My name is Jules and my husband, Glen, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June of 2021. We were very fortunate and the cancer was caught on a scan for something else entirely. Because of this, the cancer is limited and his prognosis is more optimistic.....once we get through the chemotherapy. In the meantime, despite my having great insurance, the bills just keep on coming. Now we're in a position that we must ask for help.
TL:DR - Glen has stage 1b pancreatic cancer. He has already had the surgery to remove his pancreatic tail and is now facing 6 months of strong chemotherapy to try to give him the best 5-year survival odds possible. Though I have really good insurance, the bills will still pile up. I'm taking what paid leave I can through this, but losing his income is also causing a financial hardship. Though I have a goal on here, we will continue ongoing fund requests because the bills will continue coming.
Background:
Glen (52) and I (46) met in early 2005 through Match.com but the path wasn't smooth or direct. We broke up soon after starting to date, but stayed friends and ended up spending all our time together. By the end of that summer, I finally came to my senses and we've been together ever since. We got married in May of 2008 in my Grandma's back yard with all of our family and friends.
We are GIANT geeks and spend our time playing Dungeons and Dragons, watching Critical Role (we are OBSESSED) and nerding out with each other about various topics.
Cancer story:
On October 5, 2021, Glen had surgery at Mercy Medical in Sacramento and they were able to remove the whole tumor with clean edges. However, it was 3.5cm long and it required taking the tail of the pancreas as well as the spleen. He was released from the hospital on October 10th and we began the process of him eating again as well as having to navigate how to control his blood sugars. He was a type 2 diabetic prior to the surgery and well managed (except the last few months) and it looks like he'll be able to stay on oral medication rather than insulin, but we will see.
I took FMLA (CA PFL) for 3 full weeks starting on 10/4 and returned to work half time for 2 weeks, staring on 10/25. I am trying to save leave time so I can be as useful to him as possible during chemotherapy. I will now have to do everything around the house since Glen's treatment is aggressive. I'm also managing his blood sugars, dealing with all the doctors and trying to help mom as much as I can.
In the process of going back and forth to doctor's appointments and the hospital, the costs of trying new foods and new fat/protein supplements to get Glen back on track, the loss of his income as a home health care worker, plus the fact that EDD is VERY slow at paying out claims means we've drained our savings, we are now in a position where we really need help.
On 12/2/21, we met with the medical oncologist and he will be starting chemotherapy very soon (now that insurance finally approved it, we'll probably start within the next 2 weeks) and it will be aggressive chemotherapy. He will be getting the same drugs that anyone in stage 3 or 4 would receive, with the hope that it'll beat back any errant cells and give him some more years. Pancreatic cancer always comes back, so it's just trying to stay ahead of it for as long as we can. Hopefully, he will be doing 12 rounds (2 in center infusions and 1 home infusion) every 2 weeks. Though sometimes that can be very difficult due to side effects, so we'll take each one at a time. The doctor feels if we can get through 8, at least, then it'll give him the best chances.
Though I set a goal for this, we may revise that since we'll continue to have bills coming in and I'll probably need help with the house chores, yard work, etc. since I can't take full leave as a teacher during my induction program (how you convert a preliminary credential to a clear credential). Also, If I end up having to take unpaid leave at some point through this.
What funds will be used for
The funds acquired here will help pay back money we had to borrow, continue to pay bills and provide Glen with the things he needs to get through the Chemo successfully.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and know that we are incredibly appreciative for any help we receive.
~Jules and Glen