Support Jim's Fight Against Colon Cancer

I started this fundraiser to support my brother, Jim as he fights colon cancer. We are trying to raise money to help with medical bills and lost wages while he fights to get better. Any money donate will help support Jim and his wife Jennifer as they navigate the next six months of treatments. His story is below.

February 10 th started off as most Mondays do … a rush to wake up and get into the office. This Monday was a little different as Jim had called his doctor to complain about stomach irritation from a recent medication switch. The doctor was concerned and ask him to get to urgent care. Eight hours later, Jennifer received the call that Jim was

being sent to the ER and that they had discovered an 8 cm tumor in his colon. Stage 3 Colon cancer.

Jim was immediately admitted to Emory Hospital. As many know, Jim has a rare muscle condition called Myotonia Congenita. His condition does not allow him to have regular anesthesia as it can leaded to malignant hypothermia. Preparing for surgery

then becomes a little more complex. What we thought would be a two week stay turned into 32 days. The first surgery seemingly went as planned, but the recovery was slow. We thought Jim was just taking his recovery at his own pace, but on the morning of

March 1st , he was rushed to the ICU. We later discovered through emergency surgery, that he had a bowel obstruction and was bleeding internally. He came back from that surgery in a medically induced coma and his abdomen held together with surgical

sponges. He would need another surgery to reattach his bowel and close his abdomen. Late Monday, March 3rd , he went back to the OR to do just that. During those three days while Jim was sedated, Jennifer and his parents were at the hospital to make sure

that he was comfortable – they told him stories, played him music, and had the priest administer the sacrament of anointing of the sick.

The following morning after the third surgery, the respirator was removed, and Jim was brought back from sedation. He was confused, delirious, and paranoid. Apparently, it is common when patients are sedated for that length of time to experience “Hospital

delirium”, but we were unprepared. The altered state can last days, weeks, or months. We were fortunate that Jim was 90% back to himself after five days, but it was a hard five days to watch the person you love experience paranoia and mass confusion.

He spent another week out of the ICU before he came home on March 14 to recover with a 12-inch incision and 60 staples holding his abdominal wound together.

The incision became infected, and it was back to the clinic to have the staples removed and to visit with the oncologist for the first time.

They were disappointed to learn that starting in April, Jim will need 12 rounds of chemotherapy over the next 6 months. With being unable to work for at least three months and medical bills from 32 days in the hospital, Jim and Jennifer could use support to navigate through this year.