George Stevens Medical Situation - Urgent Need

Update June 22nd 2024

I have had serious setbacks and major surgeries since May 11th. On June 13th. I had a CAT Scan to follow up on my right neck cancer removal surgery in December. The scan was negative for return of cancer, but showed fluid in my lungs. When I had a scheduled phone visit wit my primary care doctor the next day and told her about my shortness of breath, she looked up the images from the scan and couldn't tell if it was blood or other fluid in my lungs, but said go to the ER immediately, which I did. Subsequently, I had 1 and a half liters of fluid drained from my right lung through a long, fine needle through my back

Then, they found I had an enlargded gallbladder and drained it with a long, fine needle throughy right side and liver into my gall bladder.

I still have a drain bag from that procedure attached to me. While all of that was going on they found my aortic valve had a hole in it, was infected and needed to be removed and replaced with a stitched in replacement valve. Preparatory to Open Heart Surgery, a Bone Marrow Biopsy was done which came out negative. Last Tuesday I had the Open Hesrt Surgery and had the old, infected valve removed and replaced with the stitched in replacement valve. Needlass to say, this has been another grueling round of medical problems since my March 5th event, February 5th event, Jsnuary teeth pulling, December cancer surgery and multiple Mohs surgeries since last May 2023. ( See previous updates for the history of my other procedures.) While my fundraiser started to try and get help with a special new, very expensive, topical chemo ointment Valchlor, I now need living support expense donations. The complications since the Mohs surgeries last year have made me unfit to seek new work yet, and my resources are being tapped out. Any donation tion will be a huge help for when I am releasef from the hospital, hopefully, sometime soon when I have recovered more completely from the Open Heart Surgery. Please give. Thank you for reading this. Best wishes to all pf you

Update May 11th - I am managing simple tasks in my apartment, but my legs below the knees and my feet still feel very heavy. On top of that I tire quickly. My stamina is building up very slowly. I really can't go out yet without risking exhaustion and falling, even with the walker I have.

For those unfamiliar with my struggle since April 2023, I have had 6 Mohs surgeries (one of which bled out and required 2 days in the hospital after an artery was stitched up), 3 minor skin surgeries, a cancerous lymph node on my neck and head that was removed in December, three teeth pulled preparatory to radiation/chemo treatments, 20 radiation treatments and 4 chemo treatments in four weeks, and subsequent life threatening side effects of a bacterial infection in my blood and atril fibrillation of my heart that required 5 days in the Intensive Care Unit, 9 days in the Stepdown Unit and 5 weeks at a 24/7 Rehab facility.

Since last October, when the cancerous lymph node developed and surgery removal was performed, I have been unable to work. I originally started this fundraiser to try and obtain an incredibly expensive topical chemo gel, even with 1/2 price help from my carrier, but now I need help paying my bills in addition to still trying to get the chemo gel for future ongoing skin treatments to prevent future complications like those I have experienced since March 5th. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading this update. For those of you who are reading this update on a website other than GoFundMe, my title for the fundraiser at GoFundMe is George Stevens Medical Situation - Urgent Need. Again, thank you reading this update. Please pass it on too.

Update Feb 12 - Started 2d week of radiation/chemo. 20% of radiation treatments done. 33% of chemo drips done. Ya!! Starting to get throat and neck symptoms. Yhroat symptoms mild so far. Dry mouth which will be chronic most likely. Mild soreness in mouth. Neck skin is tarting to tighten up. Chemo side effects haven't kicked in yet except for energy drop off mild so far, and a youch of wobbliness wking. Doctors and nurses happy with progress so far. Oncecagain thsnks to all whonread mu updates, and the generous thoughts and dollars. Still can make good use of either. For complete journey entries chronologically please see

Update Feb 1 - I start 6 weeks of radiation treatments next Monday; 5 days a week for 6 weeks with one day each week that also includes a chemo drip. I expect to be very drained of energy with substantial weight loss according to the doctors. Once I have recovered from the temporary side effects my hope is to be able to work again at some point. I still need help now, and to be able to afford Valchlor, a very, very expensive topical ointment, in the future. Any help would becgreatly appreciated. My complete updates and original campaign posting are herein. Thanks to all for your positive and heartfelt thoughts. If you can help, please see my GoFundMe page. Thanks for following my journey.

Update Jan 21 - Had three teeth pulled last Thursday in preparation for radiation and chemo treatments to prevent recurrence of squamous cell cancer that was excised by surgery of lymph nodes on the right side of my neck Dec 19th. Going to try to get fillings for my teeth before getting a headmask made this Thursday that I will wear during the 30 radiation treatments over six weeks starting in Feb. I still could use help with expenses caused by my condition. For a complete description of the history of my medical journey and to help if you can, see https://gofundme/9c64a23d. Thank you for reading and helping if you can, even if only reposting my update.

