Help me get this brain tumor out
Donation protected
Hola,
In August of 2019, I started experiencing what seemed to be ear infections. The middle of my left ear began to fill with liquid and my hearing slowly deteriorated. By the summer of 2020, hearing in my left ear ceased to exist and was replaced with tinnitus. Tinnitus is a high-pitched sound similar to a dog whistle. Unfortunately, this sound lives in my ear and is at max volume most days.
In the first week of September, I begun to see double and experienced severe headaches. There were two of everything. I quickly lost the ability to drive and had to rely on family to get around and help with errands. I immediately scheduled an appointment with the eye doctor and after a few tests, I was prescribed new glasses. These glasses came with prisms - meaning that they helped align the two images into one.
A week later, I had my glasses and was back on the road. On September 28th, I had received a myringotomy to remove the liquid that was chillen in the middle of my ear for far too long. I could hear and see again!
Life was great... until the first week of October when the double vision came back. Even with the glasses, I could only clearly see three feet in front of me. The following week, my ear began to fill back up. The dog whistle and pain was back - this time more severe.
On October 17th, I consulted another eye doctor to figure out the root cause of my deteriorating vision. After an hour of tests, the doctor realized something was preventing my left eye from rotating sideways. There was instant concern that something was pressing against my sixth cranial nerve: the part of the eye in charge of sideways movement.
After several hours in the ER, the MRI result revealed that the doctor was right. There was a 3x3 cm tumor lodged at the base of my skull. I was transferred to another hospital anticipating surgery but learned after speaking to the neurologist that the tumor would require more specialized care than they could offer. One word from the visit stood out: chondrosarcoma.
The past several weeks for me have been marked by increasingly painful symptoms and weekly trips to DC, meeting with Georgetown's specialists. This is where I met Dr. Timothy DeKlotz and his team. They ordered a biopsy to verify the tentative diagnosis.
A successful biopsy on November 16th confirmed the mass located at the bottom of my skull was a Grade I chondrosarcoma. This cancerous mass is leaning against my carotid artery. It's one of the ones that are difficult to treat.
Treatment for the tumor will consist of endoscopic surgery that will remove as much of the mass as possible. A second procedure involving opening my skull may be necessary depending on the success of the initial operation. Finally, I will need radiation to eliminate any remaining cancerous cells.
Thankfully, the team at Georgetown has worked with me to find some financial assistance. After several phone calls, we were able to find insurance that is willing to cover a portion of the cost. Still, medical bills are growing with more to come. Even with working 50-60 hours a week as a self-employed software developer, the cost is overwhelming. Insurance will not cover the initial surgery until after the new year. With a condition this serious, waiting feels dangerous.
Any and all donations will be received with immense gratitude to help restore what has been lost since August of 2019. Donations will help me cover these life-saving surgeries, doctor's appointments, and radiation.
Thank you in advance for your support.
- Matt
In August of 2019, I started experiencing what seemed to be ear infections. The middle of my left ear began to fill with liquid and my hearing slowly deteriorated. By the summer of 2020, hearing in my left ear ceased to exist and was replaced with tinnitus. Tinnitus is a high-pitched sound similar to a dog whistle. Unfortunately, this sound lives in my ear and is at max volume most days.
In the first week of September, I begun to see double and experienced severe headaches. There were two of everything. I quickly lost the ability to drive and had to rely on family to get around and help with errands. I immediately scheduled an appointment with the eye doctor and after a few tests, I was prescribed new glasses. These glasses came with prisms - meaning that they helped align the two images into one.
A week later, I had my glasses and was back on the road. On September 28th, I had received a myringotomy to remove the liquid that was chillen in the middle of my ear for far too long. I could hear and see again!
Life was great... until the first week of October when the double vision came back. Even with the glasses, I could only clearly see three feet in front of me. The following week, my ear began to fill back up. The dog whistle and pain was back - this time more severe.
On October 17th, I consulted another eye doctor to figure out the root cause of my deteriorating vision. After an hour of tests, the doctor realized something was preventing my left eye from rotating sideways. There was instant concern that something was pressing against my sixth cranial nerve: the part of the eye in charge of sideways movement.
After several hours in the ER, the MRI result revealed that the doctor was right. There was a 3x3 cm tumor lodged at the base of my skull. I was transferred to another hospital anticipating surgery but learned after speaking to the neurologist that the tumor would require more specialized care than they could offer. One word from the visit stood out: chondrosarcoma.
The past several weeks for me have been marked by increasingly painful symptoms and weekly trips to DC, meeting with Georgetown's specialists. This is where I met Dr. Timothy DeKlotz and his team. They ordered a biopsy to verify the tentative diagnosis.
A successful biopsy on November 16th confirmed the mass located at the bottom of my skull was a Grade I chondrosarcoma. This cancerous mass is leaning against my carotid artery. It's one of the ones that are difficult to treat.
Treatment for the tumor will consist of endoscopic surgery that will remove as much of the mass as possible. A second procedure involving opening my skull may be necessary depending on the success of the initial operation. Finally, I will need radiation to eliminate any remaining cancerous cells.
Thankfully, the team at Georgetown has worked with me to find some financial assistance. After several phone calls, we were able to find insurance that is willing to cover a portion of the cost. Still, medical bills are growing with more to come. Even with working 50-60 hours a week as a self-employed software developer, the cost is overwhelming. Insurance will not cover the initial surgery until after the new year. With a condition this serious, waiting feels dangerous.
Any and all donations will be received with immense gratitude to help restore what has been lost since August of 2019. Donations will help me cover these life-saving surgeries, doctor's appointments, and radiation.
Thank you in advance for your support.
- Matt
Organizer
Matthew Ruiz
Organizer
South Riding, VA
