Cancer Sucks! But, Steven is cool. Help him out!

On January 20, after several months of feeling ill and losing a great deal of weight, Steven was diagnosed with Stage IV esophageal cancer. This diagnosis came after an endoscopy revealed an obstructive tumor about 1/3 of the way down his esophagus. It was biopsied and numerous tests were run to determine the extent of the cancer and guide us to a course of treatment. This treatment so far consists of a feeding tube placement, chemo/immunotherapy, radiation, and more chemo/immunotherapy. Julia has insurance through her work which is invaluable however the deductible is substantial. Steven's condition and its associated pain have made him unable to work, reducing their sufficient double income to a challenging single income. His chemo/immunotherapy treatments are expected to last 8- 12 weeks each with an as yet undetermined timeframe for radiation between those treatments.

On a positive note, February 16 was his first chemo/immunotherapy treatment and the only side effect so far is exhaustion. He is adapting to taking nutrition through the feeding tube and will hopefully start gaining weight and strength quickly.