Al's Pals
Donation protected
Ever have one of those moments when you are doing something you never thought you would be? For us and anyone that knows Al and his family....this is one of those moments.
For a month or so Al had started to feel more tired than usual and just wasn't feeling the same pep in his step. While reffing one of his Son Corey's basketball games a friend (who happens to be a physician) noticed that Al wasn't running up and down the court like he normally would. After the game and some talking the physician told Al to book an appointment with him. That following week Al went in for some blood work, a CT scan and an endoscopy and scheduled a follow up for the next week.
Over that weekend, Al became very ill. Bad stomach pains and lots of trips to the restroom triggered Kim to take Al in to the Dr. Al was admitted for observation, fluids and also to bump up his hemoglobin that had dropped.
The following Tuesday when Al and Kim went in to have their follow up with the Dr. is when they got the news that Al has cancer. The Dr. informed them of the places that it is located and many tears were shed by Al and Kim, as well as their friend, the physician.
The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind for Kim and Al. More scans have been done, more Dr's have been consulted with...and at this point the next and potentially only option is for Al to find a Dr. down at Mayo who will agree to do surgery to remove the cancerous masses.
The offical diagnosis (as of right now) is Carcinoid Cancer. You can read more at: http://www.carcinoid.org
As of Friday we know this cancer is in his: stomach, liver and pancreas. The latest scan showed that it is not yet in his lymph nodes.
The surgery that Mayo would need to do would involve removing Al's spleen, pancreas, the very large tumor in his stomach and a section of his liver. The sectioning of his liver may not be an option, depending on how far the cancer has spread. If that is the case, they will be inserting some radioactive "seeds" to try and shrink the tumors that way.
Al and Kim have been married for 28 years and they have 2 kids. Kory is 23 and Abby is 21. Al has worked for the City of Waconia for 31 years and is one of the nicest and most gentle and funny people you will ever meet. He has a smile that is impossible to ignore. We have seen him cheer people up, donate his own PTO to others when they have been ill and do whatever needs to be done to help out at work or for his friends and family.
This page is being set up to assist Kim and Al with medical bills that have already begun accumulating and to ease their mind and help pay the day to day expenses that need to be paid while they are in Rochester. The goal is for Kim and the kids to be able to focus on Al and their family.
The Melcherts need many prayers as they try to find a Dr who will perform the surgery needed to buy Al some more time with his family and to give him relief from the pain he is experiencing.
To this day, Al is still going to work and working as much as he can each day. Kim is working her normal shifts at Target in Waconia and has been taking Al to Dr. appointments too.
Please help us ease the minds of the Melcherts, so that they can focus on helping Al extend his time with his family, friends and coworkers who he loves so very much.
We have also set up a page for Kim and Al on Take Them a Meal. You can go to their page by clicking this link:
http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=CFKP4559&welcome=1
This inital post is long, we know. We just want to put as much information out here right away and then be able to give shorter updates as we move forward.
Thank you for reading and considering a donation to help the Melcherts.
Warmly,
Michelle and Sarah
For a month or so Al had started to feel more tired than usual and just wasn't feeling the same pep in his step. While reffing one of his Son Corey's basketball games a friend (who happens to be a physician) noticed that Al wasn't running up and down the court like he normally would. After the game and some talking the physician told Al to book an appointment with him. That following week Al went in for some blood work, a CT scan and an endoscopy and scheduled a follow up for the next week.
Over that weekend, Al became very ill. Bad stomach pains and lots of trips to the restroom triggered Kim to take Al in to the Dr. Al was admitted for observation, fluids and also to bump up his hemoglobin that had dropped.
The following Tuesday when Al and Kim went in to have their follow up with the Dr. is when they got the news that Al has cancer. The Dr. informed them of the places that it is located and many tears were shed by Al and Kim, as well as their friend, the physician.
The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind for Kim and Al. More scans have been done, more Dr's have been consulted with...and at this point the next and potentially only option is for Al to find a Dr. down at Mayo who will agree to do surgery to remove the cancerous masses.
The offical diagnosis (as of right now) is Carcinoid Cancer. You can read more at: http://www.carcinoid.org
As of Friday we know this cancer is in his: stomach, liver and pancreas. The latest scan showed that it is not yet in his lymph nodes.
The surgery that Mayo would need to do would involve removing Al's spleen, pancreas, the very large tumor in his stomach and a section of his liver. The sectioning of his liver may not be an option, depending on how far the cancer has spread. If that is the case, they will be inserting some radioactive "seeds" to try and shrink the tumors that way.
Al and Kim have been married for 28 years and they have 2 kids. Kory is 23 and Abby is 21. Al has worked for the City of Waconia for 31 years and is one of the nicest and most gentle and funny people you will ever meet. He has a smile that is impossible to ignore. We have seen him cheer people up, donate his own PTO to others when they have been ill and do whatever needs to be done to help out at work or for his friends and family.
This page is being set up to assist Kim and Al with medical bills that have already begun accumulating and to ease their mind and help pay the day to day expenses that need to be paid while they are in Rochester. The goal is for Kim and the kids to be able to focus on Al and their family.
The Melcherts need many prayers as they try to find a Dr who will perform the surgery needed to buy Al some more time with his family and to give him relief from the pain he is experiencing.
To this day, Al is still going to work and working as much as he can each day. Kim is working her normal shifts at Target in Waconia and has been taking Al to Dr. appointments too.
Please help us ease the minds of the Melcherts, so that they can focus on helping Al extend his time with his family, friends and coworkers who he loves so very much.
We have also set up a page for Kim and Al on Take Them a Meal. You can go to their page by clicking this link:
http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=CFKP4559&welcome=1
This inital post is long, we know. We just want to put as much information out here right away and then be able to give shorter updates as we move forward.
Thank you for reading and considering a donation to help the Melcherts.
Warmly,
Michelle and Sarah
Organiser and beneficiary
Sarah Jes Molnau
Organiser
Waconia, MN
Kim Melchert
Beneficiary