Help during Cancer Treatments

I am asking for help. Most have seen the post already on social media. A lot of you know what’s going on. What some may not know is that I cannot work right now. Between recovering every other week, and the side effects that come with treatments, I am unable to work. I haven’t worked since going into the ER in November. I am currently living off of savings and VA disability payments.

After opening up to a few people and telling them my struggles, I have been convinced to humble myself and ask for help. So, I am asking for help. I am not sure how else to go about this except just asking. I’m not very good at asking for help, but it’s another step in the process and I’ve come to realize that any little bit helps, and it may actually be the stronger decision, ironically. 

Fortunately, my treatments are covered by the VA, so we do not have to worry about the medical coverage for this. Also, Salty’s food is completely taken care of as well. Wedding deposits have been taken care of prior to this. The money will go towards the basics: Food, rent, fuel, and bills every month. 

THE “SHORT” STORY

I was having stomach pain since the beginning of October and chalked it up to an Ulcerative Colitis flare up. It wouldn’t go away no matter what I did. I Changed my diet completely, took pepto bismol, gas-x, etc. nothing was working.

Finally, on November 20th, I bit the bullet when I couldn’t take it anymore and checked into the ER.

When we got there, a CT scan revealed a large mass in my colon. We met with a few specialists and surgeons and we came up with a plan to have the mass removed and possibly my colon. 3 days later, I was discharged with a plan.

Well, 12 hours later, the day before Thanksgiving, I wake up in the worst pain I have felt in quite a long time. Back to the ER. When I got there, the surgeon that I met with said we have to operate NOW. The OR was prepped and I was rushed around with all of these different specialists to mark the operating areas, sign some paperwork, and wheeled all around the hospital.

I wake up 6 hours-ish later in the ICU. My colon has been completely removed and tests were being ran on the mass. Turns out, the mass was cancer, and it spread to my lymph nodes. I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. I spent another 6 days in the hospital while meeting with my surgeon, the doctors, nurses and other specialists.

The game plan was to heal for a few weeks after I was cut open from my pelvis to close to my sternum. And when I was mostly healed, I was to have a port put in my chest to start receiving chemo treatments at the beginning of the year.

The port was installed in my chest and I started my chemo treatments on January 3rd. The plan is for every two weeks for six months to receive chemo infusions. I go in every other week for a few hours to be infused. Then I go home with a pump for another two days. After that, it’s recovery.

We am still processing what has happened and how it has impacted everyday life. I now have an ileostomy with a bag attached to my stomach. Every day is rough but I’m coming to terms with it

There is so much to navigate with the side effects of chemo, having a stoma, no colon, and recovering from surgery. But knowing all of the people in my corner helping out and being there for me have made it so much easier than I anticipated.

I feel blessed for everybody in my life. For the helping hands, the offers of support, the food brought to me during recovery, and everything else that people have done for me. I’m truly grateful for all of it.