Hello, Family and Friends. I am reaching out to ask for help. Unfortunately, Tim’s health took an unexpected turn and now he is scheduled for both Lung Surgery next week and then Heart Surgery to follow at Vanderbilt Ingram Hospital in Nashville. The news has been a bit of a shock and the cost associated with Tim’s surgical copay’s, deductibles and necessary expenses have placed a hardship on us due to the expected urgency and complexity.
Tim began to experience chest discomfort, shortness of breath and other various symptoms that we thought to be associated to his disease. As a result, we returned to Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville and his Doctors performed multiple pulmonary function test, cardiac function test and a cardiac Angiogram in March. It was determined that unfortunately, Tim’s heart has three blockages of which one of the blockages in the coronary artery is 99 % blocked. It also showed significant enlargement of the heart muscle, multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the cavity wall of the posterior right heart muscle parallel to the right lung, and also two new clusters of lymphoma nodules in the base of his right lung. It was also determined that Tim has the antigen present for Blastomycosis and Histoplasma overgrowth in his lungs. After meeting with the cardiologist and thoracic spine pulmonologist, Tim is now scheduled to have two separate surgeries. As urgent as the heart surgery is, Tim’s team of specialist at Vanderbilt have determined that they must first elevate the new growths in the lungs and biopsy removal of the enlarged lymphomas of the lymph nodes adjacent to the heart/lung wall and in addition to the 2 clusters on the right lung first. The first scheduled surgery will be the Lung Surgery on Thursday, April 17th at Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville. After biopsy removal determination, then Tim will then proceed with the Heart Surgery.
Even though we remain positive, the stress of the outcome of the unknown of both upcoming surgeries ways on our minds. We are now faced with an immediate stress of the unexpected medical cost required, copay & deductible expenses for both the Lung Surgery and Heart Surgery that we must pay in addition to Tim’s monthly high cost for health insurance premiums, costly speciality pharmeucical injections and ongoing medical care to treat his Rheumatoid disease and Kikuchi-Fujimoto neurofibroma disease.
The unexpected cost we are now required to pay before surgery is a 25% co-pay of the allowable amount for both the Lung Surgery & the Heart Surgery, biopsies, surgeons and to include hospital fee’s. As difficult as this is for us, Tim and I are faced with no other choice than to make the decision to publicly ask for help as we have exhausted our financial means with Tim’s medical expenses up to date. Any amount of donation will be sincerely appreciated. Whether you can donate or simply share Tim’s need, it will be helpful. I asked that you continue to pray for complete healing of Tim. We have stayed positive and strong the past 4 years and we vow to remain Positive during his health journey.
As Tim has proven that he is defiantly a Fighter since the first medical scare and diagnosis. When in 2021 the first signs something wasn’t right with Tim’s health. We discovered Tim had been diagnosed with grade 4 rheumatoid arthritis. We were confused and unsure what was happening as it was so sudden and had no idea what we would faced with over the 4 years. During 2021 through 2022 Tim underwent multiple surgeries. One was to remove a large epiglottic tumor in his throat that was attached to the vocal cords upperward to the base of the tongue and the top of the thyroid. Successfully that tumor was removed and treated at University of Miami Sylvester. He also underwent other surgeries to remove multiple enlarged lymphnodes from his left axillary upon which biopsy showed pathologically that Tim had a rare disease that less than 5% of the population has. This presented a complex scenario for the specialist as it was determined that the Kikuchi-Fujimoto neurofibroma disease along with his rheumatoid arthritis disease was the cause of his sudden medical condition. In May 2022, we had our first cardiac scare that showed the disease had begun to attack the muscular wall creating inflammation around his heart. It did however, open the door to insurance finally giving the approval of a very costly specialty pharmaceutical medication that Tim began administering to himself twice a month, at which he still currently takes. As he continued to fight this miserable disease that continued to attacking his body, creating inflammation on his joints and organs Tim vowed to continue living life, working as he loves to do, gardening, hunting, fishing and doing the things he enjoyed as that is how Tim chooses to live each day….staying busy and living life to the fullest of his ability. Tim has remained under the care of an amazing team of specialist~ oncologist, rheumatologist, pulmonologist, and other specialist as they continued to monitor his care over with routine PET scans and CT scans. In 2023 and 2024 we stayed positive. Continue doing everything that all the specialist recommended with medication‘s and treatments. At times it posed a financial strain due to the ongoing high cost of his monthly injections and healthcare premiums, but we managed through every life obstacle, difficult path and battle with insurance company to get Tim the care he needed. And it proved worthy during that time.
I ask you to please continue keeping Tim in your thoughts and prayers during his upcoming surgeries. And I asked for you to please share Tim’s story that would allow other friends, families and surrounding community to be able to help during this time as the high cost associated with surgeries, treatment, medical bills, medication, co-pays and everyday necessities associated with his care are needed at this time. Your generous contribution of any amount will make a significant difference and be greatly appreciated as his first surgery of two is upcoming. From the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU for your kindness, prayers and support during this time.
- Tim and Brenda Girardi