Who this will help
Hello! My name is Nancy and I'm here to help support my husband and partner in crime/sidekick of 26 years. Mark is a kidney transplant survivor (7 years strong), and was recently diagnosed with Stage 2 throat cancer. Mark is
always willing to help others, especially those in our chosen "village". Need an oil change? Just bring the supplies and he'll change it free of charge and no questions asked. Brakes? Yep...free of charge and no questions asked. This applies to all areas of life...if Mark can help, he will! We currently live with his mother who is 83 and has progressing dementia, my father who is a disabled veteran/amazing man, and our adult children who help as much as possible. Mark takes care of everything in and around the house while I'm asleep or working nights as a pediatric home health RN. This is now the time where I ask others to help Mark and our family when we need it the most!
Why I'm fundraising
Our family has decided to start this campaign due to an already increasing need for nutrition, medical supplies, medical bills from chemo and radiation, and any unforseen circumstances related to missed work on my part. Mark's cancer is located in his right tonsil, the right tongue base, and 3-4 lymph nodes on each side. This type of squamous cell carcinoma is "p16 positive" because it's caused by the HPV 16 virus. This is actually good news because it's considered treatable and curable, although treatment is brutal! Chemo once a week for 6 weeks, and 35 rounds of radiation (5 days a week, excluding weekends and holidays) is considered the standard. However, approximately a third of patients quit half way through due to the harsh recovery. We are currently 3 weeks in, and the side effects have started to become bothersome. Mouth ulcers, throat ulcers, weight loss, skin burns, and much more. Allergic reaction to a chemo med, and a rare side effect of hiccups have definitely made this interesting. We will discuss placement of a feeding tube next week, and dehydration is a concern already. No taste when eating and salivary glands stop working properly.
The impact of your support
This campaign will help our family keep up with medical expenses, expenses of daily living (groceries, car payment, etc), and ongoing treatment/recovery needs for the next 3 months. Ongoing needs are things like oncology drink mixes, protein powders for smoothies and feeding tube formulas, gels/lotions/oral care supplies not covered by insurance, possibly clothing if weight loss becomes an issue, etc.
It is SO hard to watch your best friend and partner go through something like this, and it's just as difficult to ask for help in a time like this. Our family will be forever grateful for any and all support while navigating these new waters. I can't express how much we appreciate each and everyone of you, and we truly hope you all have an amazing and stress free holiday season! Thank you!
