Veteran's Affairs Plus W/ David L. Washington

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Dave Washington 0:46
day Las Vegas. Good day Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host. Got a couple remarks that I need to make, and then we're going to bring on two dear, friends, Mujahid Ramadan and John Rhodes, they have been really, really helping me a lot over the last 14 months. So hold on, gentlemen. Let me make these few announcements, and we will get going. Yeah, in next week, I'll be down in New Orleans with the Carl Holmes executive development institute. This is our 34th year. We are a non profit 501, c3, organization who do leadership and management type training and education for firefighters throughout the country and the world for that matter. Because we've had people come in from from England. We've had people certainly from the Caribbean. We have people coming in from Africa, but it's a premier fire service type school, and I've had the God's grace is to allow me to be in charge of that organization for the last seven to nine years. I don't remember exactly, but this will be my last year, Leonard, and I know you guys understand Mujahid and John. I'm going to turn it over to them young books like Bert and Gene and them guys who got, I got 10 years on or so, but it's time for somebody else to take over this organization, but it's doing good work. And again, 34 years we have a number of individuals who've gone up through the ranks to become fire chief, as I did, and I think Dr, Carl Holmes, dr, dr, Captain Romeo Spaulding, who was the fourth president of the International Association of Black professional firefighters, along with several other brothers who put this program together, and it had to do with the National Fire Academy not letting us in as African Americans, in the kinds of numbers that we should be allowed to come in, because it's our National Fire School. In fact, 47 and I refuse to call his name, 47 has canceled. All programming there. All classes have been shut down. He can't stop our institute because it's at Dillard University. If he shuts down Dillard University, we would have a problem. But one of our co founders, Dr Carl Holmes, said we can hold our class in a tent or just under a tree. That's how mobile we feel we are. But it was important for those guys who put this original school together that it should be at a historical black college. And we started out at four Florida A and M University, and then we moved to Dillard. When Katrina hit we moved to Clark, Atlanta for five years, but again, next year will be 35 years in existence, and we have done a tremendous job. And we encourage those out there in our listening audience, if you're firefighters or NOAA firefighters, who have not heard about the Carl Holmes executive development institute. It's not just because I'm in charge. I'm a student of it, and I'm I hope to move. I hope they'll allow me to move to the advisory board so I can continue to talk about this organization, the fine work that it does. And additionally, I'd like to talk about a function that's coming up very, very soon. In fact, I think it's July 10, if I'm not mistaken, it's core. And I know you guys know of Jazzy Jeff Jones. He runs that organization now, and it used to be called, I Have a Dream Foundation, which I was a board member of, and core took over if we kind of dissolved that particular organization. And core is doing a fine job in preparing young folks to enter college. So his function is coming up. I'm sure there's a website that I don't have at hand, but a core, and it's a function that Jazzy Jeff Jones is working on, and it's a fundraiser for that organization. I hope people will take an opportunity to do something to help this call jingle in July. Jingle in July. With that, I'd like to introduce two dear friends, and once again, you guys, I want and you know, I've talked about it many times. In fact, John was on. Couldn't get wrong with on, he's so busy. But they came and assisted me, because I when I knew that they had a similar type illness, I reached out to them, these brothers and men, and it warms your heart the kind of work that they did with me to keep my head lifted. Don't be walking around moping and feeling sorry for yourself. Man, stand up and be counted. And I'll say this before I ask them to come in and give a little bit of background on each of themselves. Is last week, just a week before last, John as me and Marcia had come back from Houston as I went down to do my quarterly medical evaluation, and I looked at John and I said, I could hardly speak. Me and Mark You look so good. Me. It, and it gives me hope. Ramadan, because I'm telling you, man, these 40, these 44 pounds I've tried to gain back, John gave me hope, because the last time I saw him, he was little like me. So with that, Mooji, here, would you introduce yourself to our listening audience, please, sir.

Mujhed Ramadan 5:12
Okay, yeah. Well, good evening, and I'd like to thank Dave Washington, my friend and brother in various journeys of life through high school. Actually, when I moved here in 1961 I probably met Dave, you know, his brother, buddy, you know, yep, and within a year, a year, so after that, so we go back, we got a lot of years. And Dave and my wife, they all grew up in this they lived in the same neighborhood at one time, as a matter of fact, yes, sir, right, right, almost like next door to each other, right in the same complexes, right in the housing authorities.

Dave Washington 5:44
That's right, yes, right.

