They Call Me Galvez

Earlier this week,  I was supposed to go up to Los Angeles for a meeting, but my train got cancelled.  It left me with a bunch of time to kill.  Exploring new areas has become my mission the past few years, but from the perspective of someone with a physical disability.  I decided to check out the San Diego Central Liberty.  Such a cool building!  I had not gone to a public library by myself since I was in high school.  In college going to the library was social time at the UgLi (The Shapiro Undergraduate Library).  I’d spend more time hanging out with my friends then I would actually studying at the library.  I couldn’t sit still in there because I have always had a very short attention span and I was always distracted by all the pretty girls… HAHAHA!

I figured out in grad school that I  need to be alone to get things done because the temptation to do something  more fun was ALWAYS very high!  I’ve forgotten that the library has so many resources! I vaguely remember going to the library as a kid and reading Curious George, Where the Wild Things Are, and Pockets For Corduroy.  I also vaguely remember eating toasted jelly sandwiches and Oreo cookies.  I recall my parents telling me “if you are loud you’ll get in trouble!”  I was always a quiet kid after that!  Most people go to Barnes and Noble to find books or other resources.   I think it is largely due to the fact that it is open later which makes stores and coffee houses more conducive to people looking for a book after work or school.   Technology is making information more accessible, so  I’m very curious to see how digital books/media will affect libraries.

Anyways, at the library, you can borrow CDs, movies, books, ebooks, and even e-readers (with a deposit)!  Pretty cool!  You don’t really appreciate things until the trivial things become difficult to attain. This trip to the library was an unexpected surprise years in the making.  I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed that place until I was immersed in it.  I spent the whole morning exploring a exciting new place!  I even ran into a buddy of mine with his kid!  I found out from him that they also have free classes there!  There are so many interesting resources there!  A genealogy section, a rare books section, San Diego History section, a computer lab, a whole section dedicated to baseball, a roof top view of downtown San Diego… so much going on there!  I’ll definitely be going back there!  The last stop on the trolley goes to the library…very accessible!  Now, I just have to find my library card…

10 years ago in January 2004, I moved from the arctic Michigan winters to sunny San Diego to start an exciting new life.  I had just graduated with my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Michigan Flint.  I was excited to explore a new city as a single young professional fresh out of grad school.  I fell in love with the weather and food after my first night out in downtown San Diego!  When I first moved to San Diego, I lived in a friend’s house in Rancho Bernardo (RB) with a bunch of friends.  I was introduced to blogging, poker, and real flip flops here! The house was like a private hostel for people passing though and needed a place to stay.  I was still in the “broke-grad-student” mindset, so I had no problem living “frugally”.  I would commute an hour to and from RB to work at Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.  I started my career in Physical Therapy on the acute care orthopedic rehab team and eventually settled in outpatient orthopedics. I was first assigned to the in-patient orthopedics floor.  I saw many total knee replacements, total hip replacements, post-op orthopedic surgeries, and occasionally a few oncology rehab patients.  I saw some very interesting cases there!  Ironically, I evaluated a few brain tumor patients post surgery.  Most of the Neuro-Oncology Rehab patients I evaluated were not in the hospital very long.  Little did I know that I would eventually become one of the more complex brain tumor patients in rehab.  Based on what I had seen, I thought that I would be out of the hospital in a few days.  I was WAY wrong! The location and size of the tumor complicated things and required a MUCH  longer hospital stay (8 days in ICU and 8 weeks total in hospital.)  I’ll admit it… When I first moved here, I was having fun discovering San Diego.  I was always out doing something! People would always want to come visit or I would go out of town to visit friends in Orange County or Los Angeles.  After a “humbling experience” associated with the lengthy recovery from my brain tumor surgery, my life was put on “hold.”  The people I used to see often were getting busy with their own lives.  It was frustrating not being able to go out and see friends or go anywhere on my own!

Recently, I’ve been able to rediscover San Diego, but from the perspective of someone with a physical disability.  I couldn’t go anywhere unless someone took me.  The only time I would see people is when they came to visit me.  For the first time in my life, I felt trapped in a prison constructed by my physical impairments.  Ultimately, I learned to evolve or more precisely… I  forced myself to evolve.  I do credit the brain tumor for igniting a new fire for advocacy, but I’m still bitter at everything I lost.  Almost everything that defined me was taken away: my job, participation in sports, my mobility… Very humbling… It took a lot of background research and experimentation, but I have found new hobbies/activities in San Diego. Reading, writing, video production, education, and a “new-found appreciation of life” have become my new interests.  I’m starting to have new adventures by exploring different parts of the city via handicap accessible public transportation.  It is essentially “rediscovering” the city that drew me away from my “comfort zone” in Michigan.  Redefining my NEW comfort zone post-treatment is introducing new possibilities for me.  Change is the only constant in life.  Adaptation is the best way to address it.  Many of my favorite restaurants/hangouts are now gone, but I’m having fun discovering new ones! 2014 will be filled with many more adventures.  More international travel is planned later in the year.  “Discovery” will be my theme for 2014.  Stay Tuned!

