- J
Ryan Union is young man about to celebrate his 43rd birthday with his wife of 21 years and his 4 beautiful children. He is a hardworking employee, a son, a brother and a loyal friend to soo many. If you know this man, he doesn't complain, always there with a smile and warm embrace and would give you the shirt off his back. Always a man to put others first and take care of those in need, without hesitation.
On February 10th, Ryan was admitted to the hospital where they discovered that he had a large mass pressing into his brain causing some severe memory and behavior issues. Ryan had been acting more tired and lethargic in recent weeks, but it was nothing to cause major concern. Beth knew it was time to take action when he woke up one morning and headed to a job location he hadn’t been to in over 5 years. Ryan couldn’t determine where he was was and didn’t know how to tell his wife where to meet him. He was completely confused and disoriented. By the grace of God, Beth was able to locate her husband (not at all where he thought he was) and immediately took him to the ER. Upon doing further tests, doctors also realized that he had multiple cancerous spots in his brain in addition to a large tumor. They decided to do immediate surgery to remove the pressure the largest mass was creating in his brain and to get further information through biopsy.
As it turns out, the biopsy came back and Ryan has stage 4 brain cancer consistent with an IDH wild-type primary glioblastoma. This was the news Beth had feared. The mass was cancerous, it is stage 4 (which means it has spread to multiple parts of the brain) and it was wildly aggressive. Although the brain surgery was successful in removing 75-80% of the large mass in his brain, he now has to endure chemo and radiation to try and slow down and hopefully kill this aggressive cancer. They have not yet met with the oncologist to determine what treatment plan is best, but the prognosis looks bleak. There is currently not a curable option.
Ryan is currently in a rehab facility trying to regain his mobility and cognitive skills that once came so naturally to him. Even weeks after his surgery, he still struggles to recall what he had for lunch, but continues to make daily improvements with reminders and cues. His cognitive/memory skills are still fairly week, and he is not completely aware of how devastating his situation is. It wasn’t until this past Saturday that while Beth was talking to a physician about looking into UCSF for brain cancer treatment, Ryan began to cry. It was so gut wrenching to see that the fact that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer may be starting to set in. Unfortunately, it is still uncertain if he will fully recover to his pre-surgical mental state.
Ryan will be coming home from the rehab facility this week and this is now where the real battle begins. He will no longer have 24 hour nurse care (which he still currently needs) and he will have to rely fully on his wife and family to help him with simple tasks. Tasks like using the bathroom, going upstairs and getting up from the couch, all now have to be supervised. Beth will have to purchase additional equipment like grip bars, a wheelchair and other handi-cap like tools to help him acclimate to his new lifestyle. She will have to rely on the family and friends surrounding her for moments to breathe. He will need constant supervision, and Beth will now be responsible to be his full time nurse along as a wife and mother to their 4 growing children.
The next few months are going to be incredibly hard for the entire Union family. The pain that they are all enduring right now is unfathomable and all consuming. And right now, the last thing Beth and the family should have to stress about is her family's financial uncertainty. She is already looking to minimize her monthly payments by selling unnecessary vehicles, lower heating bills, and rent out another vehicle for additional income. Ryan has been the one to handle the bills, home and vehicle maintenance so Beth saw herself in the unfamiliar situation of having to buy car tires (because they were dangerously bald) and a new toilet. She has some severe construction work that needs to be done in the house (one room is stripped down to the studs because of water damage) and literally no time, energy, or resources to manage it all. Additionally, the medical bills will start coming in, chemo and radiation may start and with Ryan being on disability, he will only see 60% of his salary pay. Unable to work for the indefinite future, and getting a significant pay cut, the bills will pile up. Beth currently does not work and with her husband in this state, she will not be able to work for quite some time.
If you have a heart to give, please help relieve the financial burden this horrible illness will undoubtedly create. Anything helps. Truly. The road is long and currently uncertain and this amazing family deserves our help. Please consider supporting the Unions during this heartbreaking chapter in their lives.
