One Big Deal-Greg Gardinier Benefit

 

One day In August 2017, Greg seemed very unbalanced & tired. No one thought anything of it except that maybe the heat and a few beers had gotten to him. He finished barbequing and fell asleep in the middle of dinner. Later that evening he woke up, violently throwing up, and out of sorts. By the next day, everything appeared to be back to normal, so it was assumed to be a 24-hour flu. 

Later, in September, Greg collapsed at work and was taken to the ER by ambulance. He was having sudden spells of intense headaches that would come on suddenly then disappear. Doctors suggested it was migraines, gave him pain medication and they sent him home.

After a month or so of fighting what was perceived to be migraines, Greg went to the doctor for a check-up. Doctors performed a full blood panel and prescribed medication for migraines. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to help. Blood work came back normal, and all vitals were in check.

For months Greg suffered through the pain with no sign of relief. Symptoms came and went, sometimes including violent nausea. This feeling became more and more prevalent.  The pain had become repetitive and so severe it was almost unbearable. After that, Greg collapsed twice and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. 

Once again doctors diagnosed him with migraines and that they had to take the proper steps for a diagnosis starting with the migraine pills. The very next day Greg was incapable of keeping anything down, and the pain became so unbearable that he became incoherent.

The night of May 2nd his wife, Kristina, took him to Cobourg hospital where she let staff know that this was not a migraine. Nurses jumped into action and almost immediately got Greg in for a CT scan. 30 minutes later they had the results. In walked a very uncomfortable doctor, the diagnosis was written all over his face. Greg had a brain tumor on his right frontal lobe.

It was devastating. Immediately, doctors put his scan put into the "neurology universe," and Dr. Pokrupa from Kingston General Hospital picked up his case. Without delay, doctors rushed Greg to KGH with a plan to have the surgery in the coming days. Overnight the pain became so unbearable that on May 4th at 5 a.m. doctors decided to operate immediately.

The surgery lasted 5 hours.

 

Almost instantly there were signs of relief. By the time Kristina and her brother were allowed to see Greg they found him sitting in his room sitting upright in a chair, just two hours after surgery.




Greg stayed in the hospital for six days. His care team was happy with his quick improvement.

Recently, on May 12th, Greg and Kristina visited KGH for a follow-up MRI. Doctors remained positive and scheduled a consult for May 23rd to go over a radiation treatment plan. It was during this visit that Greg's doctors revealed the additional troubling news. During the MRI on May, 12th doctor's found another tumor on the left side of Greg's brain. The announcement was tough to handle, but Greg and Kristina remained convinced that this was something they could beat.



On May 29th Greg and Kristina visited KGH once again, this time for a chemotherapy consult.

The tumor is called an Oligodendroglioma. Results from the biopsy and MRI show stage II/III.

The treatment plan doctors have presented looks like this:

- 6 weeks of radiation, 5 days a week in Kingston
- Chemotherapy in pill form during this same time, 7 days a week
- After gets 6 weeks Greg gets a month off
- Chemo then resumes for 5 days on, and 23 off
- This cycle will continue for 6-12 months

While this alone seems like a daunting experience, it's the things that come between then, now, during and every day after. Greg and Kristina, both employed full-time, have had to take a medical leave of absence from their jobs. Some of this time is covered with a percentage of pay but not nearly enough to cover the day-to-day expenses of the family let alone the additional costs associated with Greg's treatment plan.

Asking for help is never easy. Not for you, not for us and most certainly not for Greg and his family. That's why we've formed "Greg's Team." A team of dedicated friends and family who won't rest until we know that everything has been done to make sure Greg gets through his treatment and that his family doesn't have to endure any additional difficulties while they deal with what's the most important thing... staying a family.

Photo Courtesy Erin Campbell Photography ©2018 

There will be various fundraising efforts, but Greg's Team would like to keep everything centralized here. You can make a contribution, share this story with friends, stay up to date with Greg's treatment and most importantly stay informed about upcoming efforts to help Greg and his family.

Thank you in advance for continuing to make a difference and for helping Greg and his family through this challenging time in all of their lives.  Please share his story with others who may be moved to help.


Please Note: In lieu of cash donations, contributions of gift cards for gas and groceries are welcomed. Please email [email redacted] for information on how to send your gift card contribution. 

Photo Courtesy Erin Campbell Photography ©2018