Stage 4 CANCER!? Just a few more waves

My goal is a hail-mary, best-case scenario combined with a lifetime worth of shooting stars. I'd be STOKED if you simply read this. I'd be grateful if you like or comment, and ECSTATIC if you donate! I'm hoping to at least raise enough for just one of these spots.

my name is Kyle Spivey and I'm a 34-year-old with stage 4 cancer. I know that this will kill me eventually, but I'm hoping to raise 300k so I could spend the time I have traveling to a few locations I have on my bucket list. MAKE-A-WISH says I'm too old so I figured id give this a try. Part of me feels so selfish for even thinking this but I asked myself, "IF I had a year left to live (HYPOTHETICAL), and I could go anywhere and do anything, what would I do?" I DON'T HAVE A DEATH DATE OR ANYTHING, I'm just throwing a wish out to the universe. I'm going toe to toe, round for round with this, and intend to keep the Psycho Mike fighting mentality...But ya, a nice, warm watered, barreling right-hander is what I've dreamt about since I was a little kid.

Presumably, that hypothetical week starts out with a party with my family, friends, and loved ones where I get to show appreciation, love and thanks to everybody that impacted me in this life. the following day, my girl and I would board a plane and hit as many bucket list surf spots as my body will let me. There are so many spots I've always wanted to surf but my top 5 would be the following: north shore, Oahu, superbanks, Gold Coast, Australia, Teahupo'o, Tahiti, any right-handers in the Mentawi Island chain, and Puerto Escondido, Mainland Mexico. I really, really, REALLY would like to surf Kelly's wave pool but, apparently, it's completely booked for the next few years. ill be honest, id probably offer him what I have to make an exception but I doubt it's likely.

All I know is that I love what the ocean does/gives to me. She's made boring days fun and good days better! She's helped me through past breakups and heartache, she's listened to me when no one else would, and even now, I can rely on her to be there, as salty and welcoming as ever. I'd surf every day if my body would allow me as well as if I could afford it. I'm grateful for the couple days a week I DO get locally but if I COULD, I would adventure. ideally, sooner than later before I begin to deteriorate and/or before these lesions get too bad and complicate everyday life, let alone leisure activities like surfing. This dream trip would but maybe a few weeks at best which would leave the remainder of this hypothetical year spent with friends, family, and loved ones. Doing my best to put smiles on faces and laughter in bellies, all the way up to my last breath. All LOVE... all the time.

I'm someone who's refused to grow out of his curiosity and imagination despite what the instructions say in the "grown-up" manual. I'm always searching for something to produce that child-like wonder. in my opinion, that's one of the most amazing feelings one can experience. I find pleasure in being the cause of that source for others as well as being in the business of smile and laughter manufacturing. my element is the outdoors and where I feel safe; the middle of nowhere, in a forest, or at sea, yes that's life for me. 9 years ago I moved to Mammoth Lakes and really enjoyed the small-town vibes and slow life. I had ZERO signs or symptoms of being ill and then out of nowhere, the malignant metastatic army set siege on my body. it first showed up as a bug bite or ingrown hair. (so I thought) but this little red blemish kept getting bigger and more uncomfortable. Then one by one, others started popping up all over the place, affecting me in ways that started to scare me. So I went to the E.R. The doctor said he was going to lance and drain the biggest one in my back and I was happy to get rid of it. it was lanced, and I waited for 2 weeks before going back, but I swear, the others kept getting BIGGER! anyways, he called for surgery, which was 3 weeks away. and in that 3 weeks, I had a total of 7 bumps (what I now know are tumors)pop up all over the place.

6 months ago, on October 17 2022 I had surgery to remove 3 of these annoying and painful bumps that were on my back, as well as one on my spine, and another on my belly. I was told it was a lipoma...gross, but whatevs, let's get rid of it! a few days later, I received a phone call from that same surgeon. I thought he was following up wondering how I liked his services, and then he tells me those 3 words NO ONE should ever hear, "YOU HAVE CANCER." my knee-jerk reaction was, "BULLS**T!" I thought, "There's no way, I'm too young, I'm healthy and active, what does this mountain surgeon know about this? he specializes in ski injuries." I debated myself for days just trying to convince myself he was mistaken.

the biopsy led to a C/T & PET SCAN, and to add insult to injury, a testicular ultrasound in a VERY cold room...with a female technician... 5 days of waiting for the results felt like a lifetime. too much time to fill my head with all the "whys, hows, whens, and how longs?" wondering if I made an impression in this life, or if anyone would miss me and my effect. reviewing a lifetime trying to convince myself that what I did had some sort of value.

Thankfully my nads were in tip-top shape, but the rest of my body for that matter was in a state of emergency. It's crazy to think how asymptomatic I was and the cancer advanced to stage 4 until I finally was like, "ok something's not right." ... the "bump" that was removed was a tumor....one of many. tumors are in my lungs, heart area, belly, hips, spine, butt cheek, and peck. It's taken out 2 of my lymph nodes and taken residence in my femur. it's aggressive and at times extremely painful. But I've noticed the pain seems only to be present when I'm not in motion... weird, right?

So, in the last 6 months, I've been receiving numerous treatments, tried and true, as well as experimental treatments. I was pretty responsive initially, and the ones on the outside of my skin (sebaceous) have gotten significantly smaller or to an unmeasurable size. however, they're still tumors. Theres some that have "resolved" and some that remain unchanged (for better or worse) so i guess it's not a BAD thing. I'll continue to receive treatments and I'm hopeful if and when my Doctor(s) suggest something new it'll do more than simply slow down the progression.

So ya, I'd like to see a few spots of the world and surf or simply sightsee. Upon returning from this "pipe dream" (no pun intended; pipeline is a surf spot in Hawaii for those of you unfamiliar with the sport) Id spend the remainder of this hypothetical year with family and loved ones reflecting on my shortened, but mindfully, spiritually, a soulfully fulfilled life.....thanks to all of you munificent people. I find difficulty writing this and thinking about what it's doing to my family, my friends, and loved ones, however, I like to believe they want me to be happy and well just as I wish that for them AND all of you!

THANK YOU for taking the time to simply read this. Please share! Please help me catch a few more waves! The only thing better than surfing is being able to put a smile on someone's face and brighten their day! and if I succeed in making this trip happen you can know that ill be doing exactly that wherever I go! All love, all the time!

GET HIGH ON SURFING!!!!!!