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Hey everyone!
It's been a little while since I've written any updates about Ultrachronic, and for good reason. We've been undergoing a "reconstructive phase" of sorts since parting ways with Brendon in July. Well, here's the update, in a sort of "choose your own adventure" kind of format:
Short Version
(Because I'm verbose and life is too short to read all the way through my messages)
Kyle, Dave and I have joined up with Boondok Saints alumni Matt Fink (drums/vocals) and Wayne Alden (vocals/guitar) in a new project called The Flash Mob. We're very stoked about this new project and we think that fans of both Ultrachronic and Boondok Saints will dig our new material.
Visit our website at www.theflashmob.net and sign up for news and updates by entering your email address in the box at the bottom of the page and clicking "Go". We'll let you know of all the haps as they occur.
Click here to add us to your friends on MySpace (if you have a MySpace profile). You will be prompted to sign in first, and afterward you will be sent to the "Add Friend" confirmation page. This will get your MySpace profile on the list for event invites and updates.
We hope to see you soon!
D.SCOTT
Long Version
(Because you actually tolerate reading my long, rambling messages - however unlikely that is)
As I said before in the news section of www.ultrachronic.com, parting ways with Brendon was mutual, amicable, and on good terms with all parties. As they say, all good things must come to an end, and such is the case here. It was time for Dave, Kyle and me to go in one direction creatively, and Brendon in another - and you can actually hear that trend happening in the last few songs that we wrote as Ultrachronic. In the two years we spent together, we've had some great times with Brendon, and we will miss playing with him. We wish B all the best in his endeavors ahead - whether it be with another project like Ultrachronic, or something else completely. We will be cheering our brother on for life.
While Ultrachronic was in full swing, we have met some great people and have worked with some awesome bands - whether it be as a headliner, an opening act, or just plain friends and fans supporting each other. We met up with the mighty DJ KAAOS while he was spinning as part of Boondok Saints - one of our favorite bands to play with. For six years, the Boondok crew won the hearts of many in Colorado and regionally, and had built an incredible following. We became good friends with several of the fellas Boondok Saints, which led to KAAOS spinning with Ultrachronic on a part-time basis and in several shows.
Well, in May of this year, Boondok Saints played their last show together to a packed house at the Gothic Theatre in Englewood, CO. It was an awesome event that was full of energy, but was bittersweet because it was the last show of one of the best bands in Colorado. Ultrachronic has always loved and respected Boondok both as a band and as brothers, and we were sorry that they decided to call it quits. But then again as they say, all good things must come to an end.
So in July, Ultrachronic was in need of a new drummer, and it was just natural for us to ask Matt Fink (drums/vocals) and Wayne Alden (vocals/guitar) of Boondok Saints if they would like to start jamming with us and see where we could go. Suffice it to say, it was a perfect fit. The first jam, we wrote one song - the next jam, we wrote another. We discovered an incredible chemistry playing together, and that we have so much more capability than what Ultrachronic had before - with dual guitars, three-part harmonies, and a shit-ton of creative energy (pardon the expression).
The result combines what we think are some of the best aspects of both bands - not "Ultrachronic" in flavor, not "Boondok Saints" in flavor, but rather, a synergistic hybrid of both. It quickly became evident that the band needed an identity all of it's own. So we thought it over for a few weeks and chose The Flash Mob.
Q: So what the hell is a "flash mob" anyway?
A: From Wikipedia:"A flash mob is a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, then quickly disperse. News media and commentators have often misused the term 'flash mob' to refer to nearly any form of public gathering."
While we don't literally fit that definition, we admire the concept. The Flash Mob is: Kyle Ingram on vocals, Wayne Alden on vocals and guitar, Matt Fink on vocals and drums, D. Scott Morris on guitar, and Dave Crotser on bass. We're very optimistic about this new project, and we hope that we can bring the best of Boondok Saints and Ultrachronic together in a hybrid of musical styles that fans of both bands will dig.
The Flash Mob is planning on making our debut in October or November of 2007, so stay tuned for news and updates. For updates via email, visit www.theflashmob.net, enter your email address at the bottom of the page, and click "Go". For updates on your MySpace profile (if you have one), Click here to add us to your friends. You will be prompted to sign in first, and afterward you will be directed to the "Add Friend" confirmation page. This will get your MySpace profile on the list for event invites and updates.
