I'm not exactly sure how to cram the last 6 months into a few paragraphs...(inhale...exhale...) My story goes like this, I was diagnosed with a Vestibular Schwannoma or sometimes called an Acoustic Neuroma... It is  Brain Tumor..non cancerous...thank god! Here is a link if you have never heard of this type of tumor. While discovering the Schwannoma, they also discovered I have Schwannomatosis. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwannomatosis

https://www.anausa.org/overview

Now this is about 4 months after my fiancé and I have our son Everett Matthew, he's freaking adorable. A smile that will melt your heart, about two months after my fiancé and I decide to make some sacrifices so she can stay home and take on the...

responsibility of raising our son, (Andrea had a good job, we were just trying to put the babies needs before our own.. which sounded simple at the time...lol) oh...and about 1 month after starting my new job. I found out in August just right before my birthday, not that at 39 years old that really makes a difference. Just timing..and timng was right for them to find this tumor. 

That about summed up the last 6 months, and look we have had some amazing things happen also, we moved into a new home, and a better neighborhood, we had Everett for crying out loud...and we all love him so much. This is where I get uncomfortable and weird..

I get uncomfortable because my pride is convinced this is an acknowledgment of not being able to "handle my business", but this is not just something that is a result of poor choices, or a consequence from a decision I made...this was a fluke accidental discovery of a 2.5 centimeter tumor resting inside the right side of my brain.  I have access to some credit, however while not being able  to work I really don’t want to become increasingly more in debt. Not the answer to an already shaky financial situation due to the time I will need off. So I am putting my embaressment and uncomfortableness aside becuase my family needs this, b/c I will be down and out for a little while..
 
*The Nuts & Bolts

The Surgery is January 8th, my employer has been supportive and is willing to work with me on the time I need off, however b/c I have not been there long enough I can not take advantage of the family medical leave act, nor do I have enough sick, vacation, personal, time to cover how long I may need. 

As I understand it, the surgery will last bout 8 hours, I will spend some time (hopefully) only hours in the ICU recovery, and then the 6 to 8 week road to recovery begins. This will involve Rehabilitation that will have to take place in Cleveland. I am having the surgery at University Hospital...luckily the VA Hospitals (Veterans Administration) because I am an Iraq Veteran (OIF/OEF) with a service-connected disability they will pay for the majority of the expense.  Like regular insurance there will be some sort of deductible or co pay...I just don’t know what that will be yet. 


I have two weeks of paid vacation, which will help for two weeks, beyond that I will have no income coming into our home. We operate on a very tight purse string. One of the acknowledged and hardest sacrifices to make so Everett doesn’t have to go to day care, and at this point...I will need Andrea to be home to help me while I gain my balance back, and recover. 
 
Through consulting with the Dr's, both a ENT Surgeon, as well as a Brain Surgeon we have assessed a surgery to remove the tumor is the best course of action...they will enter through my right ear and remove the tumor. This procedure seems to have the least "risk/reward" I’m willing to take...I will perminatley loose my hearing on the right side, essentially that ear will only be to hold up my shades...lol. 

Choosing to be permanently deaf in one ear was a weird day...a very weird day, like I said it was the "risk v. reward" I was most comfortable with, given all the  choices.

The money that you so graciously donate will go to paying the bills while I am off work, prevent us from falling behind and putting us in a even more of a predicament.  The money will go toward food, utilities, rent and gas to get back and forth to University Hospital as well as the Louis Stokes VA Hospital.  It will help keep our family a float... I am appreciative and humbled by your generosity.
 

The money Im shooting for does not handle all expenses I will incure while dealing with this, it will hopefully keep me a from fallibg too far behind until I can get back to work, and earn the money I need for my family and any medical expenses I do have to cover.  This money  is a bare minimum, this isnt including anythibg other than jyst getting by, and will hopefully last us about 2 months. I just want to be as up front as i can here. 

I have to go back a few weeks before the surgery for another MRI, just to make sure nothing has really changed, the Dr. said “I don’t like to get in there and find any surprises”…lol, I appreciate his thoroughness.

I will keep you all posted as it gets closer…until  then, simply…Thank you.