Kris Haney is fighting Cancer

Hey guys, it’s me Kris Haney.  For those who don’t know (and there are plenty that don’t), I recently found out that I have cancer.  Here’s a quick breakdown of my story:

·         June 2016 – I went to the emergency room where they told me I had a mass in my brain. After emergency surgery, I was told that the doctors got most of the tumor out and would do a biopsy to figure out what it was. During this whole ordeal, I missed out on an interview and had to stop working as well.

·         June 2016 - Initially let go from the hospital, I came back because of massive head swelling. I had a Spinal Tap (not fun), then let go again but had an infection at the surgery area.

·         June 2016 – I had a second surgery for the infection at the initial spot.  The first of the antibiotics they gave me caused an allergic reaction and some kidney issues.  The second one worked well, and they installed a PIC line directly to my heart to use for over the next month every 8 hours.

·         July - August 2016 - Found out tumor was Medulloblastoma; it’s a brain tumor that normally affects children but hit me when I was nearly 30.  The surgery gave me double vision, which also affected my coordination. I had trouble doing basic tasks like walking.

·         September - October 2016 – I started my daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy to try to shrink the remaining mass in my brain and spine. It was the worst 6 weeks ever.  I had fatigue, nausea, throat issues, loss of appetite, and weight loss among other ailments.  I was 210 at the beginning of treatment, and I’m now 164. I thought I wanted to lose weight, but this wasn’t how I envisioned it.

·         November 2016 – I was still dealing with scars from radiation, which are mostly cleared up now. I had to switch to a liquid diet for a while because I couldn’t swallow (nutritional shakes are awful all the time). My MRI only showed a tumor left in my back, but not large. This means that the radiation worked in my brain.

·         November 2016 – I had Thanksgiving in Champaign, but didn’t eat like I thought I would. My lack of appetite caused a relapse of weakness. My blood counts were low, so my planned chemo was postponed. Doctors asked for a bone biopsy, and they actually took some bone out my skin. It hurt, but not as bad as the spinal tap (which I have to do again). The biopsy showed that I don’t replenish white blood cells as quickly as most people.

·         December 2016 – On Christmas, I was hospitalized for breathing issues for about three days total. While in the hospital, I found out about the death of my brother-in-law. I’d like to help with funeral expenses, but being out of work has made that very difficult.

·         January 2016 - I have a meeting with my doctor about things in the future (chemo, work etc.).

 Hopefully now I’m entering my final (but longest) phase: chemotherapy. It’ll last over a year, and to quote my doctor, “It’s gonna knock you out.” The kicker is I have been off work this whole time, as mandated by my doctor.  I start back in January if the chemo will allow me to do so.  If it doesn’t, I will also lose health insurance as I go forward.  That brings me to why I’m writing this.  I am asking for whatever you can spare for some of the many bills that have been and will be stacking up in the future. 

The goal I set won’t be solely for me though.  I want to donate some of what I raise: a portion for bills, some for the radiation center I went to, but mostly to kids and their families who are going through the same thing I have. I know how hard it’s been for me, but I can’t imagine how tough it is for those kids and their families. Finally, as I mentioned, my sister Suzanne lost her husband, Derrick Swanigan.  His services are soon and I’d like to contribute to that cause as well.

For those who are looking for a deal, I have one for you.  Since the surgery I’ve had issues with fine motor skills in my hand. For self-rehab, I’ve been coloring.  My proposal is for those who give $50 or more, I will color a picture for you.  I realize that’ll probably open me up to a lot of coloring but I think I will have lots of time on my hands during chemo. 

Before I sign off, I would like to thank, first and foremost God, and my family who has been there every step of the way.  To my friends who have visited, called, texted, or snapchatted, it’s been more helpful than you know.  Trust me, I know that I don’t express that appreciation well (it’s probably when I’m at my most awkward).  There are a lot of things I left out so if you have questions feel free to message or call me.  I’ll get back to you eventually, and I’ll add updates as much as I can.  Even if you don’t have anything to give, thank you for reading.  If you’ve already visited or called please at least share.  If you have stories or anecdotes feel free to share them.  If you want to contact me, I'm this site will provide a way for it.  If not I'll put it in an update