Pat Olson Cancer Medical Fund

Hello and welcome all. My name is Patrick Olson. Let me give you the back story first. Around March of 2022 I went to the doctor and they did some tests on me and they found Bladder Cancer. I went into surgery and they did their thing. I then started chemotherapy. Things were going well until September of 2023. What happened was the Bladder Cancer had decided to invade my Prostate. It is not Prostate Cancer; it is Bladder Cancer in the Prostate. I sat down with my urologist and another doctor and they explained this occurrence is very rare (like only in medical books rare). They told me flat out that I need to have my Bladder and Prostate removed or I will die.

So, after the shock of this information was absorbed, I started more aggressive chemotherapy in preparation of the surgery to remove my Bladder and my Prostate. Yes, I have lost my hair. This is just temporary. Basically, one side effect of chemotherapy is a super oily scalp. This causes the hair follicles to not hold as strongly to the skin. Once I am done with all of this my hair will grow back. I have worked through the first chemotherapy back in 2022. This new aggressive chemotherapy also has the side effect of Bone Marrow Depression, which means way less red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets that prevent infection. As a result, I have not worked since Thanksgiving. The job I do is around a LOT of people and I CANNOT afford to get sick at this stage of the game. So, I have been using all of my sick leave until the surgery. As for the Bladder and Prostate, once removed, I will have an ostomy bag from that point on. Life changes, I adapt and move on from it. But hey, I’m still around, right?

Which brings me to this Go Fund Me page. All of these medical bills and lost time from work are mounting up on me. Yes, I have sick leave from work, but what I’ve bank rolled over the last decade will run out shortly, before the surgery. After surgery, I will be in the hospital for a week then recovering at home for at least 3 more weeks. Then up to the doctors what comes next. Probably either more chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or something else. I won’t be back at work for a while. No sick leave, no paycheck, no bills get paid, no mortgage, no house, etc. You get the idea. Oh, and also all the medical bills that are looming in the darkness. Kinda like a hidden tidal wave waiting for you to peek outside. That’s where I am at right now. My surgery isn’t until mid-February and I still have bills to pay to keep myself and my family taken care of safely. With my best guess, at this point, I am figuring about $20,000 will be needed for me to escape this financial crisis before me. Those of your who know me know that I don’t like to ask for help. I am usually the one helping others instead. But this is too big for me. I can say that. I need help. Please.

My only other option is to call it all off and well, you know what the doctor said if nothing is done so that’s not a choice. I am confident and have a positive mindset that the doctors will go in and WILL remove the cancer and I will be free of it, and I WILL WIN this battle. But to do so, I am humbly asking for any help you can provide. I don’t need financial stress chipping away at my confidence against my battle against cancer. Thank you for your time reading what I’ve written. Have a happy day.