Matthew's Fight Against Cancer
Donation protected
My name is Matthew Gabourie, on November 18th I was diagnosed with Stage IV Rectal Cancer. I had been putting off going to a doctor, attributing most of my bathroom issues to a bad diet and too many energy drinks.
By October, I had been trying to use the bathroom 8-10 times a day with no progress, and I finally scheduled a colonoscopy. Being 30 years old, the assumption was that I had a few polyps that simply needed to be removed. As I came out of anesthesia on November 5th, my doctor sat me down and told me what he saw was not good.
The next few weeks were filled with scans, tests, and appointments with various doctors, with each meeting bringing worse news. Finally, after a PET scan and biopsy, we knew the answer, Stage IV Rectal Cancer that had spread to multiple lymph nodes and my liver.
My treatment plan is manageable, every 21 days I will have an IV infusion of chemotherapy and other cancer-fighting drugs, while also taking chemotherapy pills on a regular schedule. As of December 2020, I have gone through two rounds of treatment, with another two coming before I can have another scan. Ultimately this road will lead to radiation and finally surgery to remove whatever is remaining after my treatment, but it's not clear when exactly that would be.
Throughout the last few months, my wife Melissa has been my rock. Despite COVID preventing her from attending many of my appointments, she has provided an incredible amount of support and strength as we navigate this new chapter of our lives.
We do not know what the future holds, while I assume it will have bad days, I can only hope for many more good ones.
The contributions I ultimately receive from this will go towards supporting my family, medical bills, and providing a future for my beautiful 11 month old daughter Emily.
"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul." - Jim Valvano
By October, I had been trying to use the bathroom 8-10 times a day with no progress, and I finally scheduled a colonoscopy. Being 30 years old, the assumption was that I had a few polyps that simply needed to be removed. As I came out of anesthesia on November 5th, my doctor sat me down and told me what he saw was not good.
The next few weeks were filled with scans, tests, and appointments with various doctors, with each meeting bringing worse news. Finally, after a PET scan and biopsy, we knew the answer, Stage IV Rectal Cancer that had spread to multiple lymph nodes and my liver.
My treatment plan is manageable, every 21 days I will have an IV infusion of chemotherapy and other cancer-fighting drugs, while also taking chemotherapy pills on a regular schedule. As of December 2020, I have gone through two rounds of treatment, with another two coming before I can have another scan. Ultimately this road will lead to radiation and finally surgery to remove whatever is remaining after my treatment, but it's not clear when exactly that would be.
Throughout the last few months, my wife Melissa has been my rock. Despite COVID preventing her from attending many of my appointments, she has provided an incredible amount of support and strength as we navigate this new chapter of our lives.
We do not know what the future holds, while I assume it will have bad days, I can only hope for many more good ones.
The contributions I ultimately receive from this will go towards supporting my family, medical bills, and providing a future for my beautiful 11 month old daughter Emily.
"Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul." - Jim Valvano
Organizer
Matt Gabourie
Organizer
San Antonio, TX