Aloha!
I had my third vaccine yesterday and everything went well. My blood draw went fine. I have not received any information on how well my body is producing antibodies yet. I cannot feel any cancer growing so I believe my antibodies are doing their job and gobbling up any new cancer cells as fast as they can be produced. I feel very good. The vaccine was given in two shots under my right color bone. It felt like two bee stings.
I made a wrong turn on my way to the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF) and ended up in Antarctica. I asked directions to UCSF’s Parnassus campus and the Antartican said, “San Francisco, California and up on the Parnassus hill? Would you like to buy some electric underwear made in ChinaEven those of us down here on this melting block of ice think it is cold in San Francisco, in summer. ? I responded, “Thank you, no.”
Here is some good news about advancement in the treatment of breast cancer from the Washington Post;
An experimental breast cancer vaccine eliminated tumors in laboratory animals and may someday help prevent cancer recurrence or help treat women with treatment-resistant forms of breast cancer.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/15/AR2008091501185.html
I am making some refinements on Jack’s 4 Bees of Health, Brains, Breathing, Bones, and Bowels. I plan on some step by step instructions soon. The book should be in Costco, Amazon, Borders, and this blog soon will have the quick version soon.
Thank you for your support and my effort in the Livestrong Challenge bike ride in Austin in late October. I feel good. My blood pressure was measured at 99/66 and then an hour later to something like at 90/70. I did not write down the second reading after my blood draw and vaccine. Both my pulses were in the low 60’s so I feel pretty good about my circulatory system now.
Richard Wright, Pink Floyd’s Keyboardist died of cancer at 65, http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/16/arts/obits.php.
“On the Turning Away” from the “Momentary Lapse of Reason” album by Pink Floyd,
“No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning awayFrom the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
It's not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?”
Be Well,
Jack Walking Dogs
Is my brain fundamentally sound?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Enemies and the Dalai Llama, Jack’s Paraphrasing, Vaccination Tomorrow, Dog Paw, Time Heals, Still Not Inverted, Aristotle
I am reading a bunch of books now. One of the books I am reading is co-authored by His Holiness The Dalai Lama (HHTDL), “The Art of Happiness”. I am 2/3 of the way through and it is a good book. I am not a Buddhist nor a member of any giganormous religion but I suppose I take a bite from the smorgasbord of Buddhist teaching from time to time.
I will paraphrase from my reptilian, brained, memory what HHTDL has to teach about enemies. An enemy is valuable in that enemies teach patience and tolerance which are two indispensable traits necessary to become fully successful in practicing love and compassion. There is so much more and I highly recommend the book to all as you may be subjected to more of Jack’s paraphrasing soon. Keep an eye out for my synthesis of Voltaire’s and HHTDL’s quotes on “The Enemy”.
Tomorrow I get to go to San Francisco for my third, Jack, Brain, Tumor, vaccination. I feel good and it will be nice to be back in the Emerald City to see the Wizard of OZ for my Scarecrow Brain Treatments. Follow, Follow, Follow, Highway 20 to Yellow Brick Road Interstate 5 to Yellow Brick Road 80, To Highway 24, To Fell Street, To Stanyan, To Parnassus. OK, I missed a couple of roads, but the reindeer know the weigh to carry the sleigh.
“Mojo” has been limping. Because he is a German Shepherd Dog everybody asks about his hips which are OFA (Orthopedic Foundation of America) certified “good”. I say, “he just has a stone bruise or a cut or something I have not found yet in his dog paw. I have been resting him for a couple of days and he is doing well. It is true, sometimes time heals without surgical or pharmaceutical intervention.
I am doing yoga a little more vigorously but I have still not gone inverted.
Aristotle wrote something like, “We are what we practice. Excellence is therefore a habit and not an act.” Practice what you want to be and what you want from life.
Jack
I will paraphrase from my reptilian, brained, memory what HHTDL has to teach about enemies. An enemy is valuable in that enemies teach patience and tolerance which are two indispensable traits necessary to become fully successful in practicing love and compassion. There is so much more and I highly recommend the book to all as you may be subjected to more of Jack’s paraphrasing soon. Keep an eye out for my synthesis of Voltaire’s and HHTDL’s quotes on “The Enemy”.
