064 - Diagnosed at Work: When a Job Becomes God's Lifeline with Mason Daniels

In this episode of My Valley, Mason Daniels, an Arizona-based nomad and outdoor professional. Mason shares his journey from Appalachia to a life dedicated to outdoor adventures and public land management. He discusses his passion for nature, the challenges of living on the road, and how his experiences in the wilderness have deepened his faith in God. Mason also reflects on the importance of connecting with nature, even for those living in urban environments, and shares a profound story of God's revelation during his time in Glacier Bay. In this conversation, Mason shares his profound journey through a cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. He reflects on the unexpected twists of life that led him to discover a tumor during a routine workday, the emotional and physical challenges of chemotherapy, and the spiritual insights gained through his experiences. Mason emphasizes the importance of faith, community support, and maintaining a positive perspective even in the darkest times. 

Connect with Mason:

Instagram : @passerthru

Facebook: Mason Daniels

https://www.luke5adventures.org/
https://ozlodge.com/
https://www.thechristianoutdoorcollective.org/

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Chapters

• 17:00 [Ad] The Balance of Gray
• 17:50 (Cont.) 064 - Diagnosed at Work: When a Job Becomes God's Lifeline with Mason Daniels
• 26:59 [Ad] The Signpost Inn Podcast
• 27:45 (Cont.) 064 - Diagnosed at Work: When a Job Becomes God's Lifeline with Mason Daniels

Transcript

McKenzie Smith (00:03)
On today's episode of My Valley, His Victory, we have Mason Daniels. He is a follower of Jesus, Arizona-based nomad, and a forerunner full-timer. He's a U.S. Coast Guard veteran and a long-time outdoor professional, serving with the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management throughout the Western states, Alaska, and Hawaii. The outdoors has always been a huge part of his life, and he's into adventure travel, drone cinematography,

fishing, paddling, camping, and volunteering as a Sherpa to help folks with disabilities get out on the trail. His interests include health and fitness, home setting and community sufficiency, geospatial technology, and Sasquatch. He's no stranger to valleys or victories, and that's why he's here. Thanks so much for being with us today, Mason.

Mason (00:55)
Yeah, thanks for having me, Kenzie. Glad we could finally connect.

McKenzie Smith (00:59)
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So I know I just read your bio, but why don't you go ahead and just share with the listeners a little bit more about yourself and who you are.

Mason (01:10)
man, yeah, just some guy who's out here living. A little more background, I'm from Appalachia originally. That's where I came into the world, at least. Left when I was 18, hit the road. A little combination of my father's blood coursing through my veins and kind of the lack of opportunity to get out and travel the way I really wanted to as a kid. Really just kind of fueled this insatiable.

curiosity about the world, you know? And so, yeah, I just kind of busted out of the bar and I didn't look back, you know? When I left the service, I, yeah, obviously went into public land management for all the big federal agencies there. Doing, you know, trails, working as a sawyer. A lot of maintenance stuff, lot of very unsexy, you know, blasting toilets and Moab, that kind of thing.

invasive species management, equipment operator, wildland fire fuel management, that kind of stuff. So yeah, it's been a lot of time outdoors to say the least.

McKenzie Smith (02:22)
Yeah, absolutely. So how did you get into some of that stuff? Was the outdoor something that you've always had a passion for? Or what kind of started that journey into the kind of working for the government and the outdoors?

Mason (02:40)
Yeah, well, mean, the way we grew up, we were out in the county, out in the holler, know, some up and running, running around the woods and we didn't really have any friends nearby. I wasn't like a suburbia, you know what I mean? So there's a lot of time alone in the woods acting like a dinosaur, you know what I'm Throwing sticks and rocks and whatnot, you know, very thankful to be part of the generation that was very much on the cusp of, you know, you know.

still living an old-fashioned life and still being tech competent.

you know, notwithstanding my issues with headphone connectivity here. But yeah, so I grew up running around the woods and, and yeah, I originally thought I was going to make a career in the military, but got sick of shaving my face and shining my boots and just realized it really wasn't the fit for me long-term. And actually cut my teeth first, training for wildland fire in Colorado.

through an organization called Veterans Fire Corps. so, did some fuel reduction work out there, got some experiences in soldering and got the bug, you know. Not long after that, I got my first real gig with the Forest Service as an OHV Ranger in Southern Utah. And man, it's just been, it's been a wild ride ever since. So, yeah.

McKenzie Smith (04:17)
Yeah, absolutely. It's definitely, you know, something that I've always thought about doing, you know, like, that'd be fun to go work for the trail service or, you know, the forest service or a national park or something like that. Anytime you can combine your job and your passions, I think that's definitely, definitely really cool. So you said you've kind of worked in all of the Western states and Alaska and Hawaii. Which one were you the most sad to leave?

Mason (04:25)
Thank

you

Ha!

Oh man. Whew. That's tough question, Each of those has their own merits, you know. Trying to choose your favorite places. It's like picking your favorite food, you know what saying? I mean, I think Alaska, specifically Glacier Bay was, I think, the hardest to leave.

I thought we were wrong, you when it starts raining sideways, the shoulder season kicks in, you know, you're in a temperate rain forest, you know about that life. Yeah. You get to looking for some sunshine, you know, but, but, you know, I think the sense of community that you develop living off the road system there in a park and a community like that, you know, at least, at least my first season up there, I think.

