Healing Hearts: Cancer Journey for Kevin & Family

Dear Friends, Family, Neighbors and Compassionate Strangers,

We are reaching out with a heavy heart and plea for help! Many of you reading this may already know the journey my husband & our family have gone thru for almost a year!! Who would have ever thought I would be sitting here with no choice but to make a gofundme page.

❣️We believe in the Power of Prayer & Community as we cannot face this challenge alone❣️

Cancer sucks!

Cancer doesn't care!!

Kevin, my husband, has Stage 4 NSCL Squamous Cell Metastatic Lung Cancer & was officially diagnosed on September 6th, 2023. Our lives changed that day! The unknowing and fear was overwhelming to say the least, but we had to put our faith and trust in God and begin this battle to kick cancers' butt!

I met Kevin when we both were 17 yrs old (I'm 61 now & he just turned 60). I will never forget the night we met how different this man was from the usual guys I dated. Strong, smart, hard-working, and kind -- all the qualities you'd look for in a partner. Leaning against the wall at the mall, hanging with our own groups of friends, our eyes met. He drove me home later that night and from there we fell in love at a young age and made our little family with a daughter and later twin boys (all adults now!) Even though we are not high school sweethearts, I would like to think so or may as well call it that! ❤️

In the late 80's, Kevin had his own construction business. He thrived on work and was committed to fairness and excellence in customer service. Kevin is and always has been wanting to please others around him always putting himself last. Working sun up to sundown including weekends.

Unfortunately, Kevin had to dissolve the company in 2017 due to recession/economy and went to work as a remote Project Manager for a roofing company. Just three short months after receiving this overwhelming diagnosis, the painful cancer spread rather quickly, making it impossible to do the work he loved so much. The day after Christmas, 12/26/23, he lost his job and that was the last week of income for us. By the Grace of God, and the extraordinary kindness of the owner, they have continued health insurance -- a miracle which allows Kevin to keep fighting! We are extremely grateful!!! Extremely grateful!!!

However, life does still go on and everything about cancer is expensive. So are medical co-pays/medical supplies, daily living expenses such as groceries, utilities, car payment/gas/insurance/travel etc -- things that are easy to take for granted until suddenly you can no longer pay for them. As Kevins' sole caregiver, it's impossible for me to work outside of the home as my husband is in a hospital bed 24/7. Getting him out of the bed for any reason is a struggle -- especially when we head out for doctors' appts. For pain mgt appts, we wait on my son to get home from work because I need help getting him to the car -- we don't have a wheelchair ramp. Plus, I can't lift the 42lb wheelchair into the trunk.

We've had no choice but to take an early withdrawal from the very small retirement we had -- at a 25% penalty -- to make ends meet. It's just about depleted! He was denied assistance in financial aid programs but we are working to appeal those.

I realize having to rely on the kindness and mercy of others is our only hope while we get through this tough spot. It's not where we wanted to be and believe God will provide until we can get back on our feet.

The struggle is real and a cushion of help could allow us to focus ourselves in fighting and beating this cancer! I want him to have that chance. For him. For me. For our family! I want him to be motivated, not give up and I want us together, to prove the doctors wrong! There's a lot of great stories out there and science has come a very long way with new immunotherapies!! With your help and generous support, Let's Beat This!!!

** Please consider donating & sharing our story within your networks. Kevin, myself and our son all Thank You from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion, generosity, and unwavering support.

With Heartfelt Gratitude,

"The Kibler Family"

UPDATE* He's finished 7 weeks of daily radiation & several rounds of chemo. Monday, the 25th, he had his 3rd immunotherapy (this is once a month, for one year!) His next scan is on April 15th, where we will learn whether the long courses of chemo & radiation are helping prevent the spread. Not sure how much more scary news we can handle but know God is in control. Please Pray hard with us! I cannot lose my husband! We have been together forever! Right now, he needs me...day and night! Yes, it's very exhausting being a support group of one, but like I keep telling everyone, my mantra is:

"I don't have to, I get to"!!! And, with Gods' help I hang on to that!

