David's cancer journey

This is David's story. In June 2022 life changed drastically for our family. David received his diagnosis of stage 4 anal cancer. For the next 6 months life became a blur of education, research, radiation, chemo, diagnostic testing, doctor's visits, classes at the Cancer Center, loss of appetite, nausea, weight loss, pain - severe pain, as the tumor was located in a VERY delicate place. Through ALL of this David remained full time employed and optimistic to beat cancer's ass! He works with really GREAT people who have been nothing less than encouraging and supportive all the way! All of this time David wore a brave face and was nothing but positive, trying never to complain or ask for anything. Our family and friends have all stepped up with love, prayers and amazing support. We've been blessed.

Then came December 20, 2022. I found David bleeding from his anus. There was SO much blood in the bedroom, hallway and bathroom. It was horribly scary. I called 911. He was admitted to the hospital and immediately given 2 blood transfusions. Later he was admitted to the Oncology floor.

David had developed a mass in the colon after radiation. It was caused from scar tissue that had cemented and it was as big as the original tumor, if not bigger. The pain he felt every single day of his life was probably right up there with child birth. Natural childbirth!! He couldn't sit, stand, walk, drive a car or ride his Harley without pain. And butt pillows. Sleep was difficult, also. But on THIS night, the mass broke away and dropped out of his anus, which caused the major hemorrhaging.

Fast forward to January. He'd had multiple doctor consults with multiple teams; Oncology, Urology and Plastic Surgery. In addition he was often visited by his original cancer doctor and nurse, which always brightened our days. They have actually become very dear friends to us. Anyway, much more diagnostic testing and blood work was done. Then came the toughest decision David ever had to make - to have the surgery or not. There wasn't REALLY a choice. There was no saving his insides. Too much damage from the cancer and then the treatment. He couldn't keep living this way, that was for sure. The three teams had met multiple times and finally offered David an option: to consent to a surgery called "urinary & fecal diversion with flap coverage". In plain English, they would have to remove his rectum, anus, prostate, bladder and all of the diseased tissue in and around his abdominal cavity. He would be left wearing two ostomy bags on his abdomen - for the rest of his life. That was a horrible non choice option, but it was the ONLY option that would guarantee that he survived.

The surgery was long, about 10 hours long and three teams of doctors took turns operating on him. He was transferred to ICU where he remained for almost two weeks. Eventually he was transferred to a step down room on the oncology surgical unit, however, his surgeries were far from over. They kept having to go in and debride and restitch his surgical site. The skin around it had been radiated so deeply that it was hard for the skin to heal and the wound to close. It's STILL 50% dehiscenced (a partial or total separation of previously approximated wound edges, due to a failure of proper wound healing). The doctors are optimistic that the wound will heal - one day, from the inside out, but that's going to be a long slow battle. David encountered other difficult post op issues, too; 3 blood clots, an aspiration that led to lung disease and several days on a ventilator and also a central IV line yeast infection, located on an insertion directly into his jugular vein. So hematology and later infectious disease joined his largely growing medical teams. It was horribly scary. We all prayed very hard.

By early February he had had 6 surgeries (during this hospital stay). But then he was FINALLY medically cleared to be moved from the hospital to a local rehab center. That was 12 days ago.

At the hospital he had often expressed a huge fear of going to a nursing center, completely understandable, and one of his biggest fears was catching covid and dying. About 6 days after he got to the rehab facility they went on lockdown cuz his floor had several COVID cases reported. We were stopped dead in our tracks. Finding hope was not easy. I myself got COVID just from visiting him. But David did not test positive for COVID - until yesterday. Now he is in quarantine for 10 days.

During his almost two-month hospitalization and now with this rehab admittance, he has lost SO much weight. We half heartedly joked about being able to see his ribs, but it's REALLY not funny. He's down to only 117 pounds, and last June, before cancer, he was at 185. He's been in bed for a long time, not being able to move. His muscles became weak and he became unable to walk. He was NPO for so many of the days he was in-patient because of all the surgeries. He had lost weight even before he became hospitalized because he just couldn't eat - because of the cancer. Today he is eating small meals and snacking and drinking protein shakes as often as he can. He's still very weak and needs assistance walking, but he's up to walking 30-40 steps. Slow and steady wins the race! He is on a high protein low fiber diet with some restrictions because of the bags (no nuts, no fruit with skin, etc. while he is healing). He is encouraged to eat unlimited calories. And double portions. But his stomach can't handle it yet. He's trying tho.

One really good thing came out of all of this. On January 19th all the biopsy results were back and we were told by his favorite Oncologist, his very first cancer team doctor, that David was 100% cancer free!!! Amazing!

When he can walk, stand and sit again, he plans to have a bell ringing ceremony at the cancer center where all of this began.

His battle is far from over. The mess the cancer left behind is horrible, but his determination to win is even stronger. Anyone that personally knows David knows that he is totally 200% a dedicated worker - with work ethics second to none. On December 20th he suddenly became unemployed, after being in his career for nearly 30 years. He had enough vacation time and sick time on the books to carry him through the last 9 weeks. But now, that is all used up. So! Here we are. Doing a GoFundMe.

To know David is to love him.

We want him to be comfortable and stress free, so to have one less thing to worry about - and if you know him, you know he is a champ at worrying - in terms of finances and expenses would be a blessing. Donations will be used to help absorb the huge pile of massive bills that have been rolling in and to support the cost of day-to-day living (medical supplies not covered by insurance, special nutrition foods, mortgage, car payment, insurance, credit cards, utilities, gas, etc.) until he can return to work again. He is hoping that will be within a few months. David has already spoken to his local employer and even some of the higher ups in the union and his job is protected as long as he can come back to it and do it successfully. David will settle for nothing less. His drive to return to his job that he loved so much - is AMAZING.

David is a very prideful man so this is not an easy thing for him to do, asking for help. But. It's another one of those non choice deals. We thank you for your time. As we all try to pull together to help, please know we love and appreciate you all.

Thank you.