Mujhed Ramadan 5:46
It's just 666, degrees of separation. And so yeah, I'm mujahi Ramadan. I many of you. I grew up in Southern Nevada. Many of you knew me as Ed Turner. I'm glad that you're around. If you remember Ed Turner, I remember in my own so I just got to keep him as a memory, though, but became a practicing Muslim probably about the 1970s and has been a part of the Muslim community here for those years. And they even also shared professional experiences as I've moved from different areas of labor and public sector. Dave was steadfast and carried his career in fire services, and we were also fired when he became a deputy chief, the chief of the fire department, because we all were Chief when Dave became chief, and we were always a little bit surprised, because, you know, Dave, we always said, Dave, don't tell people what he thinks. So I never saw he told me what he thought, and they said, Good, make a good chief. And I'm thankful for the years that relationship and his wife, Marcia. We all went the same high school like Dave, brother, buddy. Marcia, myself, my wife. We went to valley. We forgive Dave.

Dave Washington 6:49
Can be perfect. Let me say, let me say this with your heat before, before you we go to you, John, when you start saying, buddy and Dada, I know you know me. That's my oldest brother and my deceased youngest brother died out when people say that his name is Clinton, Lee, Washington, but when people come up with this, say, say, dada, I said, Well, you know me, you've been around the farm. So appreciate, appreciate those, those kind words my brother, brother, John, yes, good afternoon. Want to hear from you. Give us a little bit background on you. My brother. Yeah. I

John Rhodes 7:19
was, you know, born in California, and I was part of a family that was a military family, and that's how we migrated to Las Vegas. And I've been here a very long time. One of the things that we always want parishes. I was going back to California, and we never got back there. Las Vegas just kind of grew on us, and it just kept on until the point where, you know, we all decided that this was going to be the place. And unlike most people, you know, we got relatives here. We never had relatives here. They never moved here. We just established roots. And it's kept on pushing. And so, you know, one of the things that I give most of my success to was the fact that I had a good mother, and she was an activist and very community active, and she pretty much told me what I was going to do and when I was to go do and I really did have a choice in the matter, but it was for my best interest Absolutely. And that really led everything

Mujhed Ramadan 8:16
about a lot of people that, yes, a lot of people with

John Rhodes 8:21
him. Only once I can't feel sorry for myself. So that's kind of how I got community active. And I just kept going to, you know, from working with Dave and moose heat in the mentoring program to tennis programs to a number of different programs that we started reading, and it involved me also getting involved in politics, and they were very insightful and helpful for me doing that, where I served, you know, two terms on the city council in a short time as well on the Clark County School Board. And so, you know, education and educating young people has been a passion of mine, and I was hosting a meeting one time, and we were discussing the low rates of high school graduates, and Dave, with his four children, said, well, so you telling me, but he wasn't talking directly to me, that three out of four kids of mine from graduate and one of My kids not and I'm supposed to be acceptable for that as a parent, as a father, and I just further exemplify the kind of guy he is and I am. And I, you know, I never forgot that. And when I was setting policy or help setting policy for the district, I kept that in mind that, you know, as the only African American on the board at that time, people remind me that I represented all of them no matter where they lived in Clark County, it wasn't part of a district. And the lady told me one time I was having a conversation, she was having some problems with the district, and I'm like, Well, call your representative. She goes, You are my representative. And as she told me that I understand. Did okay with much is required, much is given. Much is required. So I had to make sure that I handled what she needed me to handle. And you know, it just gave me a whole different attitude. Because, you know, I was wanted to do things best upon the fact of merit, right? But, you know, we live in this country, and sometimes merit ain't enough. That's right. You have to actually do some things for people that may be uncomfortable. It put me totally in square face with racism and other things that we deal with, and all those things are health related issues, once you really understand because of the stress that it puts

