About
This website was set up to publish the writing tunes and thoughts of James Eade. James is 40, from Chichester, England. James has worked internationally as a sound engineer for 20 years whist he was on a spiritual and intellectual search to act as an iconaclast for such as ideas as”truth”, “wisdom” and “enlightenment”. He has used music, poetry, lyrics, drugs and walked many spiritual paths to seek. James has always been a nomad, but his main base for the last four years has been Thailand. This website was originally set up by his sister to help him continue his search online but in September 2008, everything changed.
[the following post is written by Jess (Jamies sister) with excepts from James Eade Project email]
James, Jamie (even to some, still Jimbo) Eade. He is a sound engineer with the kabbalist vibe, the Thai beauty and a fantastic new studio growing around him. If you know him – whether you met him at four or forty you will have been affected by him. His ability to annoy people beyond all endurance combined with the complete impossibility to be mad at him for a length of time made him the school boy hero, the angry teenager, the peaceful spiritual searcher, the dance-till-dawn smiler, the chemical loving charmer and the man able to argue everyone (perhaps, bar his mother) into the floor.
All of us who know him expected him to be limitless, uncontainable, uncontrollable, inevitable. We were wrong.
In the summer of 2009 Jamie noticed that he was losing weight, finding it difficult to eat and feeling generally ‘off colour’. He did a big project in Beijing during this time and various other jobs. He knew he had overdone done it and suspected his nearly forty year-old body might have finally started to get pissed off with him. He went back to the UK for a holiday, staying as usual, with his sister jess andher husband clive and his two nieces Winter, India and nephew, Jude. All love the dramatic flying visits of “Bad Uncle Jamie”. There was a party planned, Jamie was forty. A two piece progressive jazz combo were booked and everyone from eight to eighty freed their souls to the music that James led, drums in hand throughout the night.
It was obvious that he had lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time and his gut was complaining noisily and frequently. His sister booked him in with her doctor, expecting anaemia, a friendly parasite or perhaps an ulcer. No one was prepared for the results that were sent directly from Chichester to his Bangkok doctor.
On Saturday the 4th October 2008 he checked into Vichaiyut Hospital for a day of tests. By the endof the day, his girlfriend Yhing was in tears when the initial results were explained in Thai. James was strangely prepared when he was told that cancer was involved and asked for all the facts to be laid out to him andall the options given. He was asked to return the following day for further tests but basically sat around for 4 hours waiting to see the Head of Oncology. She explained to him that the primary cancer was in his oesophagus but had, by this time, spread to secondary cancers in his liver and had started to develop as small but inescapable lesions in his lungs too. The cancer was in stage 4. EndStage. With a mother anda father who were both nurses, Jamie knew what this meant, although he tried to protect his friends around him from the brutal truth.
This kind of cancer was incredibly rare, almost symptomless until it reached its final stage and totally inoperable.
James saw the Oncologist on the following Thursday and focused on trying to get specific information like how long he might have and if any treatment might either relieve his symptoms, give him more time or both. Although the cancer was ‘end stage’, at that time the rapidity of it was still unknown. Like many forms of cancer, the speed of the spread could be slow or incredibly fast in sporadic and unpredictable bursts. The Doctors suggested that James was likely to have between 6 months and 2 years depending on various factors. Radiation therapy was recommended to reduce the size of the tumour in his oesophagus to ease his symptoms as he was already finding it difficult to swallow certain foods. However, a wait of 6 weeks in order to do another set of tests and gauge the speed of spread was required. On 14th November he went back for this second set of tests and was told that the most likely timeframe was from three to six months – but that any guides where really ‘guesstimates’.