Update Jan 12 - Examined by a maxiofacial dentist to have trays built for my teeth to help protect them during my radiation treatments. I also need three teeth pulled, which is being done next Thursday. My doctors gave me information on all side effects. The treatment regimen for 30 radiation treatments over six weeks with six chemo drips once a week each of the six weeks.will be grueling. Throat swelling, mouth sores and pain, with dwindling energy, will make drinking fluids and eating tepid, soft foods very difficult but absolutely necessary to accomplish and to get the maximum protection from reemergence of the cancer in my neck over the next year, and to give me the best chance of hitting the five year mark without reoccurrence. Please help at https://gofundme/9c64a23d if you can, where you can also read the complete history of my sojourn of cancer treatments. It helps me just to spell this out for me to see it myself, and I thank all readers for taking your time to hear my story. Thsnks very, very much.

Update 6th, 2024. I have had my PET Scan following removal of a squamous cell cancer infected lymph node on the right side of my neck. The PET Scan is considered very good as it does not show any spread of the squamous cell cancer to other parts of my body. However, my radiation treatment doctors told me that the pathology report of the removed lymph node showed tendrils outside of the lymph node. That means I will be doing 30 radiation treatments, 5 days a week for 6 weeks starting in February. I will also probably be getting one chemo shot each week of the radiation treatments. There will be side effects. I will probably develop chronic dry mouth due to a salivary gland that is in the target area for the radiation that will become dormant. There will be mouth ulcers during the treatments that should resolve after the treatments. The beard hair follicles underneath my right side chin area will become dormant. I am being sent to the dentist to see if any major work needs to be done on the lower right jaw line of my teeth. Any extractions or other major work after the radiation would incredibly complicated and more painful than such work without any radiation treatments. The treatments and recovery time again present added financial burden for me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Even reposting this message, especially to medical relief charities would also be greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading my story. Hope everyone is enjoying the new year. Bless you all.

This is an upate on December 29, 2023. I continue to heal up from my Dec 19th neck dissection surgery and removal of a lymph node infected with squamous cell cancer on the right side of my neck and nodes that branched out from it behind my right ear, down the right side of my chest and down the right side of my throat and across the mid line of my chest to above my left breast. The drain plugs and collection bulbs on each side of my chest have been removed. This week on Tues, Thursday and today I had all the titanium staples removed from behind my right ear, down the right side of my chest and each side of the mid line of the cut around my throat to the left side of my chest. I still have stitches at the gather/intersection point below my right ear lobe down and across several inches of my throat. Those stitches will probably be removed next Tuesday. On that day I will also have a couple more skin biopsies of probable squamous growths on my skin. Most importantly, I will also end the day with a PET Scan of my whole body to assess if there has been any internal spread of the squamous outbreak in the right neck lymph node that was surgically removed. I will continue to biopsy and treat other skin patches, although I still cannot afford the chemo ointment Valchlor that would be the most effective way to treat my skin. Now I use Flouracil and corticosteroid ointments on my skin. Because of the six MOHS skin surgeries, four minor skin surgeries and the unexpected lymph node complication my earnings and savings have suffered. I still have a need for any help anyone can spare, including prayers that my PET Scan next Tuesday will be negative. Feel free to repost this message, especially if you know of any entrepreneurial medical help organizations. My complete story is in my original fundraiser post and the updates below. Thank you again to my donors, and to everyone reading this update. Happy New Year to all!

This is an update on December 6, 2023. I have just today received the news that a lump in my right neck area is squamous cell cancer. I have been referred to a head and neck surgeon to have it and surrounding nodes removed. Following that will be other treatment, probably radiation at a minimum. My blood work tests have been very good, and focus cytometry for cancer cells in the blood was negative even though taken after the swollen node presented. Due to scheduling difficulties by my provider, the surgery may not happen until January, although I am trying to speed up the process at an different hospital than my usual location at Sunset and Vermont. I'm not happy about the scheduling but I wiil do all I can to speed it up. The node is painful. My need has become more acute. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Happy Holidays to all readers.

Hi, my name is George and I am fundraising due to how my medical treatments are affecting my life and living expenses. This update is as of September 14th 2023. I am still hoping to get some donations for my situation explained in detail below. Since I shun social media except for Linkedin, I haven't had any help so far. Any help would be dearly appreciated. If you have ever nearly bled out after surgery and then had to deal with anemia too, then you can understand my need. Compounding my recovery is the prohibitive cost for a chemo gel to make future problems less likely.

The next three paragraphs comprise my first update to my original post below these next three paragraphs. Since my initial publishing of this campaign, I have been prescribed Valchlor gel and Santyl ointment, which are expensive. The Valchlor is prohibitively expensive at $2,900+ for the first prescription and first refill; $1,400+ for the second refill and only then does my co-pay drop to a realistic level. I contacted the manufacturer and their only hardship help is to have my insurance company's pharmacy go through the manufacturer's assigned pharmacy for a co-pay card, but my insurance company is not eligible to use that process. The Santyl ointment is $70 per prescription and for refills, which is seemingly not that much but aggravates my ability to cover other expenses until I can get back to work. I have filed for and been granted financial assistance by my medical insurance carrier in the form of a 50% reduction for my pharmaceutical orders, but I still have to use up $7400 in copays, so the Valchlor is still cost prohibitive unless I have additional funds, hence the biggest need from this campaign.