So of course, this begs the question, "What happens with Ultrachronic?" The truth is, we really don't a definitive answer to that right now because we're keeping things as fluid as possible. We're taking some of the last few tunes we wrote as Ultrachronic with us onward in The Flash Mob, and we may even play some old Ultrachronic favorites as covers from time to time. Perhaps this could be best looked at as a "restructuring and rebranding" of Ultrachronic, but then again, the bulk of Ultrachronic's repertoire will be put to rest - not indefinitely, but maybe "in hibernation". Unlike Boondok, Ultrachronic hasn't had any kind of "final show" or has made any announcement as such, so it doesn't make sense to use to say that it's done. As far as we're concerned, Ultrachronic is just kickin' it poolside for now.
Learn more at www.theflashmob.net or on MySpace at www.myspace.com/theflashmobrocks.
We hope to see you soon!
D.SCOTT
We just found out that Ultrachronic is Hyperactive Music Magazine's "Band of the Week" and are featured on Hyperactive's MySpace site! Check it out at http://www.myspace.com/hyperactivemusicmagazine and on their blog at http://blog.myspace.com/hyperactivemusicmagazine. Thanks Allie!
After two years playing drums with Ultrachronic, Brendon Speas has left the band to pursue other interests. We thoroughly enjoyed the last two years we have spent with Brendon on the kit. We value the times that we had together, and wish him nothing but the best in his endeavors ahead.
Dave Herrera, the Music Editor of Westword (our alternative weekly paper here in Denver), was kind enough to stop by our comeback show at the Walnut Room on Saturday night and take some photos. It was an unexpected surprise, and it was great to finally meet both Dave and his wife.
If you would like to check out the slideshow, you can find it here:
http://slideshow.westword.com/index.php?gallery=266
Thanks Dave!
It was one hell of a night, and I for one was a bit cold when I started, but after I got warmed up, the old engine started purring like it did in the 'old days'.
F'n FUN times, and a packed house. A tremendous thanks goes out to Rhythm Vision and the Flobots who absolutely ruled. I can't wait to play with those cats again. Both bands were f'n amazing.
Big thanks to Brice Hancock of the Denver Messageboard and Keith Schneider of Colorado Music Buzz Magazine for getting our ads up for everyone to see and helping us get the word out, and to Mark Sundermeier who booked us a fantastic night at the Walnut Room and gave us a killer introduction. I love you fellas - thank you so much!
And to everyone who came out to see us, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. You packed the house on Saturday night and made it a tremendous show. It was great seeing all of you nodding your heads, jumping up and down, or what have you - your presence there made it a tremendous night for us and a memorable occasion. I hope that we made as fun for you as it was for us.
Here are some photos from the evening. A huge thanks goes out to our photographer Chris Bazil (www.chrisbazil.com) for taking these photos. Thanks brother!
Thanks everyone for making this such a memorable night for us!
D.SCOTT
ULTRACHRONIC'S COMEBACK SHOW! | |
Now that we're back from the Hyperactive Music Festival in Albuquerque, NM, we're bringing it home to Denver, baby! Ultrachronic's COMEBACK SHOW is happening on Saturday, June 2nd at The Walnut Room. We are also very stoked to have two incredible bands performing with us on this bill: The Flobots and Rhythm Vision. The show starts at 8 PM - the show details are below. Since we last played The Gothic Theatre on August 19th, it will be almost 10 months since we last played in the Denver area, and we are honored that we are making our return to Denver at The Walnut Room with these two awesome bands. If you've been following the events of the last 10 months with our band, you will know without a doubt that this will be a very special occasion for us. We plan on celebrating with an incredible night of music - with some amazing supporting bands onboard, DJ Kaaos spinning with both Rhythm Vision and Ultrachronic, and three brand new songs for us to debut! We would absolutely love to have you with us for this celebration! THE ULTRACHRONIC CREW |
What's up everyone!
We're happy to announce the date, venue and time that we're playing at the Hyperactive Music Festival in Albuquerque, NM:
When:
Friday, June 18th, 2007 - 7:00 PM
Two HUGE announcements!
One more chapter in this saga ... hopefully it'll be the last for a while.
So my lovely Wifey and I went to our surgeon, Dr. Nene, the other day. He had great news. He said that I'm pretty much 'in the clear' - at least for the time being. Needless to say, Kara and I are pretty fuckin' stoked about it.
Nene told me that I'm free and clear to go out and do about anything that I want. That's a good thing, and I'm relieved that he had only good news to tell me. I had to admit that I went in there with sweaty palms (well technically, one sweatty palm, since the other one has been pretty dry since the surgery - another side effect).