At the end of November, James flew to the UK. All the tests had to be repeated because of missing information which made the process tedious and difficult to tolerate. However, James, was ever able to pull out his inate charisma and proceeded to charm every nurse, female (and male) doctor and surgeon he met and ripped through the red tape like the winner of a sprint. From childhood he had been surrounded by nurses, doctors and medical professional and incredible strings were pulled by his mum and family friends. He managed to get radiation treatment and a considerable quantity of pain controlling drugs. By this time he could only drink soup and so was presented by his mum and sister with a never ending bowls of food if he sat still for more than a minute. The word ‘soup ‘and ‘liquidize’ were banned from any vocabulary, but he seemed a little stronger. He started visiting friends with an determined, positive buzz, in what he termed his “grand tour”. This was made more comfortable by the loan of a brand new Audi from his boyhood and brotherlike, cousin Matt. He travelled with a morphine patch on his arm and a flask of soup in the glove compartment and talked policemen out of giving him speeding tickets by showing them the letter which confirmed he was dying.
Returning to Porstmouth he had the radiation treatment (re-named ‘Fence Post Therapy’ by James ) over 3 days in the 10 minute session. The nausea never really subsided from this point but was now accompanied by a pain similar to the experience of someone trying to hammer a large fence post directly through your chest. Larger amounts of morphine were prescribed and the pain was relieved by the recommendation of his disabled sister narcotic of choice – oramorph. As this pain subsided, James realised quite how much the obstruction had limited him. He was furious when the devouring of a bacon sandwich reduced his mother and sister to tears for three hours. Although everyone knew the radiation treatment was a “one-off” and could never be repeated, the results were so positive that James was positive that the “END end stage” of this journey was much further away than he thought when first returning to the UK. Yhing, who had been terrified that Jamie might not be able to come home to her was also able to hear a more positive note to his voice.
The hardest part of this stage was in Jamies own words “Everybody wants a bit of me”. In spite of the fatigue, aggravated by the stronger drugs, the limited food intake, the gnawing pain in his liver that occasionally appeared out of nowhere, he wanted to see all his friends and family and as the word spread, all his friends and family wanted to see him too. The positive effect of more food and a disgusting drink called Fortisip (which was loaded with calories) helped him in his determination to see everyone he could, while he could. It was hard for his immediate family not to worry. His eight-year-old nephew’s grief at James being in London for Christmas was rather softened by “Bad uncle Jamie” buying him a air rifle. (!)
James spent a very happy time in London with Baz, Ezer and many other old, close friends who made it an absolute mission to keep him flying and happy. On the 22nd December, James had a get together with all the usual suspects at Addies Thai Cafe in Earl’s Court. Jamies had become aware that the radiation treatments effect on the tumour in his oesophagus seemed to be wearing off as food began to be more and more difficult to ‘get down’. Sadly at the very beginning of the party one bite of a ‘tord mun blah’ (fishcake) got stuck, and in spite vomiting and trying to get it out or flush it with water, it seemed to have caused a massive reation in his throat. It was the last piece of solid food to pass his lips. Dispite the best and valiant efforts of his close friends, trying to keep him hydrated with everything from lucazade to champagne bruised and swelled his throat. Jamie rapidly deteriated. The family were expecting him for Christmas. He arrived late on Boxing day having somehow, driven himself down from London, and was immediately driven to hospital where he was admitted for treatment for dehydration, pain, fatigue and exhaustion. His family sat with him every day. Clive (his brother in law) who has cared for his sister for 20 years, deftly helped him work within the system to get what he needed. He desperately; wanted to get back to Thailand, to Yhing, to the sun and to get the studio, (his passion and dream) finished – and get away from the f*****g cold. By the 2ndof January, James was well enough to return to Thailand and to start the next chapter of his Journey.
