Corke Schaney’s Cancer Struggle

Corke was diagnosed with kidney cancer in November of 2012 and had his kidney removed at the UW Hospital in Madison. From 2012 to 2015 he was closely followed by the doctors at FHN, while he continued working as a Maintenance Technician there. He was forced to medically retire when it was discovered the cancer had metastasized to his lungs in 2016.

He was sent to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee and put on Interleukin 2 therapy. The therapy was brutal and took a toll on his body, but it helped keep the cancer at bay. Following that time, he was later put on another autoimmune drug. He was on that drug until February of 2021, but had to be taken off because it was too damaging to his remaining kidney.

2016 Interleukin 2 Therapy…before it turns brutal…

After being off treatment since that time, the cancer has now come back with a vengeance. The end of July 2022, a tumor was found behind his right clavicle after his bone snapped when he was carrying some wood. After many CTs, MRIs, and body scans, they found cancer has eaten a hole in his femur and also eaten his C-6 vertebrae. We are heading to Milwaukee October 21 for pre-op and then will be staying in Milwaukee until his surgery.

His course of treatment will include a very extensive surgery in the Froedtert Advanced Care facility. He is a huge bleeding risk, so they need to be extremely cautious. His first surgery will be an all day surgery to repair his neck by placing rods, coils, cages, and screws to replace the bones and looking at radiation and another form of immunotherapy as well after that. He will be in Intensive Care for quite some time for recovery from that surgery before they will do surgery on his femur.

This has caught us by such surprise, reality is really setting in. We are getting overwhelmed at the thought of the expenses that we will incur. We were school sweethearts, have been married for 44 years, always been together. Our hope is for me to be able to stay up in Milwaukee for as long as need be without worrying about money for gas, food, or lodging. The hospital does offer a discounted place called Kathy’s House, but there are no openings. So for now I have gotten a hotel room. We have no way of knowing how long this may go on.

Corke has always been a very kind and generous man, always putting others before himself. It is extremely difficult to turn this around, but it seems the time has come when he is the one in need of help. If at all possible, we would sure appreciate if you would consider sending a few dollars our way to help keep us together in Milwaukee as long as possible.

We know times are hard and we understand. Happy thoughts and prayers are welcome, too. Thank you and may God bless you.

Deb