Back on a healthy beat

Deepa Bharath

There’s one thing Costa Mesa Police Officer Dave Makiyama can’t do

very well.

Quit. Give up. Take it lying down.

The 43-year-old officer, who was a training officer and tactical

team leader for the department’s SWAT team, learned he had cancer in

May 2003.

“It was a shock,” said the mild-mannered officer, who returned to

active, full-time duty on July 6.

Makiyama went to the doctor after he observed a lump on his chest

that was growing larger.

“I was also feeling more tired after work,” he said.

His trip to the doctor’s office in May 2003 ended with him being

hospitalized, to receive immediate chemotherapy treatment.

“That was scary,” Makiyama said. “You hear that people who get

cancer die. And mine was treated as an emergency situation.”

The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and bone marrow, he said.

Makiyama had to undergo chemotherapy right away.

He had good days and bad days.

“I thought I reacted to the chemotherapy better than many others,”

he said. “I wasn’t too exhausted, and on most days I was even able to

drive myself to and from the hospital.”

But then there were brutal days, when he would be too exhausted to

do anything. The treatment killed his disease-fighting white blood

corpuscles, and with two little children at home and a broken-down

immune system, Makiyama was left exposed to a host of infections.

“I fell sick very often and became weak,” he said.

Makiyama needed oxygen continuously.

“There was a time when I couldn’t walk from the kitchen to the

living room without losing my breath,” he said.

It’s been quite a journey for the officer since then. His last

round of chemotherapy was in February. He has been in remission since

then -- time he has spent exercising, recouping and getting ready to

face the rigors of police work.

“I was doing what I could at home like walking and jogging on the

treadmill,” Makiyama said. “I feel fine now. My doctor says I may not

be 100% yet, but I will be there.”

Apart from his passion for his job, what motivated Makiyama to

return to work was the support he got from his colleagues, he said.

“I’m so grateful to them,” he said. “They were there for me the

whole time, offering to do yard work, bringing in food.”

More importantly, many of them donated valuable sick time so

Makiyama could still keep his job. Together, they gave 578 hours,

which amounts to almost 58 work days, as police officers work 10-hour

shifts.

Makiyama has set an example for younger officers with his tenacity

and commitment, said Costa Mesa Police Chief John Hensley.

“He not only had the courage to fight the disease, but to return

to work,” he said. “He is a shining example of courage and positive

thinking.”

Makiyama spent one week catching up on new policies and learning

about the structural changes in the department after the arrival of

Hensley.

“A lot has changed,” Makiyama said with a smile. “The cars are

black and white now. The departments have been restructured.”

Over the last week, Makiyama said, he has been taking a fresh look

at the city he has patrolled for 14 years.

“A lot of neighborhoods look like they’ve been cleaned up,” he

said. “There are a lot more kids playing on the streets. It’s good to

see that.”

Training Officer Julie Beckman, who helped Makiyama get up to

speed with new policies and procedures, said Makiyama is ready to get

back on the job.

He’s still a sharpshooter, she said.

“He’s totally dialed in, and he hasn’t missed a beat,” Beckman

said. “It’s like he never left.”

He had been riding with another officer during his first week

back, but will be back on patrol in his own car starting Sunday. He

gave up his place in the SWAT team because of its physical demands.

Makiyama may come across as quiet or reserved, but his personality

is upbeat and positive, Beckman said.

“He’s not a quitter,” she said. “He shows his leadership

capability in his own way, and the fact that so many officers came

forward to donate their sick time to him shows how well-respected he

is in the department.”

Doctors have warned him that his cancer will relapse, Makiyama

said.

“They just don’t know when,” he said. “Could be six months, could

be 10 years. The later, the better, they say. And I’m just hoping for

the best.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].