- J
- S
- J
It has been a long road. For the past 18 months or so I have been experiencing increasing weight loss and unexplained body rashes. At first I thought the weight loss was from improving my diet. As time went on I was experiencing extreme fatigue and the rashes were getting worse. I was also loosing more weight than what was healthy, I went from 205 to 160. My legs were getting skinny and I was feeling weak.
During this time I was also having trouble being productive at work and my wife J.K. has been picking up the slack. It has been very stressful for her.
But then, back in June I almost DIED. I was sitting behind the front desk at work and I started to shiver and I had sharp pains in my hips. So I went home. By the time J.K. got home that night I had a large rash on my back. So we went to the E.R. I had a bad case of cellulitis, so they gave me a strong antibiotic. This is where the trouble began. I had a strong negative reaction to the medication, it disrupted my digestive system so much that I became extremely dehydrated over the next 5 days.
This became so severe that I passed out trying to make it to the bathroom. So we went back to the E.R. They admitted me right away because my potassium had become dangerously low, so low in fact that I was was in danger of having a heart attack. "the almost dying part" One Doctor even commented that he had never seen some one with potassium as low as mine.
What followed was 5 of the worst days of my life. While trying to raise my potassium levels I was in a lot of pain but they could not give me pain meds due to the potassium issue. On top of that they would not let me eat because they wanted to do a endoscopy.
The reason they wanted to do an endoscopy was because during my intake a CT of my abdomen was performed and a tumor was discovered. But we will get back to that in a bit.
During that time the potassium infusion began to burn my veins, so it was necessary to put in a PIIC line. Which is a tube that goes from your arm to just above where blood enters your heart.
On the 5th day I had the endoscopy. The diagnosis was that I had a tumor on my pancreas. When I left the hospital I was 140 lbs. And I had another endoscopic biopsy scheduled.
Two days later I discovered suspicious lumps in my arm where the PICC line had been. So I went back to the E.R. After an ultra sound it was discovered that I had 3 blood clots in my arm. I was readmitted to the hospital for another 2 days and put on I.V. blood thinners.
After returning home a second time it took me two weeks to be strong enough to return to the office.
About a month later I had my second endoscopy. What it showed was a type of cancer called a Neuro-endrocrine tumor. This is the kind of cancer Steve Jobs had. An appointment with a cancer surgeon was scheduled.
On August 31st I had what is known as a Whipple surgery. This is where they remove the bottom of the stomach, the duodenum, gall bladder, and part of the pancreas. All of this was necessary to get the tumor.
I spent another 5 days in the hospital. Then the following 8 weeks recovering at home. I would need a book to describe what that process has been like.
The reason I have created this campaign is because all of this happened with out insurance and the impact me being absent for 3 months has had on the business I share with my wife.
She has been so strong, and our friends and family have been there for us in ways that go beyond my ability to show all of my gratitude for.
I am so grateful to be alive and as of writing this I am cancer free.
But, and as difficult as it is to ask for help... especially the financial kind. I am in need of help.
I am beginning to be able to help at the office more and more, but we are in a hole. This is even more stressful because of the holidays and wanting to be able to give to our friends and family and being limited to do so.
But mostly I am asking for help to take off some of the intense pressure that is on J.K. to be the only one to take care of us.
If you are able to help, I want to say Thank You.
During this time I was also having trouble being productive at work and my wife J.K. has been picking up the slack. It has been very stressful for her.
But then, back in June I almost DIED. I was sitting behind the front desk at work and I started to shiver and I had sharp pains in my hips. So I went home. By the time J.K. got home that night I had a large rash on my back. So we went to the E.R. I had a bad case of cellulitis, so they gave me a strong antibiotic. This is where the trouble began. I had a strong negative reaction to the medication, it disrupted my digestive system so much that I became extremely dehydrated over the next 5 days.
This became so severe that I passed out trying to make it to the bathroom. So we went back to the E.R. They admitted me right away because my potassium had become dangerously low, so low in fact that I was was in danger of having a heart attack. "the almost dying part" One Doctor even commented that he had never seen some one with potassium as low as mine.
What followed was 5 of the worst days of my life. While trying to raise my potassium levels I was in a lot of pain but they could not give me pain meds due to the potassium issue. On top of that they would not let me eat because they wanted to do a endoscopy.
The reason they wanted to do an endoscopy was because during my intake a CT of my abdomen was performed and a tumor was discovered. But we will get back to that in a bit.
During that time the potassium infusion began to burn my veins, so it was necessary to put in a PIIC line. Which is a tube that goes from your arm to just above where blood enters your heart.
On the 5th day I had the endoscopy. The diagnosis was that I had a tumor on my pancreas. When I left the hospital I was 140 lbs. And I had another endoscopic biopsy scheduled.
Two days later I discovered suspicious lumps in my arm where the PICC line had been. So I went back to the E.R. After an ultra sound it was discovered that I had 3 blood clots in my arm. I was readmitted to the hospital for another 2 days and put on I.V. blood thinners.
After returning home a second time it took me two weeks to be strong enough to return to the office.
About a month later I had my second endoscopy. What it showed was a type of cancer called a Neuro-endrocrine tumor. This is the kind of cancer Steve Jobs had. An appointment with a cancer surgeon was scheduled.
On August 31st I had what is known as a Whipple surgery. This is where they remove the bottom of the stomach, the duodenum, gall bladder, and part of the pancreas. All of this was necessary to get the tumor.
I spent another 5 days in the hospital. Then the following 8 weeks recovering at home. I would need a book to describe what that process has been like.
The reason I have created this campaign is because all of this happened with out insurance and the impact me being absent for 3 months has had on the business I share with my wife.
She has been so strong, and our friends and family have been there for us in ways that go beyond my ability to show all of my gratitude for.
I am so grateful to be alive and as of writing this I am cancer free.
But, and as difficult as it is to ask for help... especially the financial kind. I am in need of help.
I am beginning to be able to help at the office more and more, but we are in a hole. This is even more stressful because of the holidays and wanting to be able to give to our friends and family and being limited to do so.
But mostly I am asking for help to take off some of the intense pressure that is on J.K. to be the only one to take care of us.
If you are able to help, I want to say Thank You.