Thanks for 2012 & thinking ahead to 2013...

Place de la Concorde Paris Dec 2012

"Until one is committed, there is always the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitively commits oneself then Providence moves too. 

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never have otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforseen incidents & meetings & material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way"

Scottish Himalayan Expedition

Thanks to those of you who have stuck close to me through joy, pain and downright grumpiness this year. Challenges & successes both aplenty, but all in all a throughly inspiring year! I am feeling as well as can be expected at this time of year. Studying plenty including my daily hour plus of yoga, pranayama (breath work) and meditation, eating well & seeing friends as much as possible. The focus now for me is on 'emotional work' mainly through The Journey 'processes' which is a challenge but seems to be having an effect. I am dreaming like never before, a sure sign of 'clearing' they tell me. Digestive ailments continue and very much associated with held emotion according to many holistic practitioners so thats the path I am headed down right now, with the cancer growth showing no signs of slowing despite my best efforts with diet, etc. I also continue to have regular reiki and shiatsu to support my body as well as various other bits and bobs, as support via my fund and my parents allows. I'm looking forward to heading to Avebury tomorrow for the winter solstice on Thursday. A new era for us all I hope! The Xmas at home in Deal ... quiet but all I need right now. Lovely!

Thanks to Mum & Pip for a great time in Paris for my recent 33rd birthday & my rellies for chipping in to buy me a new fantastic camera... some early efforts attached 
                                

Merry Christmas to you all & warmest, brightest wishes for 2013!!!

My November - more on the macro!

Just got back from teacher training weekend 3 followed by lovely week studying HEREat the International Macrobiotic School. Head honcho Oliver Cowmeadow has been working in macrobiotics since the 80's and is quite the authority. It was nice to learn about macrobiotics without the over emphasis on japanese foods and recipes,

though of course many of ingredients do still come from Japan as we seem to have lost so much of our traditional food. To be honest with all the talk about 'eat local and according to what grows nearby' I do find it hard to understand the obsession sometimes with 100% japanese recipes, as delicious as they are. I am on the hunt for some really old maybe even ancient celtic recipes from before we started using meat, eggs and milk so readily that will likely fit the macrobiotic way now. On the course not only did we learn about the food but also how the more energetically extreme foods like animal foods (on the yang side) and alcohol / drugs / sugar (on the yang side) affect us but also how to facially diagnose organ weakness. I have very low kidney & spleen energy which is why I get tired so easily and very much need to look after my liver due to its over zealous effect on my stomach/small intestine. I have been recommended to keep going on the 'emotional issues' stuff

(I have been feeling like I am making good progress with 'The Journey' process' work, another great course I went on a month ago or so) and to get regular bodywork (aka massage). All very interesting & actually Oliver's diagnosis very much fits that of my dear acupuncture doc David! I found time for one very relieving shiatsu massage from Oliver. They are usually expensive but I find them absolutely fantastic. Sometimes not 100% comfortable but when I get pain it feels like pain I need to feel... there is so much blocked energy in my body and I feel it.

So, included are some pics of our last day food in Totnes. So amazing that my mum could come and support me. In fact we have been cooking macro since we got back too. My mum is really giving it a try so thanks to her and Pippa for that! let's see if we cant all get healthier with it!!!

I am off to Paris for my birthday next week. Just 2 nights so I cant wait! A tout a l'heure mes amis!!! One more running race to go - keep your pledges to maustokyo@gmail.com coming (much better than Xmas or Bday presents!)
Winter love,
D.

ps keep supporting my treatment fund too if you so wish. I hope you had a chance to read my update!

YesToLife Fund Phase 2 . full update on 'treatments'!!

Reset! ... and, here we go again! FULL UPDATE - perfect to achieve that deserved & needed deep sleep ;-)!!!!  

Click click click

(From the Fundraising page)
A quick note to start to acknowledge a reset of my fund total with this new blog - just over £25,000 has already been raised and invested in my future wellbeing, not a penny wasted in my opinion (I am quite the authority on alternative therapies for cancer now!) - with new goals and aims in mind. A huge thanks to all who contributed heart warming messages and funds over the last year or so. This time is not like the last when I really just didn't have the money for the expensive treatment protocol which has no doubt helped me to stay pretty well all things considered since. If you are broke please do not donate further. However if you do wish to continue to support any help would be very appreciated. Being without a job it provides me with a level of motivation & independence which to me is invaluable, and means I can continue with no holds barred doing the things I believe keep me on the path to 100% recovery.

So - STATUS UPDATE FOLLOWS!!!
My name is Dave Twomey & I was diagnosed with Stage IV colorectal cancer with liver and lung metastases in February 2010. I was given a 'terminal' prognosis of a few months to 5 years. Well, its already nearly 3 years since my oncologist made that proclamation and not only am I still here but I am quite frankly having the time of my life. I have lost approximately 10kg since I first started getting the symptoms (rectal bleeding - beware!), my face has changed shape somewhat (some old friends say) and my attitude to life & the world around me has changed beyond all recognition I think. For the better! I definitely do NOT feel like I am dying as my oncologist seems to think. My cancer continues to progress with 3 tumours remaining in the liver and multiple ever growing tumours in the lungs ... Well to be fair to her she is just surprised I remain asymptomatic and I appear on the outside to all intents and purposes to be quite well, notwithstanding the weight loss. Contrary to the western idea of my condition I do NOT believe I am dying. Very much the opposite, I am really living for the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. Thriving in fact! And I plan to go on doing do until I am 100 - the image of myself walking along the beach with my future grandchildren is an image I will not let go of easily. But I don't think its about fighting, its about being at peace with myself and allowing my body the time to heal ITSELF from within. Still, I have no doubt the reason I continue to feel so good - so loved, supported and cared for is thanks in large in my opinion to YOU ALL and your incredible generosity raising to date such a huge amount of money, which I have duly spent all of on keeping well or at least experimenting with what does, without the nasty and potentially life threatening effects of chemotherapy. I haven't had any conventional treatment for almost 2 years now (its Oct 2012 as I write this & I last had chemo ending in Feb 2010!). Incredible really!