McKenzie Smith (05:24)
haha

Mason (05:39)
2015, was like 400 year round permanent residence and it was the port of town for the Pressur Bay. And there was also a time where we didn't have Wi-Fi in the bunk houses and we didn't have cell service. If you want to make a phone call, man, you got to hop on a bike and pedal nine to 10 miles in the town at the ferry dock to get a couple bars of service.

McKenzie Smith (06:01)
Yeah.

Mason (06:06)
So that being said, it was interesting going back in 2020 in a slightly different capacity and realizing how much things had changed. The connectivity has its virtues, of course, but ultimately, it may be a little homesick for a place that doesn't exist anymore in time. So the hardest to leave, yeah.

Glossier period,

McKenzie Smith (06:40)
Yeah, it's a place I have not been. No, that's okay. That's okay. It's a place I've been to Alaska and worked seasonally there, but not Glacier Bay. So it is on the on the list and definitely am interested in going to all of the national parks up in Alaska because they all seem to be wildly kind of remote and just, you know, wild in the most most basic sense. So

Mason (06:40)
That's a long-winded answer.

McKenzie Smith (07:10)
kind of outside of, you the jobs, kind of talk to us about what you like to do in the outdoors without, you know, the titles of the jobs.

Mason (07:21)
man, yeah. I mean these days my outdoor recreation tends to be, I would say, objective driven. know, like, honestly, I'm not the kind of guy that likes to go hiking just to hike, you know what saying? I think you spend enough time with trail crew and you know, some guys are just built for that, I don't know. And I always enjoy working as a sauer, but some guys just can't get enough of the trail, but like...

I'm good, man, unless I have, you know, a honey hole fishing I'm trying to get to, or it's an objective. It's a, you know, it's a fish to catch. It's a feature on the map. It's, you know, something to film. So right now, my favorite thing to do is airless cinematography, doing drone work, things like that. And yeah, sometimes the objective is just to get as far away from people as I can.

You know, and I freaking love people. I love people. I really do. But being a true ambivert, man, that time to disconnect and recharge is critical, you know? And especially working in super high volume parks like Olympic, for example, you know, it really burns you out on crowds. And so I really just try to get out there in my truck and punch out as far as I can.

McKenzie Smith (08:21)
You

Mason (08:46)
I'm gonna be the only soul around, you know? There's a million skinwalkers out there.

McKenzie Smith (08:50)
Yeah.

Yeah, you added in your bio that you're really interested in Sasquatch. And so I'm just curious. Have you found him yet?

Mason (08:52)
Thank

Oh man, well, debatable. That's a conversation for another time maybe, but I've had some strange experiences out there. I will say that specifically in the Pacific Northwest on the Olympic Peninsula. And although I have not personally had a sighting, I do have more than one friend in Alaska in the Northwest that

McKenzie Smith (09:08)
Yeah

Mason (09:28)
That's supposed to be how, so we'll look at that.

McKenzie Smith (09:32)
Alright, so there might be more than one is what you're saying.

Mason (09:33)
I'm just saying it's a phenomenon, man, you know.

for sure, Sasquatch is plural, no doubt.

McKenzie Smith (09:46)
Sasquatch is plural.

Mason (09:47)
Yeah, no, I'm for real, I'm generally, man, I'm very interested in this topic. Since

I was a kid, I was fascinated with crypto as well.

McKenzie Smith (09:59)
Yeah. that's funny.

Mason (10:00)
all the critters out there in South Sports takes the cake.

McKenzie Smith (10:05)
I love it. I love it. And I love that you said that, you know, you like going out with an objective. And so, you know, is it a fish to catch? Is it a, you know, a certain site you want to see, that sort of thing? Not just necessarily you go to go, you go to see something. And I think that's interesting. I think that that's a really fun way to do it.

and it always has you probably learning and researching different things about different places versus just like going to go. And so I love it. So.

Mason (10:44)
Yeah, no doubt.

McKenzie Smith (10:47)
So I know that you live on the road kind of right now full time. Is this something that you see yourself doing for a while? Is it just a temporary season of life or are we sold on the nomadic lifestyle?

Mason (11:01)
Oh man, it's expeditious right now. I've done this before at different times in my life. When I first washed up in Southern Utah, living out of my car, kind of thing, doing the dirt bag thing, did the camper van thing, a few years ago. Right now, I've had lot of curve balls and trot twists in the last, specifically.

I'd say like 18 months or so. And right now it's just kind of an indefinite state of being while I'm like praying and seeking direction for the next chapter, you know? But I mean, ultimately I don't, I mean, I definitely want to anchor in somewhere and I'm kind of been like shopping for that place in that situation for a while now. But I have enough up in the air with continuing education and you know, professional stuff that I thought maybe I'd give it a minute.

And also, you know, see what happens with this economy, with this new administration and things like that. You know, in a practical sense, I thought, let's just hold on for a hot minute. But yeah, I mean, I would love to have like a little farm, a little homestead, something like that. And a more permanent base camp for sure.

McKenzie Smith (12:17)
Yeah.

Yeah, I was going to say you mentioned that you like the homesteading and community sufficiency. So that probably has to be your dream at some point, but just was curious.

Mason (12:21)
Ta-da!

Yeah, but I mean the last year or so has taught me that God's plan is literally, it's just, I don't know, there's been a lot of heartache and disappointment over the past couple years. I'm not trying to sauce that fiddle here, a huge part of that has been self-inflicted once.

But yeah, I definitely had that desire, but ultimately I've kind of learned and what I'm really trying to be conscious of now is seeking his direction to order my steps. Just trying to do the next right thing and keep the windshield clean, you know what I'm saying?

