Caring for Carl

Hello my name is Stephanie and I created this GoFundMe to not only share our story in the hopes it may help someone else but to also reach out to our community for help.

My husband Carl got diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and has been undergoing treatment for the past 4 months. His courage, strength and resilience has truely been remarkable considering how quickly everything processed in the beginning.

January 30th 2024 Carl checked himself into Los Robles Hospital due to some serious symptoms he was experiencing. He had already had a ct scan which showed a mass on his chest but also began to experience chest pains and shortness of breath. On February 2nd he went into what was supposed to be a 20 minute biopsy but during the procedure his trachea collapsed and he stopped breathing which prompted him to be put on a ventilator. This turn of events both shocked and terrified our family as we did not know what would happen or what exactly the outcome would be. On February 6th the results of the biopsy came in and he was diagnosed with stage 2 diffused large B-cell lymphoma. A tumor 15cm in size was sitting on top of his trachea which is what caused it to collapse.

Carl spent 11 long days in ICU on a ventilator undergoing several procedures including receiving his first round of chemotherapy, having a temporary stint placed in his trachea, and having a chemo port implanted into his femoral artery not once but twice due to improper blood return with the first implant. Because of the stint he was able to safely be extubated and was woken up on February 13th to a room full of doctors and family but without a clue of everything that had transpired over the last 11 days. He was then transferred to the oncology unit where he had to basically relearn to stand and walk on his own as his muscles had atrophied and he had a 2nd procedure to remove the temporary stint in his trachea. After 3 weeks in the hospital he was finally able to go home and wait to begin his outpatient care which would include 5 more rounds of chemo, one round lasting 5 days every 3 weeks.

Fast forward to April, Carl went in for a ct scan between his 3rd and 4th round of chemo and the scans came back showing zero signs of cancer in his body. He is offically in remission, hallelujah! The chemotherapy is working however he would still need to complete the full 6 rounds of chemo. Which brings us to the present day. Carl is about to finish his 5th round of chemo on May 10. His body is still responding well but it has taken a toll on him as well as on our family but we see the light at the end of the tunnel and are beyond grateful for the love and support we've received thus far.

I started this gofundme account to help ease the burden our family faces. Carl has always been an incredibly hard worker and the main provider for our family. He's been a commercial taper for a local union drywall company for well over 16 years as well as working privately with licenced contractors on residential properties. Always willing to help others with jobs or just favors for close friends without asking for anything else in return. He's left his mark on so many homes and businesses in our community. It goes without saying that his current condition has left him unable to work since the Janurary of 2024 and although my job with Simi Vally USD as well working at several gyms in Simi does help, it simply is not enough to ease the burden from countless appointments, surgeries, ct scans, chemotherapy, and other medical bills that have already began to come in. As you can imagine the normal costs of every day living...such as rent, food, gas, car, etc...the medical costs can be astronomical.

All the help we receive thru this fund will go towards Carl's medical bills and towards keeping our medical insurance active as it's set to expire in June of 2024 due to lack of work hours accumulated to keep it active. We will need to pay out of pocket for the same coverage we currently have to be able to ensure our family is covered and that Carl will keep receiving the care he needs without the stress of worrying about these unforseen medical costs and can focus on caring for our two kids and eachother.

From the bottom of our hearts we humbly ask that you share this link with friends and family and if possible in giving (any amount will help). I will continue to update and share how Carl is doing with everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you all for your support.

With Love,

Stephanie, Carl, Rhyan, & Xander