep up with my trip to Japan! It was a beautiful mess of an adventure, but I *think* I've finally figured out why...

When you go to a different countries/continents, you can "see" the differences. When I was in Morocco, Slovakia, or Uganda, you could "feel" the differences of those countries, as opposed to the US; everything from the dress, the shapes of the land, the buildings in the cities, etc... But when I stepped off the train I entered New York City,  no... Tokyo! It felt like these cities were SO similar, BUT they were also so different! (However, I CAN say Tokyo was much cleaner.) 

My first "experience" of Tokyo was when I exited my train exactly where Shibuya Crossings is! (That's the Times Square of Tokyo.)

Practically no one speaks English and asking for directions is quite a chore. I tried to translate my words but they were always off. But STILL, all of the billboards were in English, people had English words designed all over their clothes, everyone is wearing Nikes, it's absolutely ridiculous. On top of that, coffee shops weren't open until 10:00 am so every morning I went on a desperate search for caffeine! But truly, I loved my time there!

Here are a few more images of the countryside, amazing coffee shops, "perfect" records and whisk-y bars, Tokyo's famous AND tallest Skytree; with a few views of the city and Mt. Fuji peeking out over the evening clouds.

In the middle of the "work" part of my trip, my fixer/guide Toshio and I drove north toward Tōhoku and the Fukushima nuclear power plant. We toured multiple holy locations (temples, shrines, sanctuaries) and drove across massive amounts of land that were STILL completely destroyed by the tsunami in 2011. We passed acres and acres of trash that were covered in, what looked like, Hefty garbage bags. They were actually storing radioactive dirt that couldn't be taken anywhere, so they were doomed to sit there for the next 30 years. 😬

But of course, cheers to my new best friend/fixer/guide, Toshio, and to the food... LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

 

I Think I'm Turning Japanese (I really think so)

First off, I have no idea why people have issues with long flights. I had a chance to watch THREE movies I've been dying to watch (wihout being interrupted by my girls), all while being served moist toilettes for my face, unlimited alcohol, and (if you've read my book) tons of plane food (meh...). NEVERTHELESS, I felt like a King in Coach!

I'm staying at the Millennials. It's a pretty amazing hotel (hostel) in Shibuya and just a few blocks from the famous "Times Square" of Tokyo; Shibuya Crossing. Took this quick shot when I actually realized where I was when exiting the train station. More photos to come.

This may seem quite weird to you, but this is my room. One bed, luggage stored beneath it, lockbox for important items, hangar bar in corner above bed. I was also given a custom made bag for The Millennials with a toothbrush, towel, slippers, and tissues. This tiny little closet room has everything I need and nothing I don't need. All other amenities are shared, including a lovely lounge, bathrooms, showers, laundry, etc...

Not only that, but I was also given this iPhone which has all of the controls to my room, including the fan, lights, and the ability to turn my bed into a sofa. Not only that, but it has a specific attachment that I can swipe past the door on the front of the building to let me in late at night.

Considering I'm shopping in Japanese mecca, I stopped by a few hard-to-find stores today including Bathing Ape (which had brand new shoes on a conveyor belt rotating underneath the glass floor when you walked in). I was looking for gifts for my girls and came across this section of the store. You'd be in shock if you could have seen the prices for these toys below. Only in Japan...

 And of course, I ended the night at a local's suggestion for good pork ramen. And yes, it was indeed a wonderful suggestion...

Notes so far:

1. There is no formula for looking around and asking for directional help. I went to a person who looked like me = no help. I want to a average aged businessman = no help. However, a kind old lady heard who I never would have asked, spoke perfect english and helped me out. (Should be noted, it is possible they just didn't want to help and pretended as though they didn't speak English.)
2. Just because they are wearing a shirt, hat, pants, and shoes all with English writing, does not mean they speak English.
3. As I was walking I saw multiple examples of this strange "booze-rule." American WhiskEy is spelled with an E and Japanese Whisky does not include that E. Continually seeing this as I was wandering past WHISKY bars all night made me remember...

