Thanks & goodbye: John Sykes

Another guitar great had left us - John Sykes (20 Jan '25). Many of us would have known him for his Whitesnake stint but do take time to check out his Blue Murder stuff where he had a bit more guitar authority going. It is unclear what kind of cancer he was battling with before passing on but from one cancer patient to another - our time will come & we bid goodbye with thanks.

Sykes was a Les Paul guy through & through & his LP Custom with metallic appointments was an unmistakable i/d. It's an open secret that the Edwards brand kept the JS version of their LP Custom-esque range in a John Sykes iteration (hence the JS monicker in the model citation). If you own one (depicted above), please hold on to it as Edwards had stopped / will cease production of this guitar.

Pics: ESP / JS official

Finish

At the end of 2022, the only respite for me is my severance from cancer treatment. Some days ago, my blood test results showed that my condition (remission) had stabilized. I decided to stop all treatments (nerve damage related consultations included) altogether. I see a dead end in trying to eradicate all cancer traces when the reality of it is that cancer is genetically triggered more than taking preventive measures to stop it from happening. The more I agree to undergo treatment, the more I consent to being tied down financially to an inconclusive endearment. So that has to stop. It's preventing me from holding down a proper job & the meds are causing havoc to my schedules. There is a real contingency for a relapse to happen but I will deal with that when it comes. 

Good riddance. 

Morse retreat

Steve Morse is taking a step back with his Deep Purple involvements to attend to his cancer-stricken wife. Being one myself, I must applaud him for doing the right thing. Cancer patients need a lot of care & attention, their body has taken a beating from the chemo sessions & morale is low as well. Being there for your loved ones when it matters most - that's a hero's job. All the best to Steve Morse.

Pic: Future Music

Cancer

 

Ending the month remembering where I was this time last year - in hospital fighting cancer. I was diagnosed with leukemia. Apparently, this form of leukemia does not require bone-marrow transplant but extensive chemotherapy. That lasted 10 months. 

Along the way, I was overwhelmed by grief & depression fighting a loss of income & treatment side effects. It took me about three months to pay off my treatment bills after going into remission & the figures were substantial. A treatment cycle consisted of 5 days of treatment a week for 6 weeks followed by 2 weeks of rest. I had to go through the mandatory 4 cycle before a final diagnosis.

It's all about the money. If you are currently without a medical insurance, I suggest you sign up for one. Make sure it includes a post-hospitalization coverage. After insurance & MediSave coverage, I still had to fork out cash for my treatment bills. Falling sick is miserable compounded by the fact that you have no income to finance your medical bills. I had 90 days of hospitalization leave, beyond which, I was put on no-pay leave. Nobody asked me if I am able to cope with the treatment bills. Nobody. The assumption here is that people are insured to see them through life's challenges & that the government subsidized medical costs for the people. If that was sufficient, I wouldn't have to sell off gear to keep up. I got low-balled for the stuff I tried to sell off as well despite listing them for a fair price. I remembered a guy who said it's strictly buy-sell, my medical consideration shouldn't be factored in. I was fortunate to have an awesome ex-boss who sponsored my transportation costs to & from the treatment center; I will remember this for life.

Moving on. I had not bought a substantial piece of gear since the cancer happened. Looks like it will stay this way as my life took a further turn at the close of 2021. I will disclose this at a later opportunity. I am happy with my gear inventory now with a few listed for parting. I am also happy my gear indulgences had seen me through the cancer grief. It had taken away substantial attention from my ailment. Come to think of it, I would be worse off without such distractions, leading to possible tragedy.

Thank you. To all those who had supported me throughout my dark cancer days - I appreciate all gestures. I had thought of giving up guitar indulgences while lying down on the hospital bed but guitar & gear inclinations saw me through my personal struggles. 

It had been a good November, one that was spent away from cancer. Cheers, folks. ✌🏽

Pic: Onhealth

Thank you

Beginning this September with a word of thanks to those who have supported me through this Cancer journey. I completed my final dose of medication yesterday. The doctor had confirmed my remission & I will return to work in 10 days' time. There will be quarterly blood tests along the way to keep things in check. I'm still not buying new gear (less those token ones to keep me sane) till I clear these massive treatment bills. Being out of work & having no income to see this through had been a true test of resilience & gratitude. It had been an eye-opening 10 months for sure. 

Once again - my thanks to you for your support & understanding. 🙏

De-wired

Removed. These tubes had been in my arm since October 2020 (left). The reason it was there - to prevent repeated puncturing for my daily chemotherapy which would be detrimental to my veins. The drug administered had a side effect on the skin, it's virtually a skin eater, making the surrounding area devoid of a top most skin layer. Every time a new dressing was required, removal of the top skin due to the tape's adhesive, was inevitable. As such, I was more prone to infection compounded by the cancerous blood condition. The advice was to stay indoors as much as possible to prevent the untoward from happening. Those tubes had been removed (right) as I am moving towards remission / recovery. 

RIP: Lars Goran Petrov

Read about the sad passing of Lars Goran Petrov (Entombed) yesterday. He was battling cancer. Cancer is a critical illness & its turn for the worse, despite intense medication, is real. From one cancer patient to another - it's been a good fight, my good man. Rest well.

Pic: Loudwire