Tomorrow I get to go to San Francisco for my third, Jack, Brain, Tumor, vaccination. I feel good and it will be nice to be back in the Emerald City to see the Wizard of OZ for my Scarecrow Brain Treatments. Follow, Follow, Follow, Highway 20 to Yellow Brick Road Interstate 5 to Yellow Brick Road 80, To Highway 24, To Fell Street, To Stanyan, To Parnassus. OK, I missed a couple of roads, but the reindeer know the weigh to carry the sleigh.
“Mojo” has been limping. Because he is a German Shepherd Dog everybody asks about his hips which are OFA (Orthopedic Foundation of America) certified “good”. I say, “he just has a stone bruise or a cut or something I have not found yet in his dog paw. I have been resting him for a couple of days and he is doing well. It is true, sometimes time heals without surgical or pharmaceutical intervention.
I am doing yoga a little more vigorously but I have still not gone inverted.
Aristotle wrote something like, “We are what we practice. Excellence is therefore a habit and not an act.” Practice what you want to be and what you want from life.
Jack
Friday, September 12, 2008
Very Quick Post, Thank you!, Stealing Vs. Policy, I feel good, Walking the Dog
Hi!
This is a very quick post whilst I wait on hold with a big, giant, company trying to steal from a man with the deadliest form of brain cancer, is trained as an airborne infantry pathfinder, Army Special Forces Trained, and has been a martial artist for 21 years. I am not fearful of a big company. I know logic, business, and legalities well enough to crush a big company doing harm to people by design. I believe in Peaceful Resistance and my martial background has only been used for comedic effect in this post and to let people know that I have tremendous resolve to ensure people and corporations behave ethically and legally and do not take advantage of people they perceive as weaker than them.
Thank you for helping me meet and exceed my goal for donations for the Livestrong Challenge for Cancer Research. My training is going well. I will be ready for the ride.
Stealing vs. Policy: When a person nicks a pack of gum or a loaf of bread from a grocery store it is called stealing and the perpetrator may be punished. When a big giant corporation bills an individual improperly it is called policy. I have personally been subjected to many delaying tactics by humongous, rich, companies, designed to make a person give up, and just pay the bill whether the bill is correct or incorrect. Corporations can hide behind the three syllable word, "policy", but theft is still theft. Legally, impact is important and intent does not have to always be proven.
I may sound miffed but I feel good. Mojo and I walked this morning for over an hour. He is a great dog and I tell him that all the time. By praising my wonderful dog, "Mojo" feels good and I feel good. The good feelings feed on each other and strengthen each other. Our walk was great with many turkeys, deer, squirrels, and vultures on our walk.
Peace and Love,
Jack Burton
"Save the Whales!"
This is a very quick post whilst I wait on hold with a big, giant, company trying to steal from a man with the deadliest form of brain cancer, is trained as an airborne infantry pathfinder, Army Special Forces Trained, and has been a martial artist for 21 years. I am not fearful of a big company. I know logic, business, and legalities well enough to crush a big company doing harm to people by design. I believe in Peaceful Resistance and my martial background has only been used for comedic effect in this post and to let people know that I have tremendous resolve to ensure people and corporations behave ethically and legally and do not take advantage of people they perceive as weaker than them.
Thank you for helping me meet and exceed my goal for donations for the Livestrong Challenge for Cancer Research. My training is going well. I will be ready for the ride.
Stealing vs. Policy: When a person nicks a pack of gum or a loaf of bread from a grocery store it is called stealing and the perpetrator may be punished. When a big giant corporation bills an individual improperly it is called policy. I have personally been subjected to many delaying tactics by humongous, rich, companies, designed to make a person give up, and just pay the bill whether the bill is correct or incorrect. Corporations can hide behind the three syllable word, "policy", but theft is still theft. Legally, impact is important and intent does not have to always be proven.
I may sound miffed but I feel good. Mojo and I walked this morning for over an hour. He is a great dog and I tell him that all the time. By praising my wonderful dog, "Mojo" feels good and I feel good. The good feelings feed on each other and strengthen each other. Our walk was great with many turkeys, deer, squirrels, and vultures on our walk.
Peace and Love,
Jack Burton
"Save the Whales!"
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Please help me raise $350 for the LIVESTRONG Challenge, Bees!, Disciples of Dirt
Aloha!
I plan on flying out to Austin Texas about October 23rd to visit a good friend I first met at Ft. Kobbe in Panama in 1983. This good man knows me very well and we are still friends after a quarter of a century!
