Stand with Henry in His Fight for Life

It is with a great deal of sadness, fear, and pain that I am reaching out to everyone to ask for help to get through this very difficult time. Henry had a Cologuard test at the end of November 2022. It turned out positive. Henry and I spent the next 3 months worrying about the possibility of having colon cancer. On February 20, 2023, he had his colonoscopy to further evaluate the possibility of colorectal cancer. He was back in his room within 20 minutes, being told by the gastroenterologist that everything was great, Cologuard tests are not really effective, and that there was no need for another colonoscopy for 10 years. We left there feeling great, with a sense of calm and relief.

Fast forward to January/February of 2024; He was starting to have abdominal discomfort, changes in bowel patterns, and discomfort after eating. We thought trying an antacid or omeprazole might help. By the end of March, he still had no relief from symptoms and they were actually worsening. I noticed he was losing weight and he was up frequently at night feeling the need to use the bathroom. We scheduled an appointment with his doctor in April. She did a full bloodwork up and urinalysis. Not once did we think cancer as we had the false reassurance that this couldn't possibly be part of the differential diagnosis. All tests came back within normal limits, so his doctor decided to order a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis.

On May 8, 2024, our lives changed forever. The results of his CT scan showed that he had cancer with metastatic disease to his liver, the omentum, and peritoneal carcinomatosis with colorectal as the likely primary source. We chose to seek treatment at MD Anderson in Houston, Texas due to the advanced stage IV cancer and honestly, the lack of faith in the healthcare system where he was being seen. He will turn 57 years old tomorrow, June 24th. He will spend this day having a colonoscopy to determine the size of the rectosigmoid tumor. His biopsy showed that this is not an aggressive cancer, which means this was likely missed or overlooked during his colonoscopy. Henry did everything right and yet, here we are facing the fight of his life for his life... we have 4 adult children and our sweet 3-year-old grandson that all love him so very much.

We need your help please. This is so very difficult for me to do, as I am a hardworking woman alongside my husband. We do not ask others for help, we are the givers as we feel that is what God has blessed us with our careers for. Henry does not have any sick time benefits and will likely be off of work for a significant amount of time. I have spent my life being a caregiver to others, with the calling from God as a servant to the weak, poor, and sick. My heart is that of a servant which makes this ask for help so very difficult. Anyone that knows Henry, knows that he is a great guy who works very hard, would help anyone in need to the best of his ability, he is a man of God, and he is a loving, loyal family man. He would never want to ask others for help, but we are going to need help to get through this. Please know that any help, along with continued prayers will never be forgotten or taken for granted. May God bless everyone. With love from the Jacobson family.