Rudy's Cancer Surgery and Treatment

As many of you know, Early in January Rudy was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. The cancer was found during an annual colonoscopy conducted due to his severe suffering from Crohn's disease for the majority of his life. Just 3 months into our marriage, we never thought we would be faced with an obstacle as big and as scary as this one. Finding out this news was an absolute shock to us and our entire families. On February 28th, Rudy will be undergoing the first stage of treatment which will be a total colectomy and ileostomy. This will be followed by what we are being told will be about 4 months of chemotherapy and radiation. Of course this will be a major life change for him, but the doctors tell us that he should actually feel better then he has felt for the last 24 years of his life, living with such severe Crohn's, so we are all very hopeful that this is the best choice for him.

We are lucky to have insurance, however our insurance still does not cover everything. The surgery alone will leave us with thousands of dollars in medical bills. Aside from that, we have not even begun to discuss the financial obligations of the chemotherapy and radiation, but we expect more of the same.

Another surprising and unexpected cost for us, is the need to go and bank sperm. The surgeon has strongly recommended and encouraged that we do this because surgery itself poses risks, additionally the radiation and chemotherapy pose further risks after the surgery. When all said and done this will end up costing over a thousand dollars on its own after initial fees and monthly storage fees which insurance covers none of. Understandably we are not willing to take the risk of never being able to have children, when we are dealing with surgery and treatment so dangerously close to the testicles.

We are really not ones to ask for money or donations from people, especially with nothing much to give in return. We talked about this and went back and forth about it and ultimately decided it was worth giving a try when we are in such a tough situation. Rudy has always been a great friend and family member, and sometimes I think hes too generous to a fault! He has helped anyone that has ever asked. Whether it be a small loan, help with a car, some electrical work, or just a helping hand. As long as I have known him, he has ALWAYS helped all in need in whatever capacity he could. So I am hoping that in our time of need people will be willing to pay it forward.

We love you all, and thank you so much in advance for donating. If there is anything we can do to repay you once Rudy is back up and running, please let us know!