Help Mitch fight Stage 4 Cancer

Hello all,

 

My name is Mitch.

 

Before I start, I'd like to thank my family and loved ones for being there for me always. I also need you all to know that I wouldn't be offended if you skipped out on reading the rest of this. I just wanted to give a full explanation and understanding of what I'm dealing with for people who aren't fully aware. We already know what's going on and we've all been doing a good job at not constantly dwelling on it. So please don't let the following text be that reminder to bring back all the depressing feelings we've worked so hard to get away from! Don't worry. We're strong. We got this!

 

On August 25th, 2021, I went to the E.R. with severe back/chest pain and a high fever. X-Rays revealed that there was a large mass in my chest. Further scans and a biopsy confirmed that it was cancer. Stage 4 Thymic Carcinoma to be exact. There was a tumor on my thymus (a small gland in the upper front part of the chest that is an important part of your immune system) and a hypermetabolic pleural nodule (a mass behind my right lung that was causing the severe back pain). I also had multiple enlarged hypermetabolic mediastinal lymph nodes. Essentially, the cancer had spread to multiple places away from where it originated, making it Stage 4. They also saw that the left side of my vocal cord is paralyzed. Which is fine, because some people will tell you I talk too much anyway!

 

Thymic Carcinoma is extremely rare... And since it had already advanced before we discovered it, my oncology team decided we should treat it very aggressively. After a few chemotherapy treatments, the mass behind my lung went away and my lymph nodes appeared to be normal. This left only the tumor on my Thymus. After doing as much chemotherapy as my body could handle (I eventually developed an allergic reaction), we began radiation treatment. This was done 5 days a week for about 6 weeks. Now that my body has taken as much as it can currently handle, I will be getting CT scans every 3 months to see if the tumor is continuing to shrink. As of right now, there are no plans for any other types of treatments. Hopefully the radiation continues to do its thing and continues to reduce the size of the tumor. Otherwise I'm hopeful that we can explore more treatment options or possibly surgery. I will find out more during my next check up in August.

 

The goal of treatment has been to "control" the cancer rather than to "cure" it. Even if it goes away, I've been told that I should expect it to come back. Even though this is the most realistic outlook, I am still extremely hopeful that we can get rid of this thing and keep it away for a very long time (preferably forever). The doctors have been extremely impressed with my progress so far, which is very comforting.

 

I wish I could say that this was easy for me to type... but I feel extremely uncomfortable and embarrassed putting this whole thing together... I hate to ask for ANYTHING... I work very hard to ensure all of my bills are paid and to keep a roof over my head and I'm very proud of myself for being able to do that independently for such a long time. But sometimes, things happen and responsibilities change in the blink of an eye. I went from living comfortably, to living from paycheck to paycheck and now, my total monthly debt is starting to exceed my total monthly income... Apparently, I had to hit rock bottom before I could finally push my ego to the side and accept the fact that I need help... I REALLY don't want a hand out... But it has gotten to a point that no matter how hard I work, there is no way I will be able to dig myself out of this financial hole alone. I'm blessed to have a job that has been giving me the flexibiliy to be able to balance work and recovery. Whether that means limiting my physical activities or allowing me to do certain work from home while I rest my body. But since I'm salary, I can't just work extra hours to make more money or get paid overtime. I'm hoping my fatigue will go away soon so I can consider a second part-time job or find some kind of side work to help put myself in a better place financially. But for now, I feel like my only choice is to ask for help...

 

I set my goal to $10,000 because that's what I currently owe in medical bills so far this year. That doesn't include co-pays, prescription costs, transportation (with these ridiculous gas prices) or the money I will lose when I'm too sick to work after I use up all of my PTO... I also worked really hard to build up my credit over the years with plans of finally buying a home because I've been paying way too much to rent a small one bedroom apartment... But after I got diagnosed and started my treatments, I ended up using most of my credit cards which destroyed my credit score and created even more monthly debt... I honestly don't expect to raise anywhere near $10,000. I'm beyond grateful for ANYTHING that anybody is able to comfortably spare. Whether it's 50 cents or $1... Please only give what you can. I know a lot of us are going through tough financial times, so please don't give me anything if you really can't afford it. Your prayers and well wishes are more than enough. And sharing the link is always appreciated. Just know that every penny donated will be going towards reducing any debts that have been building as a result of dealing with this illness. This is not vacation money or shopping spree money. This is BILLS and necessities money. I am beyond grateful and honestly still in disbelief that anybody would want to share any of their hard earned money to help me... so I refuse to disrespect anybody's kindness by being irresponsible with these donations. That is a very serious promise.

 

I'd like to thank everybody in advance for helping me out during these hard times. I wish I could pay you all back one day... All I can do is thank you from the bottom of my heart and I hope you all know how much I love you. Even if we haven't spoke in years. When you're a friend of mine, you're my friend for life. And you ALL have a special place in my heart.

 

Much love to everybody and be safe out there. I pray we all continue to grow and prosper for many many years. I also hope this fundraiser helps encourage people to be there for each other the same way you're all coming together to help me. A little more love and compassion will make the world a much better place.

 

So thank you all once again and let's kick cancer's a$$ together!