Spending that fund not a penny has been wasted in my opinion on: my home ozone/sauna system, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, extensive vitamin C doses both orally and intravenously, high grade supplements such as vitamin d, krill oil, magnesium and many many more under the guidance of my nutritionist, trips to various clinics & wellness centres and courses around the country, my complicated but essential dental work at Munro-Hall to rid me of 4 chronic infections, my running gear (I haven't managed to get any where near the 100km I had hoped to complete for charity this year [still ongoing though] but I haven't wanted to push my body too much   ... READ MORE HERE

Running again today - your pledges needed!

Pouring with rain and blowing a hooligan as we like to say in the UK ... BUT, am doing the DEAL TRI 5-MILER today ... Very determined! So, any pledges for sponsorship support would be gladly appreciated. My poor sleep patterns have meant I have only managed 48km of my 100km challenge this year (I havent run in a race since June!!) but hoping to add a few more before the end of the year. Please pledge as comment below!! Thanks so much! Money raised from this race mainly going to help build a new Multiple Sclerosis Centre in Canterbury, a cause very close to my heart - MS is a horrible disease of gradual and painful degeneration of the body. Some of the money raised over the year has already gone and will continue to go to to the Willow Foundation in the UK or to the Ashinaga Orphanage in Japan if thats where you make your pledge. YOUR MOTIVATIONAL PLEDGES VERY MUCH NEEDED TODAY!!! (please share this with your friends if you can)

Starts in 20 minutes... god this weather is AWFUL!!!

The NHS's backward 'nutritional' advice!

Sure you all know how much further I think we can go to heal through correct diet (macrobiotics is my weapon of choice as many of you know) but good to know some US hospitals at least starting to change the shocking advice oncologists give patients... Time to a change NHS - wake up!!! Even the American Cancer Society has information on macrobiotics... This is all the Royal Marsden has to say and this from the 'top' cancer hospital in the UK. By 'a sensible and balanced diet' they mean anything you like pretty much - as long as you dont lose weight! Ridiculous... even if you're overweight (a LOT of cancer patients) they will still say if you lose weight its a sign you are being overtaken by the cancer. Wrong on so many levels ... I am 10kg lighter than I was diagnosed but you know what, I feel GREAT!!! When I was on chemo and started losing weight they gave me carte blanche to eat as many pudding as I wanted despite the huuuuuuge body of research into how suga can feed cancer (one such article here) and sent me off with me a crate of nasty aspartame-filled drinks (I think we stlll have almost ever single one of them dont we Mum?). Truly revolting & it seems quite poisonous too (decide for yourself here here or here!)

This is more for those who have chosen the conventional route of treatment, long put behind me (I wont see my oncologist til April next year now so really going it alone now!) 
Anyway...


Memorial Sloan-Kettering and MD Anderson urge people on Chemotherapy to ‘Choose Healthy Foods’

In contrast to UK recommendations, which include pictures of cheeseburgers, sticky, sugary buns and milk shakes, top American cancer centres MD Anderson, Texas, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York recommend much the same as Chris Woollams and CANCERactive do in the article ‘A Diet for chemotherapy’. You will note they talk about limiting sugar intake – but then six or so studies in the last 18 months have shown glucose feeds cancer.

"When you´re being treated for cancer, it´s important to avoid extreme diets that may leave you short on key nutrients," says Veronica McLymont, PhD, RD, director of food and nutrition services at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

* Choose whole grain breads and cereals.

* Drink 100% fruit or vegetable juices.

* Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruits.

* A few times a week, choose meatless meals such as vegetarian lasagna or vegetable stir-fry.
* Snack on carrot sticks, sweet pepper slices, and fresh or dried fruits.
* Have a leafy green salad with dinner.
* Limit sugary foods -- the kind with lots of calories but very little        
nutrition.
* Pick lean meats and fish more often than red meat and processed
meats.

 

Try to Eat, Even If You Don´t Have an Appetite

Lack of appetite is common during cancer treatment. Some treatments can even make food taste unpleasant. "Even though you don´t feel like eating, it´s important to get adequate nutrition," says Sarah Rafat, RD, a senior dietitian at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Here’s what to do: 

* Choose high-calorie, nutrient-rich foods such as avocados, nuts, beans,      
seeds, puddings (not sure about this one!?!?!?), and cooked cereals.

* Eat small meals throughout your day.
* Don’t wait until you´re hungry to eat. Instead, eat at certain times of day.
* Keep your favourite foods close at hand - not burgers my friends!!!
* Make your meals look appealing. Add parsley, lemon slices, cherry      
tomatoes, and other colourful garnishes to your plate.

read more here ... Source Cancer Active

To read the CANCERactive article, ‘A Diet for Chemotherapy’

JustGiving and full personal update coming next few days I promise...
 

Macrobiotics, intro to beans & recipes!

So, due to popular demand here goes with my monthly or so food section of the blog. The ideas is to focus on one food group each week and give some ideas for recipes mainly from the Kushi Institute too.

