Donnie Hayes' Fight Against Cancer
Donation protected
Things were really looking up for Donnie and I last year. We got engaged. He started a new promising job. We went on a magical vacation in Mexico, and started making plans for a wonderful future and long life together. Then, shortly after returning from our vacation in November, Donnie started having stomach issues. Sometimes it was just a stomach ache, other times it was bloating or nausea. Over time the issues became more prevalent and increased from once every couple of weeks to multiple days a week.
After celebrating the anniversary of our engagement on Valentine's Day, Donnie experienced the worst "episode" yet. He began throwing up and didn't stop - for hours and hours. We went to his GP and he diagnosed him with acid reflux, and set up an appointment with a gastroenterologist in a couple of weeks. He didn't get any better. In fact, he continued to get worse. At this point, we were both getting worried because he had missed a bunch of work and his medical insurance was only a few days from kicking in.
On March 2 we met with the gastroenterologist and he quickly assessed that Donnie didn't have acid reflux, but he wanted to do an endoscopy to see what was causing the blockage and his inability to eat or hold any food down. Two days later, we went in for the scope. Immediately following the procedure, the doctor informed us that there was a blockage at the junction of his esophagus and his stomach. He'd taken biopsies - but he was pretty sure it was cancer although we wouldn't know for sure for a couple more days. We were in shock. How could this be happening?
By March 6, it was official. We received the results from the pathologist and it was Adenocarcinoma. Within what seemed like minutes we were being given a list of doctors that we needed to make appointments with - Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist, Surgeon.
After meeting with the Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist, it was clear that Donnie was going to need to have surgery to have a port inserted (for chemotherapy), a J-tube into his intestine (for feeding/bypassing the tumor that was blocking his stomach) and a laparoscopy to look all through his abdominal cavity to see if the cancer showed up anywhere else or if it was contained to the tumor at the base of his esophagus. We were praying for relief and a miracle - but that was not the news we got. :(
We met with the surgeon after the procedure, and our world changed yet again. The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and in the lining of the stomach - we jumped from Stage 3 to Stage 4. Words like - inoperable, unending chemo, no radiation...these were all we heard or could think about. He stayed in the hospital an extra day for observation and because the procedure the day before had taken a longer than expected.
They sent him home with a handful of prescriptions, a feeding machine and supplies and an appointment for his first chemo treatment the next week.
In the weeks to follow, he started a harsh chemo regimen, was unable to work, lost his job, and felt like everything in the world was against him. Donnie still wasn't feeling much better. He'd lost 80 pounds since January, and the bills - medical and otherwise - started stacking up.
Now for the good news. After 11 chemo treatments, he's doing better. The cancer is responding and shrinking! As long as the treatment is working, the doctor has no plans to discontinue it. We have had to ease back a bit on the cadence - moving from every week and a half to every two and a half weeks before having to go back in for treatment.
There is no end in sight for his chemo treatments (potentially for the rest of his life). His treatment schedule and intensity do not allow him to work - at least for now, so the bills keep piling up. It will be up to 2 years before he'll qualify for Medicare, so we're still paying for Cobra from his previous insurance until we can switch over to a less expensive option. Over the last 6 months, he's incurred a ton of expenses and has no income to pay for anything.
Donnie has spent his whole life supporting the people he loves and doing whatever he can to take care of those around him. For anyone on the receiving end of his generosity - now is the time to share what you can back to him.
Donnie's got a lot of fight in him, and together with your support, he will beat this and kick cancer's ass.
After celebrating the anniversary of our engagement on Valentine's Day, Donnie experienced the worst "episode" yet. He began throwing up and didn't stop - for hours and hours. We went to his GP and he diagnosed him with acid reflux, and set up an appointment with a gastroenterologist in a couple of weeks. He didn't get any better. In fact, he continued to get worse. At this point, we were both getting worried because he had missed a bunch of work and his medical insurance was only a few days from kicking in.
On March 2 we met with the gastroenterologist and he quickly assessed that Donnie didn't have acid reflux, but he wanted to do an endoscopy to see what was causing the blockage and his inability to eat or hold any food down. Two days later, we went in for the scope. Immediately following the procedure, the doctor informed us that there was a blockage at the junction of his esophagus and his stomach. He'd taken biopsies - but he was pretty sure it was cancer although we wouldn't know for sure for a couple more days. We were in shock. How could this be happening?
By March 6, it was official. We received the results from the pathologist and it was Adenocarcinoma. Within what seemed like minutes we were being given a list of doctors that we needed to make appointments with - Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist, Surgeon.
After meeting with the Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist, it was clear that Donnie was going to need to have surgery to have a port inserted (for chemotherapy), a J-tube into his intestine (for feeding/bypassing the tumor that was blocking his stomach) and a laparoscopy to look all through his abdominal cavity to see if the cancer showed up anywhere else or if it was contained to the tumor at the base of his esophagus. We were praying for relief and a miracle - but that was not the news we got. :(
We met with the surgeon after the procedure, and our world changed yet again. The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and in the lining of the stomach - we jumped from Stage 3 to Stage 4. Words like - inoperable, unending chemo, no radiation...these were all we heard or could think about. He stayed in the hospital an extra day for observation and because the procedure the day before had taken a longer than expected.
They sent him home with a handful of prescriptions, a feeding machine and supplies and an appointment for his first chemo treatment the next week.
In the weeks to follow, he started a harsh chemo regimen, was unable to work, lost his job, and felt like everything in the world was against him. Donnie still wasn't feeling much better. He'd lost 80 pounds since January, and the bills - medical and otherwise - started stacking up.
Now for the good news. After 11 chemo treatments, he's doing better. The cancer is responding and shrinking! As long as the treatment is working, the doctor has no plans to discontinue it. We have had to ease back a bit on the cadence - moving from every week and a half to every two and a half weeks before having to go back in for treatment.
There is no end in sight for his chemo treatments (potentially for the rest of his life). His treatment schedule and intensity do not allow him to work - at least for now, so the bills keep piling up. It will be up to 2 years before he'll qualify for Medicare, so we're still paying for Cobra from his previous insurance until we can switch over to a less expensive option. Over the last 6 months, he's incurred a ton of expenses and has no income to pay for anything.
Donnie has spent his whole life supporting the people he loves and doing whatever he can to take care of those around him. For anyone on the receiving end of his generosity - now is the time to share what you can back to him.
Donnie's got a lot of fight in him, and together with your support, he will beat this and kick cancer's ass.
Organizer
Tisha Unitis Woods
Organizer
Leander, TX