Tom’s Ongoing Journey Through Stage 4 Cancer...

This is Tom’s story, he is a loving husband and father of two, who was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the colon in the middle of October 2023. That cancer has also spread to his liver and an adrenal gland. Tom had surgery on November 15th, 2023, to remove the cancer from his colon by resection.

He developed complications in that a small leak from the bowel had begun, causing peritonitis, which in turn led to sepsis. An emergency exploratory surgery was performed on November 27th. The doctors made it clear that the possibility of Tom surviving the surgery, and the following days, was very slim. For the next several weeks, he was very heavily sedated and remained in ICU. During that time Tom suffered through many different infections, fevers, and extremely high blood pressure.

Tom had also developed four bed sores, two of which became necrotic. This was not discovered until he was transferred to a long-term care hospital On December 13th. On his fourth day there, his ventilator froze. Ceasing to work, no alarms went off. When discovered, Tom’s lips had already begun to turn blue. The cause and duration of this event are unknown.

The intensive sedation was eventually lifted, the tracheostomy removed, and we could finally understand him when he tried to speak. After six weeks of not eating solid food, he could start to eat again, which he did with great enthusiasm. But due to everything he has been through, he has lost close to 30 pounds, including muscle mass throughout his entire body, but the loss is most noticeable in his legs. This has made getting up and simply walking seem almost impossible for him.

Another two weeks have passed, and Tom’s recovery seems to have finally begun since he moved to a rehab facility. He can now stand up and take a few steps with the help of a walker. The bed sores are starting to show signs of healing. We are so very thankful for the progress Tom has made and how far he has come. Yet while we try to remain optimistic, it is difficult when we know that when he is feeling stronger, he will have to begin chemotherapy for the metastases in his liver and adrenal gland.

While all of this was going on, our family truck and car each broke down, not just once, but twice. This began the same week as the second surgery. As of right now we only have one vehicle to operate with and it still has an “unknown” issue.

My name is Sarah, and I am Tom's wife. Tom retired when our twins were born to become their primary caregiver. We were both forty-eight years old at the time. It is only in the last year and a half that Tom has begun to receive any income and that being his Social Security Retirement Benefits.

My employer has struggled since the onset of covid making it difficult for them to meet payroll consistently, resulting in my hours having been cut on more than one occasion. In addition, due to our lack of employer-provided insurance, we had to personally obtain the minimal amount available. Not to mention the times I missed work to be with Tom through this journey.

The medical bills began in August as testing started to discover the cause of Tom's pain and physical decline. Our insurance out-of-pocket max at the time was $8,100 which has been met, and paid by credit cards, leaving us with no back-up funds. As of January 1st, 2024, our out-of-pocket-max has gone up to $9,400.

I provide for our two 16-year-old children, Tom, and myself at the age of 64. It is with a very heavy heart that I am in this situation of being unable to meet our family's needs. Anything that you feel led to give is very much appreciated and will go towards past and ongoing medical bills, our car issues, and to helping our family to survive these exceedingly challenging times.

Overall, Tom almost died 3 times, and has yet to begin chemotherapy for the remaining cancer. It is only by the grace of God that he is still with us.

Prayers are always appreciated, and we will graciously accept any gift that you choose to bless us with. Your kindness and generosity will always be cherished.

Thank you for sharing your precious time with us by reading our story. God bless and take care <3.