In Thailand, his joy at being back was quickly diminished as his supply of high calorie liquid food quickly ran out. Yhing and his friends tried hard to keep him hydrated with never-ending juices and teas. A wonderful woman healer gave him a liquid rice drink which both then and now continues often has been the only food he isn’t able to ingest. (His family cannot express how much we love that woman). His weight loss was quickly aggravated by the loss of the hated family “soups” and high calorie drinks andwas shocking for the many friends around him, who often mistakenly, thought this was a direct sign of how short his time was left. Ironically the morphine patches that were so effective in the UK were almost useless in Thailand as the heat disrupted the delivery of the drug, making him sick rather than removing the pain which gradually increased all the time. He was forced to take other drugs andwas shocked to find Oramorphwas not available in Thailand. His friends provided him with everything they could to help him continue when he was well and sleep when he needed rest. Over this time he tried to work as much as possible, aiding the last construction of the studio even when he was unable to stand.
Those of you who know and love James were not be surprised to learn that he had zero savings or assets beyond his motorbike (which is now to be sold and the proceeds given to Yhing). Although he was still trying to work, the pressure of not becoming a burden on his friends and family was weighing heavily on his mind. The creation of the James Eade Projectwas to be incredible at helping him, helping friends see him and may even provide Yhing with a cushion whist she deals with the grief that we cannot date, but know will come. To all those that have given. James, his family and friends, kiss your hands. To those who still want to please contact his sister, jess.
The problems with getting the right drugs, the adjustment from UK -5° to Thailand 33° on his fragile hydration and the pure wear and tear of the flight at this point in time, inevitably led to another spell in hospital for a week. His weight loss was complicated by difficulties of finding appropriate nutrition. However, Jamie came back for his girl – and for a party. The Audio Fusion Studio opening party in Bangkok on the 9th of February was the goal. James being James, even used money meant for his care to fly some of his friends who could not afford to come out to be there. His generosity, as always, is an inspiration. Although the studio is not, of course, just his dream, there are many that will continue to benefit from it for many years to come. To many of his friends and family it has become a tribute to his ability to make great ideas happen. We know Jamie’s, imprint (or karma, if you like) is actually imbibed into the walls of that building. All those who use (or misuse) it will feel the results in years to come.
During “the James Eade Project” many of Jamies friends and family were given a gift of a glimpse of why James had fallen in love with Thailand. During a time of lots of laughter, drinks and mini-adventures, people came and went happily, arriving and departing from the group naturally. James was weak from lack of nutrition but spent time with as many people as possible. When James boarded the plane home (accompanied in his first class seat by Tony) he was waved off by at least 30 people, all wearing the ‘James Eade Project’ t-shirts. Jamie arrived in the UK on the 20th Feb, tired but happy (which had nothing to do with his brother-in-law meeting him at the airport with a bottle of liquid morphine!)
James came back to England to the shock of snow and temperatures of below zero. The first couple of weeks have been extremelydifficult both emotionally (being away friends and loved ones from Thailand) and with problems with finding, and mixing the right drugs (to keep James as well and active as possible). His family were relieved to know that blood results taken after a weeks stay in a local hospice revealed that, although he was nutritionally delicate and his liver is not functioning as it should, amazingly the cancer had not pogressed much beyond where it was at Christmas. The doctor said that the 6-8 weeks talked about at Christmas “needed to be revised”.
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Jamie died today, at midday GMT, 1st June 2009. The journey to get to today, was long, difficult and often painful – but the last days and the very end, was peaceful and comfortable. Just 5 minutes before he left, Jamie had been reaching for his phone in an attempt to carry on with ‘life as usual’. Through the many weeks, Jamie showed resolute determination and held on for so long perhaps out of sheer bloody mindedness! Many people talk about someone ‘losing a long battle with cancer’. This was not the case with Jamie. He never lost because he refused to do battle with anything. He accepted the war he was in but refused the terms of engagement. Jamie died, as he lived; amazing, difficult, loving, obstinate and consummately…James Eade.
He is so missed already and only hours have passed.
Jamie, right up to the last seconds of his life, did things his way. So many people, wish him love, peace and joy in his new journey.
Please read his words and listen to the music that he wrote or that inspired him on this website. If you feel moved to respond please add a comment or sign his guestbook.
‘only the good die young’ but in James’ case they made an exception….
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