Looking Back...Yet again

The last day of treatment is today at 4pm. Then we say goodbye to our friends at the Sibia Medical Centre and take one day to rest and pack, and then begin the journey home on Friday. Jake and I should arrive in Los Angeles at 9:35 at LAX.

As this week has progressed I have each day sat in the office of my friends the Sibia's. I have said hello to all of the people at the clinic from the technicians, to the nurses to the guards. I have many more friends than I did before I arrived. I have a second family. This week has reminded me of the final week of "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson (didn't see that coming did you?) Each day closer to Johnny's last appearance on the show. As would be expected, both myself and the Sibia's have been reminicing about the chain of events that brought Jake and I here, and the times and talks we have had in the last 2.5 months. What has come up more than once is the decision to take a chance and come here and the way both Jake and I were strong enough to be away from all family because that is what we needed to do. Invariably the name William Shatner has come up more than once as kind of a motivating factor perhaps for me even more than Jake. During the course of this adventure, from the begining, Jake would quote lines from movies such as "Star Trek Generations" "I take it situation is grim and the odds are against us...Sounds Like Fun!" as one example. Almost each day in India, at about 3pm, after Jake had a nap, we would have "The Bingo Hour" This consisted of eating a bag of "Bingo" potato chips while laying on the bed together watching an episode of "Star Trek" Jake and I would say, "Boy, we think we have it rough, look at what he has do deal with at his job!" The episodes were new to both of us as we mostly had experience with the films only.
This blog began and will continue, eventually under a different title, as we add success stories from Jake and others. During the first 1.5 years of Jakes treatment I made all of my correspondences in the form of group emails. I did not know what a blog was (apparently according to Dr. Kim it is a "Web Log"). Because of this, our complete story is known more to just our immediate friends and family until the blog began on Sept 2nd. There have been magic moments even during that time that were recorded on email. I would like to post 2 email entries here that were turning points for me. They came at a time when I was unsure of what to do next and Jakes future appeared very grim. The second is how an email picked me up emotionally nd kept me on track. The third was written directly to someone else yesterday by Dr. Sibia.

Letter 1
In a message dated 8/22/2008 9:51:58 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, dan@intelligentsolutions.tv writes:
I have not lost my mind. I just like movies and they have been a huge inspiration all my life. My kids seemed to have followed in my suit enjoying movies instead of sports. Didn't seem to affect them negatively let's face it Alex was crowned Homecoming King this year in a school known for football. In that vein, movies, and movie quotes help drive my life and I am certain they help drive and teach Jake. During the course of the last 1.5 years Jake and I have jokingly used actors and characters from movies to help cope with the type of attitude we need to maintain. Key in this role has been Captain James T. Kirk aka William Shatner and Jake has said on more than one ocasion how cool it would be to meet him. Although I realize this is a near impossible request, this email goes out to so many who know so many that I thought I would put it out there that if anyone has any connection with Mr. Shatner, we would love to arrange even a phone call from him to Jake. I think it would be a fantastic memory and motivator. I have not told Jake about this idea as it would be a wonderful surprise and I don't even expect that there is a possibility that it could happen but people know people who know other people so you never know. Therefore, I am putting it officially out there. Get me a call with the Shatner man. I really am not losing it. I just believe in the power of many. Thanks, Dan

Letter 2
On Aug 26, 2008, at 1:11 AM, Daniel, L. Pastel wrote:
Sunday was a pretty rough day for me. I began to question everything I
was doing and felt myself going into a panic. I kept thinking, "I can't
believe I am actually going out of the country for up to 2.5 months."
How could I be in this situation? I felt at the end emotionally and wondered how I
could pick myself up and continue the fight. Jake was complaining of a
small headache and feeling kind of out of it and the panic started to
wash over me like a wave from the top of my head to my toes making the
lower half of my body tingle like it was asleep. The same thing happened
when Jake was first diagnosed and again last week when our doctor caught
me in the hall to let me know the MRI results were in and things had
changed for the worse. I felt like Dr. McCoy in the Star Trek episode "Spocks Brain"
where he performs reverse brain surgery to put Spocks brain back in his
head after it had been stolen by aliens. Suddenly Dr. McCoy begins to
panic and says "How could I ever think that I could do this? I was
starting to question the validity of everything I was doing and finding
no answers or choices to choose from.