We were pretty nervous about the visit because there is a lingering lymph node in there that they said was 'a little hot', but Nene and everyone else thinks that it's just reacting to the surgery. I mean, if you had a 'grapefruit' taken out of your chest, you could pretty much bet that bits and pieces of you will be a bit angry for a little while. Hence, the lymph node.
On the band side of things, Ultrachronic has about three new songs that we have pretty much completed since starting practice. We have others in the pipe as well that we're going to be smoking on in the next few weeks as well. Well, for me, that's figuratively-speaking, not literally.
So life is good. Naw. Life is GREAT!
D.SCOTT
We're very stoked to announce that we have two new songs near completion, and another one being written since we have taken our hiatus from playing live. We have several other new ones in the 'cooker' as well, so there's quite a bit of new material that's coming up.
We've been taking the opportunity while we're off to reinvent ourselves a bit. We're deconstructing and reconstructing many of our existing tunes, and with our new tracks, we're adding a whole new dimension to our sound by adding Kyle on guitar. This addition to our sound has been a very welcome one and adds a lot of headroom to our tracks.
We're currently in the process of finalizing our plan for preproducing and recording these new tracks for a possible new EP to be released sometime in mid-summer. We'll keep you informed on our progress as we make it, so stay tuned for more announcements to come.
Been lazy on the news blog as of late - and super busy with getting back on track. Time for another update.
The recovery is going well. I'd say I'm at about 90% - still feeling a little 'tight' from the surgery and am still getting used to feeling the way that I do, but overall I'm doing great. I lost half of my voice due to a cut nerve that controls my left vocal cord, but the way I figure, it's a small price to pay. Went back to work on November 1st and it's been great therapy.
Went to see the oncologist yesterday after a follow-up PET/CT scan that I did on Thursday last week. The tumor is gone but there is a lymph node that is suspect. They're going to review the case in a board of 6-10 doctors, including him and my surgeon, and they'll get back to me about the recommended treatment. They may have me go in for another round, wait for three months and scan again, or they may have me go in for a biopsy - or they may dismiss it altogether. Who knows? Basically, he said that it's a coin-flip as to whether I'm completely out of it or not. So, we'll wait and see. The good news is that they got the alien out - so I'm almost there. It's just a matter of a couple follow-ups now.
In mid-November the band started practicing again. We've been hard at it, writing new tunes and attempting to reinvent ourselves a bit in our songwriting. It's still funky and kickass, except that we now sound a bit 'more together', which is a welcome change. It was a bit of a paradigm shift to the usual way we wrote and practiced, but it's helped the band become more of a 'unit'. We're looking forward to recording a new disk this spring, and hopefully by late spring or early summer we'll be able to do our comeback show. Looking forward to that.
Again, thanks to everyone for your support. It has given me strength in battling this thing, and we're almost there!
D.SCOTT
The 'daily grind' is good therapy for sure - it's building my strength and stamina, and I'm learning how to do things again. It seemed very strange and was challenging at first, but since then I've gotten the hang of it again.
It was a good Thanksgiving. I've gained 20 pounds since 'the alien' was abducted from my chest! It's nice to not look anorexic anymore. Got back to practicing with the band two weeks ago on Thursday. It kicked ass - it was so nice to be playin' again. We're going to use the recovery time to write new songs, and hopefully get something recorded. So, when we come back at our 'comeback show', we'll be able to tie-in a CD release with it as well. RAWK!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone - belated as it may be.
I'm getting better - much faster than I thought too.
Just got off short-term disability two weeks ago on Wednesday, and now I'm getting all caught up at work again. Tell you what, after six weeks of being on a couch watching ESPN and daytime TV, it sure is good to be back in the 'real world' at work, and it's good therapy as well (both physically and mentally).
I still am quite a bit sore - you go through one of these things where they practically dismantle your chest and it really takes your stamina away. I'm feeling a bit better every day, and my stamina is getting better as well. It's nice getting back to 'normal'. My voice is hoarse though - they cut a nerve to my left vocal cord during the surgery so that won't be getting any better any time soon, but I can live with that. The way I figure, small price to pay for a new lease on life. And since I'm not a vocalist, it doesn't matter much anyway. :)
Speaking of, the band is rehearsing again! We just had our first practice in three months last night. I of course was sloppy, but it just felt great getting together with the fellas again and jamming. I've been getting very involved with the Colorado music community in the meantime - I've been writing a column called 'The D-List' for a new publication called Colorado Music Buzz Magazine. It's been a lot of fun and a good venture into something new (i.e., writing something else besides computer code).