 

Good News? No! Great News!

Yesterday, I broke the hospital by getting an MRI at 10:00 and then returning at 3:00 to hear the results. To be honest, I felt good about this MRI because, despite the chemo, my body has been feeling “less burdensome” of late.

Not to mention, they’ve somehow downgraded their non-member pandora to a station where the only things you can choose from are: country, christian, classic rock, light rock, etc… I went with classic rock and came to the realization that I should had have the Queen station playing for every MRI I've ever been through! I have no idea how I stayed still through Bohemian Rhapsody.

So at 3:00 this is the image they gave me!

As you can see, there are three images here. The one on the far right is from April, the middle one was from June, and the one of the far left was from yesterday. And as you can see, there has been MAJOR SHRINKAGE! WOOOO HOOOO!!

As much as I hated starting up chemo, it has gone on to prove its worth. Of course the doctors have asked me to stay on it, but I just hate how tired I always feel. I mentioned that I have a massive project coming up and was concerned with being too tired to create, so they prescribed me with adderall. I took it this morning and have already solved the necessity for black matter, the actual age of the universe, and the physi­ological root of consciousness.

On top of the joy from my adderall filled and tumor shrinking brain, today is Etta’s birthday! She is two years old! Don’t tell her, but we’ve gotten her some flip-flops (so she stops stealing them from our other girls), a backpack (so she stops stealing them from our other girls), and a small little vehicle with a wagon/trailer attached (so she stops stealing them from our other girls). 

In addition, my parents will be in town for a wedding so they’re excited about being a part of our birthday festivities (which could potentially mean a date night for Lori and I!).

Great news about my shrinking tumor, great news about Etta’s birthday, great news about this weekend’s wedding, and great news about my new project! Life is good!

* This post was created in 19 seconds. Thank you adderall.

*Partial* Independence Day

Hello to those of you who are still checking in!

First off, I just wanted to report my entire family came and visited Grand Rapids to celebrate the 4th of July. My parents spent WAY too much money on all of us (movie tickets, fancy pasta ingredients, Tree Runner amusement park passes, zoo passes, and so on...) but in the end, we created some fantastic memories we will cherish forever. Not to mention we learned the gender of my younger sister's baby! But we promised to keep it a secret until she ready to announce it, so stay tuned!

And while we had a blast celebrating the birth our of nation, I have to admit I have killed off a bit of my own freedom. I feel I've been struggling to report this news, but as I've previously said, I wanted to share everything I've been going through. 

In 2009 I, quite loudly, declared that I was going to face this cancer only through alternative treatments. And in that journey you would not believe some of the things that were offered to me. Everything from being offered magical crystal stones, to chiropractic work where the doctor (as he fixed your back) would tell you of all your previous lives, to checking prices on flights to go to magical lakes around the world with special healing water that was shown to heal incurable diseases. All I can say is that I've learned a lot of what the alternative world offers be it right or wrong. *And of course, as I'm typing this, my wife sends me this text: 

“One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.” - Andre Gide

But as many of you know, I went through radiation in the summer of 2015. It took half of my hair and half of my memories, but the doctors said it, technically, "saved my life." Recently I've had a few more seizures. The one in front of Sparrows coffee shop where Lori and I were in the van and just before I put the car into "drive," I started seizing as my foot pushed the accelerator all the way to the ground. Ugh...

Then there was the seizure in the middle of the night where I woke to see multiple firemen standing around my bed. Maybe a dream for some of you ladies out there, but not for me. And due to these events, I have been convinced that I need to give up driving. Sold the BMW and am now on foot... But the struggle continues considering the most important people in my life have all told me I need to start taking chemotherapy. 

