Veteran's Affairs Plus W/ David L. Washington

Wesley Knight 0:00
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Music 0:42
what's going on Good

Dave Washington 0:46
day, loss, niggas. This is Veterans Affairs, plus some 91.5 jazz and more. You know, I want to express condolences to the many families who've lost loved ones as we have entered into 2025 again. We know it's a hard time. I know Marcia lost her mom a few years back, just as the new year was about to to open up for for us as a family. So those are hard times we understand and just want again express condolences, and I also want to share with and again, Jason always covers this. You know that none of us talk show host to include Dave Washington and Veterans Affairs plus speak for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. So I will say I am not speaking for the university. But I want to encourage people to look at, and I don't have the website, but it's, it's a government website that will give you all of the executive orders that 47 has is attempting to put into place some of those. I trust that he will be fought with or by the Congressional folks, Senate and Congress, so see what kind of effect it may have on you. And again, I'm not speaking for the university. I'm encouraging you to do this for yourself, for your own mental well being. And once again, that's just affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. And I have my great she's not not she's my granddaughter, not great granddaughter. I'm saying she's a great person, got her own particular personality, kind of like her grandma, Marcia, but I got and I say this because I'm always wanting to be transparent with our audience when I have a relative on the show, casara, how are you today?

Kasara 2:37
I'm fine. How are you?

Dave Washington 2:40
Well, you know, your grandpa still struggling with this cancer thing, but yet I'm holding up because, sorry, a couple questions for you. One, you are a senior in high school. Yes. Where are you attending school? Please?

Kasara 2:55
I go to school at Faith. Lose through Okay?

Dave Washington 3:00
And tell me or tell our listening audience, what's your favorite subject?

Kasara 3:06
I guess I would say that my favorite subject is English, because that's always what's been my favorite subject.

Dave Washington 3:16
Okay, all right, so decent school year overall, and tell us about some of the activities you participate in as a student.

Kasara 3:25
Yeah, it's been a fine school year so far, and right now, I'm in Student Council on the publicity committee, and I'm in French club and BSA oh and visa, and I'm an echo leader at

Dave Washington 3:46
school. What was that V what

Kasara 3:49
V said, basically, where you just help with any potential new students for the school at like events that the school puts on are you shadow incoming students? Oh, okay,

Dave Washington 4:04
that's cool. That's cool. So you have applied for some scholarships at a number of different schools. Could you share with our listening audience? What school

Kasara 4:17
Well, so far, the only scholarship that I've applied to was the Burger King scholarship, but some of the scholarship, like money that I've gotten in with schools that I've gone into so far based off merit scholarships, will still be applying to other scholarships and as the process goes on,

Dave Washington 4:45
so you're saying that with the mayor scholarship, those are ones that is strictly through the school and not seeking other dollars, and, and, and I assume there's an attempt to get through and get them to fund. What you're trying to do in terms of getting your college degree? Yeah,

Kasara 5:04
so the scholarship that I have right now is just from based off the grade that I have from applying, but then I still need to apply to outside scholarships that aren't necessarily a part of each school, right?

Dave Washington 5:25
Okay, interesting. So have you decided yet, or given it any consideration at all of what it is you may wish to pursue in terms of major and minor?

Kasara 5:38
Yeah, when I was applying, I applied for marketing, and then I applied to some under Communication major, and then at some of the schools that had you put a first and a second option, I would put marketing and then Business Administration as my second option.

Dave Washington 6:08
So what is your intent with with those types of degrees? Well,

Kasara 6:13
I want to go into business, and I most interested in marketing, and I've met with my dad's company marketing person, and she's shown me all the different types of marketing that there are, so I can learn more about the different types to figure out which one I would want to have a career

Dave Washington 6:39
in. So do you recall the different types, or some of them that you can speak?