I still am quite a bit sore. You go through one of these things where they practically dismantle your chest and I'll tell ya, it really takes your stamina away. You start off out of the hospital very weak, and you slowly have to build up your strength.
It takes baby steps to get your strength back - quite literally. First, you have to learn how to stand, and then to walk. Second, you learn to get up and down the stairs. Next, you take a trip outside and get the mail. After that, take a walk up and down the street. Then, take a longer walk in the park, and so on. It really does take weeks to get back into shape from things like this. I never imagined how difficult it would be until I actually experienced it. Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend an experience like this to anyone, but I have a feeling that I'll be a stronger and better individual having experienced it.
There's a lot of pain too - not sharp, stinging pain, but a lot of persistent, sore, achy pain. Indeed it sucks, but it'll eventually go away, and I can tolerate it now without meds.
So I'm happy to say that I'm feeling a bit better every day, and my stamina is getting better - bit by little bit. I actually get to go back to my day job next week on Wednesday, so that'll be some good rehabilitation activity to help me get back to 'normal'.
One drawback though: my voice is sounding very hoarse. They cut a nerve to my left vocal cord during the surgery so I don't think that will be getting any better any time soon. It's tough to talk to folks sometimes - especially in noisy environments - but I can live with it. The way I figure: it's much better to be alive with the nerve cut then not to be alive and not have it cut. Besides, I'm a guitar player - and I never had a good singing voice anyway!
I can't wait to get back into the fray with the band. First need to get the fundamentals in check though. Baby steps. It's a slow process, but I know that I'll eventually be back and at it again - and quicker than I expect.
D.SCOTT
Hi folks -
The tumor was removed from my chest on Tuesday, September 12th. Here's the scoop on what happened:
When I went into the emergency room the night before my surgery, the doctors took blood samples, a CT scan, and some other tests, and I was admitted into Intensive Care. The next morning, I was operated on and the tumor was removed.
The surgery lasted 12 hours. I saw pictures of the tumor and it was huge. The tumor mass ended up measuring 20 centimeters. I had a pneumectomy, which fully removed the tumor, but also removed my left lung as well. It also invaded part of the enclosure that surrounds the heart, so now I have a piece of Kevlar replacing it. I also lost a rib but according to my surgeon, I probably won't be missing that too much.
After surgery I was kept asleep and intubated in the ICU for a couple of days. I didn't wake up until Thursday, but I really don't remember much about my visit to the hospital until a couple days before I was discharged. I do remember that the ICU is a tough place to get any rest. You're hooked up to all these wires monitoring your vitals, and you get woken up many times at night by nurses giving you shots, flushing your artery catheters, and taking blood. Every morning at 4:30 AM, I was abrubtly waken up by the x-ray technicians, yelling "RADIOLOGY!", who put this cold plate behind my back and shot my chest with a portable x-ray device. I was in the ICU until Monday, September 18th, and was moved to a standard care room afterward. I must say that the standard care room was much more comfortable! It was private, quieter, and had its own bathroom. I enjoyed that for a couple of days and was dischrged from the hospital on the night of Wednesday, the 20th.
I've been resting at our house and recovering since then. Kara's been here with me since getting back and that's been really nice. She'll be getting back to work next week, so I'll be here by myself next week and afterward, but I've been getting pretty self-sufficient so I should be good to recover by myself next week. I won't be doing jumping jacks by any means any time soon, but I should be good enough to recover here at home by myself (with Ozzy the Black Labbath, of course).
I'm still really sore, a bit short of breath, hoarse, and low on strength. I've been having trouble sleeping more than 4 hours straight without having to wake up and take a Vicodin and a Melatonin. Those get me to sleep pretty well, but I've been trying to stay off the Vicodin during the day. That's a really good thing because I'm getting less and less dependent on the pain meds as the days go by. Vicodin makes you pretty loopy and I appreciate my sobriety. If I need anything, I'll take a Tylenol instead.
The recovery has been really slow, but it's going well. Every day, I've been feeling just a bit better. Every bit counts, and every bit has been adding up. We just got Hi-Definition DirecTV this last Tuesday, so I'll be doing a lot of TV watching on the couch. I've been getting 'cabin fever' though, so hopefully we'll be able to get out of the house and do things soon. Right now, I'm just at the point at where I can go out to the mailbox and get the mail, and walk short distances before I get winded, but that's all part of the recovery and rehabilitation. I find myself being able to go further every day, so I know things are improving. That's a very, very good thing!
