One of the things I frequently notice on TV is that when a main character gets diagnosed with cancer, one of two things happen, they either sadly pass away, or they miraculously go through their treatments and then their life returns to normal, like they were never sick.

They never have mountains of bills or money issues from being out of work during their treatments. They may have side effects of the treatment while it is happening (the obligatory hair loss and nausea from their chemo) but nothing is ever permanent.

Very rarely do they talk about the financial impact, the emotional impact, adjusting to being dependent on spouses or partners for the extra support they require, the long term effects of chemotherapy that can linger long after treatment ends, how being out of work can decimate your savings, and how the ongoing cost of endless scans, tests and bloodwork for monitoring requires expensive health care plans to cover these ongoing expenses.

Since my diagnosis, I have had 3 abdominal surgeries, a colostomy, an ileostomy, and the placement of a power port in my chest to accommodate the 12 rounds of intensive chemotherapy that has left me with an extreme case of Peripheral Neuropathy in my hands and feet that severely limit my mobility.

I currently need to be seen by, in addition to my Primary Care Physician, an oncologist for quarterly blood tests and other scans to check for recurrence, a neurologist for managing and evaluating my neuropathy, a podiatrist because nasty things happen to your feet when you have no feeling in them, a hepatologist because newly discovered liver issues are concerning, and I will probably need another abdominal surgery soon to repair a hernia that developed during one of the previous surgeries. My colonoscopy schedule is now every three years because of the nature of the polyps they discovered in my last one.

I can barely walk up or down stairs and I am no longer able to drive because I literally can’t tell if my feet are touching the gas and brake pedals.

This is our reality since my diagnosis in 2018. It has been almost 8 years but Cancer still significantly affects our life each and every day.

We have been trying everything we can possibly think of to overcome these obstacles by cutting expenses, living frugally, applying (unsuccessfully) for disability and working with our mortgage servicer, but these are attempts that have been insufficient or take a significant time to resolve.

Being out of options, We established a GoFundMe to try to help us cover our mortgage and other expenses while we build out Gina’s Story Mining business, and I continue to try to find a remote opportunity in a tech field that is facing massive layoffs.

There is a lot more detail in the story my wonderful writer wife shared in the campaign if you are interested in learning more about us and our current circumstances.

I know things are rough out there for everyone so please don’t feel you need to donate or go without anything yourself to do so. It is just as helpful if you could share this with others, the more eyes that it reaches the more likely it is that we can reach our goal.

We are so humbled by the generosity of so many people, friends, former co-workers and even complete strangers who have already donated. It has made a big difference in our lives and we are so grateful for all of you.

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March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

If there’s anything I’d ask for beyond your support for us, it’s that you make sure you and the people you love are getting the appropriate screenings for your age and circumstances. The procedure is painless and while the prep isn’t necessarily pleasant, it isn’t that bad (it sure beats having a colostomy) and early detection changes everything!

Colorectal cancer is now the #1 cancer killer for people under 50.

My diagnosis in 2018 is what set everything in motion but despite the challenges it has introduced, I am grateful for my routine screening that found the tumor early and saved my life.

Don’t wait – talk to your doctor today!

With our most sincere thanks and gratitude, Gina & Scott