Greetings to friends, family, and kind onlookers. My name is Alex, I am a 38-year-old man who has lived a fulfilling life so far, held jobs in everything from restaurants to office spaces doing creative digital marketing. I received the worst news of my life on June 15th, when out of nowhere, I was diagnosed with stage IIIA Adenocarcinoma (Esophageal Cancer). I had been suffering from acid reflux for years beforehand, and always had issues swallowing because of it. I thought it was caused by stress and genetics. After all, I was going through a lot. I moved three times over the past few years, and was struggling to maintain normalcy even without cancer. The inability to swallow and mucus build-up continued to get worse and worse, until it got to the point where I couldn't even swallow water or any food without it getting stuck or regurgitating.

My mother, age 77, two years before my diagnosis, took permanent residence in an assisted living facility, due to mental and physical illness and since then really has lost touch with everyone. I still speak to her, when she's up to it. It devastated me and many others in my family because of the aftermath of her walking away from a five-acre farm and her animals and her legacy for loving life was a horror story on its own. She has slipped into even more chronic depression unfortunately, and the condition there does not seem to improve. My father, age 84, has been a retired stockbroker for over 20 years and is worried about his own health and ability to take care of himself. I never thought that the chance of death could potentially be closer to me than my father in his mid 80's. Needless to say, asking him to help me financially is impossible.

I was successfully building my own business, creating websites and marketing videos, business plans, and more for local small businesses. Things were going quite well. I still hold a few regular clients, but the drive to hunt and find more is beyond my capability. My energy levels and health are deteriorating, and so is my ability to focus and take on much more work. I do enjoy working as much as possible still, it makes me feel alive, and gives me purpose. The worst feeling, other than the cancer itself, is the stress of just getting by day to day while watching my once thriving life and business stop dead in its tracks with this disease.

I currently eat and drink most liquids via a feeding tube. Mostly a formula called, Jevity. It's similar to Ensure for what it is used for, but it's more sustainable. The foods that I do can eat are limited to non-chunky soups, and milkshakes, and protein drinks such as Ensure complete and clear. They run about $75 for a case of 24 on Amazon. I thankfully have Medicaid, which is covering Immunotherapy treatments that would otherwise cost $40,000 per treatment. Next week, I am due to go in for another endoscopy to see how the treatment has been doing, but due to medical complications with my thyroid and possibly overactive immune system attacking my intestines, may be switching to chemotherapy soon after.

I have started the process for applying for Disability. This process takes an unavoidable 9 months on average to be approved, but expenses continue to roll in on top of new ones that are bigger than I could ever imagine. I need a vehicle to make it to Dr. appointments. I typically Uber and depend on family and friends to take me 3x a week on average to and from the team of doctors I see. I am receiving treatments at the Brock Cancer Center, which is in Norfolk, and is quite the hike from my apartment in Virginia Beach. I really want to find some peace of mind somehow in what is potentially my final years of life. This cloud of financial darkness, on top of the horrific reality that only 20% of people survive more than 5 years after a diagnosis such as mine, is just too much to swallow. That timeline is taking into consideration my age too, and is a rather optimistic outlook! It still blows my mind.

I realize everyone goes through trials and tribulations, some far worse than mine. I do however in these moments of true medical catastrophe fully appreciate how precious life is. It is such a shame to see someone with so much potential left devastated by something beyond their control. It happens all too often, and I think many people can relate to this directly or at least in an abstract way. If anyone is touched by my story and continued drive to cling to life, and is able to help me, I cannot describe what it means to me. It's everything, and the only thing I have left. It's hope.

God bless you for reading my story.