Kasara 6:45
Well, there's the one that I was most familiar with was like the social media type, where you're actually making the post for the people and so that calls for more artistic abilities, because you're actually designing the ads and stuff. But then she was telling me how those more marketing areas that deal with the data that goes into it, and those are the jobs that are more stable, since you always need to see what's working and what's not for your company. So I would want to learn more about that, just because it's better job wise.

Dave Washington 7:40
So you know, as you as you're going through, and you mentioned your your dad's business. So when you went and talked with one of his other colleagues, this person that works in the marketing area, I know at once you had mentioned also doing some international stuff.

Kasara 8:02
Yeah, I would still be interested in that, but I think I'm just more interested in marketing as of right now.

Dave Washington 8:15
Well, let me tell you, I was as I was coming into the studio to get with Wes our producer and director of this program, I was talking to Doctor Ashton about the they have a podcast course. I think it's like a day and a half or a day, or whatever it is, but in June and last year, I had talked to you and Angel, and neither one of you were available, so I want to find out when they're going to be running that class again, and maybe I can take care of that tuition if you're willing to go. Because I think, and I know some of some, some of the family members, have talked about the Washingtons and the armagons having a a podcast. And I'm like, Yeah, are you kidding me? Because you know, I can get a little crazy sometimes, but anyway, I'm going to find out what that is, and hopefully you will show some interest, and like I say, maybe one or you or angel or both would be willing to go to that guy. I think it would be great to as a consideration. So very good. So tell our listening audience a little bit about your dad's business, and we'll let you go, because I know you're busy doing what young people do.

Kasara 9:32
Well, it's basically like a company that can have other companies hire from them, but it's they work mainly in the hospitality area, because that's where my dad came from before starting it right. So they started in last. Vegas with a couple of the hotels, and I'm pretty sure circus. Circus was the one of the first ones they worked with, but now they're expanding into new states, and I know one of the first states that they opened up in is Louisiana, and with the Super Bowl coming up, they're getting a lot of their workers ready to be hired for any event that goes on there. Awesome.

Dave Washington 10:37
Excellent, excellent. Well, that's good as a person who's pursuing marketing as a profession, you you got it down because you know a lot about your dad's business. So granddaughter, casar armagon, I'm so proud of you as all family members ours, I think. Thank you so much for coming on the show with short notice, because I had a couple of cancelation due to my other guests having some appointments that they had to address. So thank you so much. Of course, I love you and wish you the very, very best. And any suggestions or thoughts you may want, wish to share with other students who may be listening to our show,

Kasara 11:17
I would say that, well, if you're applying to college soon, it's smart to have an idea of what you would want to write for your common app essay. And I didn't I started mine pretty late, but I knew what I wanted to write about, so that helped a lot, and I think it makes it a little less stressful.

Dave Washington 11:47
Okay, all right, this is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host, and had my granddaughter casara armagon on the show. And we appreciate you. Take care of yourself and look forward to seeing you this weekend.

Kasara 12:01
Thank you. See you then,

Dave Washington 12:10
once again, good day. All this Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. As I had mentioned earlier, I had a couple cancelations. I was able to run down a long time friend, former councilman, one of them state, and I'll have him to explain more, but I heard he was a great tennis player in the state of Nevada. So I like to mention a couple things real quick. Once again, we want to acknowledge and express condolences to the member, to the many people who've lost loved ones as we've entered this new year. And I was promising, or had promised several times that I was gonna get the Goodmans back on a rerun of that show. But instead of that, I'll encourage you to go to the podcast, wherever you get your podcast, and look up episode 103, great, great interview with the good ones. Just talked about the, you know, doing their time in office, and the things that they felt they brought to to our city. And then one other one is, you know, this is Veterans Affairs plus. And a lot of times I've been on the plus side of things lately, but I also try to go and draw back, and I want you guys to listen to episode number 119, it was chief gene Campbell as he interviewed Gretchen Williams. And it's particularly good for veterans out there, because she is an expert on helping you to get your benefits squared away. And also, I can't ever forget Tony Tony Marshall, who was also our resident. I agent, if you will, for ensuring that people can get their benefits. So with that, I want to introduce again, a long time friend, Mr. John rose, how you doing, John?

