Help Mike fight his battle with cancer

I want to introduce you all to my dear friend Mike Lim. I have had the pleasure of knowing Mike a few years now and without a doubt he is one of the most caring, passionate, and generous people I have come to know. Mike quickly went from being just a friend to being part of our family. He has captured so many of our most cherished and memorable moments.

Mike, by profession, works for a medical device company. However, his passion and true calling is being an artist in form of Photography and Cinematography. A great indication of the type of person Mike is is by sharing his favorite personal quote:

“If you love what you do, you’ll work harder for what you love to do.” (contrary to the typical quote: If you love what you do, you do not work a day in your life).

Back in June of 2022, Mike and his family endeavored on a journey that would be life-changing and shadowed one of the darkest clouds they have ever had to face with it.

Mike woke up with a swollen face and neck, shortness of breath and some chest pains. He quickly took a trip to the hospital. After some initial diagnosis, the doctor suggested taking some Benadryl and Zyrtec, as the prognosis was that it could be allergy related. Mike, still concerned, felt like this could be more than just some allergies. He also recently had just received a COVID booster, so he was questioning if this could potentially be a side effect of the vaccine.

A few months later, Mike’s chest showed black and blue veins and some blood clots. Finally, on October 24, 2022, Mike’s health continued to digress and insisted on getting an X-ray. The result of that X-ray was life changing.

The X-ray showed an 8.1 x 6.9 cm tumor mass in the middle of his chest. On Nov 4, they followed up with a CT scan which concluded that the tumor/cancer was wrapped around the return vein of the heart.

December 2, 2022, Mike embarked on a high-risk biopsy that required him to sign a waiver in case the procedure takes a turn for the south. The process of gaining a sample included a large needle guiding through his chest with the guidance of an ultrasound, all of which he needed to be awake for due to him having a cough.

The results of the sample came back as Lymphoma Cancer.

Every step of the way, Mike, unfortunately, dealt with a lot of challenges and issues. Hard to decipher if it was bad luck, the quality of medical attention or just a product of the environment. Throughout this journey thus far he had dealt with the PICC line failing 4 times through his right arm, and 3 additional times on his left arm. Infusion nurses saw Hematoma bruising (blood clots), which cause him to be sent to the ER. ER doctors prescribed him blood-thinning needles daily for the foreseeable future.

Because of the location of the cancer and it being wrapped around his heart, surgery to remove it is not an option. Instead, the treatment cycles are 24 hours of chemo for a week through an IV infusion. A bunch of pills and white blood cell shots. Blood is drawn and tested twice a week to check red and white blood cell counts amongst many other things. In addition, the maintenance mode to confirm the cancer is not spreading causes him to go through Nuclear Medicine Positron Emission Tomography scans, 2 liters of water every day and much more.

The side effects of what Mike is feeling are insomnia, fatigue, neuropathy, and tingling finger tips and tips of the tongue. Everything tastes the same. Needing to go to the bathroom every hour of the day, while his body feels numb, and joints and fingers lock up. It's obvious to say that Mike is in constant pain and yet he wakes up every day with a smile and optimism.

I wanted to share this story with you all because Mike is too prideful to ask for help. The last thing he wants to do is be a burden to anyone. With the cancer treatment, medicine, office visits, and bills, it's very difficult for Mike and his family to make ends meet. In all my discussions with Mike, he does not flinch for a second, reminding me that there are people far less fortunate them him, and so he is very much grateful for what he has. However, I believe he deserves more. I am hoping that this story spreads and that people can help donate to his cause and support this family through this challenging time. Every little bit helps. At a bare minimum, please share this story across your network to bring awareness.

We love you Mike and you are not alone. We will fight this cancer together!