Support a Grandparent's Battle with Cancer

Ever went from happy, healthy, and fun-loving to having the very life knocked out of you with no warning? It happened to me... I pulled the muscle in my right rotator cuff, went for my follow-up visit after a few weeks of physical therapy, to hear my doctor say, 'Well, that's weird, let's get an ultrasound.' A couple of days later, I'm sending you to see our oncologist. Raising my 3 grandchildren, my mind started racing... Oncology means cancer! Checking my online medical account—there it is... Metastatic Tall Cell Thyroid Carcinoma. Needless to say, I cried for 3 days, not knowing what was getting ready to happen to my children or grandchildren. After several MRIs, CAT scans, and PET scans, my oncologist advised me he was referring me to an endocrinologist. The cancer in my thyroid wasn't a problem; however, the one in my neck was really deep and pressing on some vital nerves, veins, and muscles. A month later, I went through a 7-hour invasive surgery that has left me minus my jugular vein, nerves that control my diaphragm, a partially collapsed lung, smaller pathways that allow me to swallow, and possible damage to the nerves and muscles in my right shoulder, arm, and hand.

Since the surgery, I'm enduring the constant pain from the above and now the highest dosage of radiation -one can be given and still allowed to leave Nuclear Medicine the same day. The radiation treatments have been a challenge, including losing my taste buds (that may or may not come back) to the development of salivary gland stones and infection—which is more painful than words can express. Now I'm having surgery for this issue... praying it will help with the pain. There are days when I feel like I can't do this anymore... all of the pain, bills, stress, frustration, fear, hopelessness, and worration is too much to bare. In spite of it all, my family depends on me to provide and take care of them... right now, I just need a little help.