All in all, I feel that I'm very lucky to be alive. I had a second birthday the day of my surgery - September 12th, 2006. My lovely Wifey and our medical team saved my life, and I will be forever grateful to them for that.
I should be back and at it again by the first week of November, and there will be quite a bit of adjustment from what life was like before my surgery and what life will be like afterward, but it will be great to be back. I'm looking forward to getting back to work again, and I'm looking forward to rocking it with Ultrachronic as well. Those days will be big milestones in my recovery and rehabilitation from this experience, and they will be happy days for Kara and me.
Thank you all for your support through this ordeal of ours. Kara and I are so grateful for your thoughts, prayers, good vibes, and positivity. It has helped up immensely, and we have been using it as fuel for our fire in getting through this. We love you all, and we will see you soon enough.
D.SCOTT
Hi everyone -
Some new information has come to light, so I thought it would be a good time to send you all an update on what's going on. (Aren't I due for one anyway?)
Kara and I went in to see Dr. Reznick today (my oncologist/hematologist). He had the results of my PET/CT scan that I had taken on Friday, and he said that the tumor was localized, that it wasn't growing, and that there was no activity anywhere else in my body. So that's good news.
He did say that the lymph nodes immediately surrounding it were 'reactive' to it and did show up on the PET scan, however they weren't as 'lit-up' as the tumor was, signifying that there was a good chance that the lymph nodes are just reacting to the tumor and not metastasizing (spreading). He's going to have Dr. Nene (my surgeon) remove these lymph nodes during the surgery, and also perform a bone marrow biopsy while I'm in the OR.
The loss of the lymph nodes will not affect me at all and is intended to be a 'prognostic action' - that is, the lymph nodes will be sent to the pathologist and studied for possible cancer. Once they know for sure if the tumor metastasized, they will have a prognosis. The bone marrow biopsy is a test that they take to see how well my bone marrow is producing blood cells. This tumor is eating up a lot of my blood supply, and this is what's causing my anemia. Dr. Reznick said that the tumor is getting too big for my blood supply to handle, and he needs to check the health of bone marrow to see how well it can produce blood cells after they get the tumor out.
I'm looking forward to getting this son-of-a-bitch out of me. It's no good - absolutely no good - and it's taxing the rest of my body, namely my blood supply. This thing seems to eat blood for breakfast, lunch and dinner - at least so the oncologist seems to make us think. I need to get it out so it doesn't eat up my blood anymore, so I can be nourished everywhere else.
So as soon as they can get this sucker out, the doctors are confident that I should be on the road to recovery. It won't be a fast road, but I should at least be mobile enough to go to a few places in a couple to three weeks afterwards. I won't be doing jumping jacks, but at least I should be able to get around to the doctor's office for a follow-up appointment, or somewhere else important. After this surgery is done with though, I think I'll be bustin' as lot of Twisted Metal in my convalescing blanket for a little while. That's hot!
With all this going on though, Kara and I have been keeping our spirits up and have been having fun. We visited the Taste Of Colorado last weekend, been going to dinners with friends and family, playing with our little boy Ozzy, and have been enjoying our time together. It's been good to relax before 'the big day' happens next week.
Again, thank you for all the good mojo you're sending our way. It means so much - we can't thank you enough. I think this will be the last update before I go in, so it may be awhile before I write the next one. Have patience though - I'll get it out as soon as I can!
Peace and positivity -
D.SCOTT
Kara and I visited Dr. Nene, my surgeon, the other day and he told us a little more about what we are battling. He said that even though it's not 'lung cancer', it is widely considered to be a 'low-grade sarcoma', which is a type of cancer with a very low growth rate and a very low percentage of metastasis (spreading) - so the tumor will be treated as such. I know that I said previously that it wasn't cancer, and I was somewhat mistaken and I apologize for this. It's not 'lung cancer', but it's still considered to be a low-grade type of cancer. Basically, this kind of tumor generally stays where it is, and just slowly grows until the symptoms start to appear.
Another interesting point he also mentioned, was that this tumor has probably been growing inside of me for a very long time. I could have had this thing since my teens, or even childhood - it's just recently in the last two and a half years when the balance tipped to the tumor's side and the symptoms started appearing. There's no way we could have known about this - I never had a chest x-ray, CT scan or anything like that until now. I would have had to have something go wrong for anyone to discover it.