For more updates and information you can request to be added to Beth’s Facebook page “Ryans Road to Recovery”
On February 10th, Ryan was admitted to the hospital where they discovered that he had a large mass pressing into his brain causing some severe memory and behavior issues. Ryan had been acting more tired and lethargic in recent weeks, but it was nothing to cause major concern. Beth knew it was time to take action when he woke up one morning and headed to a job location he hadn’t been to in over 5 years. Ryan couldn’t determine where he was was and didn’t know how to tell his wife where to meet him. He was completely confused and disoriented. By the grace of God, Beth was able to locate her husband (not at all where he thought he was) and immediately took him to the ER. Upon doing further tests, doctors also realized that he had multiple cancerous spots in his brain in addition to a large tumor. They decided to do immediate surgery to remove the pressure the largest mass was creating in his brain and to get further information through biopsy.
As it turns out, the biopsy came back and Ryan has stage 4 brain cancer consistent with an IDH wild-type primary glioblastoma. This was the news Beth had feared. The mass was cancerous, it is stage 4 (which means it has spread to multiple parts of the brain) and it was wildly aggressive. Although the brain surgery was successful in removing 75-80% of the large mass in his brain, he now has to endure chemo and radiation to try and slow down and hopefully kill this aggressive cancer. They have not yet met with the oncologist to determine what treatment plan is best, but the prognosis looks bleak. There is currently not a curable option.
Ryan is currently in a rehab facility trying to regain his mobility and cognitive skills that once came so naturally to him. Even weeks after his surgery, he still struggles to recall what he had for lunch, but continues to make daily improvements with reminders and cues. His cognitive/memory skills are still fairly week, and he is not completely aware of how devastating his situation is. It wasn’t until this past Saturday that while Beth was talking to a physician about looking into UCSF for brain cancer treatment, Ryan began to cry. It was so gut wrenching to see that the fact that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer may be starting to set in. Unfortunately, it is still uncertain if he will fully recover to his pre-surgical mental state.
Ryan will be coming home from the rehab facility this week and this is now where the real battle begins. He will no longer have 24 hour nurse care (which he still currently needs) and he will have to rely fully on his wife and family to help him with simple tasks. Tasks like using the bathroom, going upstairs and getting up from the couch, all now have to be supervised. Beth will have to purchase additional equipment like grip bars, a wheelchair and other handi-cap like tools to help him acclimate to his new lifestyle. She will have to rely on the family and friends surrounding her for moments to breathe. He will need constant supervision, and Beth will now be responsible to be his full time nurse along as a wife and mother to their 4 growing children.
The next few months are going to be incredibly hard for the entire Union family. The pain that they are all enduring right now is unfathomable and all consuming. And right now, the last thing Beth and the family should have to stress about is her family's financial uncertainty. She is already looking to minimize her monthly payments by selling unnecessary vehicles, lower heating bills, and rent out another vehicle for additional income. Ryan has been the one to handle the bills, home and vehicle maintenance so Beth saw herself in the unfamiliar situation of having to buy car tires (because they were dangerously bald) and a new toilet. She has some severe construction work that needs to be done in the house (one room is stripped down to the studs because of water damage) and literally no time, energy, or resources to manage it all. Additionally, the medical bills will start coming in, chemo and radiation may start and with Ryan being on disability, he will only see 60% of his salary pay. Unable to work for the indefinite future, and getting a significant pay cut, the bills will pile up. Beth currently does not work and with her husband in this state, she will not be able to work for quite some time.
If you have a heart to give, please help relieve the financial burden this horrible illness will undoubtedly create. Anything helps. Truly. The road is long and currently uncertain and this amazing family deserves our help. Please consider supporting the Unions during this heartbreaking chapter in their lives.
For more updates and information you can request to be added to Beth’s Facebook page “Ryans Road to Recovery”