Eric’s Comments (group member since Dec 11, 2007)

Eric’s comments from the mAss Kickers group.

My name is Eric Anthony Galvez PT DPT CSCS. In September 2005, I was diagnosed with a golf-ball sized meningioma brain tumor between the brain stem and cerebellum, and have been unable to return to my career as a PT just yet. However as a physical therapist, it is engrained in our practice to be good teachers, and I have published a book, Reversal: When A Therapist Becomes A Patient, regarding my unique experiences as a young adult brain tumor/rehab patient and healthcare professional. It stands out in the market because it contains:

1. The humorous and entertaining perspective of a young active male brain tumor patient presented in a conversational tone.
2. The logical perspective of a patient with a medical background when faced with difficult medical dilemmas
3. Multiple perspectives from the loved ones closest to a patient
4. A real time format that is easy to read and validates the authenticity of the situation
5. A book soundtrack available exclusively on iTunes
6. The perspective of a first generation Filipino American patient vs. the views of his overprotective traditional Filipino parents

For more information about me, please explore www.ericgalvezdpt.com. The new edition of Reversal: When A Therapist Becomes A Patient is available for pre-order at masskickers.com. The new edition features 4 new chapters, 2 new essays, a new conclusion, and updated chapters.

Pre-order the book here:
http://www.store.masskickers.com/inde...

The previous edition focused on year one of this remarkable story, but much has happened since the book was initially published. The latest edition therefore features years two and three, with all net proceeds donated to the mAss Kickers Foundation.

Please help me spread awareness about brain tumors and the plight of young adult survivors by reposting or forwarding this message to people who might be interested. This “blook” is very different from anything out there!

Check out the “Book Video”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgqPKD...

Something is not right with this. It seems like 1/2 the young survivors I meet online get really sick or have passed. I’ve been a “survivor”/”mAss Kicker” for 2 1/2 years now. I find this very disturbing because over the past 30 years there has been no improvement in the survival rates in young adult age group (15-39) while the survival rates in the pediatric and geriatric population have improved. But more importantly this is disturbing to me because this group of young adult patients were the people that were there for me when I needed support. My friends were there, but it is nice to talk to or email someone that understands what you are up against. For me, most of the brain tumor patients that I could find were older women my mom’s age. Now don’t get me wrong, hanging out with other survivors was great, but finding young people closer to my age that could speak my “language” was something that I missed. My friends and family were great, but it was so nice to meet someone like me that was walking or had walked a similar path.

There are many reasons there has been no improvement in young adult survival rates:

* Lack of research - Young people often are not eligible for studies (too old for pediatric studies or to young for traditional studies) and there are few studies geared towards the 15-39 age group.
* Entry level jobs with poor healthcare - young people are just starting out so the costs of healthcare are not a priority. Education about warning signs could really help.
* Doctors don’t take us seriously because we are not in the typical demographic for cancer, brain tumors, or whatever
* “Superman” complex - Belief that nothing can happen to us until it’s too late. We think we are invincible!

I’m tired of learning about people I’ve met getting sick again. I have made many friends on MySpace and facebook, but the fact remains that this demographic is often ignored. Organizations like I’m Too Young for This or Planet Cancer do a great job providing support for the neglected young adult demographic, but people need to be aware of this fact. Because people generally don’t know about this please spread the word. Invite people to this group.

Check This out... I haven't run across anything like it yet.

mAss Kickers on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/group/masskickers

We are popping up everywhere. Please join the other groups to meet other mAss Kickers.

MySpace http://groups.myspace.com/masskickers

FaceBook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid...

Bebo http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?Memb...

check out friendster
http://www.friendster.com/group/tabm...

More to come... stay tuned...

I guess right now I'm looking for non-fiction books that foster creativity... I just recently rediscovered my enjoyment of reading, so I'm open to a lot. I'm finding that I get more enjoyment out of well written non-fiction/ memoirs than fiction/novels. Hopefully more survivors will join the group.

I'm a brain tumor survivor, I just wanna find good books to inspire and educate me. What brings you here dee? Can you recommend any?