Rob does Amsterdam

robrob Posts: 142
edited October 2003 in Musicians and Gearheads
A response to Louder the betters post

Ahh, Amsterdam. The only place where you can sit in an internet cafe like this, and the owner passes a hash pipe around! I don't smoke that stuff no more, but it sure smells good in this town.

You all on this board,,,,,, ROCK! I never expected responses like this, or a couple of hundred private mails. I am overwhelmed. I read them all and my heart is warmed. When I wrote my original post before I left, I kind of felt weird doing it, that maybe I shouldn't bring down the mood, but I just did it anyway. Now I'm glad I did.

Louderthebetter, That "something about rob" post was so cool, but that can't be about me! YOU,,,, are the awesome one. Such a sweet essay from such a sweet person!
( Louderthebetter is not that loud,,,,,,but,,,,,, Thelouderthebetter is the only one I have ever known to blow up a 300 watt Ampeg SVT with an 8 X 10 cabinet with her bass! Once the smoke cleared, I'll never forget the look of confusion on the bands' faces! One of the great nights at CBGB's, except that it was MY AMP!) THAT ,,,,was loud!

It was a funny moment in the airport, we blew kisses back to my sister, and louder, and probably a hundred people blew kisses back at us. People were cracking up on the plane, and the flight attendant who saw it, kept blowing kisses at us during the flight.

Well, I am humbled by the responses I've received from you all on this board, and in my private messages. Thank you so much for your support and kind words. I've never been on a message board before, and I cannot believe how warm and caring the responses were. I've got a lot of private messages, and I want to answer them all. I'll try. I'm in Amsterdam here, till Thursday morning early, then off for Kathmandu, then to the mountains on Bhudda Airlines. Is that a cool name for an airline or what!? . I chose Nepal because it's so beautiful, the people are wonderful , so concerned about their environment. I'm sort of zen.. Even my guitar playing is sort of Zen. Just use whatever I have in front of me and see what happens. Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't.

One question came up a lot in my private mails. Melanoma. Well,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I have a suggestion,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Please don't get it. Sunscreen and early detection are the best as so aptly put by theverbtotrust, because at stage 1 and 2 it's skin cancer and almost always curable. Stage 4 it's into your organs and the reason that I'm in this situation. I think what gave me my extra year was not the chemo, and interferon and radiation and interluken. That shit just drags you down and almost doesn't do anything for melanoma. I found that you have do your own research, because so many doctors are well meaning, but not educated on the latest and greatest therapies . I found Vaccine therapy, in which they take some of the tumor material and use it to create an antibody, then put it back in you. I found out about it from a 21 year old girl who is a bartender, not from my oncologist. She knew about it because she lost her dad to it, she researched, but he didn't take her advice, but her knowledge got passed on to me, and that's where I got my extra year from. I owe her this last year because she had the nerve to speak up to a total bald chemo-ridden stranger, Me . Many more are doing great with this therapy. So for all you that pm'd me with relatives with melanoma, and those of you that have it, I wish all the best. Check with the National Cancer Institute, as they have a lot of information on that .

I think now I did make the right decision about going. I didn't want to leave a long drawn out mess for the people around me, and I feel like I don't have anything unfinished to say to people. They know I love'm all. My friends and family may not get the normal closure from a usual funeral, but I guess I'm a weirdo, they know that! ( My niece just reminded me of that, that I am a weirdo! thank you very much. ) Oh, "unique" , she now says. ( she's sitting next to me typing 3 times as fast as me! )
I think the key to feeling good about this situation is that every time you walk away from your friends, family, or any others, like you'll never see them again. Whether you're going to the store, or across the world. Because if you don't see them again, you'll always know that things were good between you.

I saw a lot of comments, " sad but beautiful " . I guess it is. Please consider it beautiful. I can feel what's taking over my body a bit, but I feel good, and I am free . I'm not sad, however I must admit, I'm a little scared, but not that bad. Maybe apprehensive. I'll use that word. I have some great support sitting here to my right, typing ( and toking ) away!

Your thoughts and kind words are so welcome, ( I guess I already said that, but I'll say it again)

Please think of this as a happy event. I'm doing what I want, and consider myself lucky to be able to do this my own way. My only obligations right now are to make the plane on Thursday morning, and to get some dinner tonight, and another glass of wine.

I'll try to post again if I'm in an internet area, but if not,,,,,,,

Friday, we'll hopefully be at our destination in the valleys of the Himalayas. Friday is also full moon. It's ten hours later there than Philadelphia. At midnight in the full moon, I'll raise a glass and toast to you all.
I hope you join me!

Love to all,
Rob
How,,,,,did I GET here?!

Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • dan_alivedan_alive Posts: 123
    You're an amazing person Rob... have a great time ya hear? :)

    You give out heaps of peace and you'll get it all back too.. and more!

    I'm gonna raise that wine glass to ya in a couple of days...

    take care mate & rock on
    dan.
    |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
    "It is I, with the empty bladder!"

    www.nowalletevolution.com
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    A toast and a cigar on Friday...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • no way i'd miss it.

    peace to you and yours Rob.
    be yourself,say what you think
    because people who mind don't matter and people who matter don't mind...
  • Cheers, Rob, your attitude is an inspiration to me and to a lot of others. You must be on your plane by now, I'm sorry I missed the chance to converse with you.. Have fun in the Himalaya's.. I like to think that you are being freed from all pain, and you are free from the chain of karma.. You are truly blessed and I won't forget reading your story. Thank you.

    "I wanna rise and say a goodnight. I wanna take a look on the other side.. I've lived all this life. It's been wonderful at night.. I will live forever. You can't keep me here."
    EvenFLOW PsYcHo #29

    ~ is your Pearl Jam cup half empty, or 1/2 Full?
  • enjoy your time there. 2 PM here in philly on friday, i will match your toasting time.
    "They have the internet on computers now!" -- Homer Simpson
  • wow, i dont think i usually read longer posts but i had to make an exception, and im sooo pleased i did. it was a pleasure reading this second post and on friday i think there will be many glasses raised with you...mine included.

    God bless you rob.
  • Rob, you're probably the most courageous, beautiful, and genuine soul I've ever encountered in my life. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and beauty with us.


    And yes, I'll toast with you. Even if I'm four years under the legal drinking age, I'll steal one of my father's champagne bottles and toast with you. :)
    this board is too crazy for me these days...
  • brain of cbrain of c Posts: 5,213
    peace and love, Rob.

    chris
  • djyman15djyman15 Posts: 181
    wow....just wow....

    the bravery of all this, I think it would just drive me crazy trying to face this. How can you possibly deal with that? We all know that we will eventually die, but we dont believe it, and here's a guy who knows when he will die more or less, yet he still finds joy. I dont even know. If there's a better place, I think Rob's gonna go there, although, by his words, it sounds like he's already there
    "Even if your heart would listen, I doubt I could explain"-Jimmy Eat World
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