Help raise funds for Michael's cancer treatment
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Hi everyone,
Thanks for visiting my Gofundme page. I understand its not easy for everyone to help. But if you can help I would be eternally grateful and if not able to help I would also be grateful if you could pass this on to friends and family and or philanthropists via face book, social media or emails, as every little bit counts.
So this is my story…
I never thought I would find myself in this situation. I always tried to look after my health. Drank very little alcohol and didn’t smoke, ate healthy foods, drank lots of water, exercised….
So here I am diagnosed in May 2023 with cancer of the stomach and oesophagus, stage 3-4. But I’ve found that cancer is a complex disease and there are many other factors involved – viruses (HPV), bacteria (Helicobacter pylori), reflux, genetics, pollutants, stress etc.
I also never thought I would be cap-in-hand asking for help like I am today. I’m generally the one helping others rather than myself…But here I am, asking for help.
I'm a fairly pragmatic sort of a person and going back to January I really didn't think I would make it to March this year... I was contemplating palliative care and arranging my eventual departure from this mortal coil, as it seemed only minimal progress was being made and I was very, very ill…then after travelling to China and combining localised chemotherapy therapy (Intra-arterial chemo embolization therapy (IACE)) with other therapies (Ozone, Sonodynamic therapy) events changed for the better. Now I'm immensely optimistic that I have a chance to live! Its a dramatic turn around.
Unfortunately none of these therapies are available in Australia hence my need to travel to Guangzhou in China.
Since this first combined treatment I’ve gradually seen the pain disappear and since stopping the pain medication I’ve watched the debilitating muscular weakness (from the pain medication) lift slowly every day bit by bit until I feel strong again - strong enough to get out of bed and walk. Now I feel as strong as I felt last May 2023 at first diagnosis. Now I wonder that I could I actually be healing?
So I’ve gone from contemplating palliative care to actually believing I can get healthy and live. Now I’m doing weights to put on muscle bulk again! From being bed-ridden to being in the gym! But I do know Ive got a long way to go but with help from friends and public believe its possible.
Already I’ve spent over 110k on treatments overseas as they are unfortunately not available in Australia. In fact its more like 150k if I count the other previous treatments in Australia plus accommodation in China, airfares etc). I’ve used all my superannuation plus savings.
The doctors in Australia wanted to surgically remove my whole stomach and 25% of my oesophagus which really wasn’t an option as the cancer was in the lymphatic system surrounding the stomach so any operation would spill the contents of the lymph into the abdominal cavity and ultimately spread the cancer.
Localised chemo (rather than full body systemic chemo) is delivered to the arteries of the stomach via the femoral artery then the aorta and then the gastric arteries – the oncologist can see (via real-time CT) the exact location to deliver the chemo into the cancer – and it has less side effects. Localised chemotherapy is used along with Sonodynamic Therapy as well as Ozone Therapy.
The main aim of the local chemo is to reduce or even eliminate the cancer in the stomach and lymph nodes around the stomach enough to give surgery a greater chance at success.
At this point I’m about 25,000 AUD in debt to the hospital so need to cover this bill plus the oncologist says I will probably need another 4 cycles:
Per Cycle (4 weeks)
Local Chemo Embolisation ($12,500 AUD)
Blood tests, Hospital bed, CT scans ($3984 AUD)
Sono dynaimic Therpy ($17,055 AUD)
Ozone Therapy ($2238 AUD)
TL $35,777 AUD
Accommodation and expenses outside hospital per week ($298 AUD)
So if you could help with any donation at all I would be immensely thankful.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and donate or share.
Best regards
Mike
More info on localised chemotherapy
Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC), also referred to as intra-arterial infusion therapy, involves directly administering chemotherapy drugs into the arteries responsible for supplying blood to a particular organ or tumor.
More information re the sonodynamic (SDT) treatment:
More info on Ozone Therapy:
Tumour hypoxia is a severe problem affecting tumour therapy because it reduces the sensitivity of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Ozone has been known to improve peripheral blood perfusion and oxygen partial pressure.
Systemic Review: Ozone: A Potential New Chemotherapy
Use of ozonated water as a new therapeutic approach to solve current concerns around antitumor treatment
Ozone Therapy for Tumour Oxygenation: a Pilot Study
Ozone therapy: A clinical review
https://www.saltcavenz.co.nz/assets/public/images/uploaded/1620206672/a-m-elvis-ozone-therapy-a-clinical-review-2011.pdf
Ozone Therapy as Adjuvant for Cancer Treatment: Is Further Research Warranted?
Mechanism of ozone alleviation of malignant ascites in hepatocellular carcinoma through the inhibition of neutrophil extracellular traps
Organizer
Michael Bending
Organizer
Dee Why, NSW