Donation protected
I have started this fund on behalf of my best friend Shelly Hyska-Cote and her husband Mark Cote. Please read their story and help if you can. In Shelly's words, here is their situation:
My husband, Mark, was diagnosed with squamous cell head and neck cancer in late 2016. He underwent surgery to remove several lymph nodes in his neck and tissue in the floor of his mouth. He then had radiation and chemotherapy. At the time we were hopeful that the cancer had been cured.
On September 9, 2018, Mark was unscrewing a lid and felt a pop in his ribs. The pain became unbearable so he went to the ER that night. A chest X-ray showed a mass in his right lung so he was sent for more tests and a biopsy. Unfortunately, cancer cells from 2016 had already gotten into his blood stream and started growing in his lung. 80% of his right lung is a cancerous tumor, it is stage 4. The cancer has metastasized in 4 ribs on the right side, it is also in his L3 vertebrae which has caused fractures and it is in the right side of his pelvis. He finished radiation on those spots on October 12th. The radiation is meant to help the pain, but it causes the pain to get much worse before it gets better. He is having a hard time walking and getting up from a seated position. He hasn’t been able to sleep in our bed anymore because he can’t pull himself up when he lays flat. We are trying to get a hospital bed for him but they are expensive.
In preparation to start chemotherapy, he had some tests after radiation. After a routine MRI on October 17th, we received a phone call from the cancer team. They found 4 tumors in his brain and 1 in his skull. The chemotherapy has been delayed so he can undergo 5 aggressive radiation treatments on his brain. This treatment could cause short term memory loss & fatigue.
Mark is very strong and is prepared to fight again. He was motivated to get back to work (from home) as he worked full time in 2016 during treatment and it really helped him to be in that routine and focus some attention on anything other than cancer. The news of it spreading to his brain has changed the course of his treatment and he may never be able to work again.
I am only able to work part time. He has appointments every day. We have to drive across town, the commute is at least 45 minutes each way. Every bump in the road is agony for him. If any of you have driven in Tucson, you know that our roads are terrible. Upon our return home each day, it takes us a significant amount of time to get him reasonably comfortable. He is on a lot of pain medications which lead to a host of side effects. It is constant work to make sure the meds don’t cause constipation. We spend quite a bit of money each week or fiber, stool softeners, laxatives, etc. He also uses a lot of pain relief patches and rubs to try to numb some of the pain at the radiation sites. He has to take a lot of vitamins and sports drinks because he has deficiencies from treatment. None of these things are covered by insurance.
To add insult to injury, we had to spend about $2500 to repair our vehicle the day after he was diagnosed. Now we have an issue with our house that will cost at least $1000 to take care of.
Mark’s short term disability of 60% of his income is going to run out at the beginning of November. I will not be able to return to work full time for the foreseeable future. Our income has taken a big hit. We are both trying to stay positive even with the diagnosis and prognosis of his disease but it is very hard. Now I have the added stress and worry about money. I am watching my husband suffer every day and fight for his life, I need to focus on him.
We are not the type of people who ask for handouts. We have been selling things on ebay and craigslist but it’s not enough. Our social worker and the cancer team have strongly encouraged us to ask for help, so that has lead us here.
My husband, Mark, was diagnosed with squamous cell head and neck cancer in late 2016. He underwent surgery to remove several lymph nodes in his neck and tissue in the floor of his mouth. He then had radiation and chemotherapy. At the time we were hopeful that the cancer had been cured.
On September 9, 2018, Mark was unscrewing a lid and felt a pop in his ribs. The pain became unbearable so he went to the ER that night. A chest X-ray showed a mass in his right lung so he was sent for more tests and a biopsy. Unfortunately, cancer cells from 2016 had already gotten into his blood stream and started growing in his lung. 80% of his right lung is a cancerous tumor, it is stage 4. The cancer has metastasized in 4 ribs on the right side, it is also in his L3 vertebrae which has caused fractures and it is in the right side of his pelvis. He finished radiation on those spots on October 12th. The radiation is meant to help the pain, but it causes the pain to get much worse before it gets better. He is having a hard time walking and getting up from a seated position. He hasn’t been able to sleep in our bed anymore because he can’t pull himself up when he lays flat. We are trying to get a hospital bed for him but they are expensive.
In preparation to start chemotherapy, he had some tests after radiation. After a routine MRI on October 17th, we received a phone call from the cancer team. They found 4 tumors in his brain and 1 in his skull. The chemotherapy has been delayed so he can undergo 5 aggressive radiation treatments on his brain. This treatment could cause short term memory loss & fatigue.
Mark is very strong and is prepared to fight again. He was motivated to get back to work (from home) as he worked full time in 2016 during treatment and it really helped him to be in that routine and focus some attention on anything other than cancer. The news of it spreading to his brain has changed the course of his treatment and he may never be able to work again.
I am only able to work part time. He has appointments every day. We have to drive across town, the commute is at least 45 minutes each way. Every bump in the road is agony for him. If any of you have driven in Tucson, you know that our roads are terrible. Upon our return home each day, it takes us a significant amount of time to get him reasonably comfortable. He is on a lot of pain medications which lead to a host of side effects. It is constant work to make sure the meds don’t cause constipation. We spend quite a bit of money each week or fiber, stool softeners, laxatives, etc. He also uses a lot of pain relief patches and rubs to try to numb some of the pain at the radiation sites. He has to take a lot of vitamins and sports drinks because he has deficiencies from treatment. None of these things are covered by insurance.
To add insult to injury, we had to spend about $2500 to repair our vehicle the day after he was diagnosed. Now we have an issue with our house that will cost at least $1000 to take care of.
Mark’s short term disability of 60% of his income is going to run out at the beginning of November. I will not be able to return to work full time for the foreseeable future. Our income has taken a big hit. We are both trying to stay positive even with the diagnosis and prognosis of his disease but it is very hard. Now I have the added stress and worry about money. I am watching my husband suffer every day and fight for his life, I need to focus on him.
We are not the type of people who ask for handouts. We have been selling things on ebay and craigslist but it’s not enough. Our social worker and the cancer team have strongly encouraged us to ask for help, so that has lead us here.
Organiser and beneficiary
Mandi Twining
Organiser
Traverse City, MI
Shelly Hyska-Cote
Beneficiary