- V
I can’t say I ever thought I’d be a person to set up a GoFundMe.
But here we are.
Almost 3 years ago, my beloved Jeremiah was diagnosed with UNCURABLE Stage 4 Colon Cancer, that had spread to his Liver, Lungs, Bones, and Brain.
As of December 21st, 2023, we had completed 10 chemo treatments & 12 rounds of Radiation. A lot of things had been going well! He reduced his Brain cancer by half, he had shrunk his Colon Cancer from 24 cm, to 6 cm!
Until December 21st, 2023 when he had developed a virus and a temperature and they had to cancel Chemo until he got over his virus.
On December 30, he wasn’t able to take full breaths and had some chest pain. We went straight to the ER. They took EKGs, Chest X-rays, and tons of blood, and sent us home. It was determined later by his Radiation Oncologist, that he had fractured a rib due to his cancer splitting his brittle bone.
A week later, it was time for chemo again, and we were told by his Oncologist that from the Chest X-ray they did at the ER in December, it had shown that his Lung Tumors had tripled and were growing. The Oncologist determined at that time that the chemo plan we had been on, was no longer doing its job. And it was time to transfer him from the VA, to Banner Cancer Center. While this broke our heart, because we loved so many of our caregivers at the VA, we were excited for a more Urgent approach to his care.
On January 16, 2024 Jeremiah sited some fragments that looked like “dark coffee grounds” that came from his Urethra during urination. Over the next several days, the fragments grew larger and began to look more like what they actually were. Jeremiah was “pooping” from his Urethra.
Back to the ER, we went. Where they later admitted him, his body was fighting a hell of an Infection, and had become Septic. The reason: a Fistula (hole in his lower intestine) which was re-routing waste into his Urine Stream. He also had a softball size abscess that was full of bacteria and waste that needed to be drained, all next to the Tumor in his Colon. It would be time to operate.
Right now, we are waiting for care at Banner Cancer to begin, our first appointment is scheduled for February 14th, 2024.
The VA is still slated to do his Fistula surgery after another scan of his bladder, to confirm they don’t miss anything while they are in there for the fistula.
Update: 3/20/25
It’s a year later. We are a year into Jeremiah’s new treatment at Banner, as well as a year into him having a colostomy bag, full time.
Being at Banner, has been a dream so far, amazing support from Doctors and caregivers, the bureaucracy from the VA of the Banner aside, every doctor and caregiver has been worth it all.
His first year at Banner was measured in Cancer Activity Markers. When he first arrived in March of 2024, post fistula reroute, and collectomy install he was in the 400’s. His first rounds of chemo were like someone flipped a switch for him. He went from 435, to 150, the next round, 62, the next, 37, the next 12, the next 7. He had energy, he was his “normal self”, but his symptoms grew worse and worse, this was end of summer 2024. They paused treatment so his symptoms would stall out, they began again, and he had spiked back to 47, got another scan…paused chemo again, for some new lesions on his brain, which needed to be dealt with, with radiation. Next chemo, his markers were in the high 80’s. It was determined then in late November 2024, that treatment would be stalled again for more symptoms and a break for the Holidays.
All this time, and even before Jeremiah had been complaining about his back. And when he had a new CT scan done to follow up on the radiation we had concluded in the Fall, they noticed, finally, he had a mass in his spine. Tumors were now in his spine, and more radiation was determined to be the answer. Again, Chemo was stalled, and his markers were growing again, everywhere. After 5 radiation rounds, Jeremiah started chemo again right around Valentines Day, 2025. He was at 232 in his Cancer marker, and it meant that a new chemo would have to be tried. Because after a recent scan, the liver cancer had double in size. This was when our Doctors told us to GO! It was time to seriously make all the moves we could to get out of town! To go to EVERY PLACE ON OUR LIST, ASAP. Dr. Gomez said, he is now technically at the strongest and healthiest he will ever be again, and it was time to make some BIG PLANS, NOW.
So Jeremiah went home and booked us:
2 tickets to Thailand July 2025
2 tickets to an Alaska Cruise 06/2026
Why am I posting a GoFundMe?
Jeremiah is 44, I’m 43. Like most of my friends, we both thought we had a minimum of 20 more years of working to plan for our retirement. Building a nest to utilize in our “golden years”.
To retire and To travel the hundreds of places we have dreamt about. To see foreign lands and dine on foreign dishes. But the truth is we weren’t ready.
Not even ready enough to take the time off to get him his treatments and hospital stays.
Taking time off from our small family business is tough on my family, and all I want to do is be with him and hold his hand.
All I’ve ever wanted to do since the day I met him is be by his side and experience and explore life with him.
Unfortunately this is where we are. In the middle of the unknown.
Not knowing how long I have with this precious man.
Not knowing if I will ever take him to all the places we’ve dreamt of.
Not knowing is the hardest part.
We are pretty much just lost, together.
I haven’t updated this story in a year, I mostly just posted a lot of updates on social media, to be honest, I keep feeling like it wasn’t my story to tell.
Jeremiah is a bright shiny human, that emotes so much life-it’s hard for him to bring this kind of weight and enormity to others. He usually is the guy that doesn’t let others know when he’s got something going on, and carries on with a smile.
So here we are. Hat in hand.
Sharing the most wild story of our lives.
Hoping for the best, but lost all the same.
So let’s go, LFG! Jeremiah’s Bucket List is underway, only help if you can. But if you can, it’ll go straight to keeping me by his side, hand in hand, somewhere cool, with a little silly bevvie in our hands.