I asked my Dr. for permission and I am getting myself in shape for the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin on October 25-26, 2008. Please Donate here, https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=262612&lis=0&kntae262612=8F5A9955DC954AB0BAD28F5F187EDA26.This is what the “canned” letter looks like from the LIVESTRONG website,
“It’s been five years since I was diagnosed with cancer. When I found out, I was scared, angry and worried for my family and myself. As I experienced treatment, the side effects, the emotional ups and downs, the more I grew determined to beat the disease. I did not want to let cancer take away my health, my hope or my life.
More than 10 million Americans are currently living with cancer, and more than 1.3 million people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer this year alone. It’s time for us to do something about this. We must unite to make cancer a national priority. The LIVESTRONG Challenge provides us with an opportunity to do just that.
In honor of my own personal battle with cancer and the millions of people affected, I will be riding my bike 40 miles in Austin, TX on October 26, 2008. I have committed to raise at least $250 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation which was founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist, Lance Armstrong, to inspire and empower people affected by cancer.
I know I can do this with the support of friends like you. Would you please consider making a donation? You can donate online at http://austin08.livestrong.org/xxx (use personal webpage here).
Thank you in advance for your time and generosity. I’ll keep you updated on my fundraising and training progress as I prepare for the event.”
Sincerely,”
The minimum I (Jack) need to raise is $350 and I believe we can do that. I am doing the 90 mile ride because it is the longest and merely a training ride for the rides I do with my mountain biking friends in the virtual mountain biking club, the Disciples of Dirt. I do get together with the DOD in reality for volunteer work on National Forest Trails and for some epic, fun, mountain bike rides and races. I have been hammering away at cancer this year and have not been on the trails much for work or for fun. Thank you for your support. My mom is finding me a cheap plane flight and I may have enough miles from going back and forth to UCSF Medical Center from Oregon every month for close to a year now.
Bees! Whenever I start pontificating about politics my parents have learned to let loose bees in my vicinity in order to keep my mouth shut. It is a highly effective technique to get me to stop yakking and start listening. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”, Dale Carnegie.
Peace and Love,
--Jack "It takes love, courage or genius to make things smaller, simpler, or peaceful."
I plan on flying out to Austin Texas about October 23rd to visit a good friend I first met at Ft. Kobbe in Panama in 1983. This good man knows me very well and we are still friends after a quarter of a century!
I asked my Dr. for permission and I am getting myself in shape for the LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin on October 25-26, 2008. Please Donate here, https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=262612&lis=0&kntae262612=8F5A9955DC954AB0BAD28F5F187EDA26.This is what the “canned” letter looks like from the LIVESTRONG website,
“It’s been five years since I was diagnosed with cancer. When I found out, I was scared, angry and worried for my family and myself. As I experienced treatment, the side effects, the emotional ups and downs, the more I grew determined to beat the disease. I did not want to let cancer take away my health, my hope or my life.
More than 10 million Americans are currently living with cancer, and more than 1.3 million people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer this year alone. It’s time for us to do something about this. We must unite to make cancer a national priority. The LIVESTRONG Challenge provides us with an opportunity to do just that.
In honor of my own personal battle with cancer and the millions of people affected, I will be riding my bike 40 miles in Austin, TX on October 26, 2008. I have committed to raise at least $250 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation which was founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist, Lance Armstrong, to inspire and empower people affected by cancer.
I know I can do this with the support of friends like you. Would you please consider making a donation? You can donate online at http://austin08.livestrong.org/xxx (use personal webpage here).
Thank you in advance for your time and generosity. I’ll keep you updated on my fundraising and training progress as I prepare for the event.”
Sincerely,”
The minimum I (Jack) need to raise is $350 and I believe we can do that. I am doing the 90 mile ride because it is the longest and merely a training ride for the rides I do with my mountain biking friends in the virtual mountain biking club, the Disciples of Dirt. I do get together with the DOD in reality for volunteer work on National Forest Trails and for some epic, fun, mountain bike rides and races. I have been hammering away at cancer this year and have not been on the trails much for work or for fun. Thank you for your support. My mom is finding me a cheap plane flight and I may have enough miles from going back and forth to UCSF Medical Center from Oregon every month for close to a year now.
Bees! Whenever I start pontificating about politics my parents have learned to let loose bees in my vicinity in order to keep my mouth shut. It is a highly effective technique to get me to stop yakking and start listening. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”, Dale Carnegie.
Peace and Love,
--Jack "It takes love, courage or genius to make things smaller, simpler, or peaceful."
