Help Trey Knight Battle Stage 4 Cancer
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Hello,
As many of you know, I've been battling Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer for 4 years.
Unfortunately, the cancer has returned and spread to my pancreas and liver with 3 new tumors. My battle to survive continues and thus the need to start a new GoFund page for assistance.
- October 2019, Diagnosed with Stage 4 Colorectal Cancer. Imaging included the main rectal tumor, 3 affected lymph nodes and a small tumor in my right lung.
- December 2019, 5 days after completing my annual performances with Debbie Allen's Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, I started into 8 heavy rounds of chemotherapy. Still working the first several rounds until Covid shut everything down.
- During the covid shut down, I continued with my chemotherapy cycles, followed by 28 days radiation, 8 weeks to recover, then I started into my surgeries August 2020.
- 1st surgery was a full lower anterior resection with temporary ileostomy.
- 2nd was my right lung resection around January 2021.
- 3rd I had the ileostomy reversal April 2021.
- 4th Craniotomy- Brain Resection- October 2021, while coaching at the World Skating Championships in South America with a few athletes, an unknown brain tumor started causing severe confusion, a pain that would occur up my neck behind my right eye, followed by my left side becoming completely numb, losing control, causing me to have many scary falls. I had to leave the World Competition early, transported in wheelchairs through the airports, and then taken to Kaiser Hospital Emergency. Two days later, I had a craniotomy- right brain resection. November 2021 included 5 days of radiation to the remaining brain cavity.
During a year of recovery, I continued having scans showing no evidence of cancer, although I was concerned and asking my doctors about an area under my left ribcage. I could feel pain and discomfort, deep under my left ribcage and it was getting worse. After months excruciating pain, some vomiting on occasion, several pancreatic attacks and not being able to eat, my oncologist finally ordered 2 new scans.
- April 2023 the Endoscope scans, biopsy and PET scan discovered 3 new tumors in 2 new organs. A 3cm tumor in the tail of my pancreas with surrounding inflammation which is in the area I've had pain developing over 1.5yrs. In addition, a major surprise in the liver with 2 additional tumors, 1 in each side of my liver, 6mm and 9mm.
A new battle has begun.
- May 2023 I started 12 more cycles of a different line of chemotherapy treatments in combination with immunotherapy. Dropping to a scary low weight of 130.8 lbs, my lowest to date. Much less damaging Neuropathy with the new chemotherapy treatment, although this chemo cocktail has come with lots of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, compounding fatigue, and a new growing, painful hernia from these side effects. All while still having to deal with my daily health management with LARS- Lower Anterior Resection Syndrome, the aftermath of my first main surgery.
As of this week, I started Cycle 9 with 3 more cycles to go. I'm dealing with the compounding side effects of chemo, rough for sure. The great news to share... I'm been able to eat again, gaining more weight, fluctuating around 142 lbs. and the severe pain and discomfort in my pancreas has gone away. This past Monday was my first follow up PET Scan to any progress. Praying for good results.
If the chemo is working, we will most likely continue in hopes the tumors disappear or they can hold back the disease. At this point I'm not a candidate for this major surgery involving 2 new organs with the goal of keeping the cancer managed.
The hernia operation is of course on hold for now. Wearing a hernia belt daily, there is no option for surgery while I'm on one of the drugs for treatment. It would be too dangerous for the healing process. I must wait until at least a 4-6 week break from chemo treatments before they can consider having the hernia operation. To be continued as it grows.
I continue forward, day by day, working as I can between Chemotherapy treatments, all of my doctor appointments, many days in bed exhausted with fatigue, running to the bathroom relentlessly, hours or days at a time, while collecting more medical dept. As we know, paying decades into self-employed health insurance, does not cover all of your medical bills when you actually need them. Insurance does not include co-pays, deductibles, medications.
I'm reaching out for any assistance with increasing medical dept, expenses, maybe by means of organic foods, produce etc. Unknown amount of chemotherapy treatments ahead of me, plus at the very least 1 more surgery on the way.
I've relocated to Palm Springs for those friends in the area or if you are planning to travel out to the desert for some R&R it would be lovely to see you.
I would not still be here without all of your unconditional love, prayers and support, my amazing loving parents, and of course my brilliant team of doctors, surgeons, oncologists, and radiologists that have continued working with me.
Thank you ALL again for the tremendous amount of love, support and encouraging words during this journey of my survival. Still shocking, exhausting, overwhelming, yet, I'm grateful and hopeful going forward as a 4 year survivor of Stage 4 Cancer!
The fight for survival continues.
Co-organisers (2)
Trey Knight
Organiser
Palm Springs, CA
Kim Manning
Co-organiser