Dr. Nene is very confident that we'll be able to get the whole tumor out. They have to go in through the side and they may have to take out a rib or two to get better access. He said that losing a rib isn't a problem, and I figure if Adam lost a rib, then so can I. The surgeon is also very confident that he'll be able to section the tumor away from the lung and that there's a good chance that I'll get my lung back.
There are risks, however. On the flip-side of the coin, I could potentially lose part of a lung or even a whole lung. So, the risks are there, and nothing is guaranteed. He said that in that worst case, if I did lose a lung, that I can continue life as normal with one lung. Many people have had this done and lead great lives - I just won't be able to climb Everest. Oh well. Never thought I'd want to attempt that anyway!
So after the surgery, which we're planning for sometime during the week of September 10th, I'll begin a long recovery process. I'll have a hospital stay of three to five days, and I'll need to take six weeks off from work. Immediately afterward, I'll have a couple of chest tubes inserted to drain away any fluids that could build up, and I'll have an epidural inserted somewhere in my back so that I'm numb from the armpits down. After they're confident that there's no more fluid building up, they'll take the chest tubes out, and I'll be on oral pain meds. Dr. Nene said that pain management is something that he's very concerned about, so I'll have all the pain meds I'll need. After that, there will be a few more days in the hospital, and I'll be able to leave and convelesce at our house for another six weeks. After the six weeks are over, I'll be able to make my return back to 'normal life'. I'll start work again and get used to being back on the clock, and after a few weeks of getting back into 'the daily routine', I'll be able to start practice with the fellas in the band again. That will be fun!
After meeting and talking with Dr. Nene, I'm confident that I have the best facility, and the best team of medical professionals available to take care of me. Dr. Nene is methodical, knowledgeable, and sharp as a razor blade (no pun intended). The surgery itself is going to be the easy part (for me anyway - for Kara and the rest of the family it'll be a different story). The recovery is what's going to be the difficult part for me. I just need to focus on what's ahead right now. We will beat this thing, and we will win. And after I recover, we'll throw a huge comeback show! That's just one of the very many great and wonderful things that I'm looking forward to.
Well, we're done with the waiting game, which was nerve-wrecking.
When you don't know something like this is, you start to think of all the possible things it could be, and your mind just starts to race and race. Two nights ago I didn't get much sleep because of this, but I managed to sleep much better last night. Waking up this morning though, I was really nervous because I knew that this day was when I'd get the diagnosis - so I had to remind myself to calm down, to not think about the "what if's", and just prepare myself for the news.
I just got a call from Kara, who just got off the phone with the doctor. We know what this so-called 'mass' is inside of me, which my buddy Mikey refers to as 'the grapefruit'.
It's called an 'inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor'. It's not cancer, however it straddles the line between non-aggressive and aggressive. It's not considered malignant, but at the same time it's not considered benign either. It's localized, and with it not being a cancer, it doesn't spread.
Most likely they'll need to surgically remove it, but I read that in some cases (one out of nine in one case study I read) it can be treated with something called 'corticosteroid'. I read however that the potential side-effects of using corticosteroid might make surgery the better option (thus that's probably why eight of nine took this option in the case study). All in all, this is VERY TREATABLE.
Kara and I are going into the surgeon's office tomorrow at 11:30 to discuss it. I'll have more information on what it is and how we're going to go about treating it after that and I'll send updates.
So, it's not totally good news, but it's not totally bad news either. This sits in the 'gray area' so to speak. It's not a carcinoma, which is very good. It's not totally benign either, which is bad. We'll just have to wait and see what the doctors say. Most likely however, I'm going to have to go in for surgery. I'll need to prepare for that.
So now that I know who my enemy is, I'm going to get to know him better. I'll be keeping my chin up and my spirits high, and I'll make myself ready to fight this thing. When I'm ready, I'm going to unleash hell on this bitch, and before we know it, the battle will be over. I'm confident that I can beat this thing, and that everything will be ok.
So, the time to harvest the grapefruit will be coming soon. We'll know more after tomorrow, so I'll keep you updated.
Everything went well yesterday with the biopsy.
The procedure that they did on me was called a CT biopsy. First, they scan you in a CT scanner to take cat scans of you and to get an initial idea of the location to perform the biopsy at, and they mark the location with a magic marker. Then, they perform the actual biopsy, where they first injected me with some lydocane to numb the area, and then they took about four samples of the 'mass' inside of me with the biopsy needle.