McKenzie Smith (13:19)
Yeah, absolutely. I love that. Keep the windshield clean. So talk to us a little bit about how being in the outdoors and being, you know, on these adventures plays a role specifically in your relationship with Christ.

Mason (13:35)
Oh man, wow. That's a question.

I think the first thing that comes to mind really is it's being outdoors, like really getting out there. I'm not talking about a walk in the park. It could be as simple as a walk in the park, but you know what I'm saying. Really punching out there and giving yourself time to disconnect and acclimate. It's instrumental in bringing about, for me, this appropriate sense of awe and wonder and humility.

when considering the creator and the architect of this whole thing, you know, this whole wild apparatus. Think about the delicate balance, natural order and play all around you. yeah, and just be honest, you know, get yourself into some sketchy situations and it's pretty good for your prayer life, you know what I'm So, I mean, really not joking, you know.

You you take some calculating risks and you get out there and maybe things get a little hairy. At least for me, yeah, it really does another of the career life, you know? So yeah, apart from that, think that just the serenity and the isolation that's possible in those wild lands, wild spaces, it's a lot easier to disconnect and it sort of insulates you from distractions, you know?

It makes more space to connect with the man upstairs.

McKenzie Smith (15:13)
Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. I think it's interesting what you said, get out there, get in some sketchy situations and it'll affect your prayer life. For me, I feel like it resets and I don't know if this is even possible, but this is the way that I feel. I feel like it resets my nervous system, like the things that I'm anxious about in everyday life.

Mason (15:38)
Mm-hmm.

McKenzie Smith (15:38)
It's like go

out into the wilderness and actually experience like anxiety of like not knowing where you're going to get water or not having enough food or you know what I mean? Like having real life stressors. Not to say that you know things aren't real life stressors in our real real life but most of the things that we stress about are not life or death. You know what I mean? And they're

Mason (15:59)
Yup,

yup.

McKenzie Smith (16:01)
they're actually probably not going to happen. Whereas like when you're in an actual situation, it's like, okay, these are the things in life that really matter at the very end of the day. And so I feel like I always come back like more thankful and more calm. And I just like don't get excited about, you know, some of the things that I would before I went out there. So I think that's good that you said, you know, get out there and experience some real fear.

Mason (16:31)
Yeah man, for sure. It's all about perspective. I love what you said there. I just got to piggyback on that. When it really just comes down to food, water, shelter, basic survival, it...

Plug back into society to whatever extent it really does reframe your perspective and help you prioritize, for sure. I love that.

McKenzie Smith (16:55)
Yeah. Yeah, it's weird though because not everybody's on the same page as you and so they're like, what's going on? Why are you?

Mason (16:59)
Thanks.

It's like coming from the Alaska bush and dropping in Seattle when you haven't driven more than 40 mile an hour for six months. It's like chaos.

McKenzie Smith (17:16)
Yeah, I can imagine that was quite the culture shock.

McKenzie Smith (18:28)
So Mason, can you share a story with us about a way in which God has maybe revealed himself to you or spoken to you through the outdoors?

Mason (18:38)
man. Yeah, for sure. I mean, too many to count really, right? But I think what really comes to mind and what is the most relevant to this conversation would be, I think.

You know, my last summer at Glacier Bay was a real crossroads. You know, was just the summer of 2020. A lot was changing in the world at large and in my life. And, and, you know, I had this killer opportunity with the Park Service for a permanent leadership position with the Trail crew there.

It sounds like you're familiar, but maybe for those unaware, you could go, I mean, folks can go 10, 15, upwards of 20 years in seasonal work and, you know, find for a permanent position like that where, you know, you can essentially create, you know, furlough and the dead of winter too. And, you know, was just, just a killer gig, awesome leadership there and just a really, really special place. And I had been striving and moving that direction for some time, you know.

Um, but I, I felt a little conflict, you know, I felt, um, I had some decisions to make, you know, I had some veterans education benefits that were, like, know, that expire in the foreseeable future at that point. And, um, and, uh, I had some, I had some other desires and ambitions that would not be served by a place in a situation in a community like that, however wonderful it is, you know. And.

yeah, so it was really seeking hard, direction for the next step, you know, and, I had this absolutely just incredible gig and so the platter right in front of me, but also felt, calling in a pool to oddly enough, go, back into the medical field. And, so when the Coast Guard, was a corpsman, right? I'm working in health services. So I had a background there and familiarity.

and getting some of other ambitions and desires in life, I thought this is a practical move to make, you know. But I was very much on the fence and conflicted. But so after a lot of earnest praying and seeking and whatnot, I had this night, I had this night in Galatia Bay, was near end of the season where...

I had already signed up for school and everything and was on the track, but my spirit was still kind of unsubstantiated. I needed some sort of affirmation. And so I just had this night in Glickshark better than this season. It felt like an absolute gift from God in every way. was just like all the right conditions. We had clear skies that night.

which is an absolute treat in the Southeast and in the temperate rainforest, you know? And best aurora I have ever personally witnessed, you know, primarily green, just like, unbelievable. I've got like a really crappy coarsely pixelated smartphone picture, you know, doesn't do injustice at all, you know what saying? But.

But at the same time, we have bioluminescent algae in the surf and on the beach. So waves rolling in, they embarked the cove, lapping up against the shore, popping off green. The boot prints from the actual tufts glowing green and actually had humpbacks in the cove there too, popping off through the pictorial fence slabs. It's like a freaking can of going off here.

And it was just, I mean, sort of an orca reaching itself and, you know, dancing a jig for me, doing some interpretive dance or something. That was like, I don't know, that felt like the perfect send off for me. It's like, God granted, it's very, very special.

collaboration of events as if to say, here, we're checking this box, brother, go on, move on. It's time, it's time to disengage and take this next step in faith. So, yeah, that's the one that really comes to mind for this conversation.

McKenzie Smith (23:24)
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for sharing that. I love that you said, you know, it was like the perfect send off because in my mind I was thinking, you know, like a fireworks show is usually the end of something and this was like God's version of an Alaskan fireworks show. And it's like, okay, this season is over. It's time to go on. You know, it kind of wrapped it wrapped a bow on the whole thing and

Mason (23:27)
you

Yeah.

McKenzie Smith (23:48)
And that's just, that's really cool that you got to experience that. And that was also, you know, timed with this internal struggle. And, you know, it wasn't, it was enough to say like, okay, this was the right move. This is my, you know, my final, final goodbye, so on and so forth. And so I think that's really special. So I know that you,

Mason (24:06)
Mm-mm.

McKenzie Smith (24:13)
try your hardest to stray away from urban environments and big cities. But if there was a if there was a listener who is listening who maybe that's where they live and that's, you know, where they where they have to be for whatever it is that they do. What are some practical ways that they can start connecting with God through nature on an everyday basis while not being out on these super crazy remote places like you get to be all the time?

Mason (24:44)
Yeah, no. Step number one, get the hell out of the city. No, I think, yeah, I think in the most practical and elemental sense, know, regardless of where you are, you can be in New York, Chicago, or whatever, and you can find yourself a little green space. You know, it may not be as glamorous as...

you know, unless you're cool or the Everglades or something like that. But you can find yourself a little patch of dirt to put your bare feet in the soil. And, you know, you can get some sunlight on your skin for even some fresh air, you know. And I think that's like immediately what comes to mind for a very practical way to connect with creation. And there are very much like we're obviously beginning to understand more and more of this in the scientific realm.

and finally get explanations for why it feels so good. And I talk about ground and earth and ionic exchange, all that, of course. And so that's something that practically anybody can do, regardless of where you are. But really though, get the hell out of city. I think there are limitations there, right? There are limitations there. And so the opportunity is there like never before.

McKenzie Smith (26:00)
Yeah.

Hahaha

you

Mason (26:14)
I would say probably like, I don't know, just off the cuff, like outside of, know, pre-industrial revolution or whatever. Like think about our ancestors. There's, arguably no better time to get out there, you know, in terms of like transportation, technology, gear. It's so accessible, almost too accessible. You know, you could argue almost too accessible in some cases. But yeah, make it a priority and get out there.

McKenzie Smith (26:41)
Yeah.

Mason (26:44)
You know, it's a decision, right? Like anything else in life. But if you absolutely can't and you're stuck in the city, I think, you know, there's also like an intellectual avenue for connection to God through creation and academic approach. mean, you can learn about the beautiful chaos that's going on out there.

through documentaries, all kinds of literature, whatever, you know, and yeah, get to know your creator a little better and have a deeper appreciation for his work in that way, you know. But yeah, you know what, I know all urban places. know, contrary to popular belief, I don't hate cities. I like to pop into the city here and there, you know, but you know, I get my...

get my fill real quick, you know. But I say what's interesting about, you know, working in the parks over the years, we had a lot of Conservation Corps, know, SCA or whatever, know, interns, you know, kids, you know, coming from a lot of times urban places back East. And I'll tell you what, man, some of these kids go on to be really like...

on fire for conservation, you know, and having next level appreciation. It's one thing, it's one thing when you grow up out in the country, you know, you're used to that kind of thing. But when you grow up in a major metropolis and there's a serious cap on how many freaking stars you can see in the sky at night, and then you go to a place like Glacier or a place like Alaska, the Olympic, man, it's revolutionary. It literally busts your paradigm as to what you

conceive is possible. So I'll say the deprivation of these things oftentimes inspires very fierce appreciation.

McKenzie Smith (28:44)
Yeah.

Yeah, that's good. I like that. And I think that can be really true. Some people will never appreciate it, but sometimes not having it for so long can make you really appreciate it. And so, yeah, I appreciate that. It's funny that you said just get the heck out of the city because that's what my husband literally yesterday, he was like my favorite answer on this question whenever people say that is just get out, get out. And so.

Mason (29:20)
Excellent.

McKenzie Smith (29:23)
I

know he's already gonna love it. Okay, Mason, while switching gears a little bit into the title of this podcast, My Valley, His Victory, would love for you to share a valley or a season of wilderness that you experienced and just what God maybe taught you or prepared you for in that season.

Mason (29:44)
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I think probably my biggest failure so far, and this is kind of perfect segue from, you know, talking about

that send off the grand finale English Bear, you know, and wrestling with those two courses.

know, it's crazy, man, you see, you see God's hand in all of it. Now, it can be a little confusing at the time. As it should be, you know, how else can you build trust without, you know, if you if you know everything, you know, if everything is so predictable, right? But yeah, so so I wound up, you know, I could have done anything.

But I had this pull to go back into the medical field and to go into specifically diagnostic imaging and not just diagnostic imaging, but specifically MRI or magnetic resonance imaging, which just happens to be a modality that doesn't use any ionizing radiation whatsoever. So there's no serious concern for any physiological.

effects like with ionizing radiation exposure with CT or x-ray to a lesser degree. Anyway, I didn't even want to move back to Hawaii, honestly. I've kind of been there, done that. I love Arizona, I love the Southwest, but I had this killer job just following my lap pretty much right out of school. was one of those...

It was one of those offers you just can't refuse. You know what I mean? And it's just too good. Really good money and just great situation, awesome crew. so I took it. anyway, so I took that gig. I left for Oahu with this tundra in, what was it, like July of 2022, fresh out of school, you know? And so...

Man, remember, know, it normally took me about an hour to get to work, you know. I was working in Honolulu, kind of Waukeke area, but living up around Wai'anae, you know. And, but man, yeah, Friday, August 12th, I'll never forget, There was like no traffic on the road at all. It kind of eerie actually, you know, super calm and still golden sunrise popping up and just.

beautiful Saran Drive and I got to work in like 43 minutes. I'm rather timed it. But so many of these events in retrospect, you know, conspired to bring all this about and you know, I think, you know, I'm not really believing coincidence at all. But so that's kind of how it started, you know, and so I got into work like 45 minutes early.

And so one of the patients on the schedule that morning, we were going to do what's called an MRA chest, you know, looking at the heart rate vessels, a dynamic study where we, you know, deliver contrast and watch that contrast diffuse through the airway and all that. Right. And, um, it wasn't even a regular exam that we did that clinic, you know, on the regular, um, the last patient on file to have that study was the same dude. Right.

And so given that my coworker and mentor was also new to that facility, we needed to test that whole sequence out because he got one shot to get it right. So we needed to test that out. And so I hopped in the scanner as a test patient and yeah, I got out and my mentor, local guy Ed, he's like,

Bro. Huge tumor in my chest, you know. And it's kind of a shock for everyone, as you can imagine. At that point, I'm you know, mid-30s, you know, arguably, you know, in my prime, physically, doing everything right, you know, working out every day, eating all organic, filtering my water, detoxing on a regular.

all that kind of stuff, you know? And so it really was a road wave. and anyway, yeah, so life got kind of wild from that point on, you know, I realized pretty early on that I wanted to be back on the mainland to figure all that out, you know, closer to my, just the closest thing that was, you know, had deeper links.

And frankly, healthcare in Hawaii is not fantastic, even in Oahu. So, no offense, guys. Just a lot better resources on the mainland for something like that. That's, you know, like your death, you know what means. So, popped back to Tucson and had a biopsy and all these tests and confirmed diagnosis of a midastinal synanoma, which is a...

McKenzie Smith (35:09)
for sure. Yeah.

Mason (35:24)
relatively rare germ cell to work, you know. And so, yeah, it was kind of rural. It was kind of rural in there. I really struggled with this part, on treatment, know, wrestling with what to do, you know, because, you know, the conventional treatment for that particular type of cancer is chemotherapy.

And, man, chemo's the last freaky thing I wanted to do, you know. Especially after spending so many years being so judicious about what I put into and on my body and all these things, right? And so, however wonderful it may be, there's obviously famous side effects and collateral damage that comes with the course of treatment like that. And so, I kind of wrestled with that and deliberated a little bit. You really don't know what you're gonna do.

in situation like that until the walls set the door and it got jacked, man. So anyway, I wrestled that for some time. I did some sort of alternative treatments and whatnot while I continued to pray for direction on that. And yeah, I wound up getting the affirmation that I needed to proceed with chemo. man.

You know, I had a pretty hairy night there in Montana. I was visiting a friend up in Glacier National Park, right there outside West Glacier, and sleeping on back porch of a cabin, you know. And that's the first time it really hit me like, hey, dude, Google could have died pretty quickly from this. I'll spare you all the details, you know, about, you know, the Warburg effect and...

metabolic effects of sugar and all that, right? But basically I felt this thing growing inside of me, right? And so this tumor was in the mediastinum, the other space between basically your sternum, your breastbone and your heart, right? And it was growing so rapidly at that point that, oh goodness, I felt like a freaking water buffalo sitting on my chest. I couldn't breathe.

And I didn't even want to like, I didn't feel like I had the breath to call 911, you know what saying? And so talk about something that's good for your prayer life, you know? Just praying through it, breathing through it, best I could, but sharp stabbing pains kind of like through my chest cavity, my back, and you know, could feel this thing growing and pressing against my heart and lungs, know, it was pretty wild. But anyway, so.

Sorry, time-stamped, you may need to edit this. I gotta look at my notes here. It's been a minute since I told the story, so I'm trying to keep things in order here.

McKenzie Smith (38:31)
You're good.

Take your time.

Mason (38:44)
Yeah, so anyway...

So yeah, mean, talk about a valley, an unexpected one, you know what mean? Everything was just, everything was going so good in my life. You know what I'm saying? Like I, you know, just finished school, got this absolutely killer job offer in quote unquote paradise, you know? And thanks for firing on all cylinders, you know? And then just went out of nowhere, you know? And yeah, so it was, so it was ultimately the Four Suckers BEP style.

chemo. So that equates to, you know, about three or several months of infusions starting around Christmas time 2022 and finishing up around March 2023. you know, the effects of chemo, man, that's everything. There's so many reasons I didn't want to do chemo, but man, the freaking blood clots, you know,

and I couldn't blow my nose and felt, gushing blood, lots of other gnarly side effects for sure. It was just kind of a rough time, But back to Alaska, I got a flashback to the summer of 2020. was at Fred Meyer in Juneau stocking up on some supplies before flying over to Glacier Bay. And talk about Providence, man. This is so crystal clear now. Look at that.

I was deliberating over what cooking oil I was going to take into the back country. Avocado, olive, living smoke points, you know what I'm saying? And this gal comes up to me in Fred Meyer and I must have had smoke coming out of my ears, man. I looked pretty confused because she asked if she could help me. It turns out she's their personal wellness coach.

of consultant, dietary consultant, things like that. And she winds up being the one who puts me onto Dr. Valtor Longo's work, an Italian biochem PhD who has done a lot of work in the field of fasting and fasting and making protocols as adjuncts to chemotherapy and cancer treatment. And so, so

Anyway, really went hard on that. I didn't know if that guy was doing it first and wasn't really doing it right. I did like a straight water fast for that first infusion. It like seven days without food, you know? And kind of tapered the protocol after that, you know, to be like, you know, fasted for 48 hours prior to infusions and then two and four hours on the back end.

But all that to say, I happen to have friends, practically family, working at the hospital where I got my treatment. And it was conveyed to me that the radiologist that read my follow-up scan after that last cycle of chemo was so impressed with how quickly that tumor shrank. That he called over a 30-year tech and was like, hey,

Look at this, man. And so, number one, grace of God for sure. think seeing his hand providentially guiding my course and my mind and connections and all that to put me on that information to help through treatment, both reduce side effects and increase the efficacy of those chemopharmaceuticals.

is not lost on me how long before that was, you know. And so yeah, super thankful to have come out of that whole deal as healthy as I do. There were inevitably some side effects when the chemo developed Ranaud's syndrome. And...

Also a little, a little chemo brand. was the number one reason I didn't want to do it honestly, because it's terrifying thing to me to lose your mind. and so I felt like I did lose a step a little. My mental acuity wasn't quite as sharp as it was before, you know, and working at a field where your, your, your safety margin is like razor thin, you know, like an MRI, you know, it's not like x-ray or CT.

use this entirely different technology, right? Where, you know, I run a three Tesla superconductive electromagnet that can pick my truck up three times over. You've got ferromagnetic hardware in your body or in your brain or whatever. And it's just like, you can't screw up, you know, people die. It does happen. I always get seriously injured, you know? And so, and then it's naturally a cold environment, right? Working in the MR suite, you have to keep it cool.

to keep the magnet superconductive. It just tends to be chilly back there, right? And so I was having a heck of a time, man, just like, you know, my fingers would go, and they still do sometimes, it's approved with acupuncture, but I'd have times in clinic where, you know, my fingers go like Xerox white and ice cold, you know? And so to maintain the manual, just...

Dexterity required to start an IV on an 85 year old woman with veins the same size as your catheter. It's a little challenging. And working in the scope of what became, unfortunately, like corporate medicine, classic corporate medicine at a volume and an operational tempo, it's just ridiculous. It's like banging out sets of pushups between patients just to try to get a little circulation going there.

Anyway, so ultimately that brings me to today where, yeah, there was a link between some toxic exposures that I had in the military and that particular type of cancer, right? And so I found some funding for me to go back to school and retrain into another field. So taking full advantage of that. I'm here pretty soon. I'm gonna be continuing my education.

in another field and choosing a different path. I think the real kicker honestly has been there are some basically financial repercussions from all that and it's given me the freedom to go and pursue whatever it is that I feel God wants me to do. And so that has been the greatest gift.

So, you know, when Simon connected us initially, you know, just the name of your podcast, My Valley is Victor, man, what an absolutely perfect place to share my testimony. When things get really dark.

World Cup Scala, Scrishing to the Heart.

this whole thing has been just a fantastic reminder and a lesson to just trust that he's got you. I'm probably leaving out some details, but man, it's a...

McKenzie Smith (46:50)
Yeah.

Mason (46:53)
That's a lot.

McKenzie Smith (46:55)
Hey, that's okay.

That's okay. Just thank you so much for sharing all of that before I share anything. Just wanna say thank you. I can't have zero, cannot relate on any level to your story and what having cancer is like, but I just think of like,

You you said that you were being lined up, had the perfect job, had, you know, were making excellent money, like everything was just lining up and it was like...

it was lining up to save your life. It's the way that I see it. And even though it looked really good in a worldly way, maybe that is what made you say, yes, I don't know. But it was really what God was using to save your life. And I'm just so incredibly shocked by your story and in the way that all of this happened in the way that it did. I just think it...

Mason (47:42)
Exactly.

McKenzie Smith (48:05)
You you use the word providence, like there are just so many things that happened in this story that I'm just like, you, you can't not see God's hand in it. Even though, you know, it is, it is such a terrible event and there was, you know, a of, a lot of hard that came through that, but

I just think like what would have happened if you wouldn't have found out and just the way that you found out I think is just crazy. Like you were at work doing your normal job. You showed up a little bit earlier, early. You guys were like, hey, we don't do this test very often. Let's practice it. And lo and behold, like your whole world gets flipped upside down. And then, yeah.

Mason (48:50)
Yeah, if I can interject, Kenzie, before

McKenzie Smith (48:53)
Please.

Mason (48:54)
I forget this detail, that this is important too, just to emphasize the degree of providence there.

So initially we just ran like a scout study, right? And so an MR, it's like a low resolution series of images. And it's obvious enough when you know what you're looking for, but doing a scout, it's like all that soft tissue kind of blends in, you know, in the chest cavity. And there's a real tendency to get tunnel vision, you know, the anatomy.

of interest for that exam, But now granted I was new, but when we showed this scan to others, you know, there was like a 10 and 20 year.

there were 10 and 20 year texts there that showed that also didn't see it immediately, right? But the fact that Ed, my mentor, local guy, was sitting in that seat that morning, he was fresh off for a 30 year career at Hawaii Children's, right? And so that gave him the clinical experience in acumen to identify that particular...

Pathology better than just about anyone, know, it's it's normally looking at kids, right? And so you're that's right about where your Thomas gland is. Yeah. And so. And so, you know, your Thomas gland is pretty large as a kid, but it shrinks with puberty. And so it already had the clinical eyes to see them, you know, and so it's not just all those events conspiring, but even even to have his his eyes and.

McKenzie Smith (50:40)
Yeah.

Mason (50:45)
experience and vision sitting in that seat that morning and yeah man just crazy, crazy thankful. And ultimately I gotta say I mean just like it's all a matter of perspective you know.

perspective quite literally changes quite a bit when you're in the valley, if you think about it topographically, right? And when you're going through it versus the other side, the victory, you know, coming out of the valley, running the ridge, and you're up on the mountain top. And I try my best to have a good perspective throughout that whole ordeal, but you know, when the dust really settles on something like that.

Ultimately, I can honestly say, this is not just something I survived. It's one of the very best things that's ever happened. I mean, for so many reasons. Not the least of which is just like the effects that it has on the head and the heart and your perspective, cherishing life. don't want to waste any days.

McKenzie Smith (52:06)
Yeah. Wow. I can't imagine someone saying that getting cancer is the best thing that ever happened to them. But that just shows you like what God has done with this season. And I think that's just an upset right there of the way in which God has worked through this. I would love for you to share with us, you I know that you said you really didn't want to do chemo, but it is what, you know, shrunk the tumor.

Where does this leave you now? Are you considered cancer free? Did you have to have any part of it removed? Yeah, just kind of give us an update on like what this means now.

Mason (52:47)
Yeah, praise God, cancer free.

Sorry. Yeah. Right now that means surveillance imaging. At this point, it'd be three months just to keep tabs on things, make sure everything's in order in conjunction with a lot of work, two and a half years, things like that. So yeah, looking good. I I had a suspect move there about a year ago.

McKenzie Smith (53:21)
Okay.

Mason (53:30)
And, uh, uh, thankfully nothing came of that, but, you know, I was already pretty health conscious before, right? But I think this really ups the ante, right? When you, you know, when you wrestle with something like this, it becomes, uh, you know, imperative to do everything you can, you know, I'm not, I'm not.

in that sense, you know what saying? I mean, everyone's got their time, you know what mean? But I'm gonna do my due diligence to make sure I'm as healthy and vivacious as possible, you know, by doing everything I can to get those risk factors for recurrence and everything, so, yeah.

McKenzie Smith (54:09)
Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. Mason, I would love for you to share with a listener who's, you know, maybe going through a really scary health diagnosis or something, something along those lines, just a piece of word, or a piece of encouragement for that person who maybe just can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mason (54:35)
.

Yeah, man,

McKenzie Smith (54:45)
or doesn't even

know which direction to look.

Mason (54:51)
Yeah, mean, my word would come from the word. But I think before I even say this verse, I just want to pause and...

I as a listener, gotta resist the fatigue from exposure here and really chew on this because this is one of those verses in the Christian community that we toss around all over the place and we see it an awful lot. And if you're not careful, it passes through one ear and not the other. But what really came to me through my life and was galvanized.

through the other side, it was Jeremiah 29, 11. And this is one of those verses where I do really appreciate NIV's translation on this. It says, I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper in you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. And man, you know when we dance with Beth?

in that way, verse like that takes on a little more gravity, you know. But I would encourage anyone really, you know, going through it to sit with that for a bit. just realize that this is like, we're talking about God, right? We forget sometimes, this is the freaking superintendent of the universe or multiverse or whatever.

But, you know, he spoke all that we know and see and don't even understand into existence. And this is also your father, you know what mean? Who loves you with a love that is like, I think I'm capable of loving like that, you know what I mean? I mean, who do you love most in this life? What do you love most?

life. know, God loves you with a love that like radically eclipses your most cherished thing or person, right? And so that unlimited, all-forsaking love is attached to a completely omnipotent force. And so I think

you know, for me, this whole experience has really gone to just kind of galvanize that trust and understanding that.

His ways are far above our ways, right? And you may not see it at the time. And that's kind of the point maybe, you know? But, you know, everyone's got a different path, right? But for me personally, you know, the reality that I'm living in this moment, not too far removed from all that, is literally better than I could have possibly imagined. Like, I mean, literally, my dreams and my plans, what I was banking on.

Everything that I said, you know, man, it'd be sweet if this happened. No, dude, this is so much better. And just crazy thankful for that, you know, and I think, you know, we don't maybe have time to crack into all this right now, but there's just a whole nother set of, you know, we talked about like the physical side effects of treatment and stuff like that. you know, something like that can take a real toll as it did with me, Juan.

McKenzie Smith (58:16)
you

Mason (58:37)
you know, relationships, you know, things like that. there's just so much in play and cancer is ugly, man, either way you crack it. I'm super blessed to have come about a type that was especially in chemosensitive and it would be treated even though it was inoperable.

But yeah, ultimately I would say, you know, just to piggyback on Jeremiah 29, 11, I would also say to those really going through it, I read something a while back that said, have so much faith in God's plan for your life that you no longer get upset when things don't go your way, you know? And, on the other side of all this, man.

