Crystal Noble Family - Cancer Fund

As many of you know, my wife Crystal Noble was diagnosed with Leukemia at the beginning of June. The type of Leukemia she has is called, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia – Type B (ALL). It is a type of Leukemia that is common in children, but not so common in adults, and while this cancer is horrifying in any case the outcomes tend to be much less favorable in adults than in children. She has gone through her first 4-week round of Chemotherapy and is currently in her second 6 week intensive, in-patient chemo treatment. After this round there will be a break for several days before starting another 4-week intensive, in-patient round. If all goes well, she will be home sometime in the beginning of October and for the next couple of years will only be required to be in the hospital a few days a month. The good news is that she’s at Mayo in Rochester getting the best possible care she can get, and that she is being treated with the most advanced forms of cancer therapies in the world. I’m going to start by saying, I have a hard time asking for help. I don’t know if I’m doing this right, or when is the best time, or what exactly to say. When you’re going through something like this, everyone says "If there is anything I can do to help, just ask." My problem with things like this is that if you ask me how I’m doing, I will always tell you I’m doing well and I don’t need anything. Generally, I’m hopelessly optimistic and I have no idea how to say I’m not okay.   I'll just be completely honest here. I'm very insecure about asking for help because I want to be strong for all the people who need me to be strong. I have a hard time showing weakness because I'm afraid if my family and community see me as vulnerable, they won't be able to count on me for my strength when they need it from me the most.   In this situation, it isn’t just about me. This is about my family. This is a time when I realize I need to push my pride aside.  I'm asking for a bit of help so I can focus on my wife and my kids, and so I don’t have to run myself into the ground with worry and work to keep our household afloat. In times like these, a lot of folks have an event and some sort of public benefit, but I don’t know how to organize something like that and quite honestly the thought of having a bunch of people get together all at the same time to ask me how we are doing is terrifying. Also, I quite literally don’t know where I would find the time. What would be helpful right now are monetary donations and to spread the word. It's hard to explain the strain a situation like this puts on a family. It's hard to explain the strain it puts on the ones who are fighting to keep their home together, alongside the family member who is fighting for their life. For me it feels like I am a rubber band stretched between my home in Sparta Wisconsin and the hospital in Rochester Minnesota, and my wife and my children, and my jobs and my bills, and the rubber band is getting tight. I can't keep making the coffee stronger and I can't add more hours to my days. What I can do is write from my heart in hopes that it will connect with the community that we all share. I have been blessed with wonderful children and an incredibly strong wife.  My wife has been in the hospital for 7 of the last 8 weeks and if all goes well 10 of the next 11 weeks will be spent at the Mayo Clinic In Rochester getting chemotherapy, followed by several days a month for the next couple of years.  We are going through a rough patch, and we have a long road ahead. I hope this message is communicated well. The words I've written here are true and from my heart. These words are my prayer.  There are 2 ways you can help. You can help by donating. You can help by sharing this with your friends or someone you feel this message might resonate with.  If you are able to help, my family will be forever grateful.   With love and gratitude,  Doug