MOVIN' FORWARD

L.A Sunset Practice steps, he went on to trek the hills in the background

Sharing some wonderful news...
As of late we have been wrapping things up in L.A. David has reached the threshold for radiation to the brain. His most recent scan showed good results, as in he's responding to the treatment. From my view, being defeated in a number of close chess battles is a sure sign that he's slowly improving. Lets just say he's makin' the right moves. The next gran move will be HOME. Yes we'll be heading home very, very soon. The excitement of being once again, close to our dearest of friends and family is overwhelming. Once home the priority will be to rest, recover, relax and enjoy life. This time will also allow for the radiation to clear as it can effect the quality of his next scan, and in a few months he'll go for another. During this time the radiation we'll keep doing its thing. In the meantime he'll work on other options, mainly working on overcoming the effects of the radiation and the steroids. So plenty of cleansing and rehabilitation.
We'd like to send our warmest thanks and appreciation to the friendly staff at Valley Cancer Institute. Thank you

Daniel

USA with the Montoya brothers

A beautiful little edit by Dave's girlfriend, Naomi. The edit includes a collection of photos put together while on her visit to the U.S.A earlier this year.
Nice work Naomi and Thankyou
Enjoy Amigos!

USA chill out times with the Montoya brothers from Naomi Edwards on Vimeo.

ACTION!

Just recently Dave had the chance catch up and spend some much needed quality time with family. The change in routine allowed for some necessary clearing of the mind before returning to more hyperthermia and low-dose radiation treatment at VCI.

Before continuing with treatment on return Dave underwent an MRI scan to check progress on the tumor. The image report revealed that the tumor is smaller than it was three months ago. This is a very important point in Dave's journey and is a reassurance that he's doing something right. And this to us is GREAT news. While this news is a huge cause to celebrate, to which we did so by going forth and feasting in vegan cuisine, he realizes that there is still a huge task ahead of him and there is still much work to be done by him and the amigos.

Dave is constantly working on bettering himself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually; all realms of being which we can say he supersedes in. At the moment he works on his drawings, artistic expression, and reading and writing to help overcome some brain fog side effects from the surgery and low-dose radiation. He is also determined on regaining his coordination and building strength to help with mobility and ultimately to be able to walk independently again. Part of our days involve day dreaming about simple passions like bmx and surfing. Dave continuously reminisces on days spent on the bmx with amigos, and looks forward to being a part of the action soon.

To sum things up, "resistance" is a word to describe the hard work being put in by Dave over the last couple of months; everyday is a struggle and he continuously strives for a better way of life. Help him with strength building and support him in any way you can...
... 'treat yourself, be happy, smile for yourself and for someone you love' ... is his message.

ThankYOU

Our gratitude goes out to those who contributed and especially to those who worked hard on the AmigosBikeDay project.

Thanks amigos for keeping the dream alive.

Check out an amigos perspective of bike day and just some good times at http://bikerjoe.blogspot.com/

And visuals on l.a adventures check out the amigos flickr account

DAVE BIKE DAY!!

Hello everyone!
It seems as though the Amigos have been very busy organising Bike Day. Check out the Amigos of Dave Bike Day Blog for updates and to get your hands on a TimeTable for the days events and of course your Registration forms.

Thanks amigos for your full commitment to the cause. And to everyone else involved/participating on Bike Day, Dave's says he's "ecstatic to see such a project come together with such enthusiasm, It's truly inspiring. I hope everyone is respectful of the FUNds and togetherness intended for the day"

And on behalf of the Montoya family I'd like to acknowledge everyone's contribution toward helping Dave by putting this day on, and while we can't be present, we hope the day runs smoother than vegan chocolate silk pudding.

THANK YOU

Should have an update on Dave's tumor and treatment progress up soon.

FIESTA!!

Fundraiser Party for DAVE!!!
Latino Style at the Park

Where: Burleigh Beach
“At the Hut” near the toilets & playground
Time: 12 noon til late

Please Join in if you can.