You know how it is - it's really freaky when you hear that someone is going to stick a needle in your chest and get four core samples for the pathologist to look at, but really, the procedure itself was cake! All I felt was the initial prick of the needle that numbed me up at first, and then the burning sensation of the lydocane as they injected it, but it wasn't bad or painful. Then after that, they took the biopsy needle and did their thing. I felt nothing, and was bullshitting with the nurse guy the whole time.
So right now, I'm doing great. The hardest part of it was actually before the procedure, where I needed to get into a calm, peaceful mindset, ready to go to battle. It turned out to be much easier than I built it up to be, and that was awesome. I should be getting the results from the biopsy by tomorrow or Thursday, and I'll keep this blog up to date on what the results are, as well as the treatment options.
I'd like to thank the wonderful professionals at Medical Center of Aurora's South Campus for making the experience go as smooth as possible. The team of nurses, technologists, and the radiologist who performed the biopsy were all top notch, and I knew from the get-go that I was in good hands.
But most of all, I'd like to thank my family for coming out and supporting Kara through this time. It's tough for me being the Soldier in this battle, but it's even tougher for her being the General. She is kicking so much ASS with this, but it's tiring for her as well, both mentally and emotionally. My family coming out to support her was the best thing that she could have, and I couldn't thank them enough for coming out and showing their support and their love.
Lastly, I'd also like to send thanks out to everyone for your emails, your phone calls, your prayers, your warm thoughts, your well-wishes, and your good vibrations. It all means so much to me, I cannot put it into words. It's times like this when you find out who your friends are, and how much they care about you.
Thank you for all the support. It's all fuel to my fire for beating this thing. I couldn't thank you enough for that.
To our family, friends, and fans -
Last night we rocked the Gothic Theater as if it were going to be the last show that we're going to play in a while, because, unfortunately, it is the last show that we're going to play in a while. We have had some unfortunate events unfold in the last few days that's going to put us onto "indefinite hiatus" for a bit.Before I explain, we would first like to thank Lazyface for having us play their CD release party, as well as the other band we played with - Kelli*Said - who rocked the place down to its nuts and bolts, and JT from Ten Tiers, who played a beautiful acoustic set. You guys and gals, and the good staff at The Gothic Theatre, kicked absolute ass at this show. And of course, we would like to thank the best fans a band can have in the whole world for coming to see us ROCK BALLS for you! You truly are the best - thank you!
So getting to what this is about, I received some bad news from the doctor on Friday. They did a cat scan and found a 14 × 14 centimeter 'mass' in the left side of my chest, and it's pushing up against my bronchial tubes and causing me to cough. I do not know what kind of a 'mass' it is yet, whether it is a cyst or tumor, or whether it's malignant or benign - right now, it's just a 'mass'. They don't know how deep the 'mass' goes - the CT scan was scanning my liver, my kidneys, and my intestinal tract, so they didn't catch all of it. They aren't even estimating yet - so right now, it's just 14 × 14 centimeters - about 5 1/2 inches wide. That's a big motherfucker.
So, if you know me and have seen me lately, and was wondering why Ultrachronic has such a skinny guitarist, that's why - because the 'mass' is eating up all the nutrients that food and drink provides, and it's causing me to be malnurished. It's also causing that incessent cough that I have (since it's pushing up against my lung and bronchil tubes), and it's explaining why I get night sweats. I've had these symptoms for about two years, but other than those things, I felt fine - I played shows, I rode 13 mile bike trips, I took five mile hikes, and I felt absolutely great! So even though these things were occurring, I didn't feel the need to go to the doctor, so I didn't until my wife Kara demanded that I do it. And she was right - there was something wrong, and now, I have no choice but to stand up, face it, and fight this bitch until the battle is over.
This Monday (August 21st, 2006) I'm going in for a biopsy on the 'mass', where they stick a needle in me and take a core sample out for analysis. If the results are conclusive, and they're able to diagnose it, I'll know what it is, what my treatment options are, and if I can, I'll let you know further what this bitch is growing inside me. If the biopsy is non-conclusive, they may have to go in there and get it out.
Kara and I are taking this in stride. It's really tough news to have dropped onto you all of the sudden, and we've had to sort and straighten out a lot of thoughts and feelings on this. The conclusions we have come to are as follows:
1. Fight! I'm gonna fight this bitch until the battle is over. Tooth and nail. I'm not going to submit to this fucker. I owe it to Kara, I owe it to our dog Ozzy, I owe it to my family, I owe it to my friends, and I owe it to myself. I'm in this for the ones that I love, and the ones who love me, and I'm going to protect this house! That's fuel for my fire, baby - and along with faith and God's help, that's all the fuel I'll ever need.
