Help Scott Fight Brain Cancer

It started out just like any other Thursday, my father in law woke up, drove to work in Boulder, came home and cooked dinner.  Later that evening our family noticed Scott was slurring his words.  My mother in law took him to the emergency room the next morning with the fear of a mini stroke.  He was given a CAT scan which prompted an MRI.  It was at that moment that the fears had worsened when we found out that he had a brain tumor roughly the size of a golf ball.
   
Now the question was removal, the original plan was for the tumor to be removed the following Tuesday but after a diagnosis from the neurologist the decision was made for the surgery to be moved up to the next day (now Saturday).  His surgery took three hours and was considered a success after another MRI confirmed the entire tumor was removed.   

The tumor was sent away for a biopsy and then the real battle began.  At this point Scott has a six inch incision down the left side of his skull, he is unable to see anything from either eye on his right side, has minimal depth perception, struggles to bring thoughts to words, and has lost significant portions of both short and long term memory.  He stayed in the hospital for six days and then was moved to an in-patient rehab facility, where he received multiple types of therapy, several times per day.  He has regained some balance, and a few words but is still struggling with language and memory.  He stayed in the rehab facility for an additional two weeks and then was allowed to head home.   

While he was in the hospital we had to assess Scott and Anna’s home for accessibility.  For those who know the Gerwig’s, you know that they live in a bi-level home which was not ideal for Scott’s return home.  The boys along with a great family friend/neighbor all worked hard for four solid weekends updating the railings, painting, trim, wall paneling, and redoing a full bathroom to make it more ADA accessible.   

Scott is now home and has received the biopsy from his tumor and we have found out that he has Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma grade 3 brain cancer.  As his therapy continues, he will now also be taking daily chemotherapy pills and will need to be taken into Boulder daily to receive radiation.  We expect this to be a long and grueling road in many ways but especially physically, financially, and most definitely emotionally.   

With Scott not able to return to work and Anna working as much as she can and getting Scott to his appointments; it has been a tough two months for them.  It is with great reluctance that we ask for help but our hope is that you open your hearts, include him in your thoughts and prayers and be as generous as your budget allows.  We appreciate any and all types of kindness you send his way. 

Scott continues to have positive improvements on his road to recovery and is committed to returning to his normal self.  He maintains his unique sense of humor and is responding positively towards therapy.  The unknowns remain in the eradication of the cancer in his brain, regaining his sight, depth perception, word enunciation and memory.