Dave Washington 10:33
on you, that's right. Let me say this, John, John, I want to go back to your mom first. Yes, your mother. I'm trying to, I'm trying to recall exactly how she said it, but she and your mama? No, no, this is what happened me and Faye, Duncan, Dave and many of us. I know you guys have participated in this program called payback. It's a school district program where you're going to the schools. So I'm at, I'm at Jim bridge junior high school, and I see these little brothers. I say, uh, why would y'all carrying on like that in that class? Oh, that's Mr. Song. So we do whatever we want to do. I say, really. I said, y'all just treat an adult teacher like but no, but Miss Rose, no, we don't we? She don't play that. They say, whenever we go in her room, we fly right? We fly straight. So your mom was an impacting individual. And let me say this about the politics. I always tell people, you know, when, as a black representative in whatever, whether your city council, county commission, I tell people, don't always put the weight on the black person there. You expect for them to speak up when there's an issue. But by the same token those other folks, they represent a ward or district, but by the same token they're there to represent all the people, so don't always just call a black commissioner or council person. Call them white ones too, and say, Hey man, what the heck y'all doing over there? This ain't right, and we want to make some noise. But rubber duck, you know, the former sheriff and now the governor. Sometimes, I know he get angry with me, man, but, man, I didn't come here to be, you know, yes. Man, Ramadan asked me to join this committee. Now he know my character and personality. I ain't nobody's Yes. Man, but I'm not going to be disrespectful to anyone in any position, man, because we shouldn't do that. We should be respectful. But if you ain't do if there's something, and I also still understood Governor Golub, when he was Sheriff Joe, that sometimes what you want to do and the public don't understand, the union gonna have some say too. And that's why I always try to step up with Joe and say, Hey, man, he's right. The sheriff is right. You know, sometimes y'all think, as civilian, we can sit here and say, We can do let's do this, let's do that. And when the union lift their head, man, you can't just do what you want to do, just because you're the lead. But I am so pleased to have both of you guys here and share some things, and I wouldn't expect it all. What all either one of you said, dada, but in my in my rough and my rough, active, active mother, Miss Rose, yeah, she, she, she get on people, man, but on the health issue once again. And I've talked about you guys now, and I told Marsh, I say, I hope them guys don't listen to my show and say, Man, he handled. Don't be telling people about me on there. But I just, I get full man, because of the things that you guys that inspired me over these last 1214, months, and there's been times when I almost got down on myself, and one of y'all will call me or text me and say, you need to do this right here, read this book right here. You know y'all know Ramadan, he always reading something. But I'm gonna stop rally me, because I do want to hear from you guys on the health side of things, if you would. Let's go with John first.

John Rhodes 13:19
Okay, well, about eight years ago, you know, I wasn't feeling the greatest, and little by little, I was noticing it. And as I was going to the doctor, they wasn't really giving me answers or answers that were supporting what my health was saying. And so when I finally checked myself into the hospital, I was diagnosed with four different diseases along with the fifth one that they didn't notice initially. So, you know, it took a toll on me, and to the point where I spent, like, the next couple months in the hospital, and most of the year of 1920, 18, you know. And subsequently, that year, I also got an additional three diseases. So I had about eight diseases, basically in less than a few months, you know of each other. So it was up and down and up and down. And as you said, cancer, since we're here to talk about cancer, was one of the diseases that I had contracted due to my low immunity system. And so that was the heartbreaker. Probably, I mean, I had quite a few reasons, but the cancer was sitting about two millimeters away from my, from my, my pancreas, and so that when they went in, you know, immediately and admitted me, and the next day, I had to go for a surgery to check the cancer out. So they did a biopsy on the cancer. That time it was actually on the pancreas. Is on my camp was on my there was a growth on my pancreas, and so they had to, you know, get the biopsy that part of it was benign. So. All in all, to make a long story short, my my pancreas has been operated on three times. And you know, so I'm very fortunate and highly blessed to be here, thankful to God for keeping me here. And you know the other things that subsequently, when I left the house the hospital three days later, I can't I had to come back because I caught Mercer. So then I stayed in the hospital another month, and this was all 2018 I finally got out the hospital for Mercer, and then I had keto acidosis, which is oxidosis, which is where your blood sugar goes so high you can just go into a coma. Wow. So I went back in the hospital for that, and then that's when they diagnosed me with diabetes. So in the meantime, of all this, I've lost almost 75 to 80 pounds, which I was down to 128 from almost 200 pounds. So I'm, you know, one of the things that I've had to do with my multiple illnesses is decide on how I want to treat them. And so I decided to focus on the one that was one the most treatable. And then second, then deal with the other things in the subsequent I found out a couple things. One, your diet is so important to your upkeeping, and number two, your faith, and it challenges your faith and who you are as a person, because you're used to doing all of these things and have had all of these successes. Now you have a real challenge, right? How do you get through that real challenge? Yes,