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Good News From My MRI Ride and UCSF Medical Center Appointment!, Semi-Inverted, Lance Armstrong Challenge Bike Ride October 24-26, Major Tom
I have great news from my MRI Ride and UCSF Medical Center Appointment! My MRI shows no tumor and just some scar tissue where my tumor was. We started the vaccine and so far I have not suffered or experienced any side effects from it. I feel very good.
I asked Dr. Chang when I can start exercising. She gave me permission to start exercising as if I was a normal human being and I promised to monitor my heart rate and take things easy. I will be practicing yoga more vigorously but I am going to stay away from beneficial fully inverted poses until I speak with my surgeon. I plan on doing yoga in the sun today so I can break a sweat. I feel like doing a shoulder stand but I promised Dr. Parsa I would not until I spoke with him. I will keep the promise.
I received permission to participate in the Lance Armstrong “LiveStrong Challenge” Bike Ride, http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/site/c.frKPI1PAIoE/b.3920225/, in Austin Texas on October 24-26. I have a great friend who lives near Austin who will put me up for a few days and suggested the benefit for cancer ride. I need to raise $250 dollars in donations to participate in the ride along with my $50 registration fee. I will be posting the donation information on this site as soon as I register. The ride is only 90 miles which is almost a training ride for training for the Cascade Cream Puff 100 Mountain Bike Race. I looked at the course and I should be able to do the ride and keep my heart rate below 130 beats per minute and still finish the ride strong. I will be home training on my trainer soon and Mojo and I will do about a 5 mile walk today.
This is pretty much how I feel when I go into my one hour and a half long, head scan MRI’s. For the yogis and yoginis in the audience, I have learned how to practice no handed, alternate nostril breathing while riding in the MRI capsule. The thought of the claustrophobic space of the MRI machine made me think of the beautiful song by David Bowie I thought I’d share with you all. With all fairness to Major Tom, he probably was not riding with 10 milligrams of Valium on board his body on his space ride.
============================
David Bowie - Space Oddity
============================
Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God’s love be with you
Spoken:
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Lift-off
This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You’ve really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare
“This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today
For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do
Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles
I’m feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much (she knows!)
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear....
“ am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do.?
The lyrics are not as powerful in writing as they are in the wonderful singing of David Bowie and his feeling he demonstrates for the power he has for the words.
Be well,
Jack
I asked Dr. Chang when I can start exercising. She gave me permission to start exercising as if I was a normal human being and I promised to monitor my heart rate and take things easy. I will be practicing yoga more vigorously but I am going to stay away from beneficial fully inverted poses until I speak with my surgeon. I plan on doing yoga in the sun today so I can break a sweat. I feel like doing a shoulder stand but I promised Dr. Parsa I would not until I spoke with him. I will keep the promise.
I received permission to participate in the Lance Armstrong “LiveStrong Challenge” Bike Ride, http://www.livestrongchallenge.org/site/c.frKPI1PAIoE/b.3920225/, in Austin Texas on October 24-26. I have a great friend who lives near Austin who will put me up for a few days and suggested the benefit for cancer ride. I need to raise $250 dollars in donations to participate in the ride along with my $50 registration fee. I will be posting the donation information on this site as soon as I register. The ride is only 90 miles which is almost a training ride for training for the Cascade Cream Puff 100 Mountain Bike Race. I looked at the course and I should be able to do the ride and keep my heart rate below 130 beats per minute and still finish the ride strong. I will be home training on my trainer soon and Mojo and I will do about a 5 mile walk today.
This is pretty much how I feel when I go into my one hour and a half long, head scan MRI’s. For the yogis and yoginis in the audience, I have learned how to practice no handed, alternate nostril breathing while riding in the MRI capsule. The thought of the claustrophobic space of the MRI machine made me think of the beautiful song by David Bowie I thought I’d share with you all. With all fairness to Major Tom, he probably was not riding with 10 milligrams of Valium on board his body on his space ride.
============================
David Bowie - Space Oddity
============================
Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground Control to Major Tom
Commencing countdown, engines on
Check ignition and may God’s love be with you
Spoken:
Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Lift-off
This is Ground Control to Major Tom
You’ve really made the grade
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear
Now it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare
“This is Major Tom to Ground Control
I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today
For here
Am I sitting in a tin can
Far above the world
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do
Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles
I’m feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go
Tell my wife I love her very much (she knows!)
Ground Control to Major Tom
Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear me, Major Tom?
Can you hear....
“ am I floating round my tin can
Far above the Moon
Planet Earth is blue
And there’s nothing I can do.?