2. Don't jump to any conclusions or dwell on the "what if's". What it is right now is what it is. We aren't thinking about this being the "C-word" or anything. No conclusions will be drawn at all until this bitch is diagnosed. If we started thinking about these things and what it "could be", we'll drive ourselves freaking crazy.
3. Take this one step at a time. Kind of related to conclusion #2 above, but different enough to have it's own bullet point. There are going to be several steps involved in diagnosing, treating, and recovering from this thing. I just need to focus on what's ahead in the immediate future with regard to these three things. So right now, I'm focused on this: Monday is my scheduled biopsy - I need to prepare for that and only that right now.
4. Relax, and keep an even keel on this. My Dad said the darndest thing about this yesterday when I broke him the news. He said, "I know right now that you're high on the 'sphinctor factor', but you have to just try to relax right now and shit like a goose." If those aren't words of wisdom, I don't know what is. After we found out the news, digested it, straightened our thoughts out, and called our family and friends, we went to the Red Hot Chili Peppers show at the Pepsi Center - and we enjoyed the shit out of it. The next day, we played the Gothic Theatre where we ROCKED FUCKING BALLS!! My band may be on "indefinite hiatus" after this, depending on what the biopsy results are - so we played this show as if it were our last show in a while. That's the way to go out onto hiatus baby - better to burn out than fade away!
5. Stay positive. I've always tended to look at life through my "rose-colored glasses", and I don't intend to change that perspective one damn bit. Sure, it's easy to go negative on this and dwell on the crap aspects of this thing, but where the hell is that going to get me? Nowhere - and it just makes things worse. Thinking, feeling, and promoting the positivity is the only way to go with this.
6. Have faith. I'm not talking religion. Faith for me is the deepest heart-felt belief - a feeling in your heart that you know to be true. While I'm not religious, I do have faith in God, which is a deeply personal relationship for me that no organized religion, church or person can corrupt, make obligational, undermine the value of, twist the meaning of, or make routine. I have faith in the ones that I love, in the ones that love me, and in myself. I also have faith in the good folks and medical professtionals that will be helping me through this process. I have faith that I will recover, get better, and that everything will be ok. This is faith-based healing to me, and it also serves as fuel to my fire for fighting this battle. It brings purpose to the fight, and gives me a goal to fight for. I have hope, I'm thinking the good Karma, and I feel positive - all of which faith is the fundamental ingredient for.
7. Love life. Every freaking second of it. I always try to recognize the beauty in everything that surrounds me, and I count my blessings every single day. I have the best lovely Wifey a man could ever have in Kara, who always takes the best care of me. Our "little boy" Ozzy brings so much joy to Kara and me, and we are truly the luckiest dog parents in the world. My family, on both Kara and my sides, are so loving, nurturing, and supportive, and wonderful. My friends are the most beautiful in the world, and I'm in a band that rocks my socks off. To everyone I mentioned, I love you all. We live in a wonderful house, in a wonderful place, in a wonderful world. I'm going to enjoy every aspect of it - from the smallest little thing to the largest. I'm going to live it up, every single second. I count each of these blessings every day, and I have never, EVER, taken any of these things for granted. That's life to me, and I love it all.
8. BE STRONG. Yes, I'm a little afraid of the road ahead, but I can't let the fear of the "what if's" succomb me. I have to look this thing in its ugly eye and stare it down! I'm facing an ugly, ruthless, invasive monster, and I need to stand up to it with all that I have. Some of my fight can be fueled by angry energy, used in a positive way. A few people who know me know that there's that proverbial "little box" inside me that contains nothing but pure fury and fierce, raw, emotional anger. This is where I can take that "little box" and use it to my advantage. This will give me even more strength, and even more power to beat this thing. I'm going to bring it on, and I'm going to defeat it. BRING IT FUCKING ON! I'm strong, and I'm ready.
So, that's where Kara and I are at with regards to how we're approaching this. I've written down as much information as I have that's relevant to what's going on with this ugly thing inside me. I hope that I've conveyed as well the mindset and approach that Kara and I are taking with this, and I hope that you can support us in this fight. We're going to beat this, and we're going to win.
Remember, we love you all, and we truly appreciate your support. For life, baby. Ultrachronic will be back, and we'll come back a stronger and better band. This is only a phase in the existence of our band, and we'll be onto a better one before you know it.
Peace and positivity -
D.SCOTT
Guitars - Ultrachronic