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I also understand some may be hesitant to donate on a Gofundme site so below I'm giving my address to send directly:

• Sherrie Kibler

PO Box 3018

Crofton, Maryland 21114

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No need to read beyond this point unless you really really want to read the Full Story below for those who are not familiar with all that happened (grab yourself a good cup of coffee ☕ and kick your feet up! Its long & detailed!)

-- It all began in May 2023 when my husband, Kevin, thought the pain he was having was nothing but a pinched nerve in his neck/back/shoulder area. With the hope that was it & that it would "go away" he waited it out but it only progressed so bad that May 15th, 2023 I called 911 & off to ER (cat scan, XR cervical spine 2/3 views, XR chest 2 views & XR thoracic spine 2 views). (Note: prior to this I had suspected Kevin had PAD due to trouble walking suddenly, pain and swelling in feet! At the ER, I pronounced this concern however they did only a quick pulse on ankles and everything else took over putting this concern on the backburner!) I called primary and they ordered an MRI for May 24th!

- May 26th, 22023

We UBER'd our way to our 1st appt w/Spine & Pain doctor (that was a tough ride w/the amount of pain; we thought worst case scenario would be an injection in the neck area to relieve the pain. The doc slapped just 2 images of the 92 images taken from the MRI up & said he didn't know WHY we were not told Kevin had a "fractured t2 w/severe spinal compression!! He then said: " Go to HOPKINS now"!!! What!!?? A fractured t2 vertebra ?? Possibly even a tumor!!?

Without a car, plus our son in the Army had flown for Memorial Day Weekend, my husband asked can this wait? We both were still in shock! You could hear a pin drop! Doc nodded no & said he was even surprised Kevin could move or even walk. He said the slightest wrong move, sneeze or cough could "paralyze" him!!! This is getting scary!! Doctor really encouraged him to immediately go but did some reflex/strength tests & ordered a soft collar reiterating the "importance of getting to John's Hopkins asap!! Also repeated that it appears to him there's a "mass" at t2.

The ride home was very quiet! And so the journey begins! (concerns, worries, fears, packing the patience, consumed our every moment along with soon to be filling up our calendar with future appts we never could imagine!!)

As soon as we got home, our Primary doc called to say that asap he needs to get a chest CT Scan w/dye.

- Friday, June 9th, 2023

Primary doc called & said it's not clear but "appears there's a growth" near the fracture that looks to be extending out into the lung lobes near where the t2 fracture is at the top of lung & was hard to tell because of all the tissues, veins & nerves. She sent referral for PET SCAN!!

- Monday, June 19th, 2023

Kevins' pain was excruciating !! I called 911!! We were very fortunate enough that the two medics on call were willing to take him (me too!) straight to John's Hopkins!! They normally do NOT do this, they take you locally!! We told the medics what the spine doctor said about Hopkins being "the place" for something this serious so we were Blessed they were on duty that day!!

From there on, things went fast! Although long waiting hours in ER with 600 other patients, they said, "ahead of him"! Yes, you heard right! He was then setup just inside the double doors of the inner part of the ER at the nurse's station right alongside a wall, where then it began with numerous different doctors and nurses coming in to assess/examine/labs/hookup with IV pain meds etc. 9:30pm they did cat scan w/dye.

- Tuesday. June 20th, 2023

Just after midnight of the 19th, they ran him in for MRI. He spent the night on a bed still alongside the same wall as the day before and stayed there till around 1pm'ish. Every single nurse and doctor were pretty transparent on the fact they suspected "c"!! It was becoming more clear this was now a real possibility & that our lives would be forever changed! We, were, "scared"!!

Once he got his room, they placed "compression" things on both legs that would expand/contract on/off.

Biopsy scheduled for 4pm & immediately sent to pathology (they flagged the biopsy as priority; wanted to be sure of suspected "c" and/or if spread or benign/malignant etc. before doing any major back surgery).

Our 41st wedding anniversary is tomorrow ..the 21st!!

- Wednesday, June 21st, 2023

• EKG & several blood draws & vitals done.

