Michael's Journey: Update on Health Renal Cancer Diagnosis

Pathology report in and his left kidney was cancerous. He will be off work for a lengthy period of time. If you can find it in your heart to donate, even a small donation will be greatly appreciated.

This is my nephew Michael and this is his story. He is 48 years old, and this picture was taken in early 2024. A background into his life has been filled with obstacles, challenges, and a troubled childhood. In adulthood, he has faced serious health issues. To encapsulate his early years, he is a product of divorced parents. As a 3-year-old, the courts in CA awarded custody to his biological mother, who after a few years became an alcoholic, and he endured 10 years of physical and mental abuse without saying a word to us about what he was going through. At the age of 14, he finally made the decision to move in with his father and a wonderful stepmother who raised him, and together they sought counseling to deal with the childhood trauma, which in truth can never be forgotten but coped with. His teenage years were difficult with schooling, but together he and his stepmother got him through high school.

Michael has always been a hardworking young man, starting a mobile car detailing service out of high school. As he matured, he followed into the family business of working in the oil refining profession like his grandfathers, an uncle, and father worked in. Over the years, Michael became a millwright by trade and became quite proficient in the profession. He worked on oil derricks in the ocean and various refineries wherever the union sent him. All dangerous environments, working on large compressors and complicated mechanical equipment, and had many years traveling for the various jobs available through the union. Working in the desert areas in California and Arizona, he contracted Valley Fever, which in itself was life-threatening; however, he recovered after many months of being off work. In 2020, he had both knees replaced due to physical work and playing football in high school. At that time, during X-rays and scans, they detected a laceration in his spleen, but they did nothing with this issue. After almost a year of being off work again to heal, recover, and therapy, he was able to return to work and resume his life in Bakersfield, CA.

As we fast forward into 2022-2024, he started feeling ill, pressure in the abdomen, fatigue, and a chronic cough, just not quite right, which he attributed to the air quality at the refinery. At the end of 2023, he had a serious fall on the job whereas a piece of equipment handle broke and he fell. With the fall, he landed on a wrench in his back pocket, which broke the hip joint. The surgeon decided to fix and not replace the hip due to his age; at the time, he was 45, and a hip replacement has an expectancy of 15 years. The surgery was a fix which left Michael with a variance in leg length, which has since caused some balance issues and unsteadiness. After returning to the refinery, Michael knew the environment with climbing and tear downs of large compressors and various tight fight areas to work in his health was in jeopardy. After months of soul searching, he decided to leave and terminate his employment at this refinery. He accepted a position with a former employer who wanted him to return to their employment. After only two weeks on the job, Michael had yet another fall at home, which required an ambulance transport to the emergency room at the local hospital. In running tests and scans, they discovered multiple health issues. They discovered issues with the abdomen, liver, and kidney issues, and chronic Afib. After being on the new job for 2 weeks, he did not have any benefits, especially health insurance. For the past 5 months, Michael has been on Cobra insurance at the cost of $730.00 a month. He has applied for disability, which has not been approved as of yet. He has had over 6 months with zero income. His father has assisted in many ways in the past, but they too are retired and on a fixed income. With mounting health bills, Michael had to move from his apartment, and thankfully his wonderful lady gladly welcomed him into her home. She has been a guardian angel in his life and has my full admiration and respect. However, there seems to be no financial hope in the future. On the 19th of this month (Dec), Michael underwent surgery to remove his left kidney, which had a large mass that had to be removed. Initially, the doctor had planned to do the procedure laparoscopically; however, the surgeon had to open him up, and his incision is extensive. The kidney and mass itself was the size of a football, but the doctor is 99% sure the mass is benign. In doing an open surgery, the surgeon discovered many incidents that have attributed to Michael's health. The laceration of the spleen seems to have been the root of many of the issues within the abdomen. The toxins from the spleen have been filtering through his organs, causing damage throughout. There was a 4" layer of fatty matter that had grown over this kidney and left side organs. The surgeon had a very complicated surgery to try and clean and replace the positioning of the organs. The recovery for just this surgery is estimated between 6-9 months. The doctor is referring Michael to a new GI specialist that he will work closely with to assist Michael in getting his health back. Michael realizes and hopes that as he recovers he may be able to return to his chosen profession. As of now, his job is to recover and explore other medical issues that he has to face. Then hopefully build a new future and a new chance for a fulfilling and rewarding life.

Until then, he is financially ruined, no disability, and has to maintain the health insurance and continue with his current primary care doctor, his kidney specialist, and his hematologist, who have provided excellent care to date. Adding to the team will be a new GI doctor.

Michael is a wonderful and caring person, who was always the first to offer help to anyone that needed assistance. He has had a hard life and deserves a break. We are praying that others will understand the situation he is in and in their hearts will offer some assistance financially or even saying prayers for a full recovery for a chance at a new beginning.

We will be forever grateful and thankful for anyone that can help. This is his last resort and not what he wanted his life to be like. However, we all have challenges and need help at times, and this is where he is at.

Blessings to all that can help, thank you for taking the time to read his journey. Please take a moment and share this page on your Facebook and social media pages.

Thank you