The lyrics are not as powerful in writing as they are in the wonderful singing of David Bowie and his feeling he demonstrates for the power he has for the words.
Be well,
Jack
Monday, September 1, 2008
Stung by a bee, Going to UCSF, Everyday I am becoming less and less, Wolf, Machiavelli, Reptilian Brain
Aloha,
Sunday I went to a concert in the park and enjoyed a picnic with my folks and a couple of friends. I was sitting in my lounge chair enjoying a piece of chicken and, "Yow!!!!!". I spit out a yellow jacket onto my plate and I had a stinger that felt like a splinter stuck on the left side of my upper, soft palate. Man, did that bee sting hurt! I called out to my mom, "Mom, I just got stung in the mouth by a bee." I dug into my left, front pants pocket and pulled out a Gerber, mini-pliers my ex-girlfriend's parents bought me for my birthday a few years back. I asked my mom if she would mind pulling out the stinger being careful not to damage the good work my wonderful dentist has done in my mouth. My mom had me lay down on my poncho liner and she pulled out the stinger without chipping any teeth or damaging any golden or porcelain crowns.
I am not allergic to bees but I was not sure how the bee sting would interact with the anti-seizure drugs I am taking. I did not want to surprise anyone in case my tongue swelled to the size of a foot ball. My soft palate swelled a little but I was able to breathe just fine. The chicken was good and much tastier than the yellow jacket.
One of my fondest memories I have while being in the woods is when I was fly fishing for salmon in Ketchikan Alaska. I had gotten on the stream just about sunrise and I walked up on a wolf in the wild within about 50 yards. I was able to check him out for about 2 or three minutes before he noticed another angler was using the stream to fish for salmon. He was a little embarrassed that I had seen him first and he scampered up into the forest. The next morning about the same time, I saw the wolf again. This time, he got the drop on me even though I was being careful to be quiet and stealthy. Again the wolf scampered up into the forest but somehow, he seemed satisfied that I had not snuck up on him successfully.
Everyday, in every way, I seem to be becoming less and less of an invalid.
Today I go to UCSF and tomorrow I should find out some information about my schedule for the next couple of months and what transpired in my surgery.
"Never was anything great achieved without danger.", Niccolo Machiavelli
I am living proof that a man can do just fine on only a reptilian brain. Well, at least I am still exchanging O2 and CO2.
Peace and Love,
Jack
Sunday I went to a concert in the park and enjoyed a picnic with my folks and a couple of friends. I was sitting in my lounge chair enjoying a piece of chicken and, "Yow!!!!!". I spit out a yellow jacket onto my plate and I had a stinger that felt like a splinter stuck on the left side of my upper, soft palate. Man, did that bee sting hurt! I called out to my mom, "Mom, I just got stung in the mouth by a bee." I dug into my left, front pants pocket and pulled out a Gerber, mini-pliers my ex-girlfriend's parents bought me for my birthday a few years back. I asked my mom if she would mind pulling out the stinger being careful not to damage the good work my wonderful dentist has done in my mouth. My mom had me lay down on my poncho liner and she pulled out the stinger without chipping any teeth or damaging any golden or porcelain crowns.
I am not allergic to bees but I was not sure how the bee sting would interact with the anti-seizure drugs I am taking. I did not want to surprise anyone in case my tongue swelled to the size of a foot ball. My soft palate swelled a little but I was able to breathe just fine. The chicken was good and much tastier than the yellow jacket.
One of my fondest memories I have while being in the woods is when I was fly fishing for salmon in Ketchikan Alaska. I had gotten on the stream just about sunrise and I walked up on a wolf in the wild within about 50 yards. I was able to check him out for about 2 or three minutes before he noticed another angler was using the stream to fish for salmon. He was a little embarrassed that I had seen him first and he scampered up into the forest. The next morning about the same time, I saw the wolf again. This time, he got the drop on me even though I was being careful to be quiet and stealthy. Again the wolf scampered up into the forest but somehow, he seemed satisfied that I had not snuck up on him successfully.
Everyday, in every way, I seem to be becoming less and less of an invalid.
Today I go to UCSF and tomorrow I should find out some information about my schedule for the next couple of months and what transpired in my surgery.
"Never was anything great achieved without danger.", Niccolo Machiavelli
I am living proof that a man can do just fine on only a reptilian brain. Well, at least I am still exchanging O2 and CO2.
Peace and Love,
Jack
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