From Retirement Dreams to Cancer Nightmare

Retirement wasn't supposed to be like this....

Dear friends, family and anyone with an empathetic and generous heart.

My name is Dwight and I worked for 42 years, was looking forward to my retirement to relax and have fun with the grandkids, get together with friends and family, vacationing, and doing things around the house when all of a sudden, my dreams were shattered.... cancer happened.

When I retired in 2021 everything was great! My wife, Cheryl, and I decided that because insurance was so expensive that we would have a better quality of life just not paying for insurance, pay as we go, and hope and pray for the best of health until I can get on medicare in 2024. The medications I am on for all my other health issues, COPD, heart disease, asbestoses, sleep apnea, high blood pressure was keeping everything under control.

I suddenly started losing weight unintentionally and having some not so uncommon health issues ...I felt good though. No pain. In fact losing the weight must have given me a false reading on myself because I could get around without ending up out of breath or sweating profusely.

June 2023 I was diagnosed with rectum cancer. Because I am starting this fund-raiser early I have not yet been told what stage the cancer is in....all I know is this marks the beginning of my cancer journey and it is going to reign over my life for a while and I am not sure for how long. Getting a report like this can be an overwhelming mind blow not to mention the thought of how I'm going to cover all of my expenses for it. Being uninsured and paying out of pocket has already started. How will I pay my monthly bills and unexpected costs? The system for this really sucks. Other than incredible advancements in modern medicine and finding a cure for this cancer and others who are diagnosed so that we can live longer, don't they have any help for medical bills that it takes to accomplish these treatments?? It's a shame that the big "C" couldn't have waited until I was at least on medicare.

Doctors are saying that I might have to go four hours away for something....not sure if that's for chemo and radiation that they said I definitely will be taking or if for the surgery which they said I might have to have and would require wearing a bag the rest of my life. This four-hour trip could be weekly and how will I afford that? I wanted to get this GoFundMe started before all the bills start coming in one after another stacking higher and higher and for trips to other hospitals.

I look forward to the day when I can resume to my exciting retirement plans and life can go back to normal because I know it will!!

I am kindly asking that if you are willing and able, that you would help me reach this goal. I know I have a long road ahead of me. Any amount helps. I would like to express my gratitude for your support, encouragement, and contributions.

I also would like to ask for assistance in sharing this fundraising campaign with your friends, family, and social networks, as I hope to broaden the opportunity for others to extend their support. Here is a link that you can use: https://gofund.me/ce7ee299

Any funds raised here will be used to help offset medical costs I have already incurred and those that are yet to come.