John Rhodes 13:52
I'm doing fine. Thank you, Dave, for having me on the show. Appreciate it for sure.

Dave Washington 13:56
For sure. John, give our listening audience a little bit about your background, please. Well,

John Rhodes 14:01
I was raised in Nevada, Las Vegas, the Pacific. My father was an Air Force veteran. That's how we got here, and we just never moved from there and from there I've, you know, went to high school here, finished up my college career here, and stayed here because of, you know, the advantages of taking care of taking advantage of home, right? And so you mentioned something about my tennis background. Yes, I was a state tennis champion, the first black state tennis champion in the state of Nevada. There subsequently, has only been one other, and at my high school, I've held a record now for almost 40 something years there at my high school, which was Rancho High School, I went on to play, you know, tennis for the University of Nebraska over my first year of school, and then since then, I've been teaching tennis at a for you know, people who want to learn how to play tennis. I want to say. Seminars, kids, adults, you know, adolescents, whatever, right? So that's part of my tennis history here in Las Vegas. Wow.

Dave Washington 15:09
Like I said, I knew about some of what you had been been involved in as it relates to tennis, but, and you know, I'm gonna have it not very good. In fact, let me tell y'all out there. I golfed with John only once or twice. And I remember he looked at my ball. He took the ball, threw it in the water. Man, what you doing? He said, Man, you keep me playing with them, scratched up tore up balls. I say, I play with them till I lose them. What are you talking about? You gonna be very good you did with all them doggone cracks and niches. In a VC, he took my ball, and I looked at him like, man, he's both. And I buy whatever's on sale. The only ball I will not hit John, the one I will not play with, is, what is it? God, you hit them long man, but they won't stay on the green. God, what do they call

the top flight? Top flight.

Lord, have mercy. Somebody, I think it may have been Luke young gave me a whole box of them things, man, I'm like, this is trash. I'm like, what? But anyway, man, I really appreciate you. So tell us a little bit about because you know, I know you, you've had the the unfortunate experience, if i i can share that you are a cancer survivor. So talk a little bit about that, if you would. Yeah,

John Rhodes 16:24
I was in the midst of a healthcare crisis, and I had already been diagnosed with five diseases, and then I got diagnosed with cancer as the sixth diagnosis that I had, and that was really It freaked me out, because it wasn't the cancer doctor who told me, it was the nephrologist who I had also had to see. But, you know, thank the Lord. I had not an aggressive form of cancer, but I did have cancer, and the other aspects of it was the location, it was sitting really close to my pancreas. So during my crisis, I had a growth of my pancreas that turned out to be non benign, who wasn't pancreatic cancer. So I was grateful for that. And subsequently, you know, they had to go back in because they didn't initially find the cancer, but you know, one of the signs of cancer is when you're slowly losing weight, week by week, and yes, not explain why you are losing all this weight and dropping the weight. So fighting with the insurance company, we're finally able to do a PET scan and some tests to further acknowledge that I did have cancer, which I did, so they found it, and I had with it being just centrally located in my abdomen. You know, after I had the X rays and the CAT scans and MRIs done, they were able to remove my cancer. It was a little node is called a and it was called an endocrine neuron cancer, so but the one thing that they had to do was to remove my spleen. I was fortunate and blessed enough not to have to have chemo or even any type of radiation. They were able just to cut it out. And I keep going. But in the midst of all of this, I lost like 7580 pounds. My initial weight when I got my health concerns, I was about 195 and I ended up going down to 128 by the time at my smallest weight. So it was a major adjustment in clothes and looking at yourself and seeing how small that you are, but happy to get there. And then I had an eating diagnosis also, so I really wasn't eating, so they had to put me on a feeder, and that feeder had to feed me for about two, three months, 24/7, wow. That was just part of the journey, along with still having, you know, the prognosis of lupus and and at that time, lupus and Bron excuse me, diverticulitis, colitis and I had pneumonia twice, also at that particular time, you

