The Day my Butt went Psycho

On Mon June 3, 2019 I had my first colonoscopy after experiencing some suspicious symptoms for a number of weeks. I was told, that day, in the recovery room FILLED with patients only separated by hanging curtains, that I likely had rectal cancer. I was contacted by the surgeon the next day and was in his office the day after that. The pathology confirmed the preliminary diagnosis and I was officially diagnosed with Stage III Rectal Cancer on June 7, 2019. And so Team Gallagher's journey through rectal cancer began...

I created this fundraising page because we know that I will be out of work due to surgery in 2020...TWICE.  The first surgery we are estimating to be in January.  That's when the doc will go in and cut out any place that he's worried the cancer may be hiding.  He will disconnect my poop pipes and I'll get to poop into a bag (good times).   I will be out of work for a few weeks while I heal and adjust.

We then wait about two months (I think) to give my insides time to heal.  THEN, the doc will go back in and reconnect the pipes.  My body will then have the delightful experience of re-learning how to do very basic bodily functions that it didn't have to do for a few months.  And from what I've been told, my insides will not be happy.    It is expected that I will be out of work for WEEKS, like 6-8.

So in theory this wouldn't be an issue...I'd have FMLA, I'd have sick/vacation time to use, and I'd be able to get temporary disability, a cool thing offered in our tiny little state of RI.  But...I'm self-employed.  I don't get sick days.  If I don't feel well, nobody pays me to stay home to heal.  I don't pay into TDI.  When I'm not at work, I just don't earn ANY money.  None. 

All of the funding sources we were blessed to receive aid from in 2019 allowed me to quit working a few shifts per month at the hospital and to take 1/2 days off for chemo.  That savings did not ever make it to our savings account.

To complicate things, I'm the only person working outside of the home and I am therefore supporting our family of five.  Obviously, this is a huge, and I mean HUGE concern.  Cancer won't kill me but the stress of how I'm going to pay the bills just might.    And while I may sound very dramatic, this is serious and this is the reality for someone that is self-employed with a major (or any) illness.  And yet just another example of how very, very flawed our system is.

So this page is to help pay for me and my family to, well, survive while I am out of work next year.  I figured I'd start this now so that anyone that contributes could report it on 2019 taxes.   Plus, if I know we have money saved to cover my time off, I will be able to relax a bit and focus on the healing thing I'm supposed to be doing.

Any/all help, support, and kindness (words, monetary, other) is VERY much appreciated.  If nothing else this experience has taught me to listen to my body and to trust my village.  And you guys ARE my village. 

THANK YOU!