- J
- M
Hello, this is Richard Sanchez, my husband
While Richard was in Germany to stay with our 8 year old son so I could attend Andrews University in Michigan for a few intensive classes - he got sick. What first looked like a normal cold turned soon into something more serious. After the initial cold symptoms, or rather the cough that would not go away and turned worse over time (increased fatigue and shortness of breath), my mother brought him to the emergency room. He was diagnosed with severe bilateral Pneumonia and was hospitalized. At this point nobody was sure that he would make it. We were thankful that he turned around after about a week and switching antibiotics. What we didn't know yet is that the worst was yet to come. He had a very low hemoglobin level and needed a blood transfusion. He received his first round of blood transfusions and his hemoglobin went up to 6 in order to drop after a few days below 5 again. The next blood transfusion was given. The levels rose close to 6 but dropped soon below 5 again. Meanwhile the CAT Scan showed several lymph nodes swollen in the lungs and abdomen. As a cancer survivor of 15 years (non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma), that wasn't the best news and the hospital soon prepared him that it looks like the lymphoma was back.
A bone marrow biopsy was performed and confirmed the worst fear, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma stage IV with a 90% infiltration of the bone marrow. Being still very weak due to Pneumonia and low hemoglobin, the news was very heavy.
But God was good and a Pastor came by that day from our denomination, who just got my message as he came back from vacation and made a "surprise" visit. Richard was hospitalized in East Germany as they, Richard and Joshua, were visiting my mom. This Pastor was not known to us and sure Richard is not well in the German language. But where human language fails the language of the heart and prayer is the same. A comforting hand and prayer of faith was spoken. God was there - Richard knew it and peace came.
We still didn't know how to precede. The hospital wanted to start immediately with treatments. Yet, as Richard was just visiting (we are separated) he just had a travel insurance policy. Quick decisions had to be made. We discussed it and thought it would be best to go back to the States. Me still being in Michigan organized everything for it and I got ready to meet him in Spokane. The German hospital advised him to get treatment right there as they predicted that he has 10 days to live without treatment.
The last blood transfusion was given on April 18th so he would be able to travel. That day, as I was at the seminary at Andrews, a prayer request was sent out to the seminary. His church family in America prayed. My church in Germany prayed, family prayed, friends prayed and other organizations prayed.
We believe in the power of prayer!
Richard left the hospital that day (after being hospitalized for 16 days). He had to travel from the east to the west of Germany first. On April 20th he flew back to Spokane, WA.
A church friend picked Richard up, supplied him with fresh green juices and drove him immediately to a doctor who was already informed and kept his practice open. Blood levels were tested, a toxicity test was done, and high dose Vitamin C injection was given.
To everybody's surprise the hemoglobin rose to 11.8 and his strength seemed to increase since leaving the hospital.
We believe in the power of prayer!
On Monday April 23rd I flew in to Spokane and Richard had enough strength to pick me up.
We searched for an oncologist and drove to one that was highly recommended and who generally has a waiting period of 3 weeks to be seen. Showing the nurse the reports from Germany she immediately went to the doctor who came right out and was ready to admit him to the hospital. He ran a blood test first. Another surprise came. The blood levels rose to 13 and hospitalization was not needed.
We believe in the power of prayer!
Richard found his doctor. He wanted to run his own tests. A new bone marrow biopsy was ordered and a PET Scan. Then the waiting period came. While being thankful for the increased blood levels we were confronted with the next threat - a severe weight loss of over 30 pounds. The doctor believed the "cancer is eating him up". We had to wait for results and pray. Meanwhile he was able to gain 6 lbs back and was, and is able to hold is weight at 143 lbs.
Finally we got the diagnoses, small B-cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma/CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia). The PET-Scan looked good! A few spots were seen but that was all, we expected more.
The bone marrow biopsy: 90% infiltration of the bone marrow.
"That's weird" the doctor said. If I look at your bone marrow biopsy I would expect your PET Scan and the hemoglobin level to look different.
Well, we believe in the power of prayer!
He expects his hemoglobin levels to fall again and unfortunately a slight drop happened, but nothing severe yet. His oncologist is optimistic that a low dose of chemotherapy in combination with Rituxan (an immune based therapy) will be successful. After discussing it with several naturally inclined doctors, everybody suggested the same, that the use of chemo with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma has a promising outcome. To give the body support we believe in strengthening it naturally, with high Vitamin C injection, fresh green juices and other supplementation suggested by his doctor, and working on a detox protocol for heavy metal.
The first round of Chemotherapy will start on Monday May 21st.
How do we need your help?
1. Your prayers!
We believe in the power of prayer!
2. We need funding!
Unfortunately this is all beyond our capacity to pay for. Disease has never a right timing, financially it was already strained. Richard lost his health insurance when he came to Germany but was able to get it back through COBRA. Being in his age bracket means very high monthly payments which now is out of pocket as he is not able to work yet. He has a small business which already suffered but gives a small income. He always worked on the side but is not able to currently.
Deductibles and other out of pocket expenses, co-payments for Germany and US, his cost for insurance and natural treatments, unexpected flight cost etc. are all beyond what we can pay. A move closer to Spokane was also needed to avoid the long commute for the treatments. Everything came unexpected and yes you probably can never plan for that. All this left us with a big financial burden.
The cost is estimated for the next 6 months of treatment and 1 month of recovery as well the expenses we already had.
Thank you!
Thank you for your time reading through the challenges.
Thank you for your prayer support. We know it will carry him/us through. We believe in the power of prayer!
Thank you for your financial support. It will help to get him the needed treatment and focus on his healing.
Thank you!
