Lulu and I have been on a very long health journey that started November of 2023 with Lulu being diagnosed with cancer, she has been out of work ever since. The cancer is called Leiomyosarcoma and it was large, aggressive and fast growing. It was also incredibly painful so there was a lot to figure out and she was in the hospital for 6 weeks.

We received many gifts and blessings of love from a lot of people we know and a lot we don't know but have been so blessed by. Friends of ours did set up a GoFundMe to help us through that while she started this battle. The original donations have managed to keep the bills paid up through times of great financial distress and a lot of uncertainty.

Lulu fought through 12 rounds of chemo. In November she started her 5 weeks of radiation that was M-F for 5 weeks straight. In order to make it work she had to move away from home weekly and only be home on the weekends, she stayed at a place called the SECU house that was able to shuttle her back and fourth to daily treatment. On the way up on the 3rd week the cars engine exploded with the 2 of us and a dear friend in it. We were all thankfully alright and we managed to get the car to a gas station. My (Rob) parents were on their way up to UNC for appointments and left hours early to arrive to help us to get up there for Lulu's treatment. My amazing sister was able to drop everything she had going on and come help me get the car towed and get me to important appointments! She along with many other helpers saved the day!

In the midst of all of this we had the devastating loss of Lu’s mom to her own cancer battle of more than 15 years. That loss has been detrimental especially to Lu who had to deal with cancer, extreme physical pain, grief and now a massive surgery. We’re not sure where the enemy is getting his energy to keep piling it on but we continue to trust that God has even more capabilities and power and will help us overcome all of this even though it feels insurmountable. He has never forsaken us.

We have had many generous gifts throughout the battle as well including groceries, cleaning help, transportation, love and support, meals and surprises like people showing up to just clean the house or prepare dinner.

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In the end of November Chewy (our dog) and I discovered a wound on my foot and yet again another deadly infection trying to take over. I went into the hospital for a surgery and to get antibiotics. In December the infection returned with a vengeance and was affecting my whole body and I went back to the hospital for another surgery and more antibiotics. after a short hospital stay I went home and back to work with a healing wound on my foot and IV antibiotics every night at home through a picc line and despite this I was just not recovering completely.

Lulu underwent surgery at UNC Chapel Hill on January 30th . It was planned as a 10 hour surgery with low odds of being able to remove the whole tumor and also terrifyingly low odds of survival. The amazing Lulu not only survived the surgery, but her Team of Superhero's brought her back to us after a massive blood loss, a transfusion and her blood pressure completely bottoming out, she was intubated and in the ICU for days. However it seems they were able to safely remove the tumor with what appears to be clean margins. We will know for sure in a few weeks. We knew that recovery was not going to be easy but she is in the most pain of her life and it looks like has a recovery of several months between rehab and work at home, she is gearing up for it and is working HARD to come off of the pain pumps to be able to get her strength back and her mobility back but I keep having to remind her that it’s been more than a year since she’s had proper mobility, and proper strength AND it has only been one week since surgery. She has just started working with OT and PT and they have high hopes that she’ll get her strength back and her life! .

The following Monday I saw my amazing care team. It was decided that the best course of action for longevity of my life and finally knock this thing out would be for me to go into the hospital and have most of my heel bone removed with the possibility of having to remove the lower leg. We were in two diffferent hospitals about an hour and a half apart we had gone through two surgeries in less than a week. Both of us in pain and trying to comfort each other it was beyond overwhelming, we weren’t thrilled and the thought really hurt and made me think a few things like “why me, why now?, what did I do to deserve this again? What am I going to do? How on earth are we going to financially survive this when it’s already so hard and impossible,” Lu has been waiting for 8 months to find out about disability, trying to see if she’s going to be approved, I would now be out of work for an extended period of time, we’re facing the possibility of getting evicted, neither one of us can pack a single thing or move if we’re even able to find a house if that were to happen let alone afford to change homes.

Through these massive storms thoughts turn dark and they can overwhelm someone quickly. I clearly heard God say to “pray and to trust” he’s gotten us through bigger and have never failed”

Our pastor came over and prayed with us before Lu’s surgery and he said that the Lord has revealed things to him like freedom from the cancer, and babies! And he prayed over both Lu and myself, the wounds and infections have been prayed over many times but this time the pastor prayed for the diabetes would be completely REMOVED from me and every problem that stems from it (it’s more to count and it’s all really bad) no one has ever prayed about it this way. Well I went in for my surgery on Tuesday removed the heal bone he said when he removed it, it basically disintegrated in his fingers and he decided to to a DEEP cleaning and he saw clean healthy flesh in the foot and didn’t need to remove the leg so he cleaned up the foot and saved it and saved the leg. He stopped by the next evening and said he had never seen me looking this good. The next morning he opened the dressing and said it looks absolutely amazing that he saw good pink flesh with healthy new growth and he wanted the wound vacc put back on, my flesh is healing quickly and beautifully with this wound vacc and I’m trusting, praying, and believing that they are going to save this foot and leg!

We are SO blown away by how God has shown up and how our support squad wants us to do this! To be asked to please put up a GoFundMe about the journey we’re both on has been very kind to have people reach out, and if we’re being REALLY honest we could really use every bit of help because the struggle has been impossible. Thank you so much for your time in just reading our story, every prayer is felt and we’re so honored that you took the time to visit us and chat with us get to know us!