Elijah “Jamie” Gerow Medical

Elijah “Jamie” Gerow Medical

Hello friends and family, it is with great heartbreak that I share some news about my dad. On 1/12 our lives changed forever when he started to exhibit stroke like symptoms, my mom and I took him to Central Peninsula Hospital where he was diagnosed with 12 mini strokes and subsequent imaging of his chest/abdomen (due to elevated troponin level) showed that he likely had cancer. He had an EGD and TEE the following day. The EGD revealed that he had a tumor in his lower esophagus and there was bleeding into his stomach. The TEE showed a PFO in his heart and myocarditis. They took biopsies during the EGD, we got the results on Tuesday that it was Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

He was flown via Guardian to Providence in Anchorage.

On Thursday he had a PET scan. Then Friday 1/19, the results of the scan showed:

1. Adenocarcinoma of esophagus with mets to adrenal glands

2. Metastatic adenopathy in the low neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis.

3. Peritoneal carcinomatosis

4. Malignant bilateral pleural effusions

The oncologist said this is terminal, stage 4 and she said that treatment will only help to prolong his life. He is choosing to do radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.

He is 53 and he has a wife, two daughters, a son, and five grandsons. He also has two granddaughters due this year, one in May and the other in June that he wishes to be able to meet. He has been the only provider for his family as my mom has been blessed to be a stay at home mom. She also has many health ailments that prevent her from being able to work. This is a huge financial hit to their lives as he is unable to work.

We are requesting donations to help cover hospital bills, treatments, travel costs, and whatever else that might come up.

To say that this is devastating news for us is an understatement. We are in this fight with him and we hope he can live as long and comfortable as possible.

Please pray for a miracle.

I had planned to create a go fund me with all of that information and we were waiting a little bit before creating it, but now I have a sad update.

On 1/25 my dad developed a large blood clot affecting his left jugular, and brachiocephalic veins. From 1/25-1/27 my dad was on a heparin drip to help dissolve the clot. On 1/27 they stopped the heparin drip when his rbc, hgb, hct had suddenly dropped substantially. He was given a blood transfusion. Then 1/29 he developed huge dark purple/red areas on his hips, abdomen, back, and down his legs. He was also puking bloody specs and had evidence of his esophagus tumor rebleeding. Subsequent imaging revealed that to be the case, it also showed that his bilateral lower lobes (lungs) had collapsed, he has moderate pleural effusions and a pericardial effusion.

Since he is having the subcutaneous bleeding and esophagus bleeding, as well as throwing clots the doctors were all debating what they could do for him.

Today they all determined that there is nothing they can do. He is at too high risk of bleeding out to treat the clots or to do surgery. The hospitalist strongly encouraged my dad to change to a DNR. He has made the personal decision to remain a full code and live out the rest of his days. The doctor firmly believes he does not have much time left.

The go fund me goal amount is to reflect the many hospital bills that we anticipate to start receiving as well as funeral costs, and whatever is left is there to help my mom in the immediate time following my dads passing.