I hate to say it, but now I am taking chemotherapy. I was prescribed to take five pills each month. Now, I know others have gone through the IV method, and props to you because I have heard of the miserable effects that has on the body. Cheers to each one of you! But I just wanted to let you know that I'm now on chemo, and I'm trying so desperately hard not to hate every single second of it. All of the rumors are true, it simply wrecks my soul. My body hurts, my brain is in a funnel, 

And to add onto this horrific demonizing pill, it appears it is working. A recent MRI shows my brain is now "less burdened." There has been a tiny bit of shrinkage which is the only thing allowing me to keep popping back these pills. I always have to come up with an explanation for why I'm doing these things, so here's the explanation for this: one day, when I'm sick, in the hospital, saying my "see ya laters," someone will ask, did chemotherapy work? And I will say, "ya know? I never took chemotherapy," which would make me feel like the dumbest man on the planet. So I figure if you're going to take it, take it when your body still has a chance to use it to it's full potential.

So I ask that you would pray for me, not for this cancer to be cured, but that I can have a better attitude about this chemotherapy which is, apparently, working right now. I didn't see it happening this way due to the miserable effects it has on my body, but who knows. As my mother always says, I just need to stay alive LONG ENOUGH until they do find a cure. Nevertheless, I do feel like I've lost a bit of my freedom to make my own choices. 

I hope those who have bought my book are enjoying it! I would love to hear your thoughts on it, so feel free to email me! If you are new to my journey, check out Thank You Kung Fu and purchase my book. That oughta catch you up!

Till then, love & peace... 

Thank You Kung Fu (FINALLY!)

 

I purchased a book for Lori on our last anniversary. Each page has a small little exercise that both of you fill out so you can get to know each other a little better. One of the pages asked us, "What are you the most proud of?" I thought that should have been a pretty simple question for me to answer, but it wasn't. I've had the opportunity to participate in some amazing things, fantastic projects, and incredible random events. But I couldn't figure out what I was the most proud of. And then, like a right hook, it hit me...

It's this damn book. Never have I put this much hard work into a single project, never have I cried so many tears, never have I struggled so much to know what to and not to include. But here we are. It's done.

I have previously said before that no one knew all of the details in this book, even my wife Lori who only discovered the details when she read the book just before it was printed. All that to say, I have emptied my guts into this book. The ridiculous things I've done, the miserable decisions I've made, the horrible moments that have left me in shock. It's just, I feel like it's just all too much. And as I say in the preface, I'm absolutely positive every single one of us has heard crazier stories, but this one is my story to tell.

I get to own this story. 

I hope that you find some sort of wisdom in this book, even if that wisdom is, "TO NEVER EVER DO THIS!" But that is what true stories should be about. Helping express both the good and bad decisions we make and hoping that people can learn from them. I love all of you for participating in this with me! Thank you!

Feel free to stop by The Sparrows Coffee Shop (1035 Wealthy St.) this Saturday to pick up a signed book, whether you paid for it through Kickstarter or you'd like to purchase it then. I'll be there all day! If you'd like to purchase this online, go to Mascot Book's site and purchase it there. 

MY MRI DREAM FINALLY CAME TRUE!

Ok, guys... I am in shock! I just left my MRI about an hour ago and have to report this. I have literally been waiting for this moment to happen for the past 8 years and it JUST happened!

When I first learned I had cancer, I started having regular MRIs which are ridiculously loud. But over time, they started to get better at muffling that sound. And about five years ago I was in shock to learn they now had headphones you could listen to! But for whatever reason, they ONLY use Pandora. So you can ask for a certain artist but all they can do enter that name into Pandora, which means you can only hear your requested artist about every five songs. Nevertheless, progress.

But they would only give you these simple little headphones, so when the MRI machine was running (about 90% of the time you are in there) you could barely hear anything besides the drum beat and bass line. But still, for whatever reason, in this ridiculous technologically advanced hospital that has the finances to purchase multiple MRI machines, they still do not have a Pandora account. So in the year of 2018, when hospitals are focused on patient comfort about everything, you STILL have to listen to the most ridiculous and annoying commercials every three songs or so.

BUT TODAY, as though my MRI team had read my mind and had been preparing for this moment for years, THIS HAPPENED... 