• At 6am, Director of Neurosurgeon came to introduce himself to Kevin. He told him biopsy again was flagged as priority & dependent upon if biopsy is good, or able, then surgery will be tomorrow or Friday (he mentioned if unable to do surgery or its bad then possible "radiation immediately. He discussed w/major back surgery, it would be complicated and take much longer however, they could "try" to take the tumor out "during surgery". He drew on a whiteboard depicting fusions at c levels, decompressing spine, adding bone, rods, pins, screws and where they would be placed. He, will be the one doing his surgery!

• New back brace ordered.

• The poking & prodding continue w/IV's and blood draws!

I ordered a "huge" bouquet of

"I LOVE YOU balloons for our 41st wedding anniversary ❤️ - if anything, maybe this will help his spirits!

-Thursday, June 22nd, 2023

• Every 2-4 hrs about 5 tubes of blood drawn;

• Surgeon popped in & said if rehab is needed then there's one mentioned for right up the street where we live.

3rd CT Scan done ✔.

• Group of surgeons popped in at 11:45pm!!! You heard me right!! At night!! They woke him up to tell him major back surgery "tomorrow morning"!!! 7:30am sharp!! Said not to eat after midnight ...well that's in 15 mins!!!

• Gave him a blood thinner shot; ran down the risks of stroke, bleeding & paralysis even (altho doc says in all his years of surgeries he's done, he has not seen that w/the paralysis but due to being around a lot of nerves, by law, he has to say that). • Asked permission for blood transfusion if needed.

• They are going to "try" to take the tumor out during surgery & will be placing a "cage placement" where fracture is, in addition to all the other things I mentioned above.

• **Surgery is said to be 3 or 4 hours; However, could go to 8 hours!!

- Friday, June 23rd, 2023

**** BIG DAY! ****

• Pouring rain!! Recv'd 1st text update at 8:05am= "patient in operating room", "Patient doing well". The updated texts continued until 3:12pm = 7 hours of surgery!! Gulp!!

• Surgery went well, no complications and into ICU. Alert, awake & talking. Surgeon said he got the tumor out! Sending to pathology! Vitals good.

- Saturday, June 24th, 2023

• 7:30pm they moved him up from ICU to a room

• Had 2 drains coming from each side of his back.

• Scar/cut from "back surgry" = No staples!! No stitches!! Can you believe that!?!? Rather it was GLUE!! Amazing!!

• Kevin is experiencing "droopy eye"!

- Sunday, June 24th, 2023

• Still has the droopy eye!

• Drains looking better, still flowing.

Today was a day of "what in the world" meaning, another nurse came in & was it that she "slipped"?? Or..is there something new to tell? She had started discussing radiation in near future & mentions what sounded like yet "another possible tumor above his heart"!!?? Now we are really confused!

• Awaiting biopsy results

- Monday, June 26th, 2023

• Team doc took the left draining tube out. Right drain will remain for now

• Left eye still droopy!!

• Doc wants another CT scan to look at how things look and that once that is done, & results are in, they will be going over everything & come together to form a "plan" & that possibly an Oncologist may swing by & talk w/us by the end of the week.

• PT came later in the day

• 41st Wedding Anniversary bouquet of balloons arrived, altho late, but ended up being the very thing needed to lift his spirits!!! (Will post pic later if this allows me!)

• Got home, our refrigerator was doing that "thing" again & on the brink of dying! Spent hours chipping away growing snow ...broken ice maker I guess)!?

• CT scan today will make it to be the 4th one done only at Hopkins since the 19th of June (plus 1 MRI and 2 CT scans locally!)

• PT today taught him how to do the "log roll" to get to edge of bed. He managed to "scoot walk" to the DOOR!! He used his walker!

• Got home, once again, my refrigerator is doing that "thing" again! Spent hours chipping away!

• My back grass is knee high and our lawnmower is broken (gas)! Of all the luck!