''Some general guidelines for the Japanese style macrobiotic diet are the following (it is also said that a macrobiotic diet varies greatly, depending on geographical and life circumstances):
    •    Well chewed whole cereal grains, especially brown rice: 40–60%
    •    Vegetables: 25–30%
    •    Beans and legumes: 5–10%
    •    Miso soup: 5%
    •    Sea vegetables: 5%
    •    Traditionally or naturally processed foods: 5–10%
Fish and seafood, seeds and nuts, seed and nut butters, seasonings, sweeteners, fruits, and beverages may be enjoyed occasionally, 2–3 times per week. Other naturally raised animal products may be included if needed during dietary transition or according to individual needs.''
(source Wikipedia)

I should be starting with whole arguably but this month its BEANS, mainly cos everyone seems to want my recipe (thank you to my teachers) for hummous! So, a few snippets of info from Bettina Zumdick's excellent new book follows with some information I learned over the summer. Beans are from the western perspective a valuable source of protein, fibre, minerals and fat. In combination with whole grains will provide all the daily requirements of essential amino acids, which are the essential protein building blocks that cant be synthesised by the body. Bean products like tofu or tempeh (yum!) can easily replace animal protein in a diet to give you all the protein you need and unlike animal products which contain high levels of saturated fats which are well known factors to increasing cholesterol and chance of heart disease (see the China Study) beans have been found to do the opposite. From an eastern perspective beans strengthen the kidney and urinary function. Beans also contain valuable amounts of minerals such as iron, phosphate, copper, the list goes on. They also help regulate blood sugar level, and contain good levels of insoluble fibre linked to preventing gallstones and normalising overproduction of bile acids. I hugely recommend Bettins's book 'Authentic Foods' if you want to know more. If you are worried about lack of vitamin B12 wild caught atlantic fish would be your best bet.

Beans should make up no more than 10% of your daily intake of food by weight, next to 40-50% grains (that's about a quarter of your plate only) and most of the rest vegetables, according to macrobiotic principles if I am not mistaken. The macrobiotics also love to have a pickle at the end of a meal, the fermentation of which I have started to get quite into lately. The recommended for daily use beans (most energetically helpful on regular basis) in macrobiotics are: lentils, chick peas, black soybeans (hard to find) & aduki beans. Aduki beans are a favourite as they work so well in desserts too!

Guide to approx soaking amounts per cup of beans (cups) / cooking times for UK pre-soaked / unsoaked:
Chickpeas: 3-4 cups / 2-2.5 hours / 3 hrs
Aduki beans: 2 cups? / 45 mins / 1 hour?
Lentils: 2-3 / 15-20 mins / 30-45 mins
Black soybeans: 4 / 2-4 hours?
Butter beans: 4 / 45 mins - 1 hour? / 1.5-2 hrs
Kidney beaks: 3 / 1 hour / 2 hours
Black beans: 4 / 30-45 mins / 1 hour
Mung beans: 2.5 / 1 hour / 1.5 hours

The main trick with beans is don't add salt til the last 10 minutes or the beans wont cook. About 1/4 tsp salt (good quality sea salt only!) per cup is maximum you should ever use. Use konbu to soak regularly but if you have trouble with gas/indigestion after eating omit the konbu until cooking starts and make sure you soak with lemon juice for up to 24 hours and then throw out the soaking water before adding your cooking water. Also if the beans are taking forever you can 'shock' them to speed up process - pour cold water carefully down the sides of the hot saucepan onto the beans. You can eat the konbu after the cooking process - it contains plenty of excellent trace minerals.

Macro hummous (serves 2-4)

- 2 cups chick peas
(if from dry soak overnight with postage stamp sized piece of konbu* aka kelp. cook for approx 1 hour or until soft)
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- 1/4 onion / grated (optional)
- 2 tbsp tahini (experiment with different types)
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tbsp ume paste*
- 1 tbsp ume vinegar*
- lemon juice to taste

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Be sure to save the chickpea water to use as you need to achieve the desired creaminess. You can leave thicker or go for smooth peanut butter consistency. This chickpea water is highly nutritious and can also be used as base for a soup if you cook an extra 1/4 cup of chick peas to add as well plus one veg such as cauliflower. You can use spring onions instead of onions or neither if you want too keep the hummus for more than a 2 days. if no veg is used this will keep for 4 days or so. I like to keep a few chick peas aside and add at the end to give the end result a bit of texture when adding them into the blended hummus. Enjoy!

Cauliflower & chickpea soup soup

- 1/4 cup chickpeas
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 litre of pure water
- 1/2 cup cauli greens/branches sliced thin
- 1 small onion
- whole cumin seeds
- bay leaf
- pinch of salt
- pepper to taste

Dry roast the cumin for a few minutes in a hot saucepan. Add some oil and once hot add the onion. Cook until glassy. Add water, chickpeas, cauliflower, salt & bayleaf plus any other veg leftovers like carrot (diced small) if you wish. Bring to boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is starting to soften. Don't overcook it. Serve immediately with parsley garnish.


Aduki bean & squash pudding

- 1.5 cups cubed squash
- pinch salt
- 1 cup fresh apple juice
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1/2 cup rice syrup*
- 2 pinches cinnamon
- 1/2 cup kuzu* or other thickening agent like arrowroot
- few drops vanilla essence

Boil squash with 1 cup apple juice and pinch of salt. Mash. Dissolve kudzu with small amount of water, add to squash 6 apple juice plus other ingredients. Blend, adding any seeds or buts at the end if you wish. Deeelicious!

