Roger no longer suffers. Bills pile up.

Update March 1, 2023: ROGER'S SPIRIT LEFT HIS BODY FULL OF CANCER WITH HEATHER BY HIS SIDE AT SUTTER FAITH HOSPITAL IN AUBURN.

IT WAS PEACEFUL AND HEATHER SAW HIM TAKE HIS LAST BREATH. OK to share now. She has lost his ss income and still struggles to save the house he built until it can sell. It should by June. And now unplanned medical bills coming in and final arrangements which will be cremation soon. He was the love of her life for 44 years. Your donations in lieu of cards or flowers are appreciated at this time. Thank you to all

those who are helping with their time.

Prior:

I am now getting 4 infusions: 3 of the strongest chemos (FOLFOX) and the miracle immune drug OPDIVO! I am weak and feel terrible, BUT I know these chemos can destroy cancer and give me life again. PLEASE CONTINUE TO HELP US UNTIL WE CAN SELL THE HOUSE!! No offers yet, but people want to see it. Thank you our dear friends. Heather is taking care of me despite her disabling arthritis/scoliosis.

PETSCAN 12/22 indicates the cancer has spread to my spine, hips, ribs, lung and liver. I can just quit and live a few months or fight. I choose to get chemo and the immuno drug Opdivo even if allergic and painful. I want my wife to be settled with the house sold so she has an income. God may give me a miracle, like the miracle of these donations. Trying not to become homeless. Esophageal cancer has left me weak, unable to work and penniless. We are now living on donations. Here is my story.

UPDATE DEC 2022. I am able to swallow some, learning how much before up it comes! Still weak but able to walk in a store at times without a scooter. 12/22 will learn the outcome of my post-surgery Petscan (it has spread). Hopefully I'm in remission. Your donations help us keep our home until we can sell. Thank you so much!!!! Unfortunately the immunotherapy drug Opdivo has left me in joint/muscle pain and I can no longer take it to keep the adenocarcinoma from coming back. Here is the story:

I'm Roger Stevens, 74, and finally ready to retire after 65 years of work, then cancer hit me hard, taking my strength and all the money I saved. Stage 4, but I am surviving.

A year ago I was remodeling the house I built to sell and pay all the bills and retire with my wife Heather Macdonald. I found it harder and harder to swallow and it felt like I had a knife in my throat. The specialist couldn't figure it out and misdiagnosed me, told me no cancer. I kept trying to work with the pain and couldn't. We sold cars, tools, jewelry, all we could to make house payments and bills.

In April my wife took me to her doctor at Sierra Endoscopy Center in Grass Valley. There the doctor found Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer Stage 4. I was immediately referred to the Cancer Center at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, CA, where I spent the summer receiving radiation 5 days a week and then the chemo. I was given a chemo drug, Taxol, which almost killed me, (the oncologist said I was one minute from death), but here I am. I lost 100 lbs and managed to put on 20 lbs for the big surgery this month, where my esophagus and upper stomach were removed, and the remaining stomach stretched and attached to my throat. I'm on a feeding tube with a pump, but have managed some broth. Unfortunately, I cannot return to work as a handyman for 6 months. Covid retired my wife's video production business in 2020.

To make matters worse: THE HOUSING MARKET CAME TO A STANDSTILL! We listed the house, interest rates went up, and no one is buying. We are trying, but have used up all savings, have nothing left to sell and both of our social security checks go to the first mortgage only. However, we could still lose the house because we have a second. We also need money for health care premiums, insurance, water, food, PG&E and gas to get to all the doctor appointments from Sacramento to Grass Valley.

Our home is our retirement. I built, remodeled and fixed homes for 60 years and now we may lose it all. I'm asking for any donation you can afford to help us through this rough time until I am well or we sell the house.

For those of you who know me, you know I would not be asking for donations unless it was very serious. The worry about becoming homeless I know is keeping me from getting over this cancer quickly. I worry for my wife who struggles to walk due to advanced osteoarthritis.

Any donations of any size will be used to keep a roof over our heads, pay PG&E, propane, supplemental medical insurance premiums, gas, water, food and the basics until I am back on my feet in 6 months. Thank you very much. Roger Stevens and Heather Macdonald.