Tattooed, Tested, and Touring: I'm just a teenage dirtbag

Wheatus, Keep Flying, and Why We Keep Swabbing

Once again I’m out on the road for a week of shows with the incredible humans in Wheatus and Keep Flying. And I have to admit, it feels really damn good to be around people who care about Punk Rock Saves Lives. From the moment I showed up I was welcomed with open arms and immediately hit with my favorite question: “What dogs do you have with you this time?” (obviously I have Lilly and Kit)

That’s the kind of energy I like to start a week with. The kind of energy that makes me feel at home and not a burden. There is something special about being welcomed with open arms especially after the road to get to this tour felt HARD.

The road to Lancaster--------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Getting to the first show was… a little chaotic. The week started with getting a tooth extracted because of an infection. Not exactly ideal timing when you’re about to drive 1,600+ miles from Denver to Pennsylvania while healing. In hindsight, I might reconsider doing that again. But the road is the road, and sometimes you just keep moving. Last year, you remember when I was driving across the country in immense pain from my spine condesning. This is just another example of "the show must go on".

Along the way I made a stop to see the comedy duo Darcy & Jer, and honestly it was exactly the kind of humor I needed. Their jokes hit on cancer, depression, late-in-life autism diagnoses, and the general state of the world....especially from a Canadian perspective looking down at the U.S.

I’ll be honest: that kind of humor fuels me.

I tend to lean into the darker side of things. Sometimes laughing at the hard stuff is the only way through it. A friend introduced me to Gary Gulman’s “The Great Depresh” years ago and it still gets regular playtime in the van. Same with John Mulaney’s Baby J. Sometimes you just have to laugh at the dark shit. If you read my blogs at all... you know that I lean HARD into depression a lot. I used to be described as light in a room but that feels farther from the truth anymore.

The first show--------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>

Eventually I rolled into Lancaster, Pennsylvania for the first Wheatus show of the run. Sold out crowd. Packed room. People ready to be there. And the crowd absolutely understood the assignment. That night we signed up 6 new people for the bone marrow registry. Which might not sound like a huge number to someone scrolling past, but let me break down why it matters.

Every 3 minutes someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer or blood disorder. Every 9 minutes someone dies from one. Worldwide, there are about 1.24 million new diagnoses every single year.

Let that sink in. Over one million people hear the words “you have blood cancer” every year.

Why the bone marrow registry matters-------------------------------------->>>>>>

Finding a bone marrow match isn’t simple. It’s not based on blood type, it’s based on genetic markers. That means patients need someone whose DNA closely matches theirs. Roughly 1 in 406 registered donors will be called to donate for a patient. The likelihood of finding a match varies wildly depending on ethnic and genetic background, from about 29% to 79%. Which is exactly why we need more people from more communities on the registry.

Cancer doesn’t care who you are. Mental illness doesn’t care who you are. They don’t discriminate. But access to resources absolutely does.

People without the right connections, money, hospitals, therapists, or registry matches are the ones who suffer the most. That’s why building this registry matters so much. More names on the list means more chances for someone to live.

Why we started swabbing---------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>

Punk Rock Saves Lives started swabbing people for the bone marrow registry because of Love Hope Strength and the fight of Mike Peters from The Alarm. Mike showed the entire music world what it looks like to fight blood cancer while still building community. Because of that influence, we will always swab for the registry.

Always.

We’ve met so many people whose lives have been turned upside down by blood cancers. People fighting like hell to stay alive. And sometimes we get to meet people like Kev. They are the lovely human wearing the corgi punk rock saves lives shirt in the back. Kev is alive today because someone signed up for the registry at a show with us and Love Hope Strength. One stranger. One cheek swab. One match. One life saved. They are officially T3000 some days and thriving.

That’s it. That’s why we do this.

What donation actually looks like--------------------------------------->>>>>>>>

A lot of people still think bone marrow donation is some terrifying medical procedure.

Most of the time it’s actually much closer to donating plasma or platelets. The biggest complaint donors have is the medication you take beforehand that boosts stem cell production. It basically tricks your body into thinking you’re sick, so you can feel flu-like symptoms for a few days: aches, fatigue, that kind of thing.

Uncomfortable? Sure.

Worth it to save someone’s life? Absolutely.

The second method is a surgical collection from the hip while you’re under anesthesia. You’re sore afterward, but everything your body donates regenerates. It’s not like organ donation. You heal.

And someone else gets to keep living.

Honestly, after whining about my tooth extraction earlier this week, I probably shouldn’t be the one complaining about medical procedures.

And that’s the thing about this life on the road. It’s messy and exhausting and sometimes it starts with infected teeth, long drives, and crying in a van somewhere between states. But then you walk into a room full of strangers who care about something bigger than themselves. Someone swabs their cheek. Someone donates five bucks. Someone hugs a friend a little tighter because the conversation at the table reminded them life is fragile. Punk has always been about community and about showing up for each other when the world feels like it’s falling apart. Every swab, every conversation, every tiny moment of compassion is proof that even in the middle of the dark shit, people still choose to care. And honestly, that’s what keeps me driving to the next show.

We will continue. The next blog will be all about the Dollyrots and once again Keep Flying

Tina