* all starred items are available at any good whole foods store or at the macro shop I use. the brand to look out for in the UK is clearspring. I use konbu every day, kuzu is bit pricey but very useful and ume paste for a LOT of dressings.

Hope you find this informative and useful! sorry I dont have pics!!!
Health update coming soon…
d.

Update July: USA/Kushi Institute for Natural Healing ...

Hellooooo! So, coming to the end of first week at the KI in Mass. Really inspiring stuff, all about yin and yang of food essentially and how foods affect us. So many incredible stories about how people have healed themselves from the Macrobiotic ('long life') diet. It starts from Hippocrates' saying "let food be thy medicine and medicine be Thy food"... So interesting considering doctors these days start from the Hippocratic Oath yet only study a few hours of nutrition (what H. was all about really) in their entire study and training!!! And the food in hospitals is accordingly terrible as we all know. There is one Macro hospital in the US but that didnt come easy and due to the nature of the industry, money and power (the devilish pharmaceutical industry) Macro is far from being accepted as mainstream healing method even though depositions have been made to Congressional hearings, etc over the years and always well-received due to the healing of many stage 4 cancer patients like me (among others) using Macrobiotics. Those case studies are quite incredible and the food though subtle is deeelicious when by the right hands. Meeting macro 80 year olds with diabetes who look 60 at the most and 60 year olds lookin more like 35 year olds is quite eye-opening too, thats for sure!!! Wow! So, i have been learning all about how foods affect us on a profound level, affecting all aspects of the human body including the autonomic nervous system, the immune system and more. i've had a wonderful shiatsu massage, watched cooking demos (more practice next week) by the very gifted macro chef/counsellors here, met some lovely and courageous people, plus had a one-on-one counselling session with John Kozinski to fine tune my diet. So, no tofu for me, more sea-salt (and always well cooked-in to the dishes), some more fish for strength,better cooked snd soaked grains (i was undercooking my brown rice bigtime for a start, should be soaked overnight them cooked for 40 mins plus), switching honey i sometimes use for far healthier brown rice syrup and more more more. My condition is all about tightness so food that helps open up my digestive tract and build it up is the order of the next few years. My main remedy he prescribed me (made of water, soy sauce, umeboshi plum & thickening agent called kuzu) had an almost immediate effect and i have had 6/7 nights pain-free after a month or more of pain every night plus i have even slept thru the night on a couple of occasions. Especially joyous days tend to follow for me after that i can tell you! So, i really see the power of the right food already after a challenging few months for me health wise. Its been so bad i have been running average of only 5-10km per week and obviously my 100km challenge has been rather sidelined, which is a shame. Guess i will just have to run more in autumn/fall when i get back from my trips to US and after that, Japan. Any more donations would be gladly accepted, lord knows i need the motivation! In other happier news I was accepted on the Mandala Yoga Ashram teacher training program and sent off my deposit before i left England. So, big changes afoot there too, i will start in September and be headed to the ashram monthly thereafter for 2 years when i will qualify. A unique chance to not only do something very healthful with my life but also to really grow as a person, towards my goal of being a yoga teacher. Exciting times for me. After that i dream of coming back here for sure to learn more about Macrobiotics... Really is fascinatng stuff! Our standard meat, sugar, non-food and dairy-heavy diets these days are just so destructive but seeing first hand a leukemia patient who was given 3 days to live by his medical doctor not only being alive 3 months later but seemingly well on his way to a full recovery. Mind-blowing stuff and he is certainly not the only one!  I write this on my mobile so cant add any links right now but i will try to later if you want more info on Macrobiotics for example and some recommended books. It really can help ANY medical condition! Much love Dave www.mymtokyo.com www.Mindlessfulness.blogspot.com http://marianadubsessions.podomatic.com

Belly-aches & musical musings

Guess I should update the blog before I leave my laptop behind me and head off into the wilderness. Well, not only the wild but I am off to the USA for the first time tomorrow for a month - will be facing some wilderness over in Yosemite & Sequoia National in California (bring on the tree-hugging!) for sure (them bears better watch out!) but now also some city (New York!) plus 2 weeks studying Macrobiotics at the Kushi Institute in Massachsetts. I am traveling light with just one 42litre duffel and I couldnt fit a toothpick more in! - something I find very difficult these days - I really cant wait! I will try to update the blog when I am there but adding photos might be a challenge. We will see...

This update I also wanted in this blog to make sure you didnt think I had it ALL easy. Yes I have been in Devon surfing this last month, also enjoying the gorgeous Gower in Wales plus have done my yoga teacher training interview for which happily I now have my place - which I have of course accepted. BUT, it has been a really tough month or so as well. Its funny how its only through a certain amount of suffering that we can really feel bliss, contentment and peace. After 10 days (I though that was bad) of horrible colic attacks stopping me sleeping I had 2 short but deep sleeps at the ashram, waking up feeling refreshed and rested. And boy did I feel good... i even wrote a blog about how incredible it was to feel no pain after 10 days of it. Then it hit again and to be honest it hasnt abated. We have been trying all kinds of dietary adjestments but once again it just seems to be my body doing what it wants, when it wants & I just have to grimace and bear it. The only thing that seems to bring relief is Bicarbonate of Soda... hardly ideal long-term but trust me I dont have any choice. The number of times I have been sitting in my bed for hours at a time unable to sleep for the pain, knowing the next day would be ruined because of it I cant even remember.  Who knows what's going on in my digestive system really, and whether this is still all massively linked to emotional or psychological issues that may well have been the seed which began this whole process of dis-ease... but I hold on to the idea that it is my body getting on with the catharsis of toxins built up over the years I know it needs to start my energy moving awy from cancer cell production to only healthy cells. In a way the ridiculous amount of rain has only mirrored the feeling of frustration...
 
still, in the midst of the snippets of love, friendship, laughter, inspiration, freedom - yoga sessions, a wedding, festivals, sightseeing, walks, swims in a torrent, healing, chanting, meditations, - I STILL really wouldnt change my situation for the world...



