What Mike Would Have Wanted
Doação protegida
Sometimes you gotta kick a little ass and that's exactly what Mike is going to do! Mike is a husband, father, son, brother, friend; he could be your neighbor! He enjoys watching sports and loves to take his family to baseball and hockey games. He is an aspiring musician and DJ. He loves to garden and cook and is a he's a bbq connoisseur. In fact, my husband and I got a little taste of his scrumptious bbq delights a few years back at a local cooking competition. I'm looking forward to having some more when he is in remission!
What happened? Mike was experiencing stomach pain since August 2019. He tried to get an appointment with a gastrointestinal doctor but it was taking forever. After a terrible night with psi, on November 10th, he decided to go to the ER. They did a CT scan and found a large tumor around his right kidney. He was admitted to the hospital and further tests were done. A biopsy revealed he had B-cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It's aggressive and spreading quickly. While waiting for all of his tests to come back it was revealed that the disease had spread to his sinuses, back and possibly to his intestines. Even though it's a scary thing to hear, his doctor is convinced Mike has a good prognosis with aggressive treatment. Mike completed his first of six rounds of chemo on December 9th and his second round starts today on December 30, 2019.
What is it? Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is cancer that originates in your lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network spread throughout your body. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, tumors develop from lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/non-hodgkins-lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375680
What causes it? In most cases, doctors don't know what causes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In some cases, it's due to a weakened immune system. But it begins when your body produces too many abnormal lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell.
Normally, lymphocytes go through a predictable life cycle. Old lymphocytes die, and your body creates new ones to replace them. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, your lymphocytes don't die but continue to grow and divide. This oversupply of lymphocytes crowds into your lymph nodes, causing them to swell.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/non-hodgkins-lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375680
What is the Treatment? Mike has to undergo an aggressive cocktail of chemotherapy and along with it, he experiences a myriad of symptoms like feeling weak, nauseous, terrible muscle aches, and he is susceptible to colds, flu, and infections. This is because the chemo reduces his white blood cell count making it harder for his body to ward off illnesses. He has been on a difficult liquid diet for almost two months and will not be able to return to eating normally until the tumors have sufficiently decreased in size to where it's not unsafe to eat solid food again. Mike will undergo 8 hours of chemotherapy one day and then he will have three weeks off. He will need to repeat this schedule for an estimated time frame of six months. Of course, the treatment could be longer or shorter depending on how Mike responds along the way. We will keep you informed as we get new information.
How will your Donation Help? Mike is the main bread-winner for his family. His beautiful wife, Mahrya, works but she is also his main caretaker. She will likely need to take time off of work for doctor appointments and treatments. They are raising an amazing son who is in the middle of his 8th-grade year of middle school. During the course of treatment, Mike used all of his paid time off and soon their income will be reduced by 50%. Your donation will help pay for hospital stays, caregiver time off of work, co-pays, prescriptions, medical supplies, and cover their insurance deductible. Additionally, it will ensure they are able to keep up with their mortgage payments and necessary household expenses.
This Request is Urgent. Because Mike has just begun treatment, his unexpected expenses are higher. He had expected to continue working while undergoing treatment but, knowing how hard the treatment would be, his doctor recommended he take time off to rest and heal,
Sometimes, individually we can't make a huge difference but collectively we can! With much appreciation, please consider making a donation of any amount today. Your donation is tax-deductible.
*The Mirante Family wishes to thank all of you who have already helped; your support is so much appreciated.
What happened? Mike was experiencing stomach pain since August 2019. He tried to get an appointment with a gastrointestinal doctor but it was taking forever. After a terrible night with psi, on November 10th, he decided to go to the ER. They did a CT scan and found a large tumor around his right kidney. He was admitted to the hospital and further tests were done. A biopsy revealed he had B-cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. It's aggressive and spreading quickly. While waiting for all of his tests to come back it was revealed that the disease had spread to his sinuses, back and possibly to his intestines. Even though it's a scary thing to hear, his doctor is convinced Mike has a good prognosis with aggressive treatment. Mike completed his first of six rounds of chemo on December 9th and his second round starts today on December 30, 2019.
What is it? Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma is cancer that originates in your lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network spread throughout your body. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, tumors develop from lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/non-hodgkins-lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375680
What causes it? In most cases, doctors don't know what causes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In some cases, it's due to a weakened immune system. But it begins when your body produces too many abnormal lymphocytes — a type of white blood cell.
Normally, lymphocytes go through a predictable life cycle. Old lymphocytes die, and your body creates new ones to replace them. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, your lymphocytes don't die but continue to grow and divide. This oversupply of lymphocytes crowds into your lymph nodes, causing them to swell.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/non-hodgkins-lymphoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20375680
What is the Treatment? Mike has to undergo an aggressive cocktail of chemotherapy and along with it, he experiences a myriad of symptoms like feeling weak, nauseous, terrible muscle aches, and he is susceptible to colds, flu, and infections. This is because the chemo reduces his white blood cell count making it harder for his body to ward off illnesses. He has been on a difficult liquid diet for almost two months and will not be able to return to eating normally until the tumors have sufficiently decreased in size to where it's not unsafe to eat solid food again. Mike will undergo 8 hours of chemotherapy one day and then he will have three weeks off. He will need to repeat this schedule for an estimated time frame of six months. Of course, the treatment could be longer or shorter depending on how Mike responds along the way. We will keep you informed as we get new information.
How will your Donation Help? Mike is the main bread-winner for his family. His beautiful wife, Mahrya, works but she is also his main caretaker. She will likely need to take time off of work for doctor appointments and treatments. They are raising an amazing son who is in the middle of his 8th-grade year of middle school. During the course of treatment, Mike used all of his paid time off and soon their income will be reduced by 50%. Your donation will help pay for hospital stays, caregiver time off of work, co-pays, prescriptions, medical supplies, and cover their insurance deductible. Additionally, it will ensure they are able to keep up with their mortgage payments and necessary household expenses.
This Request is Urgent. Because Mike has just begun treatment, his unexpected expenses are higher. He had expected to continue working while undergoing treatment but, knowing how hard the treatment would be, his doctor recommended he take time off to rest and heal,
Sometimes, individually we can't make a huge difference but collectively we can! With much appreciation, please consider making a donation of any amount today. Your donation is tax-deductible.
*The Mirante Family wishes to thank all of you who have already helped; your support is so much appreciated.
Organizadora
Mira Coburn
Organizadora
Santa Rosa, CA
