Steve's Cancer Treatment Fund
Donation protected
In August of 2016, I was diagnosed with small bowel adenocarcinoma. It’s one of those cancers that you typically don’t get signs of existing until something bad happens. In my case, what I thought was a hernia turned out to be a mass and before I even got to my biopsy to figure out what I had I was in the hospital having a tumor removed.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only one.
So, for the past year and a half I’ve been taking everything that the doctors can throw at me in an attempt to kill off the cancer, or at the very least, keep it at bay. Thus far I’ve had a dozen or so rounds of chemotherapy, had my human genome mapped for targeted therapy, tried an oral medication (a result of the genome mapping), and I’m currently undergoing immune therapy treatment.
The good news is that I’ve been able to take every treatment in stride. Among my cancer battling brothers and sisters, I do consider myself somewhat lucky that the treatments haven’t forced me to stop working and stop enjoying normal life. The down side is that even though I don’t feel terrible, the scans don’t lie. None of the therapy is working yet.
I say “yet” because I’m still hopeful that the immune therapy will kick in. But I’m also realistic enough to understand that the odds are not in my favor.
I’m also realistic enough to see that the constant trips to MD Anderson in Texas for my treatments are causing a financial strain on my family. While the visits and drugs are covered by the clinical study that I’m a part of, the travel expenses and lodging are not.
This fundraiser is an effort to help offset those costs and any future costs that may arise from my continued attempt to push back against this demon.
Thank you for your time.
-Steve “Slurms” Lichtsinn
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the only one.
So, for the past year and a half I’ve been taking everything that the doctors can throw at me in an attempt to kill off the cancer, or at the very least, keep it at bay. Thus far I’ve had a dozen or so rounds of chemotherapy, had my human genome mapped for targeted therapy, tried an oral medication (a result of the genome mapping), and I’m currently undergoing immune therapy treatment.
The good news is that I’ve been able to take every treatment in stride. Among my cancer battling brothers and sisters, I do consider myself somewhat lucky that the treatments haven’t forced me to stop working and stop enjoying normal life. The down side is that even though I don’t feel terrible, the scans don’t lie. None of the therapy is working yet.
I say “yet” because I’m still hopeful that the immune therapy will kick in. But I’m also realistic enough to understand that the odds are not in my favor.
I’m also realistic enough to see that the constant trips to MD Anderson in Texas for my treatments are causing a financial strain on my family. While the visits and drugs are covered by the clinical study that I’m a part of, the travel expenses and lodging are not.
This fundraiser is an effort to help offset those costs and any future costs that may arise from my continued attempt to push back against this demon.
Thank you for your time.
-Steve “Slurms” Lichtsinn
Organizer
Steve Lichtsinn
Organizer
Fort Wayne, IN