Dave Washington 16:32
sir, Mujahid, if you would. Well, you know,

Mujhed Ramadan 16:34
he's interesting about the same timeframe, and I've known John since John was, like, eight years old. I worked at the boys club. He was a Boy Scout member when I was working there. I was in college at the time, but in 2018 I was diagnosed with third stage, fourth stage prostate cancer, which it had metastasized, and it was in my lower back and in my abdomen area. And then I came into category, they say, which was really kind of rare and somewhat like John, the same month, years, a matter of fact, 2018 right around November. And so they, then they, obviously, they wanted to go the route of, I wanted to look at various ways, right? And one thing John said was, it's really test on your faith, and it's really you find out where faith really is that when you have to go through situations like this. So fourth stage metastasized prostate cancer, heavy, heavy doses of chemo and other drugs to kill the cancer, which virtually kills the individual, right? It took a terrible toll on my body, on my eyes, my nose, my lungs, eye, ears, note I had to go to eye, ears, no doctor, he said, Hey, you can't continue. So it really and it was debilitating my body, is what it was doing, I mean. And those who've had cancer, who had chemotherapy, you know, the challenging effects that's in it. And so we decided we had to go through another alternative route. And I had a fairly wise doctor who I had to get to come to know. And of course, I thought there was some racism in that. Now one of the red then another thing they discovered is that some people, first of all, prostate cancer doesn't usually metastasize and spread like that. They say it was a very, very aggressive prostate cancer. Then the traditional methods wouldn't work. It was destroying my body. So then we went through the process of extracting cells. I would have sit for four to six hours, maybe extract sales from it and send them off to a laboratory, and then they would treat them, to help energize them, to help them fight boost my immune system. Is what they were doing, right? And then, then we were doing holistic things. Another key things I'd like to say to your listing lawyers now is that part of is going to be your faith. The equation that I really probably came to is probably about 7525 75 God and the patient. And 25% is a doctor. So most of his, most of his which got into patients. Absolutely,

Dave Washington 18:49
this is 75% this is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more speaking at this time is Mujahid Ramadan. We also have John rose, and we're talking about some medical issues. And again, these guys have coached me so well that I did never, ever, ever, thank God. Let myself get down on myself, because, you know, everybody's journey is their journey, but certainly to have people as these brothers, men to to help you out and kind of advise you on and you both have mentioned diet. Man, diet when I went to MB Anderson, I'll let you continue. MUJI, when I went to MB Anderson and they assigned me a dietitian, wait a minute, I said, look, like 85% of what I'm eating is it's no good for me. She said, Yeah, that's right. And do. And I've said this many times on this show Veterans Affairs, look out there, listening audience, because I know everybody. Aren't veterans out there, but just people in general, just fellow human beings. We must watch our diets. There are countries that will not allow some American products in there, because of all the the, what do they call it? Uh, the additives, yes, all this stuff. I tell people all the time, our daughter, April, do these? TK. And I know your your wife love them, Ramadan, and you too, but she don't, she don't, she don't put preservatives in them. John, and as a consequence, one of the big, big box stores, they say, if your product won't last several, several weeks on the shelves, we can't use so Anyway, go ahead,

Mujhed Ramadan 20:15
Bucha, and what keeps it several weeks on the shelves is killing us exactly. That's the that's the processing that's going into it. So that is a substantial amount of combating any one combating disease. And of course, if you, if you're challenged by it, then of course, realize also you have to start cutting certain things out your diet. And for us as Americans, it means really becoming strict and cutting a lot of things out your diet. Yes, a part of the journey of healing, I think also is spiritual, yes. And I think for myself, that was part of this journey. Dave has mentioned, you know, the walk that you have to take. Others can walk with you, but you really have to walk with yourself. That's right. You can't. Can anybody walk this journey for you? And I think that for those of us who come to it, and I discovered myself as you know, having been challenged by cancer, is that, you know, it really, the more spiritual the person happens to be, I think the more opportunities you have to grow and and see it's just not a physical journey. Actually. Dave talk, and you know, of course, I always had an appetite for reading and being affected by cancer, just I've really prepared me to do more research, to say what, what is this, and what can I learn from it? Yes, one of the more recent books that we've been reading is written by the board majors, called the myth of normal, the myth of normal, trauma, illness and the healing and toxic culture. He makes note here. He says that for Native Americans, a healing is a spiritual journey. He writes, as most people intuitively grasp, except doctors who are taught to disbelieve this, what happens to the body reflects and what is happening in the mind and the spirit, people can get well, but before the person can do so, he or she must often undergo a transformation of lifestyle, emotions and spirit, besides making the necessary shifts and then the physical body. So those things are something that I would say to anyone. And of course, we, Dave and John and myself have shared this type of discussion, is that these are things we have to look at. And it's not so much about what others apply. But can I apply this to myself? So it is, certainly, it's holistic, because as human beings, we're both physical and spiritual. That's right, there's something going on in the physical body, you know, there's something going on elsewhere. So it's an opportunity, really, it's a challenge, but it's an opportunity, because, to the degree, is a challenge. And believe me, if you have ever been diagnosed with any type of cancer, yes, we all remember. Remember sitting in the doctor's office when the doctor told you, John, you remember, yeah, my wife told me later on, she's, she's, yeah, as matter of fact, I had to go, I had to go looking for my ego for about two weeks, my ego when the doctor told me that I had prostate cancer, my ego pain.

