Carl's Cancer Collection

Story

My dad Carl was diagnosed with tonsil cancer in January. The prognosis is good, but he has a battle ahead of him, and I hope you can help. Who is this Carl Guy? People know Carl as the tall skinny guy with the mullet and the mustache. He’s also a beekeeper, ER nurse, carpenter, and mechanic. He is hardworking, generous, and charismatic. I think of him as the guy who made our childhood special with cardboard box tunnels, leaf piles, go-karts, and berry picking. The guy who is always getting to know people, even if it’s the cashier at the grocery store. The one who spends a whole month putting up Christmas decorations to spread the cheer. My one and only dad. The Cancer: Treatment and Symptoms The problem started with a tickle in the back of his throat late summer, early fall. After a few months, multiple scans, and a biopsy, he was diagnosed in early January. Unfortunately, the first step was to remove all of his teeth. They were in rough shape, and radiation would have made them worse. In addition, the risk of infection would be higher and could potentially interrupt treatment if they fell out of had to be removed during treatment. As of early February, the oral surgeon signed off that his mouth had healed enough for him to start treatment. Six weeks of chemo and radiation. After the first week, he already had a variety of symptoms. His main symptom is fatigue, which means he is sleeping a lot. He is usually very active, so he is already getting a little stir crazy. He also has mouth pain, nausea, headaches, and malaise. He doesn’t have a lot of weight to lose, and eating isn’t easy with his symptoms. The doctors say he will end up with radiation burns in his throat. His wife Lissa is trying to fatten him up, but our main worry is the imminent weight loss and the potential need for a feeding tube. How you can help Last weekend, we sat at the kitchen table with a stack of bills sitting in the middle. Dad was feeling pretty weird and trying to eat some jello. The last thing I want is Dad to be stressed about money when he is miserable. So that’s when I decided I was going to start this collection. I decided it couldn’t hurt to ask the same community he has helped for years to help him. He has been so generous with his time through the years: building projects, chaperoning field trips, volunteer EMT, the list goes on. He blames himself for not taking care of his health enough and doesn’t think anyone should have to help pay for his mistakes, but we are all human. The fault doesn’t matter when someone we care about is struggling. We pull together. Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated. Also, feel free to share how you know Carl and a little message of encouragement that I can share with him. Maybe share a memory to distract him from his misery. You may send donations to my Venmo if you wish to avoid the small transaction fee that Go Fund Me charges. @Casey-Bloechl We will use the money for: $1,000+ oral surgery $3,000+ medical bills daily living costs while Carl is unable to work dentures when his mouth has healed enough Thank you so much! If you know Carl, then you know his excellent sense of humor. There have been no exceptions when it comes to his diagnosis and treatment. He is resilient, and he has a great support system. His wife Lissa takes good care of him. His fellow nurses have been supportive and continue to boost his spirits. Messages from family and friends are coming in left and right. He loves hearing from everyone. Thank you for reading. I will post updates.