Roger's Medical fund
Donation protected
When I retired from a long career of teaching Writing and Literature at Christian Brothers University here in Memphis, I hoped that my wife and I would have time to travel, to write and to organize our retirement home. But within two months of leaving the classroom and clearing out my office I became very ill.
On December 5th, 2013, I received the news that I had 4th stage Lung cancer that had metathesized into cancer of the bone. A Pet Scan revealed fast growing tumors in my pelvis, my spine and ribs, my shoulder, my scapula, and my skull.
My respiratory physician recommended I check into West Clinic here in Memphis and see an Oncologist named, Dr. Jason Chandler. The name sounded familiar but I did not give it a second thought. Then when the Doctor met me in his examination room, we instantly recognized each other. Dr. Chandler had been one of my students at CBU in the early '90s. Moreover, he had been a member of the Fraternity for which I served as Faculty Advisor.
Over the following two years, Jason has provided exceptional care so that I was in remission for a short while. Then after November of 2015 nothing worked anymore. No matter what Dr. Chandler tried the Cancer was untreatable. Now I am in Hospice care.
Overtime, the cancer has spread to my hips, my tail bone, and my collar bone. These bones are increasingly fragile and unstable. Recently, my collar bone has broken in two places, and a tumor is weakening the neck of my right femur. Doctors fear it will shatter leaving me bedbound. Surgery is not recommended as there is a seventy percent chance surgical intervention would leave me permanently on a respirator.
I have been married to the love of my life, Dr. Kay Parkhurst Easson, for forty-six years. She and I met in Graduate school. We graduated with our doctorates one day and got married the next in 1970. Over our long careers together we have collaborated on nearly twenty books. We edited and published an international academic journal and have collected an amazing research library which we donated to the University of Tulsa in 2007 before Cancer appeared on the scene.
This long struggle has left us in considerable debt, especially to the heroic people at West Clinic. Whatever funds are raised will be used to reduce my debt to my physicians, the hospitals and clinic as well as to pay unanticipated expenses associated with the catastrophic collapses Hospice care may encounter.
Generally, I have planned well for our retirement, but this Cancer diagnosis has knocked those plans into one of those proverbial cocked hats. It is important to me that I clear away these debts so my estate is not encumbered with them in such a way that my wife could be forced into bankruptcy or forced to sell our home. Kay has been such an important part of my life, I have struggled to create additional income streams that might help her after I am gone, but I doubt what I have done can match the need.
So for example, over the two and a half years I have fought this cancer, I have written seven novels. The last one is being shaped into a graphic novel. Five of these novels are available digitally through Amazon and other digital gateways, under the name R. R. Easson. The last two will be published soon, I hope. But without the kind of marketing muscle they deserve they do not have a chance to really produce the kind of dollar required. They are receiving great reviews but it is doubtful they will produce the kind of income required to retire this debt.
Hospice care generally means a six month or less time line before death. Your support of this fund raising effort will go a long way to putting things right, so Kay and I can deal with the conclusion of our long lives together in some kind of dignity and grace. I will be forever grateful for anything you can do for me in this effort.
On December 5th, 2013, I received the news that I had 4th stage Lung cancer that had metathesized into cancer of the bone. A Pet Scan revealed fast growing tumors in my pelvis, my spine and ribs, my shoulder, my scapula, and my skull.
My respiratory physician recommended I check into West Clinic here in Memphis and see an Oncologist named, Dr. Jason Chandler. The name sounded familiar but I did not give it a second thought. Then when the Doctor met me in his examination room, we instantly recognized each other. Dr. Chandler had been one of my students at CBU in the early '90s. Moreover, he had been a member of the Fraternity for which I served as Faculty Advisor.
Over the following two years, Jason has provided exceptional care so that I was in remission for a short while. Then after November of 2015 nothing worked anymore. No matter what Dr. Chandler tried the Cancer was untreatable. Now I am in Hospice care.
Overtime, the cancer has spread to my hips, my tail bone, and my collar bone. These bones are increasingly fragile and unstable. Recently, my collar bone has broken in two places, and a tumor is weakening the neck of my right femur. Doctors fear it will shatter leaving me bedbound. Surgery is not recommended as there is a seventy percent chance surgical intervention would leave me permanently on a respirator.
I have been married to the love of my life, Dr. Kay Parkhurst Easson, for forty-six years. She and I met in Graduate school. We graduated with our doctorates one day and got married the next in 1970. Over our long careers together we have collaborated on nearly twenty books. We edited and published an international academic journal and have collected an amazing research library which we donated to the University of Tulsa in 2007 before Cancer appeared on the scene.
This long struggle has left us in considerable debt, especially to the heroic people at West Clinic. Whatever funds are raised will be used to reduce my debt to my physicians, the hospitals and clinic as well as to pay unanticipated expenses associated with the catastrophic collapses Hospice care may encounter.
Generally, I have planned well for our retirement, but this Cancer diagnosis has knocked those plans into one of those proverbial cocked hats. It is important to me that I clear away these debts so my estate is not encumbered with them in such a way that my wife could be forced into bankruptcy or forced to sell our home. Kay has been such an important part of my life, I have struggled to create additional income streams that might help her after I am gone, but I doubt what I have done can match the need.
So for example, over the two and a half years I have fought this cancer, I have written seven novels. The last one is being shaped into a graphic novel. Five of these novels are available digitally through Amazon and other digital gateways, under the name R. R. Easson. The last two will be published soon, I hope. But without the kind of marketing muscle they deserve they do not have a chance to really produce the kind of dollar required. They are receiving great reviews but it is doubtful they will produce the kind of income required to retire this debt.
Hospice care generally means a six month or less time line before death. Your support of this fund raising effort will go a long way to putting things right, so Kay and I can deal with the conclusion of our long lives together in some kind of dignity and grace. I will be forever grateful for anything you can do for me in this effort.
Organizer
Roger R. Easson
Organizer
Germantown, TN