** ANGRY NOW!! What started off as a good day turned quickly to BAD! The CT scan w/dye ordered, turned out to be a "PROCEDURE" (Mylogram) before getting the CT Scan!! Never ever discussed! ** This is just 3 days after major back surgery!! One is also to be sedated in which he was not!

*** Later, Mylogram Results: Good! ***

• They want another MRI

• Waiting on biopsy results; this is taking too long!

• Kevin experienced very sharp pains in his brain in one spot (doc says this is due to the Mylogram procedure & that will last up to 48 hrs

• Talk now about a standup Xray

• Clinical Care Team is beginning to work the case on living conditions & Home PT for when discharged

• Putting order in for Hospital bed

- Wednesday, June 28th, 2023

• still NO BIOPSY results!!

• Drain taken out @11am (stitches needed taken out for this one!)

• 4pm, Kevin laid on his right side for the very first time! Baby steps! Proud of you baby!! ❣️

-Thursday, June 29th, 2023

• Bathed

• PT may come tomorrow

- Friday, June 30th, 2023

• Pain around right lung/possible stiffness from surgery

• Antibiotic given twice a day

• No twisting, leaning over, or picking up -- stay straight.

• Nurse came to check drain holes

• 10:25am, PT came & got him to walk to the door & back

• Pain scale= 7 (but usually 8 or 9

• No word on stand-up x-ray

- Saturday, July 1st, 2023

• Early morning standup Xray

• Was given 2 Tylenol & antibiotic drip

• 8:56pm, doc came in -- Results for Xrays "looks fine"

• Possible "discharge today or tomorrow (7/2)

• No biopsy results & he's still in a lot of pain

• 1:15pm, PT came in to say "we are going to walk the hallway"! He did it!! He went about 50 feet down that hallway & back! He was even challenged by his favorite nurse to race her! He said he now knows what a "duck feels like" (wobble wobble!)

- Monday, July 3rd, 2023

• 8:04am, Heparin shot given (twice a day)

• 8:22am, Blood, vitals, & meds in pump

• 8:30am, NeuroSurgeon came in to say he has:

"NSCL Squamous Cell Carcinoma"!

• An Oncologist will check in soon

(( I guess we were under the impression this so called "mass" that was taken out during surgery would have been it/done. Tested & Prayed its benign!?! Now we await & "pack our patience" once again with actual confirmation of "type", stage, if the surgeon was correct or not & where we go from here! Can we just get a *break*!? He's been thru so much already! To say we are scared is an understatement! The Neurosurgeon mentioned possible radiation was his guess but the Oncologist would be able to tell us more.))

• Home PT & Skilled Nurse will be a couple times a week

• Walker will be sent home

4:30pm DISCHARGED!!

Homebound once & for all!!

14 days in hospital!!!

-- Very HARD to "sleep on the couch"!!!

- Tuesday, July 4th, 2023

• 12pm, Home Health Admissions Nurse came;

• Vitals: good; scar tissues healing well so far; took pics; checked house for living conditions that would make things easier for Kevin

• PT will come Thursday

• Another nurse will come friday

• Bought a cane

• inquired about a sleep recliner (which later. Kevins brother bought us one);

-Wednesday, July 10th, 2023

• 1st Radiology appt - Consultation only!

• Social worker is giving one time courtesy UBER which will pick us up at home, take to Radiology Consult then also UBER to then a 2pm appt w/Medical Oncologist then UBER back home. Really stinks having no car and it is tough on Kevin w/every bump in the road has him grueling in pain. Baltimore streets are horrible! Thank the good Lord above for Kevins sister who has tirelessly helped w/getting to & from so many appts but she's also taking care of her husband who has cancer as well as raising her grandchildren! What a Blessing she has been!

- Wednesday, Sept 6th, 2023

**** TODAY IS THE BIG DAY!!! ****

• Extremely nervous! No sleep!

• Kevin's sister drove us up to the most important day we have been waiting & waiting for after having a PET scan a MONTH prior!! Yes a MONTH went by! She went in with us for moral support & questioned WHY it took so long!!??