The Valchlor gel is a chemo treatment of a nitrogen mustard agent in a temperature controlled gel applied directly to my lesions to treat my ongoing Mycosis Fungoides and Squamous Cell lesions. The Santyl ointment is to aid in healing of the squamous cell cancer lesions that were excised by Mohs surgeries; three of which were on my lower legs and had diameters of 3 cm to 5 cm in diameter and up to a quarter of an inch deep, and one in the upper elbow area that had a diameter of 7 cm after Mohs surgery. If I get the new prescriptions without any co-pay required, then I will update and lower my funding amount.

I leave my initial treatment history from my initial posting below for background. Any donation amount would be sincerely and greatly appreciated.

I am 71 years old and have I have treated for skin cancers for 27 years; esophageal tissue protection for 26 years, and blood clots in my legs for 17 years. In the past, I have been able to cover my medical and home expenses needs with work, insurance and savings, but now I need help to do so because my medical problems with skin cancers and blood clots have sapped my savings and my ability to get new work.

A couple of months ago, Squamous Cell Carcinoma growths on my legs, arms and neck had progressed to where I needed 6 Mohs surgeries, and several minor skin surgeries, to remove the growths. In May, one of the Mohs surgeries on my left leg had an arterial bleeding complication where I nearly bleed out at home and had to be taken by ambulance to the ER, and had to stay in the hospital for 2 days after a surgeon stitched the artery up. The amount of blood loss from that event, and the other 3 Mohs surgeries I have also already had, have left me with anemia that has yet to resolve and will probably take at least a couple of months to improve once the final 2 Mohs surgeries are done this month and next month. The amount of bleeding has been aggravated by my need to take Warfarin, a blood thinner, for blood clots in both my legs that have caused seizing events in the past in 2007 and 2013 (I have had redness and swelling twice last summer and once this week since last Sunday 9/10/23, so my deep vein thrombosis is still a problem too as of 9/14/23). I also wear foot-to-thigh compression stockings daily, including while I sleep.

I have had a lot of blood testing, both recently and on an ongoing basis. Since I take Warfarin for blood clot control, I am blood tested regularly to make sure my blood is neither too thin nor too thick. With the recent Mohs surgeries, I have had blood testing to determine whether my other skin cancer, Mycosis Fungoides, has gone internally into my bloodstream and internal organs.

My MF started in 1996 when I was treated every four 4 years at Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital with light box treatments and Mustargen topical treatments every week. My Squamous Cell carcinoma started in 2006. I have had 9 Mohs surgeries, before my recent Mohs surgeries, from 2007 to 2012, and in 2018. The 2018 Mohs surgeries included getting part of my right ear removed and reshaped with inner cartilage from that ear. The 2007 to 2018 Mohs surgeries were done either at UCLA Medical Center by the team of Dr. Ronald Moy, and in 2018 at his now private practice of Moy, Fincher. My Mohs surgeries this year are through the Mohs department at Kaiser Hospital Annex Dermatology by Dr. James Stream and his fellow, Dr. Juhaus.

The good news is the thorough blood panels requested by my other Kaiser dermatologist, Dr. Jain, and by my Kaiser hematologist/oncologist, Dr. Guziel, show no myeloma cells in my blood. That is consistent with blood testing going back to 1996 at OHSU. But, Dr. Guziel wants me to get an endoscopy and colonoscopy to make sure I have no internal bleeding going on that would be contributing to my current anemia. I have had upper and lower gastrointestinal scopes in the past at OHSU and Cedars Sinai related to my esophageal tissue condition that was diagnosed at OHSU in 1997 and treated by Dr. Brian Fennerty at OHSU with electrocauterizations in 2007 and 2008 to remove Barrett's Tissue in my esophagus. Follow-up at Cedars in 2010 by scoping showed the tissue had not returned, but I am overdue for more scoping. I was the youngest patient in the clinical trials for omeprazole/Prilosec through Dr. Fennerty's auspices at OHSU in the late 1990s.

My anemia is ongoing and saps my energy for getting and keeping new work to help pay my medical and living expenses until my skin surgeries are completed and the anemia has been alleviated (I am slowly regaining my metabolism with iron pills and pushing my walking distances daily as of 9/14/23). Dr. Guziel also has me taking iron pills to help with the anemia while completing my skin surgeries. I am applying for new jobs through Indeed and Glassdoor referrals, but I have yet to find a new job. Finding a new job will also be problematical into September of this year as I will need several days off for medical procedures and doctor's visits every month. However, evening work can help me that way if I can get a job with that schedule.

While my social security pays for the bulk of my rent, it does not cover all of it, nor my medical bills or living expenses outside of rent. I hope I can get a flexible job so that I can get fully back on my feet. for activity/work and personal finances. Over the last 27 years, I was able to handle this balance of medical and work needs, including during the harshest period of the Covid crisis. But, I have used my extra savings and now need extra help. Without financial help, my ability to keep my semi-rent controlled apartment I have lived in since 2000 is at risk, as well as my health.

So, I have posted this campaign for help. I will greatly appreciate any help I receive. When I get a flexible job again, I will stop this campaign. Thank you.