Dennis Berry Cancer Recovery Fund
Donation protected
Hello everyone this is Dennis Berry, aka Bugs and aka Lefty to the people I have worked with in the past. A very good friend and classmate from the class of '71, Christine Line Weed, is setting up this Go Fund Me account because of all the medical expenses I am going to be incurring from the cancer I currently have.
So a good place to start is back to November 1, 2010 when I was run over on the job, when I was working in Oklahoma. I went through three surgeries - rotator cuff, right hip surgery to repair torn muscles and severely torn tendons.
In March of 2015 I had bone fusions to my lower lack L4 - L5 disks and metal rods and screws were added. I spent seven months in a turtle shell to keep from hurting myself.
I really thought that this was going to be a great summer for Karen and However, Karen lost her job working for the city of Auburn, MI where we live.
I thought no problem, I can go down to Lake Erie and work wih my friend, Mike Perry, doing fishing charters. But in April I was told that I have Squamous Cell Carcinoma, which is skin cancer. The ENT Doctor that I was seeing because of nose bleeds kept telling me that I had a deviated septum and that was what was causing the nose bleeds. He told me to spray saline nose spray in my nose and that should take care of the bleeding. I told the doctor that I had of cancer removed from the bridge of my nose a year ago and that my nose was very tender and sore.
After he cauterized my nose the bleeding kept coming daily and he finally did a CT scan and told me that Ineeded surgery to repair a blocked sinus. My heart doctor would not release me until September to stop taking daily aspirin so I could not do the surgery as I needed to be off it for two weeks prior. I asked what about the stuff growing across my nose so he set up a surgery to do a biopsy and after two weeks I was told that I have skin cancer and needed to see a specialist in Ann Arbor.
So, after wasting six months of my life and allowing the cancer to grow, I had a ten hour surgery. They cut off three quarters of my nose and told me the cancer almost reached my brain. There was an egg like shell that he had to scrape off without breaking it or that would have killed me.
So, all in all, I am in good spirits and ready to fight for my life.
Any help that I can get to pay my expenses would be deeply appreciated.
God bless and thank you,
Dennis
Update:
Hi everyone, Christine asked me to give everyone an update on how everything is coming along since the last report I posted for the go fund me account. As you can see my head is no longer swollen to the size of a bowling ball, and I can now walk through a doorway without leading with my head first, lol. Anyway I will be starting my radiation therapy tomorrow the 6th of September. As it looks now I will not be taking 6 weeks of radiation, but now 4 1/2 weeks instead. Now it's down to 19 treatments instead, good news! I was also expecting chemo therapy to take place while I am taking the radiation, this past Wednesday I had an appointment with the chemo department and met the doctors and staff. At this time they told me that I would not be receiving any chemo treatments at all, which made me go into the restroom and do a happy dance like I've never danced before. I was beside myself with this great news. So I will be staying in Ann Arbor during the radiation treatments of four and a half weeks. I have to come home on weekends because of the U of M football games. All the hotels are booked. I would also like to take this time to thank each and every one of you, thank you and your families from the bottom of my heart, for all the wonderful donations you contributed to help me and Karen get through these treatments and stay during the treatments in Ann Arbor. It made my heart swell up with so much pride from all the love, prayers and support from you, my friends. When Christine approached me with the idea I thought well what the heck, maybe we will come up with four or five hundred dollars and that would have been hoping for a lot, but when I saw the $4,170, I about broke down and cried, and it's all because of the best friends and acquaintances I have met throughout my life. I've got to say, WOW, how did I become so lucky in my life to know the great people. Karen and I have been lucky. Words cannot explain the feeling I got when I saw the totals. I am so proud to know each and every one of you wonderful people. As you can see by the sock monkey on what used to be my nose, I can't wait to have them start rebuilding it. I have a quarter of my original nose left, and my right eye is still stitched closed. After the radiation is finished we will rebuild. I have been told that the U of M has some of the best plastic surgeons in the country. I don't know what they can do to make me look good so I am really going to be putting them on the spot. I will be happy with about anything at this point. I am still going through physical therapy and there is a scar from my right armpit down to almost my hip from them taking bone from a rib to make my right cheek bone. The other day I was standing in line at the check out and this little girl sitting in the cart kept saying mom, dad, look a clown. I finally got she was pointing at me saying look a clown. I busted out laughing. When the father caught on to what she was referring to I thought the poor guy was going to hurt himself. He almost went down on the floor, and started apologizing all over himself. It made me laugh more. I said she's a baby and no apologies were needed. I love the innocence of kids and just wish there were more people like them. Then maybe we could all learn to get along better in this world. So in closing, I just want you all to know how much I appreciate your love, your help, and the continued support I receive daily from all of you, God bless you all.
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Give $50 to help get this fundraiser to its goal
Organizer and beneficiary
Christine Line Weed
Organizer
Marshall, MI
Dennis Berry
Beneficiary
