About a year ago, my wonderful friend Bob McDaniel set up a Go Fund Me page with my permission. It was a Godsend. The money donated paid hospital bills, PET scans, CT scans, heart testing, and medications.
*** The money was used exclusively for medical concerns... nothing for my personal spending.

Last year, the doctors discovered 2 tumors in my lung. It was a recurrence of the kidney cancer I had 8 years ago. They were removed surgically. I spent the next six months having my lung lining drained through a procedure called thoracentisis. I am now being followed by an IU oncologist (who I really trust.)  Currently, I have 2 new spots in my left lung and 1 in my right that they are monitoring every 6 months with PET/CT scans. I am very worried about this.

- This recurrence labels me a Stage 4 cancer patient.
 - It also means that I can never have another kidney transplant. (I was on dialysis from 95-98, and had a kidney transplant that lasted 16 years before failing.) If I had another transplant, the antirejection meds would cause any cancer to grow  rampantly  in me.
-  I will be on dialysis the rest of my life. I go 3 times a week, and am there for 5 hours each visit. I go in the late afternoon because I am so weak and ill afterwards, I just want to go home and go to bed. 

Dialysis removes any toxins from my blood, removes extra water that my body cannot eliminate, and helps balance my calcium and potassium levels. The thing it does not do is remove phosphorus. Phosphorus is in almost everything we eat- especially things like processed food, dairy, anything with baking soda in it, soft drinks, citrus fruits (and others,) nuts... well, I could go on and on. :) I am on a very restricted diet, which helps. I also must take something with every meal or snack called a phosphorus binder. I take 3 large chewable tablets with every meal or snack. They help my digestive system get rid of the phosphorus instead or absorbing it.

I have been on 3 meds now. My dietician oversaw testing to see which would work. The first 2 failed to make a difference. The third, Velphoro, worked. My dietitian managed to get my meds for free for a while; but, in January, that grant ended. They reapplied for me from the drug company, but I was turned down. I did receive a few samples from my kidney doctor as a one time thing, but they will not last through July. I do have Good RX which will get me a cheaper price for my medicine than my Medicare supplement. The cheapest price available per month is  $1,191.75. (I am attaching a picture I grabbed that gives the prices.) I just don't have that financial ability. I take 7 other meds but none are as costly.

I will have more bills coming. I had surgery on my arm last week for my dialysis access, and my eye shots are coming up as well, which has a sizable co-pay.

I will admit that I am very embarrassed and upset to be in this position, but it is beyond me to do much else right now.  
If you have donated in the past, THANK YOU. Please do not feel like I am knocking at your door again.
If you can help me along, any donation, big or small, will be deeply appreciated. You know, even something small will pay for a month's prescription of something.

I think I have a good attitude (which sure helps.) My family, friends, co-workers, students and their families, church friends, prayer groups, and more are praying for me and wishing me a smoother path. My family and circle of friends have been wonderful about getting me to and from the ER, taking me to tests and procedures, coming to pick me up from treatment when I am to sick to drive, carrying in groceries, cleaning, etc. I am so fortunate. I never forget that.
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Again, thank you! You are ALL my blessings and angels.
David

(If you feel comfortable doing so, would you share my campaign? Thanks so, so much)