A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THEN!

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Last year we were able to educate patients and future healthcare professionals all over the world about life after an intimidating tumor/cancer diagnosis on the generosity of your donations.  HERE IS A SUMMARY OF WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR!  We were able to do presentations at colleges/universities and hospitals across the United States of America. For the first time we were able to spread our message of “post-treatment thriversip” over seas in Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines.  In 2014, we are planning more travel to do presentations.  We already have a few venues lined up in the United States, but we would like to do more travel internationally to spread our message of “post-treatment thrivership”.

In the 12 days leading up to the end of the year (The 12 Days of “Kick-mAss”) we will be highlighting extraordinary people, articles, and organizations that embody the SPIRIT of mAss Kickers Foundation.  Please visit our website to find these unique interviews/articles starting 12/20.  We believe that we need to approach these diseases with more intelligence, heart, and humor.  

Please consider a tax deductible donation to support our 2014 efforts to educate people across the world about life after a tumor/cancer diagnosis…  WE CAN PICK OURSELVES UP AND THRIVE AFTER A TUMOR/CANCER DIAGNOSIS!

Yesterday, San Diego lost one of our brightest stars,  Junior Seau represented all that is good about San Diego:  a successful professional football career, hometown pride, a unique Pacific Islander background, a charitable soul, and a friendly persona.  The surprising news hit me like a ton of bricks!  I ran into Junior twice at his restaurant last year!  (I like to think he recognized me the second time.  hahaha!)  Both times he was very friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy talking to everyone.  I met him for the first time on my birthday at Raw Mana Sushi for Aloha Wednesday night at his Restaurant (which conveniently is a short scooter ride from my place.)  The second time I met him was at a celebration the day he was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Ring of Honor.  I ran into him in the upstairs portion of his Restaurant.  I wanted to personally thank him for hosting such a unique event before I left.  I had not seen a large showcase of Asian Pacific Islander talent since my days in college.  Since I use a mobility scooter to get around, I needed to take the elevator to get back downstairs.  He stepped away from his table and actually rode with me in the elevator and walked me all the way to the entrance. I couldn’t believe a millionaire/ former NFL All-pro football player escorted me on my way out!  Such a cool thing to do!  I’ll never forget the way he treated me like family.   I’m still shocked at the news of his passing.  Junior, your family and friends are in my prayers through this difficult time.  I really hope more research is done to figure out how this could have happened to someone with such a big heart.  The brain is very complicated.  I hope that this at least puts the spotlight on post traumatic brain injury issues.  I’ll never forget the way you treated the little dude in the scooter.  I still look up to you, only now I’ll be looking up at the sky.  Rest In Peace Kuya.

1. in high school i was a champion athlete with aspirations to wrestle in college.
2. in college i discovered my filipino-american roots, joined an asian american fraternity, and joined an a capella singing group.
3. i went to grad school and i became a book nerd.
4. after grad school, i became a CA licensed physical therapist and a certified strength and conditioning specialist.
5. i then became a young adult brain tumor patient/survivor.
6. 2 years later, i became an author traveling the country speaking at health care education programs and hospitals.
7. 3 years later, i became a nonprofit executive.
8. i now travel the WORLD spreading the concept of post tumor/cancer “thrivership.”

it should be interesting to see what happens next!

there were different catalysts for each transformation:

• discovered beer
• wanted to directly help people and become a physical therapist
• needed to become a professional
• got diagnosed with a golf-ball sized brain tumor
• realized there is a need to educate healthcare professionals about brain tumor survivorship
• realized that ALL TYPES of newly diagnosed tumor/cancer patients and ALL our loved ones need to UNITE and FIGHT these horrible diseases
• realized that in other parts of the world, a tumor/cancer diagnosis is perceived as a “hopeless death sentence” 🙁  TIME TO FIGHT THAT STIGMA AROUND THE GLOBE… ask me how we’ll do this  😉

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This past week was amazing!  I had the privilege of participating in the inaugural First Descents Surf camp (First Wave) in Santa Barbara last week.  2 years ago, I participated in my first White Water Kayaking Camp in Glacier National Park, Montana.  I was hesitant to participate in another First Descents camp because I was afraid of tarnishing the memories of my first FD experience.  I was completely wrong.  New memories and adventures were created with a new group of friends in a new exciting adventure.