((** it was assumed from the 1st radiology appt that she told or assumed we "went local"!!! What!? I had told her we would await & meet up with Hopkins to hear results and treatment plan if indeed needed then and only then we would decide going local or stick w/them. ))

• All water under the bridge! After talking w/Radiologist, we were so pleased we decided to stick with Hopkins! Things went rather fast however after this meeting!

** The results were:

~~ Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma ~~

• Primary is "Lung" -- Stage 4

• It's spread to the t2 where the fracture was whereas that tumor was taken out during major back surgery. The lung cancer spread is what caused the t2 fracture severely compressing the spinal cord.

• Discussed the severity of back surgery, complications, and risks still to watch out for as this was dealing with ALOT of nerves!

• Plan of treatment: 7 weeks of daily Radiation (except Saturday & Sundays); several rounds of Chemo w/Eptoposide and Cisplatin (both being hit with very high doses! - Wants to begin asap!!! Saline treatments added to protect kidneys!

• No chemo port - as long as veins are good they don't believe in foreign objects in the body

• Chemo will be 6 hours some days, 4 hours most and towards the end will be 2 to 4 hours.

- Saturday, Sept 9th, 2023

• Labcorp - bloodwork

- Sunday, Sept 10th, 2023

• On-call Doctor phoned!

• Calcium HIGH @ 13.6!!

• Urged Kevin to immediately go to ER as she was concerned for his heart! Here we go again --

- Monday, Sept 10th, 2023

• "Consent & Simulation" appt; Kevins' sister drove us

etc

• Went back to machine for simulation & out he came with a large hardened meshed mask! This is placed over his face, neck and upper area each & every single day of radiation where they bolt it to the table with it on him

• Due to his HIGH calcium level of 13.6 headed to chemo for 2 hour IV saline. Got it down to 11.4 -- still high but was released.

• Next step is getting his sister's daughters' car to borrow for the duration of treatments, which actually turned out to be 3 months. (Other imaging, tests & appts in between!)

• Projected end of both treatments will be end of November w/a small break, then pick back up for the start of Immunotherapy of Imfinzi (durvalumab) agent once a month for one year!

- November 20th, 2023

• Cat Scan w/dye to "prepare for next journey of Immunotherapy (had option for clinical trial at Sibly but chose to stick at Baltimore for same agent ; altho Sibly would use 2 agents; same as Baltimore but they will NOT tell you what the other agent is nor whether you're in a placebo group!-- plus required other extra tests, other outside specialists such as pulmonologist, etc.). Pray we made the right decision!

• Scan Results: **** "STABLE"!! ****

• Thank you Jesus!! -- No spread or growth!

*** REWIND:

Just prior to the above scan, Kevin warned me he did not have a good feeling about getting out to the car that morning to head for Radiation treatment.

• Remember, he is in a hospital bed 24/7 except for appt days!

• Got him to the door, down the step to porch, down 3 steps off the porch & for the LIFE of me, I cannot express or even "explain" how we both* did not go down to the ground! Literally, that had to be God!!! I cannot say it enough! If you just could have seen him! We were all over the place! I had my own body parts in places I still do not know how I managed this alone! He was just swaying all his weight into me in all directions ...forwards, backwards, sideways to the right to the left!!

• Called 911; Called to cancel Radiation

• Into ER, they tested him for stroke (I had phone before I left to head there to implore they also do the CT Scan to check entire chest ! They did both!

• TEST RESULTS: NO STROKE! Hallejuiah!!

• Turns out: "Dehydration" of all things! God is Good!

This is finally where my journaling had pretty much ended and I'll betcha now you're ready for another cup (or two of coffee) but I do plan to pick up again just that my future updates will be nowhere at all nearly the length of this!!

God Bless all who took this amount of time to read this book, again, and considering donating to support my Kevin, my husband, my everything and for this family in order to make ends meet and be able to focus on fighting this battle!

With every fiber in our beings, we humbly "Thank You",

" The Kibler Family"

(Direct donations if not comfortable here can send to:

Sherrie Kibler

PO Box 3018

Crofton, Maryland 21114