Scott's fight against Stage 4 Melanoma
Donation protected
I have been debating whether I should start a fundraiser again. It is humiliating to have to beg for help, but our situation is urgent. This is the ugly truth:
The majority of us have all had struggles along the way. Maybe you lost a job or just didn’t make enough money to make ends meet. But imagine for a second that you or a loved one was faced with a terminal illness on top of the stress of meeting your monthly bills. You debate each week what is necessary to pay and are always running behind because the truth is you can no longer work enough hours to pay all your bills. Your mortgage company, utility companies and the grocery store don’t care that you are struggling financially. You reach out for help but are told that you make too much money for assistance. Yes, Scott is still working as much as possible even though he has dementia symptoms; memory loss & confusion and even though he is extremely fatigued and generally doesn’t feel well. Why is he working you ask? Because he needs his medical insurance. Without his insurance he would not be getting the care he needs. His cancer medications alone are $22,000 a month. So because this precious human being needs his medical insurance he has to work , which in turn tips the scales so he isn’t able to receive assistance. It is sad really, this is a man who served 7 years in the Army National Guard and was more than willing to protect his country. He has worked his entire life but can’t get assistance??? We have applied for disability but I don’t think he will be approved because he is still working and will have to continue to work because even on disability you cannot receive Medicare for two years.
I want to be there for him for whatever time he has left. At this point he cannot drive, yet needs to get to and from work and appointments. I feel deflated and beside myself most of the time. He has always provided for his family and now that he needs me the most I am failing him. I have been searching for a job for several months (in between running him around to appointments and taking care of him) and so far no luck in landing a job.
This is our story:
On September 20, 2018 our lives were forever changed. That is the day my husband of 26 years was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. I know you must be thinking the same thing I thought. Its just skin cancer, no big deal. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Scott’s cancer is advanced. He has innumerable tumors in his stomach, liver, pelvis, sacrum, ribs, sternum, discs in his back, lungs, esophagus, spinal column and brain. The tumors are so numerous they describe them as sheets. Meaning they are in layers all throughout his body.
In the months since his diagnosis Scott has lost 55 pounds due to his inability to eat and had to be fed through a pic line to help keep his nutrition and hydration up. He has undergone countless tests, scans and appointments and has even been hospitalized. He has finished 10 whole-brain radiation treatments and is currently taking 2 chemotherapy medications. With all this, he is far from done with appointments and treatments. Melanoma is a very sneaky cancer and there is no known cure for this stage of the disease. His Oncologist is hopeful that his cancer medications will shrink his tumors, buying him some time in hopes that a cure is found soon. He has also been undergoing testing to try to find the cause of his dementia like symptoms and so far they have not found the reason. We are praying whatever the cause that it is temporary.
Scott has always been an amazing husband and father. When Scott and I met he quickly accepted and raised my 18-month old son as his own. He has a great work ethic and has always held a full-time job and was a great provider for our family. Together we have raised 2 sons. Our oldest son (the one he gladly accepted and raised) is 30 years old and is autistic. Our youngest son is 26 and is a truck driver, who gave up a lucrative job in the oilfield and took a pay cut to be home with his dad.
Not only do we have excessive bills piling up, but only 10 days before Scott was diagnosed we closed on our home. We moved an hour away from where we had been living so I resigned my position with the intent on finding a new job closer to home. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a job due to Scott’s busy schedule at the cancer center.
The kindness of our family, friends and neighbors means the world to us. The emotional and financial support we have been shown provides us the strength to keep on fighting. Please know your donation, no matter the size is appreciated and will make a difference in our lives.
The majority of us have all had struggles along the way. Maybe you lost a job or just didn’t make enough money to make ends meet. But imagine for a second that you or a loved one was faced with a terminal illness on top of the stress of meeting your monthly bills. You debate each week what is necessary to pay and are always running behind because the truth is you can no longer work enough hours to pay all your bills. Your mortgage company, utility companies and the grocery store don’t care that you are struggling financially. You reach out for help but are told that you make too much money for assistance. Yes, Scott is still working as much as possible even though he has dementia symptoms; memory loss & confusion and even though he is extremely fatigued and generally doesn’t feel well. Why is he working you ask? Because he needs his medical insurance. Without his insurance he would not be getting the care he needs. His cancer medications alone are $22,000 a month. So because this precious human being needs his medical insurance he has to work , which in turn tips the scales so he isn’t able to receive assistance. It is sad really, this is a man who served 7 years in the Army National Guard and was more than willing to protect his country. He has worked his entire life but can’t get assistance??? We have applied for disability but I don’t think he will be approved because he is still working and will have to continue to work because even on disability you cannot receive Medicare for two years.
I want to be there for him for whatever time he has left. At this point he cannot drive, yet needs to get to and from work and appointments. I feel deflated and beside myself most of the time. He has always provided for his family and now that he needs me the most I am failing him. I have been searching for a job for several months (in between running him around to appointments and taking care of him) and so far no luck in landing a job.
This is our story:
On September 20, 2018 our lives were forever changed. That is the day my husband of 26 years was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. I know you must be thinking the same thing I thought. Its just skin cancer, no big deal. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Scott’s cancer is advanced. He has innumerable tumors in his stomach, liver, pelvis, sacrum, ribs, sternum, discs in his back, lungs, esophagus, spinal column and brain. The tumors are so numerous they describe them as sheets. Meaning they are in layers all throughout his body.
In the months since his diagnosis Scott has lost 55 pounds due to his inability to eat and had to be fed through a pic line to help keep his nutrition and hydration up. He has undergone countless tests, scans and appointments and has even been hospitalized. He has finished 10 whole-brain radiation treatments and is currently taking 2 chemotherapy medications. With all this, he is far from done with appointments and treatments. Melanoma is a very sneaky cancer and there is no known cure for this stage of the disease. His Oncologist is hopeful that his cancer medications will shrink his tumors, buying him some time in hopes that a cure is found soon. He has also been undergoing testing to try to find the cause of his dementia like symptoms and so far they have not found the reason. We are praying whatever the cause that it is temporary.
Scott has always been an amazing husband and father. When Scott and I met he quickly accepted and raised my 18-month old son as his own. He has a great work ethic and has always held a full-time job and was a great provider for our family. Together we have raised 2 sons. Our oldest son (the one he gladly accepted and raised) is 30 years old and is autistic. Our youngest son is 26 and is a truck driver, who gave up a lucrative job in the oilfield and took a pay cut to be home with his dad.
Not only do we have excessive bills piling up, but only 10 days before Scott was diagnosed we closed on our home. We moved an hour away from where we had been living so I resigned my position with the intent on finding a new job closer to home. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find a job due to Scott’s busy schedule at the cancer center.
The kindness of our family, friends and neighbors means the world to us. The emotional and financial support we have been shown provides us the strength to keep on fighting. Please know your donation, no matter the size is appreciated and will make a difference in our lives.
Organizer
Ronni Nuessen
Organizer
Coweta, OK
