JT's Medical Travel Fund

I was diagnosed with a tumor in 2011.  I had surgery to remove the tumor in November and was out of work for about a month.  The surgery removed about 85% of the tumor.  The rest was wrapped around my brain stem and more damage would have been done trying to remove more, maybe leaving me comatose.  After the surgery I could not walk, talk and lost the use of my right hand.  After a few weeks in ICU with part of the time a drain tube was in the back of my head I was transferred to a rehab facility where I learned to walk and talk again.  I also practiced using my right hard which was hard to use due to the tremors.  I was diagnosed with pilocytic astrocytoma by Johns Hopkins using a piece of the tumor.  This is a rare cancer in adults as it is usually found in children.  I may have had it since I was a kid, which explains a lot of my problems.  The tumor started growing again in 2013 and I started radiation in June that lasted 6 weeks followed by an experimental chemotherapy treatment.  I was on the chemo thru May of 2014.  The treatment sapped all of my energy but had very little other side effects.  I kept just about all my hair and could eat just about anything.  I am now walking without a cane.

My wife has become my caregiver during this.  She has taken care of me and driven me to my appointments.  I would like to take her on a once in a lifetime vacation.

The treatment has been expensive.  Thankfully my work has kept me on.  I will use any left over funds to cover medical expenses.

Those that are affected by someone's illness are the real heroes for how they react.