My Battle

On Oct 8th, the day after my wedding I went to the ER for unknown cause of pain that became more persistent. A tumor was found during an ultrasound which turned out to be embryonal carcinoma. I opted for surveillance which involved bloodwork, CT scans, MRIs and X-Rays every 3 months at first after the first surgery seemed to have success. I was then involved in a work related injury and during my tests showed that the cancer has spread to my lymph nodes. I underwent another surgery (Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection) that resulted in removing 19 lymph nodes instead of the 3 they originally anticipated. After a visit with my oncologist for the biopsy report they discovered that the cancer was more aggressive and that chemotherapy was the next best option (6hrs/day 5days/week). Opting for chemo would bring the chances of reoccurrence down to 20%. I just completed my second round of Etoposide and Cisplatin after my insurance lapsed in between treatments since I was not receiving any source of income for insurance payments and medication causing my treatments to be prolonged and now awaiting CT scans to hopefully be in remission. This battle that we never saw coming has been incredibly challenging both physically and financially especially because I am the main source of income for my wife and 4 kids. We are asking for your support to help us focus on the recovery without the added burden of financial stress. Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly towards covering medical expenses, necessary treatments, and daily living costs during this challenging period. If you can’t donate, sharing this campaign with others who might be able to help would mean the world to us. Thank you for your kindness, love, and generosity during this challenging time. With gratitude, Giovanni