They asked if I wanted music and, of course, I said yes. I told them I want to listen to Josh Ritter. And, as always, "Ripper? Ridder?" I had to spell out his name for her to remember. And then after I lay down, she asked AGAIN who I wanted to listen to. "Josh Ritter, R-I-T-T-E-R." (pause) "Oh, there he is!," as she proudly celebrates her victory of discovering the correct musician.

And then half way through the 45 minute MRI, one of my favorite Josh Ritter songs came on. Similar to my time spent in radiation, having his music playing overcomes these ridiculously expensive and horribly loud machines as it heals my soul. But ON TOP OF THAT, the MRIs loud noises/beeps PERFECTLY MATCHED THE SONG! It was the right harmonizing "note," and the perfect tempo matching every beat in this song. Just think, it could have matched the beat, yet been the wrong "note," or it could have been the right note and not matched the beat. The chances of this happening are nearly impossible.

I shit you not, I started crying (which you'll also find me doing a lot of in my book...). 

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by God's presence in the most awkward points in life, but today, God just wanted to tell me he was listening to the same jam I was. And no, there wasn't a commercial break for online lawyers services, online tax services, or online cooking services in Pandora's music during our joint-jam. But based on what has been happening of late, I would not be surprised if these MRI results show my tumor is growing. Either way, thanks be to God, as He continues to remind me that today, I am still alive.

Kitchen Floor Cancer

I had another seizure. 

I was home, eating at the table, and I felt it coming. With my drugs right now, I can sense a partial seizure (meaning I can feel it coming on but it doesn't progress) simmering which happens about 1-3 times a day, but randomly this seizure just merrily skipped past my pills and dropped me to the floor of my kitchen. Lori came running in and before I knew it my sister Heather and Lori's brother Todd rushed through the front door. Todd was watching the kids and Heather immediately went to get me some coconut water. (I'm sure I've explained this is the past, but drinking coconut water helps keep these seizures away.) And now, with every single movement, I can feel the pain across my body reminding me that cancer won this last battle.

Twenty days after being back on the road from my September seizure, I can't drive for another 6 months. I'm actually thinking about giving up my car. If any of you are interested in buying it, let me know. If not, I'll probably donate it to Goodwill or something.

This sucks. In fact, it really makes me struggle with God when I have chosen to dedicate myself to step away from my business, RobinHood Ink., and stand up for other cancer survivors. And when I make that massive move I'm hit with two seizures, taking me off the road when I NEED to be on the road the most. So now, I'm relying on family to drive me around and I hate taking them away from what they need to be doing.

I've thought about it, and while my wife, Heather, and Todd are PLEASED to help me, I hate to inconvenience them. Which then makes me think that maybe the cancer survivors we are serving through Bent Not Broken are thinking the same thing. They would hate to "inconvenience" someone else from going. But screw that... This gathering is for YOU! And if you think some other survivor should attend more than you, you're wrong.

I'm starting to add up the total costs of all of the services we will be providing and with only half of the services responding, we're already over $20,000. Do you hear that? If that continue, we are going to offer over $40,000 dollars of purpose, meaning, and hope in 2 days! We're not selling anything, we're not affiliated with any products, it's just love! All we want to do is love you in the best way possible, from facials, massages, amazing survivor stories, therapeutic yoga, lessons in de-stressing, creating healing artwork, learning about anti-cancer food (then eating anti-cancer food), and healthy cheap alternative treatments that have been scientifically proven to destroy cancer.

ALL OF THIS is offered for absolutely no cost. Maybe if I put on a doctor's white coat people will start believing me. 

I'm struggling with my cancer right now, and whether I'm running the show or not I can't wait to go and hear from those in our community who are desperate to help me and help you overcome it. I would say "join us," but after being punched in the face again, I'll say join ME in learning how to straight up krav maga our cancers.

Com' on. What do you have to lose? Then consider, what do you have to gain? Join up with Bent Not Broken, get $40,000 worth of information/strength/comfort/motivation/love, and let's throw our cancers on the kitchen floor. Until then, let's press on and remember this quote I recently put on my tumblr page...