Extend James' Life: Donate for Cancer Treatment

In 2015, James was diagnosed with CLL, which is Chronic Lymphatic Leukemia. His WBC count was not high enough that the doctors wanted to start treatment. They put us on watch and wait (essentially go home until you are sick enough for us to treat you). James does just that and goes on living his life. In 2020, he starts to lose a lot of weight. We start to worry that maybe the cancer has activated, and he goes for tests. The CLL was not at the point for treatment yet, but he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. We started insulin and oral meds.

A few months later, James really feels terrible. He is exhausted all the time because his body is making thousands of WBCs and not enough RBCs. FINALLY, he is sick enough to treat for the CLL. We start a brand new drug called Brukinsa. He takes this for 2 years and the numbers start getting better. We are hopeful.

This past summer, James starts to gain weight. The doctor puts him on Ozempic, thinking the weight around his stomach is due to the diabetes and the insulin. He starts to feel over-full and isn't having regular BMs. We wonder if the slowed-down digestive tract is from the Ozempic, and it is discontinued.

Stopping the Ozempic did not change the bloating and pain.

I go out of town the weekend of December 13th. When I return home, my husband is very sick. Apparently, a coworker brought in a bug. We had already set up an appointment on Friday, 12/20, to see the doctor about his stomach pain. We both tested positive for COVID, and the primary complaint of the stomach pain was not addressed.

COVID for Christmas. I was down for a few days. James goes back to work even though he is in severe pain and cannot even put on his own socks on Thursday. On Friday, he leaves work early and we go to the hospital because his legs are now starting to swell. We feared he would have a heart attack.

At the ER, they run all the tests: blood tests, CT scan. Then the bad news.

The CT scan showed 2 masses, one on his pancreas and another on his liver. He was admitted.

Now, anyone who has ever gone through a cancer diagnosis knows it isn't immediate or fast. They biopsy it, send it to pathology to type it, and figure out where it originated to determine if it is treatable. Meanwhile, the patient is left waiting, hoping, fearing. I saw the pathology result when it came back and also forced the doctor to show me the CT scan. But I waited for them to tell him it was stage 4 pancreatic and liver cancer and that the fluid on his belly was where the liver is shutting down and not filtering. They drained 12 liters of fluid off of him last Thursday. 12. Liters.

He felt better, of course. But the fluid immediately started to build up again.

Happy New Year.

During the "big talk" and the reality of the situation sinking in, I had my own health issue.

The palliative care nurse was starting to go through what they do, and I started to not feel right. Chest pain. Radiating across my chest, up my neck, and down my right arm. They wheeled me immediately to the ER from his room. I was admitted. The next day, they did a heart cath and discovered I had an arterial dissection. Essentially, my BP (which had spiked to 212/117) caused the layers of one of my arteries to tear apart, kind of like an old garden hose under too much pressure. I am damn lucky. I could have stroked out. Instead, I earned myself a 2-night stay at the hospital and 5 new heart meds while my husband was dealing with his own diagnoses.

Thank GOD my beautiful child Vern was there and has been wonderful throughout all of this. And I cannot ever thank my bestie Beth Gallagher enough for driving all the way up to be with me. She stayed with me in my room for the 2 days I was there. She left on Saturday to beat the snowstorm that hit Kentucky the following day. I was released on Saturday; she came over and helped me put together the power recliner I ordered for James and drove home. James was released and came home. What I ask from all of you is to send me good juju, love, and prayers for comfort.

We are dealing with a very aggressive form of pancreatic cancer that without treatment could end his life in about 3 months. We have opted to try chemo in hopes of extending that timeline. Should he tolerate it well, it could extend his life out to 16-18 months.

We are filing for short-term and long-term disability for James, but that income is 2/3 of what he was making.

Thanks for being here. Thanks for supporting James and Shonna. Let's rally together and surround them with love and support.

We can and will make a difference in their lives!