Lastly, some music for those of an open mind: MYMTOKYO 07.2012 (click the link)

I used to do a monthly radio show for Samurai FM with full voiceover but it was just too time consuming so I dropped it. This is the first 'show' if you can call it that now its voiceover-less for over a year. There is some ambient mellow stuff but not only that - also techno, bass music and more... thats my only warning to those wanting only easy listening this is not for you... though you will find moments you will enjoy I think. Its a wide selection showing some of the stuff I have been listening to lately. Not a lot of place for the genre I am most known for playing - techno - in my life these days ...

Daveのガンブロッグアップデート(Japanese)

先月はベルリンにてエレクトロニック・ミュージックへの思いを再確認をし、ケントにていとこのリチャードと５回目のレースに参加した一ヶ月となりました。レースは、一週間にも及ぶ寝不足により非常に辛い10kmになりました。何はともあれ、このレースを終えたことにより目標の100km中の48kmを走り終えたことになります。5月で約半分を終えました。それにしても、何で微妙な距離の8kmレースで始めたのかがわかりらない。とにかく、あと52kmです！募金もぜひお願いします、まだまだ目標にしている金額には至らないので、もしご友人・ご家族の方で僕のチャリティーに興味がある方がいるならば、ぜひご協力をお願いします！先月も募金を募ることができ、チャリティーに寄付することができました。1kmに100円頂ければ、年度末には10,000円のも金額になります。寄付はイギリスはケントの多発性硬化症患者用の治療センターと日本の津波災害によって親を亡くした孤児を養っているあしなが育英会への寄付となります。また、募金の40％は自身の非科学的ガン治療の資金として使わせて頂きます。現在ビタミンC点滴をできる限り受けており、他の非科学的治療も実施しております。以前皆様のご協力に頂いた基金は底をついてしまいました。さらには寄付金の一部はイギリスにあります病の末期症状で苦しむ子供をサポートする基金と自分のようなガンとの闘病を続けている患者のサポートをしているYes To Life基金にも寄付させて頂きます。Yes To Lifeには僕も昨年大変お世話になりました。

是非大きなご協力をお願いいたします！

他のニュースとして今週から本格的にサーフィングを始めました。先週ケントにてレッスンを受け、これから２週間はデヴォンにある世界でも有名なクロイド・ブレイクと言うポイントの近くにある改築された農家に住みながらソーンタン・サンズと言うポイントで練習をします。クロイドのサーファーはとにかくすごい！自身はまだ体が固い！今まで使ったことのない筋肉を使っており、とにかく楽しんでいます。サーフィンは鍼治療の先生のおすすめで、彼によるとサーフィンは道教っぽい究極のスポーツだと勧められました。昨日発見したように、とにかく流れに沿ってやるしかない感じでした。一生懸命パドリングをしてようやく乗り心地のよさそうな波にたどり着いたと思ったら、すぐさま他の波に押されては元の位置に戻されました。その後はもう少し考え直してからサーフィンすることにしました。昨日のハイライトと言えば、海に入る２度目のときでした、強い雨が降り始め、やがてゆるりとした雨に代わり、そのうち完全に止み、海はとにかく静かでピースフルな場所に代わりました。人も少なく、小さな波が流れ、海面には太陽の光が踊るように反射していました。完璧な時間が流れていました！初日のような天気が続けばいいんだけど、海に入ればあまり関係ないかな。

ここ数ヶ月は移動が多くなるそうです。今はデヴォンにいるけど、次はウェールズにてヨガのトレーナーインタビューを受けに、そのあとはヘイオンワイにてフェスティバルに参加し、その後は一週間家で過ごします。その後、友人の結婚式に参加してからカリフォルニアにて一ヶ月ビーチと山・森を楽しんでは、イギリスに戻ります。9月には3週間日本で過ごし、自身のMarianaイベント（９／８土）とLabyrinth Festivalに参加します。春は少しの余裕ができたので、とにかく自分が今やりたいことをやってみてはと思い。どこの角を曲がれば何が自分を待ち受けているかは、誰も知ることのできないことであり、カリフォルニアのレッドウッド国立公園の古代森林との出会いとそこで自分が何を学べるのかは特に楽しみしております。

(translation H. Naka - thanks Hiro!)

RUNNING & RIDING (waves!) UPDATE May June 2012

 So…last month I enjoyed a brief week in Berlin 
revitalising my love for electronic music and back in Kent saw me complete race 5, this time with my cousin Richard puffing and panting with me! After a week of poor sleep it was a struggle I have to be honest, my legs feeling like anvil's for pretty much the full 10 kilometres. Anyway, completion means I am now 48 km into my 100km. Oh why did I have to start with that odd 5 miler (8 km) race! Anyway, 52km to go! Please keep your pledges coming, I haven't received anything like the amount I was hoping for so if you have any friends or family who might like to support my charity efforts & give me added motivation. Just 1GBP or 100Y per km would amount to 100GBP or 10,000Y payable at the end of the year.

