Stand with Ray: Battle to survive pancreatic cancer.

Today is June 2nd and I haven’t updated in a while. After today, chemotherapy is officially half over. Bloodwork continues to show no sign of cancer but I still have to continue this until at least the end of September. I held out on asking for help again until I really needed it and I’m now at that point. Rent is fortunately covered for a little while longer, but that’s it as the charity organizations have pretty much run their course. This leaves many other bills that need to get paid, fuel to pick up my son and make it to treatments and other doctors appointments, etc. I thought I had a really good job lead but I still haven’t heard anything. If not for the treatment, I would be working already. My oncologist wants me to stay off of work until treatment is finished but I really can’t afford to. Unfortunately it’s really hard to find an employer willing to accommodate my treatment schedule. I never thought I would ever be in this situation and I really hate asking for help. But I really don’t know what else to do or where else to turn without stopping treatment to go back to work. If anyone can help in any way, I would appreciate it so much. If not, please share everywhere you can.

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I’ve decided to post another update. Today is April 22nd. My son’s birthday and im struggling to even get him a birthday present. I was hoping to be back to work by now with accommodations during chemotherapy and radiation. But unfortunately when I tried going back to work after being cleared from surgery, my employer, Locate Point LLC has decided to completely ghost me. They will not return any of my calls or emails and no letter confirming layoff or termination from employment. They just refuse to respond to me and basically used me right up until surgery, working completely sick and jaundiced and even had me train who now appears to be my replacement right up until the day before surgery. I’ve tried finding other jobs in my field but unfortunately nobody who seems willing to accommodate treatment.

im now struggling to afford food, gas and basic necessities. It’s to the point now where I’m skipping meals completely which is now causing nutritional deficiencies. Most of the food available at food pantries do not meet my dietary restrictions now that my diet is completely different because of surgery and makes me very sick to eat it, only having half of a pancreas now and other digestive organs gone completely.

I’s never asked anyone for help before my diagnosis and worked every day right up until the day I couldn’t. I’m now to the point where I might have to make a decision between continuing treatment and discontinuing it so I can start working again, crossing my fingers that it doesn’t come back. I’ve never been in a position like this before and it’s crazy how cancer can completely alter your life.

i want to thank everyone who has helped so far and it means so much. But unfortunately the money only lasts so long. I’m asking anyone who can help or has helped to donate what they can afford. And if you can’t afford to, please share everywhere you can.

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I have unfortunately had to edit this as things have taken an unfortunate turn. I had my surgery on January 29th which was a success. But unfortunately I found out today 2/6/25 that it wasn’t just a cyst and was in fact pancreatic cancer which was discovered through the surgical pathology report. It was so unexpected as I was expecting to go home, heal and start living life again, putting this completely behind me. Only now to find out I’m facing possibly one of the biggest fights a person will ever experience.

Fortunately it’s at an early stage called N1 which means it was localized with minimal spread to lymph nodes. Usually this is detected at stage 4 so I do have a lot going for me and a lot of fight in me. But now not only am I facing the long recovery from this brutal procedure, but chemotherapy, possible radiation and constant testing because the chance of recurrence is pretty high even in early stages. This also means a whole lot more time off work and possibly planning for my son’s life without me. I’m leaving my original writing up below so you can still read it. I am asking for you to donate what you can and even if you can’t afford to, please share everywhere.

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Hi everyone, my name is Ray. I am trying to raise money to help with monthly bills, food, medical bills, and helping support my 13-year-old son. I was really on the fence about making this because I’ve never wanted to ask for help, but surgery is coming up soon and I need it.

In the beginning of October 2024, I started not feeling well. I didn’t think too much of it and thought maybe I had food poisoning, so I went to the doctor just to get checked out. To my surprise, it was something much more sinister. My liver blood work came back with very concerning results, so my doctor ordered more tests. It was discovered that I have a large cyst in the head of my pancreas, obstructing my bile duct while also having other problems in my pancreas. All signs pointed towards pancreatic cancer, and after a very scary two months of not knowing how much time I had left, I fortunately found out I do not have cancer. But I still need a very major surgery to remove the cyst known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, or better known as Whipple surgery. If I do not have this done, the cyst will turn into pancreatic cancer and I won’t have much time left. It will also correct the bile duct issue, which is temporarily fixed to get me through until surgery. Before they did this procedure, I had this painful itching all over my body due to bile salts entering my bloodstream, and I had jaundice. My blood sugar also skyrocketed to an alarming number.

They will be removing the head of my pancreas, my gallbladder, my bile duct, part of my small intestine called the duodenum, and part of my stomach. Then they have to reconnect everything. This is one of the more complex surgeries you can possibly have. Recovery is going to take a very long time, and I cannot work for at least two months. In the meantime, life still doesn’t stop. I’ve managed to get some things covered through charity, but so much more will not be. I could also need digestive enzymes and insulin either temporarily or permanently, depending on how well the surgery goes and how much of my pancreas they have to remove.

Before this happened, I was in great health. I had overcome other health issues related to obesity like hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes, which has returned because of my condition, as well as other things. I did this by eating incredibly healthy and going to the gym six days a week. I did not expect this in a million years as I was doing everything I was supposed to be doing to live a very long and healthy life so my son didn’t eventually have to grow up without a father.

I am asking you to donate what you can possibly afford and every little bit helps. If you’re unable to donate, I ask that you please share this.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to read this.