David’s Battle with Rare Colon Cancer

David Patterson is a loving husband and father of three who is battling a rare form of cancer known as mucinous adenocarcinoma of the colon. This type of cancer only accounts for 10-15% of colon cancer cases, so his cancer went undetected for nearly six years. Throughout the past year David has dealt with terrible pain causing him multiple emergency room visits, numerous specialist appointments, and eventually a stay at OHSU in Portland where doctors were finally able to make a diagnosis. Over the past year doctors have run a multitude of tests searching for cancer and numerous other diseases to no avail. Cancer markers came back negative every time. Eventually a surgery was scheduled to remove a mass in hopes that that would relieve the pain. There was finally hope that David was going to start feeling better! Just days before the surgery a doctor was looking over slides from a biopsy from 2020 and found evidence of mucinous adenocarcinoma, and the surgery was cancelled. His family went from being told he could be back at work within a few weeks to a devastating cancer diagnosis. Mucinous adenocarcinoma tumors are harder to detect because they are softer than more common types of cancer, often causing them to go undetected longer. Due to its molecular structure, it is also difficult for doctors to properly stage his cancer. Doctors believe that the cancer originated in his appendix, which he had removed in 2016. Since then, it has spread to other organs and has formed a grapefruit size mass, causing him constant pain and making it nearly impossible for him to eat. David is now getting his nutrients through TPN (total parenteral nutrition) which gives his body the nutrients he needs to survive intravenously. TPN alone cost about $1200 per day. He has been unable to work since December, after months of doing his best to work through the pain. He is a beloved manager at Sky High Brewing in Corvallis, Oregon where he has been FOH manager for nearly six years. He hopes someday soon he will be able to get back to the outdoor activities he enjoys - hiking, backpacking, and camping with his family are a few favorites. His wife Kim has been by his side for nearly 20 years and stays at home full time to care for him and their three children. In addition to his amazing wife, he has two beautiful daughters Kaitlyn (18) and Elia (13), and a son Austin (5) to fight through this terrible disease. He is beginning aggressive chemotherapy this week and we are all staying hopeful that with advances in treatment his cancer will respond positively. In the coming months David and his family will need all the love, support and positivity you can send their way. In addition to emotional support, medical bills from all the ER visits, specialists, daily TPN, and chemotherapy are adding up quickly. All donations will help the family with overall expenses, household bills, and medical bills. If you would like to send David or anyone else in the family a word of encouragement, please leave a message here on this site. Please spread the word of David’s Battle with Rare Colon Cancer. We are so grateful for your support and encouragement during this difficult time.