Support Barry's Battle Against Cancer

HELP BARRY FIGHT THIS CANCER BATTLE!!

As many of you know, I have been diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer.

Earlier this year it became difficult to eat my favorite things and eventually became hard to swallow even the simplest things. On May 9th of this year, after many tests were done in Juneau, I was diagnosed at a stage 3. With a large vertical tumor that extended from my lower 1/3 of my esophagus and protruding into my stomach. The Dr’s here in Juneau referred me to Virginia Mason in Seattle to see an experienced surgeon to determine if surgery would be an option for me and to get more testing done that can’t be done in Juneau. Primarily the PET scan, endoscopic ultrasound and the surgery to install my feeding tube and chemo port.

After a week in Seattle and the tests were complete, they found a couple of lymph nodes that showed concern and it was determined they would remove them while doing my other procedures. The insertion of the chemo port and install of the J-tube, a tube that goes directly into my small intestine so I can still get my nutrients through a drip. During that surgery they found 2 additional lymph nodes that didn’t look normal. In total 3 were taken and sent to the lab, which came back negative! YAY! The 4th was in an awkward spot, the furthest away from my main tumor and was biopsied by needle the next day after surgery. That node came back positive. In addition, another tumor was found in the middle of my esophagus. This 4th node in not considered local or regional, which has changed everything.

Stage 4, no opportunity for surgery and a very long road ahead. 6 weeks of radiation and Chemo with another trip to Seattle to determine how well the treatment is going. At this point we are trying to stop the spread and shrink the tumor in my esophagus, so it is easier to swallow and eat.

This Go Fund me is for funds while I don’t work, medical treatments, travel/stay as we go back and forth to Seattle and the opportunity for my wife to take the time off of work to help me with transportation, the Dr correspondence and my care.

Esophageal Cancer is not a rare cancer, but more of a less common type of cancer. Diagnosis is usually later in the stage game and difficult to manage because of the late stage and the aggressiveness of the cancer. I am a fighter, and I am going to give it my all to fight and live my best life!!

Thank you all! To make sure all of your donation goes to this fund, make sure you slide the tip scale to 0.