Dave Washington 22:43
I'll tell you. I'll tell you this. When John sent me the picture of his incision, I'm like, oh, no, phone, let them do that to me. And the more I studied whipple surgery, I started like, I want to study because I want to know what the heck, what caused this? There's something that caused it. But by the same token, man, do I want this big old incision? I say, Well, yeah, man, you got to in Marsha still tells me to this day. She said, Yeah, you came out of that. You came you came out of this surgery, talking about, I'm getting out of here in three days. It took five or six days before I got out. And I also said, Oh, I didn't see your mom. I ain't see my mom and dad. What are you talking about? Dead people for? I said, Marcia, if you see them, they coming for you. Anyway, gentlemen, we got about four minutes to go. So each of you give some some closing remarks. Take about a minute and a half each, and I'll close out.

Mujhed Ramadan 23:33
Go ahead the observations I was making, I think, is twofold. 170 5% is with you and God, and 25% is with the doctor, not being generous with that. Excuse me, more is both a physical and a spiritual journey. Don't miss the opportunity for both. Be mindful of diet and take advantage of some things while you still have an opportunity to take advantage of for young people, take advantage of the young before you get old. For those who are healthy, got good health, and I remember that take advantage of your good health before you get sick. That's right for those who got money, take advantage of your money before you ain't got no take advantage of free time before you get busy, and take advantage of your life before your death. These are things that come across your mind as you get faced with those terminal situations, potentially that could be life ending and then, but life doesn't end. Life, you know, we have, we have the potential of eternity, and that eternity is going to be in our hands, determined on what we do here. So we do the best with what we can, and we help and encourage each other, like like John encouraged me, and John is still one of my medical doctors. John is always exploring new avenues, not only advising us in terms of diet, but medicinal properties. There's other things other than the medicine they want to give you now, yes, also count on the fact of what our ancestors came with and what we have in us, naturally in us. And the body has potential to heal itself. You just have to equip it with the right things. Part of it is the right food, right so be mindful of that and so much more to be said. But I thank you, Dave for the work, and God continue to bless you and your journey, and thank you for the. You know, you know the courage that you've shown throughout our lives. You've shown the same kind of courage in this keep that spirit and bless

Dave Washington 25:06
you. I appreciate that, brother. Well said, uh, John,

John Rhodes 25:08
I would, I would start off with understanding that you have to change the environment inside of your body from a state of acidity to a state of alkalinity, and you have to kind of understand what foods to eat, you know, meditation, prayer, all those things go along with it. And exercise to the best of your ability, if you can only do one push up today and you can do maybe two the next day, number two is you got to be patient, because it took a while for your body to get into that. And number and two is going to take a while for your body to get to a state where it feels comfortable again, to the point where you got to go around talking to yourself and tell yourself how great you are, how you going to heal, because your soul interprets that. I would also say that if you know, in regards to just dealing with it weakens you mentally, and so you can't let that also because you have good days bad days, but you're going to have more good days and be grateful for your presence. Whether you 140 pounds, or you 225 pounds, there's a there's somebody that is grateful that you're there in the capacity to be able to speak, to hug, to love, to kiss, or whatever else you may be doing with that particular individual. Your presence is more important. My sister said real quick one time, you know, well, what can I do? I feel helpless. I'm like your presence. That's right, more important than you didn't know That's right. So, you know, lock in to people that you know, your family and everything like that, but remember that you got to make sure that you change your habits, that that it took for you to get there and try to continue to do the same thing, cancer is going to come back to you, right? Because you're not changing the alkalinity of your of your body

Dave Washington 26:58
system, well said. So once, once again, that

John Rhodes 27:01
would be what I would say, change your body internally.

Dave Washington 27:05
All right. Well said both gentlemen, and I appreciate you, and I love you both, and we will stay in touch, and I hope our listening audience are taking heed to some of the advice that you've given. Once again, this is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more, I had Mujahid Ramadan and John rose, two dear friends with that. We'll talk to you in a way. Hey. Hello.

Music 27:56
Hey, all the smoke in the air till they hate when they stare, all the pain that we bear on You bet.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai