Hiking with Christian

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Lyon Arboretum - September 27, 2014


It was good to see Christian Y. today. He is battling stage 4 throat cancer. Its a rare form and I don't know the scientific name for it. It's been hard trying to schedule something with him because I've been working throughout the week and can only go on some weekends. After some messaging, we agreed on a date. The hard part was trying to find something to do. Christian had surgery a few months back to remove 25% of his lung. He does have some problems breathing. His lungs will have to adapt, but it will take some time. 

Because Christian is walking about 1 hour per day, he is able to do basic hikes, which is an amazing feat considering what he is going through. I picked up Erik and Aprille who wanted to tag along. Since we have been running together so frequently now, it is easier to plan things. We met Christian at Safeway Kinau at 9am. From there I drove us to Manoa and the Lyon Arboretum. This place is run by volunteers and students from UH Manoa. The place is underrated as things are run well and the place is surprisingly nice. 

The trail seems a bit confusing, maybe that is why they give maps at the visitors center. We got lost for about 5 minutes, but figured our way. The plants there are beautiful, each plan complements each other. Christian spotted a crayfish. We played for it for a bit, it was pregnant and really scared.


In about an hour, we got to the waterfall, trickling to say the least. After a group picture, we went back the way we came. Total hike time was a little over 2 hours. Even with a missing part of his lung, Christian was able to do the hike with little difficulty. It was remarkable how strong he still is. 

at trickling waterfall

The PHM was at Happy Days in Waialae. The dim sum here is top notch. It was so good. I ate here three times and enjoyed every meal. I ate as much as I could, with the hike and running 13 miles tomorrow, the extra calories wouldn't hurt. I hope things work out for Christian. Its good he gets enough support from his friends, family, and even people in the hiking community to get him through this ordeal. 

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