And we will give him a chance at retirement, that he would have never seen.
But here we are.
Almost 3 years ago, my beloved Jeremiah was diagnosed with UNCURABLE Stage 4 Colon Cancer, that had spread to his Liver, Lungs, Bones, and Brain.
As of December 21st, 2023, we had completed 10 chemo treatments & 12 rounds of Radiation. A lot of things had been going well! He reduced his Brain cancer by half, he had shrunk his Colon Cancer from 24 cm, to 6 cm!
Until December 21st, 2023 when he had developed a virus and a temperature and they had to cancel Chemo until he got over his virus.
On December 30, he wasn’t able to take full breaths and had some chest pain. We went straight to the ER. They took EKGs, Chest X-rays, and tons of blood, and sent us home. It was determined later by his Radiation Oncologist, that he had fractured a rib due to his cancer splitting his brittle bone.
A week later, it was time for chemo again, and we were told by his Oncologist that from the Chest X-ray they did at the ER in December, it had shown that his Lung Tumors had tripled and were growing. The Oncologist determined at that time that the chemo plan we had been on, was no longer doing its job. And it was time to transfer him from the VA, to Banner Cancer Center. While this broke our heart, because we loved so many of our caregivers at the VA, we were excited for a more Urgent approach to his care.
On January 16, 2024 Jeremiah sited some fragments that looked like “dark coffee grounds” that came from his Urethra during urination. Over the next several days, the fragments grew larger and began to look more like what they actually were. Jeremiah was “pooping” from his Urethra.
Back to the ER, we went. Where they later admitted him, his body was fighting a hell of an Infection, and had become Septic. The reason: a Fistula (hole in his lower intestine) which was re-routing waste into his Urine Stream. He also had a softball size abscess that was full of bacteria and waste that needed to be drained, all next to the Tumor in his Colon. It would be time to operate.
Right now, we are waiting for care at Banner Cancer to begin, our first appointment is scheduled for February 14th, 2024.
The VA is still slated to do his Fistula surgery after another scan of his bladder, to confirm they don’t miss anything while they are in there for the fistula.
Update: 3/20/25
It’s a year later. We are a year into Jeremiah’s new treatment at Banner, as well as a year into him having a colostomy bag, full time.
Being at Banner, has been a dream so far, amazing support from Doctors and caregivers, the bureaucracy from the VA of the Banner aside, every doctor and caregiver has been worth it all.
His first year at Banner was measured in Cancer Activity Markers. When he first arrived in March of 2024, post fistula reroute, and collectomy install he was in the 400’s. His first rounds of chemo were like someone flipped a switch for him. He went from 435, to 150, the next round, 62, the next, 37, the next 12, the next 7. He had energy, he was his “normal self”, but his symptoms grew worse and worse, this was end of summer 2024. They paused treatment so his symptoms would stall out, they began again, and he had spiked back to 47, got another scan…paused chemo again, for some new lesions on his brain, which needed to be dealt with, with radiation. Next chemo, his markers were in the high 80’s. It was determined then in late November 2024, that treatment would be stalled again for more symptoms and a break for the Holidays.
All this time, and even before Jeremiah had been complaining about his back. And when he had a new CT scan done to follow up on the radiation we had concluded in the Fall, they noticed, finally, he had a mass in his spine. Tumors were now in his spine, and more radiation was determined to be the answer. Again, Chemo was stalled, and his markers were growing again, everywhere. After 5 radiation rounds, Jeremiah started chemo again right around Valentines Day, 2025. He was at 232 in his Cancer marker, and it meant that a new chemo would have to be tried. Because after a recent scan, the liver cancer had double in size. This was when our Doctors told us to GO! It was time to seriously make all the moves we could to get out of town! To go to EVERY PLACE ON OUR LIST, ASAP. Dr. Gomez said, he is now technically at the strongest and healthiest he will ever be again, and it was time to make some BIG PLANS, NOW.
So Jeremiah went home and booked us:
2 tickets to Thailand July 2025
2 tickets to an Alaska Cruise 06/2026
Why am I posting a GoFundMe?
Jeremiah is 44, I’m 43. Like most of my friends, we both thought we had a minimum of 20 more years of working to plan for our retirement. Building a nest to utilize in our “golden years”.
To retire and To travel the hundreds of places we have dreamt about. To see foreign lands and dine on foreign dishes. But the truth is we weren’t ready.
Not even ready enough to take the time off to get him his treatments and hospital stays.
Taking time off from our small family business is tough on my family, and all I want to do is be with him and hold his hand.
All I’ve ever wanted to do since the day I met him is be by his side and experience and explore life with him.
Unfortunately this is where we are. In the middle of the unknown.
Not knowing how long I have with this precious man.
Not knowing if I will ever take him to all the places we’ve dreamt of.
Not knowing is the hardest part.
We are pretty much just lost, together.
I haven’t updated this story in a year, I mostly just posted a lot of updates on social media, to be honest, I keep feeling like it wasn’t my story to tell.
Jeremiah is a bright shiny human, that emotes so much life-it’s hard for him to bring this kind of weight and enormity to others. He usually is the guy that doesn’t let others know when he’s got something going on, and carries on with a smile.
So here we are. Hat in hand.
Sharing the most wild story of our lives.
Hoping for the best, but lost all the same.
So let’s go, LFG! Jeremiah’s Bucket List is underway, only help if you can. But if you can, it’ll go straight to keeping me by his side, hand in hand, somewhere cool, with a little silly bevvie in our hands.
And we will give him a chance at retirement, that he would have never seen.
Organizer
