George Pullis ~Cancer Challenge

I have known Jeanne & George Pullis for over 30 years, first as an employee, and then as a friend. To those of you who know him, George is the quintessential 'go-to' guy - no matter if friend, family, or casual acquaintance. Jeanne, his wife and soul-mate of 35 years, is an active therapy dog team partner who visits hospitals, schools, and libraries with her rescue lab, JellyBean Josh, to bring smiles and hope to others, experiencing life challenges.

We have created this GoFundMe to help them on this journey that they find themselves embarking on. For those of you who are unaware of their story, below is an overview of George's situation.

In February 2019, during a routine surveillance colonoscopy, George was found to have several colon polyps in the ascending colon, which was diagnosed as a differentiated adenocarcinoma. A CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis showed no

evidence of the primary tumor or metastatic disease. On 3/6/2019, a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy was performed, and after a successful recovery, George was blessed

with the next two years of uneventful health issues.

In December 2021, after experiencing some headaches and dizziness, he was diagnosed with a chronic right-sided subdural hematoma and underwent MMA embolization. During this episode, he also presented with 'Bell's Palsy', which has

subsequently been resolved - but we later found it left a residual effect to his facial nerve.

Simultaneous to this diagnosis, in December of 2021, during his routine oncology

visit, it was noted that there was an increase in his CEA [a tumor marker] levels. In March of 2022, his biopsy

confirmed the recurrence/metastasis of peritoneal carcinomatosis.

After this recent diagnosis, George began chemo, but after 8 treatments, he began to show increasing signs of weakness, and loss of appetite, along with some of the other known side effects of chemotherapy. He also was experiencing some neck pain, which we originally attributed to the port infusions. However, when this continued for 5 days, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital, where an ultrasound revealed a DVT

(Deep-Vein Thrombosis or blood Clot) which extended to the brain. He was immediately put on blood thinners, but was told that DVTs were a common occurrence in cancer patients. In early September 2022, he began to experience difficulties in eating - attributed to the Bell's Palsy episode - presenting his current condition [dysphagia -difficulty/inability to swallow] resulting in a loss of 25 lbs in 2 weeks.

George's cancer treatment is 'palliative', which means though treatable, it is not curable. Though his chemo treatment is such that the quality of his life is taking a tremendous physical and emotional toll on him and his family, the most significant concerns are their children and grandchildren, especially their two granddaughters, Alexia and Julia - who Jeanne and George adopted upon the tragic loss of their beloved daughter - and to ensure their lives remain as normal as possible.

With all they are now facing - the loss of income and additional uncovered medical expenses, as well as assistance for George's ongoing care - we are reaching out to family and friends.

George is a realist, but he's also an optimist and hopes one day he'll be able to walk on that golf course he loves so much. We share that hope, and we thank you for your support...

UPDATE: 8.2023

George is continuing to show improvement in his verbal and eating abilities thanks to speech therapy and acupuncture treatments. He is now under the care of New Milford Hospital Oncology and has had to resume IV chemo due to the increases in his CEU markers over the past 3 months. Side effects have been a loss of appetite, Palmar-Plantar Erythrodysesthesia

[redness, swelling, and pain on the palms of the hands and/or the soles of the feet, causing difficulty in walking for any length of time]. Upon the next readings of bloodwork, it is more than likely he will need to resume continuous infusion via an elastomeric pump. Despite all these challenges, George continues to be optimistic and undefeated.

We thank our friends, family and neighbors for their continued support!!