McKenzie Smith (59:29)
Mmm. That's good.

Mason (59:33)
Yeah. So yeah.

McKenzie Smith (59:37)
Yeah. Yeah, that's helpful. Yeah, that's helpful. I appreciate that. And I like that. I like that quote at the end. That's really helpful. One thing that I always like to ask people who go through something like this, that's, you know, a major health diagnosis or something that can really shake up, you know, like you said, everything around you, what is one way that

Mason (59:38)
Hang in there.

McKenzie Smith (1:00:06)
somebody who maybe is a family member or a friend, like what's a piece of advice for your the support system around that? What's you know maybe something that was helpful for you that somebody did or yeah.

What's the best way to support someone going through something like this?

Mason (1:00:24)
man.

Yeah, yeah.

If you really do have someone in your tribe wrestling with something like this, mean, people of action may not necessarily want to hear this, but pray. For real. For real pray. You know what saying? Like petition God. You know, it's interesting in my kind of annual week through going through the Old Testament right now, I look at like Moses in particular.

He was like literally able to... Now this is the same God we were just talking about, the superintendent of the multiverse, whatever, all powerful, all knowing, all of that. And Moses was able to change his mind on more than one occasion. And there's many accounts of that throughout scripture. You know what saying? So he's listening and he's sensitive to our needs and our wants. And...

by the way, knows our needs and our desires far better than we do, you know? But I would say definitely pray and petition, like for real. And you know, I had all kinds of people from all over just come alongside. And that just meant a great deal to me.

never forget that I'll never forget who really showed up. You know what mean? And so

I would say I just show up, find a way to show up, pray about it, ask for guidance and direction on how you can best show up for that person. But it could be like little gifts to help with side effects or issues that they may be having through treatment or whatever. There's so many ways, but however you do it, just do it.

take action and show up.

McKenzie Smith (1:02:42)
Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for sharing that. I know that sometimes we don't always know what that person needs and sometimes we don't know how to ask. And so I always like to ask somebody that's gone through something like this from their perspective, how people showed up and what was helpful in that season.

not so. Let me go back. So I just thank you so much, Mason, for walking us through this journey and for sharing your story with us. I really appreciate it. I know that this is not a super old thing at this point, and so just appreciate the clarity and the... love that you continue to use the word galvanized. I think that's a really good word for some of this stuff. And so I just really appreciate you sharing.

I would love for you to share with the listeners just how maybe they can connect with you or find you on the interweb these days if they want to connect with you.

Mason (1:03:43)
Oh yeah, sure. For sure. Yeah. So as far as the socials and all that jazz, I'm most active on Instagram, under Pass it Through, P-A-S-S-E-R-T-H-R-U. Also on Facebook for groups and marketplace, TCOC, things like that. little plug for TCOC. A little plug for Simon here. Awesome community.

McKenzie Smith (1:04:10)
Yes. Yeah.

Mason (1:04:12)
Christian Outdoor Collective.

know anyone listening to your show would definitely appreciate a community like that. But yeah, anyone who is either directly dealing with cancer or someone in their tribe or a neighbor is, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I think we're seeing a major cultural shift right now, which is really exciting to me.

you know, specifically in the realm of healthcare and total wellness, you know, you know, there's all kinds of alternatives and adjuncts out there that could serve you or someone who loves life. so, yeah, if I can be of help in any way to anybody, please reach out to me directly. Yeah, but a great way to connect too is come visit.

In person at Oz Lodge, still in Alaska this summer. I'm to be guiding up there and helping out, know, having a met that's in the operation. And I have to make one more plug if I can for this awesome outfit I've been volunteering with called the Loop 5 Adventures. Do you know Loop 5? Can you see?

No? Okay, yeah. Man, really, really awesome organization.

McKenzie Smith (1:05:40)
Mm-mm.

Did you say Luke Luke five

or group five?

Mason (1:05:47)
Luke 5. Yeah, so based on that passage in the Gospel of Luke, where, you know, Jesus is, Jesus is inside the house and...

the guy's buddies want to get him to Jesus, but they can't for the crowd, the sake of the crowd, you know? And so obviously they bust through the freaking roof and they lower him down and stretch him, you know? So Luke 5 Adventures is a non-profit that, so we take folks with disabilities out on a trail and these custom made, kind of like, it's almost like a rescue glitter.

and used for, know, siren mountains, you know, but they were these custom built, basically military, cycle type things. And, and it's pretty rad, and getting people out there, connecting with creation in ways which they otherwise couldn't, you know, and so they've done, there's like 10 locations nationwide.

I've been active with the chapter in Tucson, but looking to get going with the guys in Flag here soon. But yeah, they've done trips to Grand Canyon, bottom of Grand Canyon in the back. And just a really cool outfit. So, yeah. All right, that's my last plug.

McKenzie Smith (1:07:21)
Hey, that's okay. The listeners should be familiar with TCSC. They also should be, if they've been a long time listener, familiar with Heather. She was like, I think episode number two, her and her husband have a lodge up in Alaska and Mason's going to be joining them this summer to go help out. And so think that's really cool. And I appreciate you sharing the Luke five because I've never heard of that. And I didn't even know that something like that.

Mason (1:07:35)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

McKenzie Smith (1:07:50)
even existed for people with disabilities. so, love seeing ministries out there doing some amazing things like that. thank you again so much, Mason, for being here and for sharing your story with us.

Mason (1:07:56)
Mm-hmm.

No doubt. Thanks, Kenzie