Hi, I am the wife of a very special man. My husband, Tony Williamson, is battling a very rare cancer. Our story is just like most stories. Tony has been a hardworking machine operator all of his life, most of the time going to work 12 hours a day in pain. About 2 years ago, after a few carpal tunnel procedures, he strangely began to retain fluid a little more than normal. We had several PCP appointments, and as usual, no one could tell us why the recurring issues. I finally changed his PCP, and that's when we started getting some answers. In September of 2023, Tony had a referral to see a vascular surgeon. He ordered some tests and could not find any problems with his legs that would have caused the issues he had been having. So he then referred him to a cardiologist. This appointment was in October of 2023. The cardiologist ran several tests, and the last test that was needed was an MRI. Well, Tony couldn't complete that test for many reasons. After the appointment with the cardiologist, he suggested that we retry the MRI or send his test results and records down to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. We opted to go to Jacksonville; it had just been too long with the same issues over and over, and we needed answers. So, I will never forget that day, November 13, 2023. We had to be in Jacksonville at 6:15 am. We had a lot of labs and several scans scheduled. Shortly after the labs, we met with the cardiologist. He went over the lab results with us and then asked if we had an oncologist back home. My response was no, and we do not want one. He looked at me and asked me why not. I advised him that I was in the medical field and knew what type of doctor it was. He said he wanted Tony to speak with one of their oncologists. I was scared, but nothing could have prepared me for this appointment. So we met with the chief oncologist at 11:30. We talked about Tony's health and what had been going on with him. He asked Tony about his family medical history and if anyone in his family had suffered from cancer. And, of course, he did not know. The oncologist ordered some other tests, including a bone marrow biopsy. After the bone marrow biopsy, we returned home. This, by far, was the most nerve-racking wait I had ever experienced. We waited for a week. With the holidays coming up close, I thought someone would have called before then. So I did what any normal person would do: I called them, and of course, they were out for the holiday vacation. So after Thanksgiving, we were rescheduled to come in for the results. So on the second Tuesday of December 2023, I called it the worst day of my life. We had a follow-up appointment with the oncologist, and on that day at 12:45 pm, I heard him say that my friend, my husband, my protector, my hero was going to need me to protect him now. With the medical insurance premiums at the COBRA rates and the medical bills, it's a little overwhelming sometimes. I hesitated doing this page not because I am embarrassed, but just because I didn't know what people would say or if anyone even cared to help. Whatever you feel led to give will help. Thank you all in advance.

KIND REGARDS

His Wife, God Got Us

Katina Williamson

#TEAM-TONY

#Cancersucks