To remind you, I am raising money for a new centre to provide relief to Multiple Sclerosis sufferers in Kent, some of the money will go to my continued efforts to beat my cancer through alternative means (I am continuing the intravenous vitamin C when possible, plus various other things & my original fund is basically finished), plus small portion to a foundation providing special days for terminally ill young people. The money raised from Japan will mainly go to the Ashinaga orphanage, giving a home to the many displaced by the tsunami.  

PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY!

In other news I have finally started surfing proper this week. I had a lesson last week in Kent & for next 2 weeks I am based at a gorgeous converted farmhouse in Devon by the world famous Croyde break, though I am sticking to the tamer Saunton Sands. The surfers at Croyde the other day were most impressive! So far, so stiff! Really working some muscles I didn't know I had, but I am absolutely loving it. My acupuncture doctor recommended it above all other sports for being the ultimate Taoist sport and I can see why. There is no option but to go with the flow as I discovered yesterday.

No sooner had I reached surfable waves (swallowing my own body weight in water on the way) paddling through some heavy whitewater, was I pushed back by 8 or so waves to the point that I was back where I started! Had to re-think my game plan a little after that! Highlight so far was yesterday when I headed back for my 2nd session of the day in the bucking down rain, changing in heavy rain then getting out to light rain and total peace out on the water. Few people, small, clean waves & incredible light dappling the rain-splashed water. Actually, perfect! Looking forward to weather like the first day of course but once you're wet, it really doesn't matter.

Busy few months of moving about for me. Now Devon (via Costwolds to see my cousin Cat - thanks C&C hiking Factory!), then Wales to the ashram for my Yoga Teacher Training interview, then a small festival in Hay-On-Wye, then back home for a week. Friends wedding, then California for a month of beach bumming and tree-hugging ;-] then back to UK. I am also planning 3 weeks in Japan again in September for my event Mariana & my beloved Labyrinth festival. Phew! I figured in the spring I have some savings so why not do the things I most want to RIGHT NOW. We can never know what lies just round the corner & I am especially keen to meet those ancient trees & see what I can learn from them…

Thanks to kind donations at Hiroshi & Yae's wedding and Hiroshi's generous doubling of that amount from his own savings we just donated 20,000Y to the Ashinaga orphanage!  - nice!!! I also donated 100GBP to the Willow Foundation from funds raised & added 100GBP to my fund which unfortunately is almost dry after a year if intensive treatment & care! THANK YOU!!! Add your pledge to my 100km challenge now dave@mymtokyo.com - I have run 38km so far, only 62 to go! Next race is Folkestone Coastal run in Kent UK on May 27th...

(Personal update coming soon)

弥恵と紘の結婚パーティーでの皆様の募金とそれを倍の額にしてもらった紘の協力により「あしなが育英会」へ２万円ほどのお金を募金する事ができました、皆様ご協力ありがとうございました。また100ポンド（約13000円）をWillow Foundationへ募金もさせて頂き、さらには自身の治療ファンドに同額を追加させて頂きました。ファンドも１年にも及ぶ集中的な治療を経て残り僅かとなりました。ありがとうございました！僕の100km挑戦への募金、是非お願い致します（dave@mymtokyo.com）。本日までに38kmを走りきり、残り62kmとなりました。次のレースは５月２７日のイギリスはケントでのFolkestone Coastal 10Kです。。。

(Translation H. Naka)

Shell-shock ... the liver wievels strike again!!!

I am just a little shell-shocked, but I am ok. I still feel strong, healthy notwithstanding the continuing bowel I am still ironing out, and I know I look good because everybody keeps saying so & this time I believe it because I am only 4 kg off my pre-diagnosis weight (63kg last weighed) and I feel pretty bloody good too. The sun is shining, I am about to spend 3 lovely weeks in Japan. I wont let the news get me down, I just need a few days to regroup. Yesterday my oncologist gave me my latest scan report & I'm afraid to say I have 3 new cancerous areas in my liver & the lung tumours continue to grow. My CEA (tumour marker) blood test has sky rocketed to double what it was 3 months ago so that probably explains why the liver tumors have appeared. Why is very difficult to say, but for sure I am been more relaxed about diet, etc so maybe a tightening of that would be useful. I have also allowed some stress to creep into every day life too, mainly caused by my laptop it has to be said. I cant deny some frustration trying to finish tracks for release & just the general feeling of energy disruption or depletion I feel when I am spending too much time answering too emails, trying to set up Mariana tours or events or generally getting sucked into Facebook, etc, in front of my wonderfully yet no doubt highly electromagnetically charged machine. So, resolution one is:

1. Get outdoors whenever possible. Light is life!

2. Forget about my ambitions, except those which are obviously healing. There's no point having 'success' if you are dead. Anyway I am already a good DJ, something that I can do in a state of almost meditative calm & which I enjoy very much. If I need to be creative with music thats how I can release it. That or finding an engineer to help me produce my tracks, if I really cant hold it in. I would really love to get my Tr nch works up till now done and dusted. But, not if it causes me stress!

3. Learn to surf. I've wanted to do it for years & this summer I am DEFINITELY going to start. Hopefully in the UK once I am back from Japan (to see some cherry blossom, do an event & then go to dear friends' wedding 4.6-23) then in California in August, where I hope to meet some friends so I can also go to Yosemite & the Redwood National Park to bond with some very very old & very very VERY tall ancient organisms who must have a lesson or two about my ambition to live to 100 years & out live the lot of you! I'm also looking forward to a week in Berlin in May.