Dave Washington 19:18
know what, Jill, let me say this, because I think one of the most important things you said was the weight loss deal, because that's what I recognized. And I immediately went to my doctor, Dr Anthony Paul. He said, man, we got to run you through some tests. Got blood tests and and I said, What? What is all what the heck is all that on my that red stuff? He say, you got some problems, and we got to get we got to figure out what it is. So he sent me here, there and everywhere. But I think one of the things that you're you're sharing with our listening audience, and I thought it was important to have you and or Ramadan, uh, another person who, another friend, who you guys have done so much for me, John, in terms of keeping my spirit up. And kind of coaching and guiding me and advising me. Man, it's been, it's been, it's been God sent me, because now the biggest problem for me now, John, is my appetite at eating. And you mentioned the weight loss, and man, you know you want to mope sometimes I can't even mope now, man, because I've lost about 40 to 45 and you say you lost how many pounds? It was close to 75 Oh, my goodness, man. So, you know, God, put things out there for you to understand that you need to stop the moaning and groaning. You only, well, I used to stay between like 168 to one by 172 that's where was my standard weight. But boy, when I saw my weight drop, I'm like, oh, man, something. In fact, I was at Durango Hills, went in to wash my hands after using the restroom, and I'm like, something ain't right, something ain't right. And that's when we, in fact, we had just got back from Cape Town, South Africa. First time we were out of this, out of the country for holidays, but, but again, I can't thank you enough, and I certainly share that same thought with Mujahid, because you guys really helped me a lot, even though everybody's journey is different. In my recovery, again, I'm struggling, man, and I'm, you know, and I'm fighting as hard as I can. And I know with my family men, they're pushing, and Marsh is pushing. And boy, the mental aspect of this thing is some seemingly overwhelming, but I've gotten to the point where whether you can taste it or not, you got to push. So I'm I'm trying all the different things, because I know that there may not be just one thing, as you know, John, that's going to bring you over that bridge. But again, further thoughts from you, my brother, well,

John Rhodes 21:51
yeah, the one thing about any major illness is the mental aspect of it that goes along with it, the mental illness, the depression, the things of that particular nature that really kind of knocks you down on a day to day basis. And one thing that you have to be is just patience after you're going through this process. And you know, with me having multiple illnesses, I really had to decide what today's illness I was going to work on and trying to work through, you know, major illnesses, you know, you just have to pick, I just chose to pick one and decide, okay, this is the disease that I'm going to work on for the next three to four weeks and see what happens. Um, the other thing that I do with all of my illnesses, too, that I still maintain is that I have regular doctor visits where I have the doctors check my paper, check my blood work, and I'm doing that to see if the vitamins that I'm using, that I chose to utilize, are working. It helps me to keep monitoring of myself. Also, I asked the doc, every time I go in to see the doctor, I have a plan, and my plan is one, of course, to find out as much information and find out, okay, what are the markers that they're looking at? You have to really be ready to ask that doctor some questions in order for you to know what they're doing to you. So that way you can mitigate it, because I also have lupus, and that's a very debilitating disease, and it can just jump around on you. So I have to be very conscientious. The other thing I would say, which is vitally important, is that you need to change your food choices. There's a lot of things going on in our food days, and we're not aware of it, and we eat everything, but if you don't change your diet, then you're asking for a lot of trouble. And so I had to completely change my diet. I had to completely overhaul what I was doing, because I always thought I was eating healthy, and didn't know how really poor I was eating. And the other thing is, is reducing your stress. You know, that's important. Cancer is a sugar chaser, and you need to remember that. You know, the more sugar you eat, you know, the worse it is. And the other thing I just recently found out was that you know, as if you're using anything such as for for your hormones, things like, what is it that I use? Oh, it's for you that you shoot into you, but it's a male hormone, right? And also, especially for prostate cancer, John, let

