December 5, 2012
My Top 10 Songs About Cancer

There are hundreds of songs about cancer but here are my personal favorites in no order. Enjoy!

1) Jason Mraz- The Remedy

This song was released back in 2005 and is dedicated to Jason Mraz’s friend who was diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago. I remember listening to this song because of the melody and lyrics, but never understood the meaning of it until recently. It’s definitely one of the more upbeat songs about cancer.

2) Taylor Swift- Ronan

Taylor Swift performed “Ronan” earlier this year at the Stand Up to Cancer Teleton. It’s about a 3 year-old boy named Ronan who passed away in 2011.

3) My Chemical Romance- Cancer / My Chemical Romance- Welcome to the Black Parade

My Chemical Romance’s 2005 album Welcome to the Black Parade is about a character named “the patient” that dies and reminisces back on his life, which also parallels the theme of cancer. I thought it deserved 2 songs from the album. “Cancer” still gets to me everytime. Here’s a quote from the lead singer Gerard Way regarding “Cancer”

“It’s very direct, very brutal, but that’s the way disease is. Obviously cancer is being used as a metaphor.

“But I also wanted the song to be directly about the disease, because it’s something that the patient has gone through and it’s a very powerful thing. For me it was almost like an attempt to write the darkest song ever, and I think we achieved that.”

4) Simple Plan- Save You

“Save You” is about Pierre Bouvier’s brother’s battle with cancer.

“It’s about my brother, he went through a two year battle with cancer and he went through numerous chemotherapy sessions and went through a bone marrow transplant and it was really tough time for my family and I. Just going through that and seeing someone so close to you go through that kind of stuff is very difficult. The song is about how I felt powerless in that whole situation. Now he’s better, which is great news, but that is probably the song that I feel most connected to.”

5) Martina McBride- I’m Going to Love You Through It

The song is mainly focused on breast cancer, but the video includes various cancer survivors as well as celebrities who have experienced cancer personally and/or through family. This is easily one of my favorite songs about cancer because it captures the importance of having someone there for your physically, emotionally, and mentally during your battle with cancer.

6) Rascall Flatts- Skin (Sarabeth)

When people think of cancer, I believe most people picture a middle-aged or elderly person. However, cancer affects all ages, and “Skin” focuses on a young girl who was diagnosed during high school.

7) Regina Spektor- Chemo Limo / Regina Spektor- Sampson

Regina Spektor has a lot of dark undertones in her music which makes it difficult to interpret the true meanings behind her lyrics. Chemo Limo seems to be about a mother of four and her reaction and decisions regarding her bring diagnosed with cancer and needing to undergo chemotherapy. Sampson seems to be a woman singing about a man going through cancer which is also parallels the biblical story about Sampson.

“I don’t fully understand the fascination of people wanting to know the ‘real’ you after listening to your songs,” she said. “People always want to know which part of the song really happened, they want to know some sort of a ‘Truth’. 

8) Tim McGraw- Live Like You Were Dying

This song perfectly captures the realization of fulfilling your life after finding out you might not have enough time. It’s also accepting your condition and finding peace within yourself. “Live each day like your last” gets tossed around a lot, but people do not fully understand those words until death becomes reality.

9) David Tokaji- I’ll be the Father Now

This song is dedicated to David Tokaji’s father who was dying of cancer in 2010. His lyrics says it all.

10) Sufjan Stevens-Casimir Pulaski Day

Casmir Pulaski Day is a holiday that is celebrated the first week of March in Chicago. This song is about a boy who, that day, reminisces about his lover who passed away because of bone cancer. Its also about losing his faith because of this experience.

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November 25, 2012
Ryan’s Bowl-A-Thon: November 25th, 2012



Big round of applause to Noble Tran for spearheading the event!
It was a big success and really contributed to helping Ryan pay off his medical bills!

www.facebook.com/helpsaveryan

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November 21, 2012

Things used to be, now they not
Anything but us is who we are
Disguising ourselves as secret lovers
We’ve become public enemies
We walk away like strangers in the street
Gon for eternity
We erased one another
So far from where we came
With so much of everything, how do we leave with nothing
Lack of visual empathy equates the meaning of L-O-V-E
Hatred and attitude tear us entirely
-Chloe Mitchell

(Source: vimeo.com)

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November 12, 2012

www.sinfultreats.net. is a new sponsor for Help Save Ryan. The holidays are around the corner so place your order and Sinful Treats will donate 30% of proceeds from orders placed from November 15-December 31, 2012. Please use or mention code : “HelpRyan” when you place your order made online, in-store or by phone. Sinful Treats delivers anywhere in the United States! Please visit shop@sinfultreats.net or call 888-994-6385.