That will do for now. As my new friend Tami said 'if they can grow in 3 months, then can go in 3 months'. I will toast my wheatgrass shot to that!

Be good & if you cant, for god's sake BE HEALTHY!!!
Dave

P.S. Race 3 on 31st March in Richmond - another 10k - still taking pledges. Even 10p per kilometre would be amazing, 50p brilliant! I am more motivated than ever to run the goal of 100km this year, to keep my fund going, plus raise some money for some wonderful small charities dear to me. PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY.

Spot the idiot... AsHford 10k COMPLETE!!!

54:13 my time, 347th out of 550 runners. Pretty happy with that (not so happy with my sweaty wet cast!)... WHOOP WHOOP!!!

These legs are made for running (and falling) ...

Oh dear. After some timely nagging by my dear father I looked at my blog only to see that as I think about the second 10k looming over the horizon (tmr!) I havent even blogged about the first!!! Shock horror... and my medal had been hanging proudly (or is it me proudly looking at it hanging?) in my hallway, ready to be joined over the year by another 8 or so, for a month! I hope to build up the distances over the year culminating in a no doubt leg aching half marathon if all goes well hence not 10 x 10k. So, I came in 79th out of 105 doing 5 miles in 44 minutes which I think is not too bad for a man with stage IV cancer & a fractured scaphoid, strapped up at the time but unknowingly hiding a fracture they didnt confirm til 2 weeks later from an unfortunate bicycle accident (I know, if its not one thing its another!) still, I am very much hoping to improve on my place in the next race (eek! its tomorrow AND its raining!) even though I havent been running as much as I'd like. If you felt how wet & sweaty this cast (i now have) gets after an hour long run you'd understand... 

So, RACE NO. 2 COMING UP TMW : : : THIS TIME A 10K (thats about 6 miles!) www.ashfordanddistrict10k.co.uk!!!

In case you missed it, I am doing the 100k challenge of which this race is part in aid of my local muliple sclerosis therapy centre, the Willow foundation (giving seriously ill young uns a day out to remember), my own treatment fund (running worryingly low) & the Ashinaga orphanage in Japan. So far I havent been able to raise anything like the pledges I need to reach my 10,000GBP target (though massive thanks for those kind people who have!). So, if you can pledge even just 10p per KM would be great... 1GBP or a dollar or 1000yen per km would be brilliant!!! you can pledge in the comments section or to my email!  

FYI the next 2 will be Richmond 10k on 31st March followed by  a charity 10k in Japan on 8th April, which I am very much looking forward to!

IN OTHER NEWS, I will go for some extensive dental work at the Munro Hall clinic in Bedford next week to remove what they call 'chronic infections' behind the roots of my 2 front teeth which will be removed (so no more butter-melting smiles from me! he he ... ) AND the 4 cavitation infections hiding in the cavities left behind when my wisdown teeth were removed 10 years ago. Its an interesting field (holistic dentistry) which relates these infections not recognized in conventional dentistry to chronic disease due to their potential toxic load on the body. Obviously we all know amalgams and mercury filling are not going to be good for us (if we dont we damn well should!) but I do believe in this body of work too ... our teeth are undoubtably connected to the rest of our body so, added to my continually improving health (yes I have actually been even sleeping almost the whole night through every night lately!!) & this I am really hoping that the healing of these infections will be the straw (or at least something close to a straw) to break the camel's back (though i have rather a lot of 'camels' in my lungs at present), so my immune system can finally 'see' the rogue (naughty!) cells and zap them until they are squished to smithereens and this 32 year old man is completely, 100% and fully CANCER FREE.

I have a dream ...

Running update & (short) book review!!!

I managed 45-50 minutes running today in the snow and ice with my yak trak's on my runners

so that puts the mileage I can handle at around 85% of what I will be running on Feb 19th! almost ready (this snow isnt helping though!) .. any more pledges feel free to drop me a line dave@mymtokyo.com

* * *

Just finished the second book 'The Te of Piglet' which is different to the Tao of Pooh (my fabourite book ever right now!) but also an abolutely fantastic read for anyone feeling the burn of modern life and perhaps needing a return to amore simple life... highly recommended by me (and my dad!)

100Km Challenge Progress Report

I managed to run just over 4 miles the other day (7km+) in training without too much trouble. Legs getting bit jellified - not surprising considering I dont eat carbs or grains! - but other than that on track I think with fitness! First race is 10km on Feb 19th with my dear friend Shelley. If anyone else wants to run with me this year my dear mum has offered to pay our entry fee's so give me a shout to my email maustokyo@gmail.com or text me +44 7896 868099! Find a race and I am there!
Keep the pledges coming!!!

* * *


RECOMMENDED

Mandala Yoga Ashram - anyone in the UK who wants to go deeper this is the place to go. I am going back in february for Karma Yoga week and longer. Cant wait!

Considering a trip to India too lately... love to get to the Satyananda Ashram in Bihar... their books are FANTASTIC!

Diary entry 12/6/2011

My Dad said I should include more of the personal musings I often include in my letters to him so here goes ... erm ... something...

