Help Robert Overcome Medical and Financial Struggles

Hello! My name is Robert Del Rio, I am 45 and living in El Paso, Tx.

From the beginning:

I was laid off from the best job I ever had at the end of March 2024. Having friends and family there, I decided this was a good opportunity to move from Dallas back to my hometown, El Paso, Tx. I learned soon that my aunt (parent who raised me) has stage 4 metastatic cancer; so, I also thought I could help her with whatever care and needs she might have.

No longer having a job meant no longer having a steady income. I lost my insurance as well due to the circumstance. Unemployment pay would last about 6 months and during that time, try as I might, I was unable to secure a job regardless of how many applications and follow-ups I made. My benefits ran out around the beginning of September ‘24, just after a CT scan, and I am still unemployed.

Thankfully, due to certain federal laws, I was allowed to have medical insurance during this time. I have several medical/mental illnesses that need constant care and supervision. Some of these I have even been hospitalized for in the past, including Bipolar Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. My mental health is constantly flux and my current situation has sent it on a major downward spiral.

New Doctors, New Tests:

When you move to a new location, you must start all over with your Dr.’s and other health professionals. This can be a real challenge when you’ve been seeing the same people for years upon years. I’ve been taking some 10 different medications for years and there’s no telling if the new Dr.’s are going to keep you on them or start anew. On top of that, my current insurance is now an HMO, so everything must go through my new PCP. It’s not like I can just see who I want on a whim.

Suffice to say, while I was reluctant to do so, I visited my new PCP near the end of July ’24 or early August. I was subjected to an array of various tests and bloodwork, which was to be expected. A couple weeks later I was back in the office for an overview of what was found. It turned out that my liver enzymes were slightly elevated. This caused concern for a “fatty liver”, and it was recommended to me that I have an ultrasound on my abdomen.

The Mass:

And so it was that I went into the office to learn about the results of my liver, when I was instead told about the mass. Over 16cm in length, massive, round. It was so large that no one could figure out where it started and where it ended. The mass was located near my left kidney. A CT scan was ordered to see if we could ascertain a better understanding of it and where it was likely coming from.

While the CT was fruitful in giving us a better understanding of the mass itself and how large it really was, the medical professionals were still unable to determine where the mass originated. It was that large. Was it the kidney? Was it the spleen? The adrenal gland? The pancreas? It was at this time that it was quickly decided that I had it removed just as soon as it could be done. Though I continued to look for a job until the beginning of October ’24.

However, having that HMO became a sort of hindrance. I was forced to rely on referrals from my PCP and each referral turned down the operation because enough information was just not there for them to take the case. That is until a certain Dr. Ioannis Konstantinidis, surgical oncologist. He accepted my referral and told me that because the tumor was so big, and because they had so little information to go on, they may have to remove my spleen, part of my pancreas, my kidney, and my adrenal gland all at the same time. This of course freaked me out, but I really had no say in the matter. The mass had to come out.

The surgery, recovery, and pathology:

October 14th, 2024. I barely got any sleep the night before. My anxiety was peaking. For weeks leading up to the surgery, I had the feeling that I wasn’t going to make it. I’ve had major surgery before when I had a spinal fusion in 2014. But for some reason, going into this surgery gave me the biggest scare of my life. The next thing I remember is waking up in a strange room with people all around, hovering over me, checking my vitals. It turns out that my Dr. was able to remove the massive tumor while only having to remove my left adrenal gland (adrenalectomy) along with it.

I was in the hospital for 5 days. Several people visited me, including friends and family and I was incredibly grateful for that. While I’m still recovering to this day, I am far from how I felt the first couple weeks being out of the hospital. I could barely walk, I couldn’t lay on my side, showering and toileting was problematic. Today, I still use my cane.

Three weeks to the day, I receive back the pathology report. And wouldn’t you know it? It was the worst news anyone could receive. Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma – which Google says is a “a rare, aggressive cancer that forms in the adrenal glands.” I never thought I would have cancer, let alone at 45. I suppose no one ever does. But this came as a complete shock and sent my anxiety through the roof. I am waiting until the 22nd of Nov ’24 to speak with the medical oncologist about the next steps and treatment options.

No money, mo’ problems:

So here I am. Completely broke and without savings. No more unemployment benefits. Trying to get disability but who knows how long that is going to take, if I am even approved. I can’t get a job because I am still recovering from my surgery. Even if I could, no job would let me go to multiple cancer treatments a week just after being hired. It’s a catch-22.

My bills are starting to stack up. All my credit cards are maxed out and going unpaid. I am borrowing money just to be able to pay for my car and insurance. I have two cats that are my children, the loves of my life, that I must be able to feed and care for. Thankfully a kind-hearted friend donated some much-needed funds so that I could buy them some food for the short term.

I have started to receive various medical bills. Bills from the hospital, bills from the radiologists, bills from the labs, bills, bills, bills. You name it, I got it.

Your contributions:

I need help. I can’t do this on my own. Your contributions will help me pay for the medical bills that are adding up. They will help with my other financial struggles as well, like my past due credit card accounts. They will help feed my cats and me. I need to be able to afford groceries and other necessities. Soon, I will find out what kind of treatment I am facing for my cancer and how much that will cost. Your contributions will go to those treatments and could possibly save my life.

Please, if there is anything you can spare, I would greatly appreciate it.

I will add updates to this GoFundMe as they come in. Thank you.