Before my surgery in 2005, I was just starting to get into a new hobby, surfing, in a new city with new friends.  I’d wake up early to go surfing before work, and found myself so relaxed the whole day.  A few months after I established my routine, I was diagnosed with a golf-ball sized brain tumor between the brain stem and cerebellum.  The new hobby that I was just learning to love was suddenly taken away!  Within a month I had:

1. an eight hour brain surgery,
2. an eight day visit to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit with 5 days in a medically induced coma,
3. a six week stay in the rehab unit at the hospital I used to work,
4. brain radiation treatments five days a week for eight weeks, and
5. physical, occupational, and speech therapy with my former coworkers.

Since then, my life has taken a completely new direction from the plan I had since graduating from Physical Therapy school eight  years ago.   I’m very grateful for the new direction my life is taking me, but I sometimes wonder how things might have turned out if didn’t need to take this new direction.  I have surprised many people (myself included) with some of the things I have been able to accomplish.  Publishing articles/books, going on national book tours, public speaking at universities/colleges/hospitals, and starting a nonprofit organization were never in my wildest imagination.  The brain tumor hit me pretty hard, but it didn’t knock me out!  (It’s my turn to counter punch through MKF!)   I hate to admit it, but the brain tumor was the spark that ignited a new fire in me.  I’ve also learned to appreciate all the little things in life!

I still miss the old activities I use to do.  The tumor took away so much.  Surfing is one of the few things that connects me to the “old” me.  I have met so many amazing people on this journey, but the people who inspire me the most are the survivors I have met on all my travels!  Every person I’ve met that has attended a First Descent camp (campers, staff, and volunteers) has a unique energy about them.  It’s an attitude that is hard to describe, but easy to recognize.  I have met so many amazing survivors in these camps!  I have heard so many incredible stories of triumph that it is humbling being there to witness a fellow survivor’s own personal triumphs.  To see it on their faces is an incredible feeling.  I unfortunately could not paddle out to the lineup myself, but the experience of being out there has given me something to shoot for.  Just knowing the journeys my fellow campers had to endure and watching them catch their first waves was so inspiring to me.  Watching someone do something they didn’t think they could do is incredible.  Seeing the smiles on their faces coming out of the water with a look of confidence reminded me of my own experiences catching my first wave.  The feeling of riding a wave is nothing short of incredible.  The speed, the freedom, the fact that you are being propelled by pure energy that no human created is pretty cool when you think about it.  It made me smirk seeing the “awe yeah, I did that” look on everyone’s face as they confidently walked back to our spot on the beach. I’m still improving physically, but it’s taking much longer than I expected.  I look forward to the day that to will be able to paddle out to the lineup and catch my first wave on my own.  Give me some time to figure out how to do it… I can’t wait to join my new friends on a wave.  ;P

August 8, 2009 Pinckney, Michigan

On a damp and stormy Saturday in Michigan, ~100 brave souls endured the elements to raise awareness and funds for brain tumor research in a unique new fundraiser, the “Tumors Suck! Paintball Benefit”. That’s right… paintball!  Paintball falls directly in line with the attitude of “mAss Kickers”.

The day started off with a heavy downpour and the chance of thunder showers.  Within minutes the chance of thunder showers turned into actual thunder showers.  The enthusiasm of the members of the FUBAR paintball team provided a “calming-spark” to those eager to play yet disappointed by the weather.  Everyone had to patiently wait out the lightning.  FUBAR‘s participation in the event was key to it’s success.  They volunteered to mentor participants in this event to share stategy, techniques, and paintball etiquette.

Some of the participants drove hours from the other side of the state to participate in the event!  The inclimate weather would not be a deterant for these “mAss Kickers” looking to try paintball.   There were creative variations on typical paintball games including “capture the cure” and “survivors vs tumors”.  The highlight of the day was “the gauntlet”.  Members of FUBAR volunteered to literally be targets for participants who donated to the fundraiser!  They would run across the open field and hide behind targets (or chose to instigate the shooters in the open field!)  It provided some humorous moments for everyone involved.  Their willingness to “take one for the team” was a display of the solidarity that is essential to combat an intimidating diagnosis.  Everyone had the opportunity to take a shot at moving “targets” for charity.  FUBAR definitely created some memorable moments for a lot of people.  For one day, patients and their loved ones didn’t have to worry about their medical battles and feel like they could go on the attack.

As the day progressed, the clouds disappeared and the rain finally stopped.  The day was very sympbolic of the attitude a newly diagnosed patient and his/her loved ones must possess in order to effectively battle an intimidating diagnosis.  Things look stormy at first, but with correct knowledge, the right attitude, and patience… things can get better.  We are looking forward to the next paintball event.  Stay tuned, mAss Kickers has a few more events planned!

Details:  Please register at http://www.hellsurvivors.com