The next day, we went for our vaccinations. We were sitting in the
office after the shots, waiting for possible side effects when I got a call from
my brother Dale (Angel Tay) informing me that my sister Pam, had been
successful in contacting William Shatner and he would be talking to Jake
within the hour. I was ecstatic! My depression left and I found myself
excited and hopeful again. I knew that Mr. Shatner would have good words
to say which would help motivate all of us to do the things we needed to
do. Mr. Shatner called and spoke to Jake. We listened on the
speakerphone as Mr. Shatner told Jake that he was going to leave the
states to get better and he would "WILL" himself better. He said "Jacob
do you hear me, you will WILL youself better!" He continued: "And when
you are better and you get back, I will take you to a horse show. Just
you and me, what do you think?"

The road ahead is dark, winding, and unclear. It is difficult to know
whether we will drive ourselves directly in to a wall or find an
opening, where the sun shines and life is reborn.

As Captain Kirk quotes in The Wrath Of Khan, "There are always
possibilities"

Today confirmed what I already knew. People can get things done! Just a
few days ago, I sent out the "Wacky Email" hoping for a moment to
contact William Shatner to launch Jake and I on our way. Within a few
days, the power of people and the internet made that happen. People make
things happen! People like the doctors, nurses, social workers and
pschyologists at Rady Childrens Hospital. People like my brother "Angel
Tay" whose only concern is for our well being. People like my sister Pam
who set up the Jake Pastel Cancer Fund and got the meeting with Mr.
Shatner. People like my parents who help out financially, with a joke or
chocolate. Nieces like Kaitlin that setup websites to sell products for
Jakes benefit. Benefit poker tournaments in Los Angeles put on by my
nephew. All my close friends, and people I have never met who have
brought food, caring, a hug, anything they could because they want to
help. People are so much better than we realize. It is a shame and a
blessing that sometimes realize this only after the going gets rough. There are
hundreds of hands holding my family up while we walk across this fire,
this hell which is a brain tumor. I travel with Jake Sept 3rd, one week
from Wednesday to another country on a hope. We are never alone. The
helping hands of all my friends and family reach out like the web that
is the internet and help hold me and Jake up. We are never really ever
alone.

A long while ago, Jake had given a name to his tumor....Frank. Now Frank
must die.

Finally, Letter 3 from Dr. Sibia
Subject: Captain who steered the ship towards health and recovery in the book "Saving Jake - Hope for Cancer"
Dear William Shatner,
Jake is here for treatment of his brain tumor with Cytotron and we are satisfied with the follow up MRI result. The will power of Jake and the determination of Daniel his father are exceptional specially when it comes to cancer – even the word spells doom and defeat.
Your encouraging words to Jake have inspired him and Daniel beyond whatever you may imagine. Will power, optimism and the right attitude go a long way in any treatment and I must appreciate and thank you for what you have done for Jake. The credit of his improvement at least partially goes to you or he may never have been here.
Cytotron treatment for cancer and arthritis is still in its infancy and it holds promise for millions suffering from the ailments. When future generations read the history of Cytotron your contribution cannot be ignored. You will also be the Captain who steered the ship towards health and recovery in Daniel’s forthcoming book “Saving Jake – Hope for Cancer”
I take this opportunity to invite you to Sibia Medical Centre in Ludhiana that is located in north India as my personal guest. I know you are busy but then if you "WILL" it to happen – as you said to Jake before he left you will be here one day.
Regards.
Dr.Sibia