Help Karen call the manager on cancer!

Well friends, the least “Karen” Karen of all-time has had a YEAR. Her body recently decided to perform an epic hat trick of nonsense and I'm here to let everyone know what’s up.

Around this time last year, a TMJ flare up turned out to be the byproduct a large mass on Karen’s jaw. Good news: It was benign. Bad news: Invasive jaw replacement surgery. She was in so much pain that she left a Stevie Nicks concert and that’s really all you need to know.

Three tough months later, she and her new bionic jaw made a full recovery and she was eager to get back to the monotonies of life- talking, work, solid foods, etc. Fast forward a month. A GI issue that she assumed was minor escalated quickly and landed her in the ER. She was septic. It was scary. A couple of hours later, she was spending the night in emergency surgery. The result was a stage 3B colon cancer diagnosis and two foot incision to ring in the new year. 2024 was shaping up to make 2020 look like a cake walk.

After a string of complications and a couple of touch-and-go hospital stays, I feel so lucky to tell you she is home and tolerating her second round of chemotherapy, all weird side effects considered. It will come as no surprise that she has become a crowd favorite at the Cleveland Clinic. Oncologists, nurses and cleaning staff have all pulled me into hallways to assure me that the patients with her resilience and optimistic outlook are the ones who fare the best during treatment. Karen has a long road ahead, including four more months of treatment and a major stoma reversal surgery, but she has approached every curveball with remarkable grace and a sense of humor that almost got her kicked out of a few waiting rooms.

Karen and I have taken time to process this roller coaster with our family and a small circle of friends we consider family over the past few months. These folks continue to show up in ways I can’t even begin to express and we are forever grateful for their check-ins, fun little treats and good energy during some very dark days. We love you!!!

I am learning that the people who want to support feel a bit helpless, especially those who don’t live close. I got a little (a lot) weird about writing this as I recognize how much immediate need there is in so many corners of the world right now. At the same time, I see the mental toll as she faces the reality of not being able to work for a year+, depletion of savings due to medical bills and all of those other worries that come with getting sick in America. We’re fortunate that we are able to prepare for emergencies and fully realize that puts us way ahead of the game. But the people who care about Karen tell me they are looking for a way to help her focus on healing. This will do that.

If you would like to give, we love to see it! If you can’t, trust that your support in the form of good vibes is equally valuable. One ask for all: Play your favorite rock song in her honor as you get online to SCHEDULE YOUR COLONOSCOPY.

We love you. We appreciate you. Fuck cancer.