My name is Ryan Lewis, and this year has been quite the journey. In March of this year, I was rushed to the E.R. for severe blood loss. After an extended ICU stay in Lawton and seeing a gastrointestinal oncology specialist I was diagnosed with stage four GIST tumors in my stomach and liver. I went from being a healthy person to having my life expectancy being measured in five-year percentages. It’s been a struggle in more ways than one.

My wife, Mindy, had to stop working for a while. Her income wouldn’t support our family so it was important that I be able to continue to work. It was taking everything in me to go to work, while also doing my best to keep from dropping out of night school. She took time off to take over everything at home, cared for me during the times I was so sick I could barely stand or shower let alone go to work/school, be there during my frequent doctor appointments and transfusions, and to handle my complicated dietary restrictions, round-the-clock pills, and juggle appointments between multiple doctors and hospitals. She has taken on everything she possibly can to try to let me focus on resting and recovery. I’d have collapsed without her.

Having tumors isn’t cheap. It’s blown through any money we’ve had. The ICU stay really did a number on us. There has been too many trips to Stephenson Cancer Center to count, sometimes as many as three times a week. Four hours round trip in a truck that gets terrible gas mileage is something we really can’t afford, even with packing our own food and drinks. Add that to an ever-increasing grocery bill, made worse by my diet, and never-ending medical bills. The debt has really been piling up.

This is the hard part. This whole ordeal has broken us financially. We’ve been behind on everything but the essentials for so long, it’s hard to see a way out. I don’t like asking for money, but everything we have is going to keeping a roof over our heads, food on the table, utilities, and trips to the doctor. Some of the time we’re not even managing that.

We so grateful to the family that’s been helping us when we get into too tight of a bind or when we’ve struggled to meet our son’s needs. It’s important to us that we don’t become a burden to them. We’re trying everything we can think of to keep afloat.

Thankfully, I haven’t had to have a blood transfusion since July. Since the bleeding slowed down, there’s been a lot of progress on me maintaining my own blood and having energy again. Mindy has been able to return to work part-time. It has been nice to feel like I’m some sort of normal again, even though I know the tumors are still there, and I’ve still got surgery and recovery ahead of me. We hope to have news of when surgery will be very soon.

I don’t expect to pay off medical bills, but getting through surgery and the next few months without worrying about providing for my family would mean everything to me and let me focus on healing and getting better.

If you’re able to donate and feel moved to do so we would be so thankful. If you prefer not to use GoFundMe my Venmo is @wryanlewis, my CashApp is $WRLd580, or reach out to me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/wrld87  for some other way.

Or if anyone is interested in buying a motorcycle, please reach out to me on Facebook. It’s a 2006 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 anniversary bike with 17,000 miles.

Thank you for anything we receive. I am going to beat this and live the rest of my life making it up to everyone.