Peace and Love, Finish What You Started, Stuff Happens, Magic Beans, MMPI, University of San Francisco Oncology

Seasons Greetings!

I have been signing off many of my emails and posts with "Peace and Love". What does peace and love mean to me you may be asking yourself? We would greet each other in Tae Kwon Do with a very respectful greeting. The junior martial artist would bow and say "Yong Do" or "Peace and Love" to the senior martial artist. The senior would then return the respectful greeting. "Yong Do" means "The way of the dragon and peace and love" to those of us blessed to be taught this greeting.

I spoke with my Master Instructor, Master Beautiful Ancient Redwood Forest, shortly after knee surgery on November 1, 2007 and prior to my epidural blood patch to correct my intense headaches on November 16, 2007. I enjoyed our conversation and I shared with Master Redwood Forest that I finally got what "Peace and Love" meant.

I spoke with Master Redwood Forest yesterday and informed him of the challenge karma has chosen for me this human lifetime. How magnificent it was to speak with my Master Teacher again and find new depths to the meaning of "Peace and Love". Master Redwood Forest has had a profound influence on my life. I use his teachings continuously. His teachings, including the teachings of the lesson "finish what you started" are a part of who I am. I have applied my master's teachings in college, the Special Forces Selection and Medical Sergeant's course, jobs, solo wilderness backpacking, and even very, very, long and steep hill climbs mountain biking as well as many other activities and situations.

I have started treatment for cancer and I am going to finish treatment. I am going to enjoy life everyday forever. Since Saturday, November 27, 2007, I have enjoyed every single day with a renewed zest for life and apreciation for love. This strikes me a little odd because I have not fly fished once, mountain biked, taken a ride on my road bike, worked, did an intense yoga practice or many of the things that I do for fun since my brain surgery. I have tapped into the goodness that is available to every one of us, all the time, in the most simple ordinary things, people, and situations. Stuff happens. How we choose to perceive, react, think and feel about stuff is our choice. This is true for me. My hope is that this will be true for all of you and you choose to handle stuff with love and humor.

My folks, a family friend, and I arrived an hour and a half early for my 3 PM appointment yesterday at the University of San Francisco Oncology (UCSF) . The good people at UCSF immediately started processing me and gave me a few forms to fill out. They made and gave me copies of my hand carried medical records, and accepted my hand carried imaging studies. UCSF Rocks!

It was not long before Dr. Liu (my oncology resident) was introducing us to the program and expertly explaining what we could expect from treatment and UCSF. I have much confidence in Dr. Liu and his abilities are going to be instrumental in researching gioblastoma multiforme (GBM). I have comfort knowing that Dr. Liu is curious, methodical, diligent, hard working, caring, loving, honest, and a fine physician.

We then met with my UCSF oncologist, Dr. Super Star (DSS). You can tell by the nickname I have given my clinical trial, supervising, oncologist what my personal feelings are of DSS's abilities. I have not received personal permission from DSS to use this physician's name and I will respect privacy until I get verbal permission even though many of my Drs.'s names are in the public domain. I have confidence in DSS, the entire staff at UCSF and the clinical trial sponsored by Ely Lilly and Company.

Joan my clinical trial registered nurse was awesome and expertly help me process the paperwork. She was very efficient and fun. Because of the expert staff at UCSF we were able to get my blood work and electrocardiogram (EKG) before UCSF closed for the evening. I am not officially in the clinical trial yet. UCSF needs to perform tests on me to see if I qualify. I am highly confident that I will be admitted into the program. I do have to hang out here in the bay area at least one more day than I have planned because UCSF will have to do additional blood work and an MRI before sending me home with a satchel of high performance, fuel injected, turbo charged, nitrous injected magic beans. You may refer to Jack's Magic Beans as chemotherapy drugs.

Some of the questions reminded me of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test I took during some classified U.S. Army Training after we were all experiencing intense sleep deprivation and physical fatigue. Flashbacks of questions like, "Are your stools black and tarry?" from the MMPI cracked me up when I answered questions for UCSF about my potty habits and satisfaction with my sexual activity.

OK, inquiring minds want to know. How satisfied is Jack with his sex life? Well I have to tell you, life is good and I love life. And yes, that answer has nothing to do in anyway with how I feel about my deeply personal activities. Inquiring minds can inquire all they want but will probably never get a straight answer from you know who about you know what.

Peace and Love,
Jack