Check out the Facebook Event Page
Or contact Naomi Edwards
(naomiedwards09@hotmail.com) for details.

'How are you?'

How are you?

More than often we're asked 'How is Dave?' 'Is the treatment working?' 'Does David feel better?' 'Is his condition improving?' 'How is Dave doing?'...This segment is dedicated to informing loved ones and supporters alike about Dave's progressing physical and emotional state of being.

For starters it's difficult to evaluate progress over such a short period, even more so considering the circumstances. It's hard to tell whether treatment has been effective, mainly because of the location and the effects of his second operation; including effecting his co-ordination, balance, speech, and physical strength.

Considering what Dave has been through over the last six months, it's extremely difficult to reach a point for him to say he has improved. That is why we focus on the healing being internal first.

You know that analogy about the one step back two forward? I see that we play in that step back stage, all while remaining optimistic about those soon to come bigger steps forward. Dave takes small steps on a daily basis. He takes baby steps forward constantly, but of course not being deterred of that all grande leap. It's extremely tiring but just as rewarding...baby steps. It is definitely glorious to be rewarded with those few joyous moments...baby steps. An inexplicable smile, a laugh, inspired by that inner peace and internal healing, baby steps. So we take it slow with baby steps forward until he is able to physically take that leap forward.

So we evaluate progress on a day to day basis. Allowing progress means understanding causes for how he feels right now compared to how he felt before starting these treatments. For example, the side effects of low-dose radiation are tiredness, fatigue and brain fog- So we take things slow. For the most part he has an exceptional appetite, and is still as witty and humorous as ever.

We do what we can to feed and guide, and Dave must take care of the rest. Knowing that at the moment Dave is being helped to get rid of this tumor. And what he is feeling now are stages chosen for the healing process. In that respect there is a Dave mind-body factor which he has to decide how and will benefit him and the rest of us can only guide or accompany him on this, his journey. Sounds poetic but it's true. If he believes it will work, then like all miracle stories, it will work.

For Dave...

For Dave...

...traveling to the U.S for treatment was always spoken about, and finally knowing he was going was exciting but on the same token sad because of course I was going to miss him dearly. So I easily decided to make the journey across the Pacific to be with him for extra support and smiles.

Flying into the “milder” US winter has been nothing short of beautiful. Just like Ashley, I didn’t know what to expect and to walk into his arms in Tulsa made me tear with excitement. Seeing the physical change in Dave over the last couple of months has been inspiring. And while his day to day energy is there, he does get tired and exhausted. His second round of DMSO treatments were exhausting and now the low-dose radiotherapy treatments are even more so. Restless sleeps weren't helping either. However, as I look at him and into his eyes I still see the calm and loving Dave determined to get through this - and that makes me smile.

There are no words that describe the Montoya brother’s relationship. Being at the hip with them the last month has been amazing. Some highlights include sharing some amazing vegan food, and taste testing Dan's culinary creations. His administration, organising, coordinating, researching, comforting and smiling just blows me away. Oh my God! And they work so well together; at tackling this difficult part of their lives, it's just amazing! WOW! It actually brings a tear to my eye.

The energy needed to do this full time is not easy and I have honestly felt a little lost on what I should be doing. But I guess chilling, talking, laughing and being silly with Dave is maybe what I am here for.

From now I only have a few days left here and I can tell you tears have already started. It will be hard leaving, but knowing why Dave is here makes me smile and cool with this. Being apart from each other has and will be tough as we both feed so much energy off each other. Simply being here when times have been heavy has made them feel easier, so I am not sure what to expect when I leave.

On that note here is a quote by Edward Abbey which Dave has given me on numerous occasions, it has lifted me up and put me back on track:

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds”.

Dave, I am with you through this.

Naomi E.

Ma timila maya garchu

Just one of our memories together: hanging out on the corner by the clinic, observing the world go by. And being able to enjoy moments like this one was very special to Dave and myself. Thanks Naomi for sharing this with us and for contributing to the blog. Yesterday we saw a guy on a tandem bike with two dogs on the back seat in a basket.. classic.