Dec 6th
After a mostly self-inflicted lovely but hectic day before - presents, treatment, running, then a comedy club with some family and friends - and not enough sleep by half somehow today I feel a real power & strength leaving for Japan. Writing Christmas cards I realise that this year has actually been utterly incredible really - my trip to the Lake District with the Willow Foundation, my (albeit belated) Japan trip in July, Mauritius with my father and lovely brother and sister, lots of wonderful support from my family in the UK & of course the most amazing one of all my alternative treatment fundraising success. When I think of all that the challenges I (it feels more like we now though) faced throughout the year: 2 months of chemo, my ill-fated colostomy reversa leading to the very disappointingly (at the time, now it doesnt seem to matter at all) cancelled japan trip in May, 3 visits to Accident & Emergency including rudely interrupting a hatha yoga courseI didnt even get to start at the ashram (quite the opposite physically I can tell you!) - just fall away into insignificance. I find myself with only one sentence hanging in the air, like a clean sock tumbling from its apex in the dryer: I wouldnt change a thing! If I did I'd have to give up the most incredible thing - the knowledge that I am loved & the feeling of being supported when a hippopotamus-like load is balanced precariously on your state of mind. The stress destroying positive energy in the comments and generosity of you all - family & friends across the globe - has been nothing short of overwhelming, allowing me to invest in my body even so deep as at a cellular level with some of the things it has given me the purchase power to do. And guess what? … digestive troubles aside I feel fantastic for it! Finally my fitness and energy levels are getting back to around June 2010 levels, the last time I was really physically fit enough to run 30 minutes. I have a long way to go but its a start…

When I think of my nephew Louis' cycling efforts raising over 1000 pounds so far, Josh & crew in Tokyo raising over 1500 with the help of all my amazing friends out there doing a party in my honour, plus all the individual donations and comments I feel something really intense happening. The earth feels like its moving, but around me & in support of me rather that falling away from under me - how I feel when I am buried in the mud of chemotherapy - or that the ground has given way beneath you - how it feels when you're suffering the post-op agony of major surgery. To the backdrop of that mire the kindness of this last year takes me far beyond thoughts of 'why me?', 'did I do this to myself?', 'what did I do wrong?', that so many fellow cancer patients seem to suffer with … I am left with the insight bursting through that my cancer far from being a curse is actually a gift - granted wrapped in a rather displeasing box. With it came unending love from my family, unfaltering and sometimes surprising support from friends even thousands of miles across the other side of the world and of course the grateful realisation that I am still one of the lucky ones - one of the luckiest I sometimes think - to not only have all this but also the beauty of natural all around me every day, which I appreciate like never before.

Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart where I discover a little pulsating ball of increasingly bright light of a soul you know as Dave quietly resides, biding his time. For what only time will tell, but time is something we all have - NOW is never ending.

http://vimeo.com/34236830


* * *

ps. some books you might like...
Benjamin Hoff - The Tao of Poo & The Te of Piglet - officially my favourite book ever so far!!!
Eckhart Tolle - The Power of Now ... wonderful handbook how to live more in the present
Swami Nirmalanda - Yogic Management of Cancer ... has helped me so much this year!

NEW YEAR, NEW CHALLENGES!!! I NEED YOUR HELP AGAIN...

Happy New Year! After a glorious month in Japan & 2 successful fundraising & inspiring events unfortunately my Year Of The Dragon started with rather disappointing news that my lung tumours are still growing, albeit only moderately quickly. So, another year of my anti-cancer challenge has begun, hopefully paired up with a whole lot of joy & creativity through some fundraising, learning and laugh-like-a-child fun. With your help. Unfortunately my fund is rapidly diminishing, I was informed by YesToLife that only 5000GBP remains & I have an important 2500GBP dental surgery to clean up chronic infections coming up next, yet another marker for my cancer and possibly the reason why my immune system seems unable to see my lung tumours, while being on the face of it very strong. I haven't been ill (except post-op or post-chemo of course) since before I was diagnosed & my allergies (caused by an unbalanced immune system) have all but disappeared. In fact this last few months I have been feeling fantastic, thanks in large part to you guys & girls and the money for the supplements, treatment and nutritious food I have been able to buy.

So, I have decided to combine raising money for some charities dear to me with hopefully continuing to add to my treatment fund pot. I would certainly like to continue the vitamin c & I have some other ideas to try too. Chemotherapy is still on hold for sure. I have decided to treat myself not the scan. Let's hope it works! So, this year I HAVE SET MYSELF THE CHALLENGE OF RUNNING 100KM OVER THE YEAR IN RACES on road or trail, which I hope to manage via a couple of 5k's, several 10k runs, a 15k or 2 and hopefully a half marathon towards the end of the year. I am thinking marathon next year maybe even (!!!), inspired by a fellow cancer survivor who did it last year just after getting her Stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis. What a trooper!

My first race will be February 19th in Kent so feel free to come and support if you are in the UK and can spare the time. My goal is to raise 10,000GBP or more over the year, so that means 100 people sponsoring me 1GBP per km. This money will go towards my treatment fund but also to some other wonderful causes close to my heart. The first is the Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre in Canterbury, currently trying to raise a million pounds to build a smart new centre for patients all over Kent to receive Hyperbaric Oxygen (also useful for cancer patients - I have tried it!) providing not only relief of the debilitating symptoms of this horrible disease but also giving those who cant work and who are often in a wheelchair somewhere they feel a real sense of community. I will also be donating a portion of the money raised to Willow Foundation who helped me have a wonderful weekend in the Lake District last year and who provide dream trips & days out for seriously ill young people. The final part will be donated to an orphanage in Japan, working with kids who lost their parents in the tsunami of 2011.

Please email your name, email address & pledge (e.g 1GBP per km) to: dave@mymtokyo.com - I will be collecting the pledged amounts according to completed distance in July and November.

e.g.
Dave Twomey . dave@mymtokyo.com . 1GBP
Stella Twomey . xxx@stellatwmey.com . 0.5GBP