While Richard was in Germany to stay with our 8 year old son so I could attend Andrews University in Michigan for a few intensive classes - he got sick. What first looked like a normal cold turned soon into something more serious. After the initial cold symptoms, or rather the cough that would not go away and turned worse over time (increased fatigue and shortness of breath), my mother brought him to the emergency room. He was diagnosed with severe bilateral Pneumonia and was hospitalized. At this point nobody was sure that he would make it. We were thankful that he turned around after about a week and switching antibiotics. What we didn't know yet is that the worst was yet to come. He had a very low hemoglobin level and needed a blood transfusion. He received his first round of blood transfusions and his hemoglobin went up to 6 in order to drop after a few days below 5 again. The next blood transfusion was given. The levels rose close to 6 but dropped soon below 5 again. Meanwhile the CAT Scan showed several lymph nodes swollen in the lungs and abdomen. As a cancer survivor of 15 years (non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma), that wasn't the best news and the hospital soon prepared him that it looks like the lymphoma was back.
A bone marrow biopsy was performed and confirmed the worst fear, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma stage IV with a 90% infiltration of the bone marrow. Being still very weak due to Pneumonia and low hemoglobin, the news was very heavy.
But God was good and a Pastor came by that day from our denomination, who just got my message as he came back from vacation and made a "surprise" visit. Richard was hospitalized in East Germany as they, Richard and Joshua, were visiting my mom. This Pastor was not known to us and sure Richard is not well in the German language. But where human language fails the language of the heart and prayer is the same. A comforting hand and prayer of faith was spoken. God was there - Richard knew it and peace came.
We still didn't know how to precede. The hospital wanted to start immediately with treatments. Yet, as Richard was just visiting (we are separated) he just had a travel insurance policy. Quick decisions had to be made. We discussed it and thought it would be best to go back to the States. Me still being in Michigan organized everything for it and I got ready to meet him in Spokane. The German hospital advised him to get treatment right there as they predicted that he has 10 days to live without treatment.
The last blood transfusion was given on April 18th so he would be able to travel. That day, as I was at the seminary at Andrews, a prayer request was sent out to the seminary. His church family in America prayed. My church in Germany prayed, family prayed, friends prayed and other organizations prayed.
We believe in the power of prayer!
Richard left the hospital that day (after being hospitalized for 16 days). He had to travel from the east to the west of Germany first. On April 20th he flew back to Spokane, WA.
A church friend picked Richard up, supplied him with fresh green juices and drove him immediately to a doctor who was already informed and kept his practice open. Blood levels were tested, a toxicity test was done, and high dose Vitamin C injection was given.
To everybody's surprise the hemoglobin rose to 11.8 and his strength seemed to increase since leaving the hospital.
We believe in the power of prayer!
On Monday April 23rd I flew in to Spokane and Richard had enough strength to pick me up.
We searched for an oncologist and drove to one that was highly recommended and who generally has a waiting period of 3 weeks to be seen. Showing the nurse the reports from Germany she immediately went to the doctor who came right out and was ready to admit him to the hospital. He ran a blood test first. Another surprise came. The blood levels rose to 13 and hospitalization was not needed.
We believe in the power of prayer!
Richard found his doctor. He wanted to run his own tests. A new bone marrow biopsy was ordered and a PET Scan. Then the waiting period came. While being thankful for the increased blood levels we were confronted with the next threat - a severe weight loss of over 30 pounds. The doctor believed the "cancer is eating him up". We had to wait for results and pray. Meanwhile he was able to gain 6 lbs back and was, and is able to hold is weight at 143 lbs.
Finally we got the diagnoses, small B-cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma/CLL (chronic lymphocytic leukemia). The PET-Scan looked good! A few spots were seen but that was all, we expected more.
The bone marrow biopsy: 90% infiltration of the bone marrow.
"That's weird" the doctor said. If I look at your bone marrow biopsy I would expect your PET Scan and the hemoglobin level to look different.
Well, we believe in the power of prayer!
He expects his hemoglobin levels to fall again and unfortunately a slight drop happened, but nothing severe yet. His oncologist is optimistic that a low dose of chemotherapy in combination with Rituxan (an immune based therapy) will be successful. After discussing it with several naturally inclined doctors, everybody suggested the same, that the use of chemo with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma has a promising outcome. To give the body support we believe in strengthening it naturally, with high Vitamin C injection, fresh green juices and other supplementation suggested by his doctor, and working on a detox protocol for heavy metal.
The first round of Chemotherapy will start on Monday May 21st.
How do we need your help?
1. Your prayers!
We believe in the power of prayer!
2. We need funding!
Unfortunately this is all beyond our capacity to pay for. Disease has never a right timing, financially it was already strained. Richard lost his health insurance when he came to Germany but was able to get it back through COBRA. Being in his age bracket means very high monthly payments which now is out of pocket as he is not able to work yet. He has a small business which already suffered but gives a small income. He always worked on the side but is not able to currently.
Deductibles and other out of pocket expenses, co-payments for Germany and US, his cost for insurance and natural treatments, unexpected flight cost etc. are all beyond what we can pay. A move closer to Spokane was also needed to avoid the long commute for the treatments. Everything came unexpected and yes you probably can never plan for that. All this left us with a big financial burden.
The cost is estimated for the next 6 months of treatment and 1 month of recovery as well the expenses we already had.
Thank you!
Thank you for your time reading through the challenges.
Thank you for your prayer support. We know it will carry him/us through. We believe in the power of prayer!
Thank you for your financial support. It will help to get him the needed treatment and focus on his healing.
Thank you!
Organizer and beneficiary
Richard Sanchez
Beneficiary