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October 2, 2012
Days 13-26

These 2 weeks were difficult. I had a fever that lasted about 5 days and developed an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics called Cefepime. Fortunately, my allergy looked a lot worse than it did. It looked like a really bad skin rash, except I didn’t feel it. It didn’t itch or hurt. My face and ears were swollen and I had red spots all over my legs. The scary part was I was told it can be Graft vs. Hose disease or GVHD. GVHD is when the host (me) rejects the graft (my cord blood cells). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graft-versus-host_disease 

There are different levels of GVHD; acute and chronic. Acute can be treated fairly well and chronic can be fatal.

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September 25, 2012
Days 1-12

After I received my cord blood cells, everything seemed fine from days 1-12. I’ve been going on walks around the hospital like they told me too, and eating very little. Nausea is always there even after given anti-nausea medicine. So far my body is reacting to the cord blood, radiation, and chemo as it should. I’m just waiting for the cord blood to find my marrow and engraft to create new healthy cells.

Day 12

One of my inspirations through battling Leukemia was Janet Liang. She unfortunately passed away on September 12th, which was her day 4 after transplant. We never met face to face but we would exchange messages on Facebook and texts. Her passing is disheartening to anyone who knew her and her story. She battled Leukemia for 3 years and when she finally found a match, it was too late.

When I first heard about her passing, I was sad and in shock, because she’s been though so much and been so strong that I expected her to make it. I was definitely sad for her friends and family because I can only imagine what kind of pain my family and friends would go though if it was me that didn’t make it.

So I started to get worried, because I really looked up to her and I realize I can die the next day too. That worry quickly changed to anger because so many people are passing away from cancer and I didn’t want to be another statistic…I want to beat this not only for myself and my family and friends, but for Janet Liang http://www.helpingjanet.com/ , Jonathan Valenzeula https://www.facebook.com/JoHnNyVaLeNs, Mathew Nguyen http://www.teammatthew.org/blogs/ and for anyone else who didn’t make it.

Please click Janet’s link up above for more information on her, her funeral, and how you can help.

Janet Liang

RIP JANET LIANG

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September 2, 2012
Countdown to 100 days

I’m still feeling the effects of the two types of chemo and Total Body Irradiation so bear with me as I try explain the meaning of 100 days.

On day -7,-6,-5 I received two types of chemotherapy; Cylclophosphamide and Fluderabine. The side effects are nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and fatigue, just to name a few.  Fortunately, the only side effect I had was nausea, and they provided medications for that. 

Days -4,-3,-2,-1 consisted of 2 rounds of TBI for 4 days. I basically stand in a small box as they radiate me for 15 minutes front and back. You don’t actually feel the radiation, but it will definitively make you feel weak and nauseous.The main side effects are similar to chemo, but will mostly cause mucositis which is an inflammation of your mouth, throat, and through your digestive tract. Mucositis can make it painful to eat, and use the restroom. I’m told it will go away as my white counts go up.

People ask me why do I have to go though this again, especially since I’m in remission. My answer to that is the biopsies I’ve been getting is only a small sample; it doesn’t mean there arent any cancer cells floating around. The best way is to go though chemo and strong total body irradiation.

Here I am happy over my last day of radiation!

Here I am happy about finishing my last round of radiation

Days -3 and -2 hit me the hardest. I barely ate and vomited a lot. Day 0 is when I received my double cord. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a marrow match , so this was the next best thing to do.  The cord blood transfusion went well, but we will not see real results until a week or 2 from now because cells don’t develop right away.

 I want to continue bloggin, but its getting difficult to focus on the screen and starting to feel nauseous . I’ll update soon!

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August 26, 2012

Here’s my interview with Carol Gillespie, the Executive Director of AADP on Bay Sunday!

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August 20, 2012
Nike Free run 4.0 v2 Since 2004, Nike has helped the Lance Armstrong Foundation raise over $80,000,000 to fight cancer. Join us and support the 28 million people living with cancer today. LIVESTRONG http://www.livestrong.org/ https://twitter.com/LIVESTRONG

Nike Free run 4.0 v2

Since 2004, Nike has helped the Lance Armstrong Foundation raise over $80,000,000 to fight cancer. Join us and support the 28 million people living with cancer today.

LIVESTRONG

http://www.livestrong.org/

https://twitter.com/LIVESTRONG

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August 18, 2012

My segment from Balitang America. Special thanks to Henni Espinosa for dropping by and putting my story out there.

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August 2, 2012
Going away pool party

Ryan is off to Seattle for his treatment. We’ll be waiting for you Ryan.

 

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July 26, 2012
AADP and NAAAP presents: CARE FOR A DRINK? benefit fundraiser.

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July 26, 2012
Ryan

Ryan in parking lot before attending AADP social event.

 

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July 12, 2012
Interview with NBC

Click Here to Read the Full Article: NBC News

Interview with George Kiriyama from NBC news.

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June 23, 2012
St. Victor’s Catholic Church; June 24, 2012

St. Victor’s Catholic Church; June 24, 2012
Time: 9AM-1PM
Where: 3108 Sierra Road, San Jose, CA 95132


San Jose’s Save Ryan Team with Guest Star, Miss Michigan Save Ryan!





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