pNET Cancer

Hi, My name is JR and I am hoping to raise money for Randal NeSmith and his family to help cover his travel expenses, lodging and lost wages during his treatments. Please read Randal's story below.

My Story

In 2018 I was diagnosed with a rare cancer, Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor or pNET. It had spread to my liver by the time it was discovered. There was a golf ball-sized tumor attached to the tail end of my pancreas and 15 lesions in my liver. I had surgery in May 2018 to have the tumor removed. Since then, I have been combating the lesions in my liver through various treatment options. Each one being more aggressive than the previous. I had four doses of Lutathera radiation in 2019, and I’ve been on a steady chemo pill regimen since March of 2020. In the spring of 2021, I had my first embolization procedure. (Which is a catheter into my femoral artery going into my liver.) I’ve since had four more embolizations with added Lipiodol chemotherapy. April 2022 will be my sixth embolization, this time with the addition of tiny radiation glass beads being inserted into my liver. (Called a Y90 radioembolization). I am allowed two of these types of procedures in my lifetime. These procedures require an overnight stay at the hospital and the recovery time is about 1-2 weeks. The time between procedures is 8-10 weeks. These treatments, along with the chemo, require me to stay on a constant nausea and pain medication regiment. Even with the daily meds, I fight pain throughout my entire body and the never-ending feeling of fatigue and nausea. While the procedures are working, causing some of the lesions to shrink or halt growth, some are splitting apart and creating new ones that have to be targeted with another treatment. At this time we do not have a short-term prognosis, but I will continue to fight this disease. I thank God for my family, friends, and coworkers who help me succeed. I have been blessed with people in my life that give me a reason to fight. For now, I’ll continue to do whatever is necessary to stay on this planet with them.

And my best guess on the total cost is about $7500. That covers this upcoming procedure plus potentially four more by the end of the year. (Approx. $1500 per trip-Hotel, fuel and wages)