Dave Washington 24:37
me, let me, let me. Let me. Say this, I smile when you say that sugar is a big contributor to cancer. I had my surgeon from MB Anderson on the show a couple, about a month and a half or so ago, and she was almost like, you know, I'm like, I didn't want to challenge her. You know, on the radio. Show because I don't bring people on here. I'm not a journalist, I'm a talk show host. But I one thing I've learned from you and Mujahid man is you better study this stuff, man. And a case in point is my oncologist here gonna tell me I need to do radiation. I say, I'm not doing no radiation. I say, I will. I say, Me and Marsh will meet with your colleague, and we'll talk with him, and we'll discuss it. But I said, Let me tell you what I'm what my plans are, the protocol I was told to follow through the people who opened me up, and that's MD Anderson, they said. They said, eight rounds of chemo, surgery, then four rounds of chemo. I got one more to do. John, now, when we go back with marsh and I go back down there next month, if they say, Yeah, we think you should do radiation, then I will, but I'm not gonna listen to y'all, even though you you're part of the of the you're a separate team, so to speak. So to your point, man, and I love what you said, you better be laying out your plan for yourself. Man, and I done, study I done. Studied this stuff almost. John through, through you and MUJI, he pushing me in different areas. Man, till it gets nauseating. And I'm telling you something, brother and I'm not trying to be graphic, but John sent me a picture of his incision. I'm like, do I want them to do this to me? And John, when I got when I got down, it from, from, from, from, from what you had told me to take the vegetables and the the fruit smoothies. And I was thinking, 5000 milligram. THC, John, I got down there. Marcia, why do you keep saying it? Because I say, Marshall, when I get down they go, say, you're good. When I got down there, say I was good. They say, No, it's still there through the chemo. It hasn't got any bigger. It has. In fact, it's a strict a little bit, and it hasn't moved John. Know what I said? Well, God, if you want me to come out of this thing alive, ain't no need me being nervous, anxious or none of that stuff. No, I'm relaxed as could be. And when I come out, I raise up three fingers, and I said, I'm getting out of here in three days. I think it was five or six before they finally let me out. And I told Marcia, say I didn't see your mom or my mom and dad said, What are you talking about? Dead people? I say, Marsha, you know, if you see dead people, I've been told they coming to get you. No one was there. John, so I'm very appreciative. Uh, some closing remarks. We probably got another. We got about two minutes. Please close the remark in this for our audience, John, please share with them, because I think very

John Rhodes 27:31
important. Yes, I go to a blood psychologist. I'm not a psychiatrist. He's a chemist. And each month, you know, each week, he's sending me daily things about my health and my people's health, and the different vitamins that you can take in order to help eradicate the cancer. And I'm really serious about doing things with my health. So you got to stay on the journey, because it's a long journey. Once you don't else, the cancer will come back and you'll be back in the same situation. So, you know, change your eating habits. Is what I would initially say, immediately, thanks and go to see a nutritionist. That's what I was saying. That's what I was saying.

Dave Washington 28:13
I'd be doing half my job if I didn't say that I saw on the news the other day that red dye. They'd known it was cancer causing for 30 years, and they've given them three more years to exit out of everything that's ridiculous, man. And as you know, and again, from many of the things that you sent to me, I have studied this stuff. Man, there's many countries that will not allow American products in their country. Thank you, John, long time Finn, great golfer, tennis player, I appreciate your coaching. You and brother, Mujahid, thank you, brother, thank you Sure. This is veterans for sure. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and More signing out talk to you next week. Thanks.

Music 29:20
Oh, all the smoke in the air till they hate when they stare, all the pain that we bear, all you wear.