Josh

My Experience with Cancer

I was 21 when I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. My disease was primarily located in my sternum, lower spine and throughout my bone marrow. I was treated on three separate occasions throughout the last 7 years. Beginning first with 8 months of (ABVD) chemotherapy, followed up by of 2 weeks of radiation. My cancer responded very well to this treatment as it had completely disappeared. About four months had passed before my scans indicated that my disease had relapsed. Upon the advice of my doctors I underwent a bone marrow transplant (stem cell replacement). The transplant went as smooth as a textbook example and I went three years without cancer before I relapsed a third time. My final bout occurred when two lymph nodes next to my lungs had inflamed. Since this was a more minor relapse we opted to do a five-week radiation cycle. My body responded well and my cancer has since been in remission! Woohoo!!!

Hobbies

Hanging with Brutus…a.k.a. Tini Totereli a.k.a. Tini Totasore a.k.a. Tumble Weed

Books

7 Spiritual Laws to Success : by Deepak ChopraThe Power of Now : Eckhart TolleThe Secret : Rhonda ByrnePlato : Phaedo

Music

For me, music has been my universal translator, as well as my psychologist. It’s been my refuge, best friend, true love, and worst enemy. It allows me to capture a vague image of true emotion. I can only wish for everyone to find something in their lives that is as purifying to their souls, as music is to mine.

My Kind of People

Good Peeps :)

Reason for Being Here

I hope to meet and work along side others who have a greater good at heart…maybe together we can make a difference!

Words of Wisdom

Life’s a journey…not a destination.

Religion

Atheist

Know Me

For as long as I can remember my life has revolved around music. It has been my outlet through which I’ve expressed just about every emotion I had while growing up. It has brought me clarity on life, death, love, change, growth and pain, as well as given me a greater appreciation for myself and the world around me. During my battle with Cancer, music proved to be my best listener and my most powerful healing tool. It helped me to understand and to really deal with what I was going through. There is no doubt that modern medicine; professional advice, healthy diet, exercise and emotional well-being have played a powerful role in my survival, but music has been my “doctor” when it comes to self-healing. More importantly, it has been my “teacher.” It has taught me that with knowledge, awareness and creativity, we can truly heal anything. It has also helped me develop many lifelong friendships and for that alone I am eternally grateful. Music has brought me to a place where I can relinquish the ego’s judgment and truly embrace life. Where I feel compelled to focus on my greater purpose, to make a positive difference and for what I touch and what touches me, to become better. In my choice to follow this purpose, I have found that “life” has ultimately become my career. Music is certainly a large part of that effort, never the less it is only one color in the infinitely creative palette of life, well, maybe a few colors… Regardless, I know now that this purpose stretches far beyond any one channel of expression, for it is an “idea,” and ideas have boundless potential. Anyway, as a Cancer survivor I am extremely humbled and appreciative for my life. I am thoroughly enjoying getting back to being a student, as well as a teacher, and can only hope that in the rest of this lifetime I can provide others even a fraction of the inspiration that has been bestowed upon me.