Keeping the Dream Alive

Epilogue Part I “How brain cancer compelled Ashley and me to seriously examine, consider, and re-frame our future plans and dreams. Then PREPARE for them.”       Sperm. Lots of sperm. Now that I have your attention…     As we all should remember from high school biology and sex education classes, in order […]

Facing My Fears

Prologue Part IV   “How brain cancer forced me to confront all of my greatest fears in life…  all at the same time.” Aichmophobia:  the morbid, irrational fear of sharp and/or pointed objects.  Included in this genre of phobias is “needle phobia,” which is a self-explanatory term that is actually used in medical literature.  If […]

It’s Official: I’m a Cancer Patient

Prologue Part III “How brain cancer taught me how to shift, adapt, and roll with the punches.”   Brain surgery was immediately followed by one solid week of “recovery” in the Neuro-Intensive Care Unit.  I don’t know if it was all of the drugs they had me on for preventing seizures, blood clots, and pain, […]

What The F*** Are You Doing?!

Prologue Part II: “How brain cancer showed me who the REAL heroes in my life are.” I believe that my experience in the hospital is best defined by both the things that I absolutely hated about it, and the things that I absolutely appreciated about it (most notably all of the heroic people that I […]

“Kicking the Bucket List”

“How I went from happily creating and experiencing the life I envisioned to hitting the single biggest roadblock of my life.”   PROLOGUE Part I: A few days before Black Friday in 2014, my wife Ashley and I both received what appeared to be a routine marketing email from REI, our favorite “toy” store where […]

Nestor Powernester

  “What does it take to be able to move relentlessly forward? What kind of person can sustain relentless forward movement?”   PREFACE: Let’s start from the very beginning – MY beginning. I’m sure this sounds very cliché, but I feel like I had a VERY unique childhood (doesn’t everybody?). I was born the only […]

On the Road Again

“How brain cancer put me in the high-speed lane towards creating and experiencing the life I envision.” (step 8 of my 8-step plan to get you back on track towards pursuing the life you envision despite a cancer diagnosis or other major life-altering event).   STEP 8 Part III: Shortly after returning home from my […]

Do the Work

“How brain cancer pushed me to create and experience the life I envision.” (Step 8 of my 8-step plan to get you back on track towards pursuing the life you envision despite a cancer diagnosis or other major life-altering event).   STEP 8 Part II: My first experience with exercise upon returning home from a […]

If It Is To Be, It Is Up To Me

  “How brain cancer motivated me to create and experience the life I envision.”   (step 8 of my 8-step plan to get you back on track towards pursuing the life you envision despite a cancer diagnosis or other major life-altering event).   STEP 8 Part I: Ten tiny words have always governed my life: […]

It’s Not About You

“It’s Not About You”   “How brain cancer made me passionate about helping others in my same situation.” (step 7 of my 8-step plan to get you back on track towards pursuing the life you envision despite a cancer diagnosis or other major life-altering event).   STEP 7: Attach your goal to a CAUSE; make […]