Support Clayton's Battle Against Stage IV Cancer

My name is Clayton, I'm 39, and I live in Beaverton, Oregon. I'm a Black queer and genderqueer writer, Reiki teacher/practitioner and amateur music producer and improv comedian.

I have been back in ongoing immunotherapy treatment for my lung cancer recurrence since June of 2024. On December 9, 2024, my oncologists said my cancer had progressed in my lungs, despite showing improvement after the last scan in August. Because it is in my lungs, it is considered Stage IV. They do not recommend further chemotherapy as it is very toxic and has very bad side effects. They have put in a recommendation with specialists at the main OHSU Hospital complex to look into other treatments, including any special clinical trials. In the meantime, I need financial support in pursuing and affording alternative healthcare, supplements, and healthy foods, and to afford a certain quality of life to reduce my stress and pain, as anxiety and depression can worsen cancer progression. I'm trying to throw everything I can at this cancer so it doesn't progress further.

Background:

The cancer originated in my mouth in spring 2020 and by May that year had spread to my neck and lungs, resulting in a Stage IV prognosis with an expected average of 13 months to live. It further progressed, and I was hospitalized for a month in June 2020 during which I was told to prepare for hospice. I received 6 rounds of chemotherapy, concurrent with the immunotherapy I'm on now, that caused cognitive dysfunction and neuropathy in my hands and feet. I went into remission but then had a recurrence in my neck that led to surgery of my left neck and shoulder (leading to a permanent loss of range of motion and finger flexibility in the left hand and fingers). I then had another recurrence that led to a month and a half of radiation of my neck in February-March 2021 that resulted in me being in remission. I continued with immunotherapy infusions every three weeks until September 2022 when my oncologist felt I would be okay to stop immunotherapy and stay in remission. I got PET scans to monitor the cancer every 3 months. In May 2024, the PET scan indicated a recurrence of spots in my lungs, and I've been on immunotherapy since.

In August 2024, I had a bad reaction to vaccines I received that led to chronic health issues, including increased inflammation, that resulted in me needing to quit my part-time job as a peer recovery coach at a mental health center in Portland at the end of September (I celebrated 7 years clean and sober 11/11/2024 and intend to stay sober until my last breath, as a relapse would make the cancer worse).

I then began experiencing increased issues with my swallowing as a long-term consequence of the radiation I received in 2022. Speech language pathologists and my ear, nose, and throat doctor revealed the issues were because of a progression of fibrosis in my throat that has resulted in liquids going into my lungs, putting me at risk of chronic pneumonia that could potentially lead to needing a feeding tube. There are certain foods I'm not really able to consume any longer. I occasionally experience borderline pneumonia symptoms such as body aches, chills, fever, dizziness, and increased fatigue.

In addition to these issues and compounding fatigue, I have not been able to engage as regularly and actively with my Reiki/spiritual business for extra income as I would like. I have been receiving Social Security Disability income since February 2018, originally for mental health diagnoses. It covers the majority of my basic bills and rent (I receive income-based rental assistance from the county), and my dual Medicare and Medicaid cover the majority of my traditional healthcare costs.

However, I don't have much leftover to pursue and receive certain holistic healthcare, modalities, supplements, herbal remedies, and organic foods that would support my healing and supplement the traditional medical treatment I'm getting, including being able to afford transportation to and from as I am physically not able to drive because of my arm injury and could not afford a car. I am often able to get rides to and from traditional health appointments from Ride Connection and Ride to Care, but not some alternative ones, and sometimes must use my own money to get rides to or from appointments, especially when I don't have the time or energy to take public transit. I don't have any friends able to take me to appointments, and my family all live in Colorado. Seeing as traditional oncology and healthcare is only doing so much, I want to try as many modalities as possible, including ones that have helped in the past, before I have to prepare for hospice again if the cancer continues to progress.

So the money I am raising would help me cover costs related to:

• Alternative healthcare appointments and modalities that have helped in the past, including Reiki and other energy work, acupuncture, medical massage, vibrational sound healing, intuitive counseling, and others, including hiring a death doula if things progress.
• Rideshare transportation to and from when I am not able to get transportation from local nonprofits, including healthy and sober recreation activities to enhance my quality of life, as I find I often isolate, which is not good for my health, especially if the cancer progresses.
• Supplements, herbs, and foods that will support me in my recovery and reducing the tumors or preventing progression.
• Ability to order meals and groceries for delivery on days when my chronic fatigue zaps my energy and I can't get outside help to cook.
• Unexpected out-of-pocket health or transportation expenses, including medications my insurance may not cover.
• Financial stability to make sure I can continue to afford my basics, including food and care for my cat Isis who has been a huge source of healing and emotional support for me.

Beyond my immediate goals of preventing progression and even getting back to being in remission, my life goals are to continue volunteering, advocacy and activism work, to write fiction and poetry and get published or self-publish, expand my Reiki practice, do storytelling in some capacity, write a memoir, continue and expand my Creative Arts Recovery community and find those interested in turning it into a nonprofit, writing screenplays and teleplays, re-continue my EnRightenment NOW satirical podcast, and maybe someday travel more.

I thank anyone and everyone who donates, and if you can't, please share with those you think might.

Thank you.