New shirts!

We have created new shirts for a lower price to help the family out. Each shirt will be $20.49 and range from size youth XS to 3XL. If you would like to order a shirt please fill out the form below!



https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tsSIFP6atiDG5O5JxIdKA11XUVXuxcw9ONYl6ZB8IlY/viewform

Hurdles keep on coming!

Things were starting to look up for my uncle. Due to some complications and the cancer progressing his team of medical professionals decided that they would go ahead with radiation despite the lack of insurance. Which is awesome because they gave him about 2 months without treatment and we were already entering into that second month.

Then he got approved for Medicaid! Praise GOD things are going great! The results from his MRI showed there had been no change in his tumors and that the complications were because of the cancer progressing and not because of the tumors growing in size or number.

Just as quickly as he was approved for Medicaid he was kicked off. Why? They said their income was too much, but their math was off somewhere because they don't make nearly as much as what the insurance is saying they do. So my aunt and uncle are back to fighting for them to have insurance AGAIN.

Currently Murray is in a rehabilitation center where he is receiving physical therapy as well as speech therapy in hopes to get him strong enough to come home again.  Luckily my aunt is able to stay there with him so he is not alone through this whole ordeal and it saves them quite a bit of money in gas. With this government shutdown there are concerns as to how they are going to keep up with stuff like their bills, food, and gas.

Due to both Murray and Julies health problems neither one of them are able to work. So they get disability and live off of that. Hopefully the shut down doesn't last long and has no effect on their income.

There are no further updates as of yet. We are still collecting donations and doing fundraisers for them to help with medical and living expenses. This has been very hard on them financially and emotionally, they can use all the help they can get.

$1 HELPS or even if you just forwarded this blog or the information to people willing to help. Any information towards organizations that can help is more than welcome! Home remedies... Anything helps.. Even a silent prayer or a few words of kindness.

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9013420319082421676#editor/target=post;postID=2424263775878716949;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=postname

Yes!

This past week Murray ended up back into the hospital because his symptoms were worsening. The neurologist decided it was best that they started radiation treatments right away because the cancer was progressing. They fitted him for his radiation mask on Monday and gave him high doses of radiation Tuesday through Friday and one last dose today. They are going to run tests to see if the tumors have gotten smaller in size because they gave him much higher doses than they had originally planned on doing.

Murray was FINALLY approved for medicaid but the family is still struggling with the expenses of co-pays, gas, food, and the hospital bills from his 9 day stay in the beginning of all of this.

Here is what is happening now:

Testing to see the progress of the tumors
Going to hopefully start chemo soon.
Speech therapy
Physical therapy

Because of the damage done by the tumors he basically has to relearn how to use the right side of his body/brain again. They are teaching him basic skills right now like eating and caring for himself along with speaking. The tumors caused him to have some trouble understanding things and getting his thoughts put into words so they are helping him gain back that ability. He is not strong enough to be home yet so they have transferred him to a rehabilitation home where Julie is able to stay with him. He is working so hard with the therapists because all he wants to do is be at his home with his wife and their dog who is their "baby".


Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

If you would like to make a donation to the family check this out: http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9013420319082421676#editor/target=post;postID=2424263775878716949;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=2;src=postname

How is he?

According to my aunt, Murray has been very tired lately. The simplest tasks seem to wear him out. His appetite has been decreasing and he is starting to show symptoms again.

Every insurance company that they have reached out to doesn't want to insure him because he is considered a high risk patient with prior existing conditions. We are reaching out to everyone and trying to figure something out for him!

The doctor said it is very important for them to understand that without treatment to the tumors on his brain that, "they will become a life threatening event quite quickly." Now that is a hard pill to swallow for anyone, so of course they are crushed. Without the funding to start treatment, they are basically just waiting for either the funding to get within their grasp or for him to join our Lord in heaven. As a person I can't imagine going through this myself... as a wife I can't imagine watching my husband go through this. They are doing everything they possibly can short of asking the devil himself for help...

Right now everything is in Gods' hands and while it is comforting to know that God has his plan and his reason for everything, it is also a terrifying thing knowing that all you are able to do is sit back and watch.

So please say a prayer for my aunt and uncle, pray for healing and funding to get where they need to be.

If you would like to donate here are some ways to do so!

Gofundme: http://www.gofundme.com/42fy80

Bracelets:  http://docs.google.com/forms/d/15H9w3U-7oOHxYCfX3MDEIhVP_m3rIBymE5lvX_o6mkE/viewform

Shirts: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.customink.com%2Fsignup%2F44p3gxch&h=7AQFGHSj1

FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/538746342847546/538748349514012/?notif_t=event_mall_reply

Fundraising!

We have started various fundraising projects to help my aunt and uncle with the treatments for his cancer. My good friend Samantha has been a huge help in this so I would just love to thank her really fast! Samantha you have been amazing through all of this and I don't know what I would do without you. I love you!

Back to the fundraising!

I will be ordering a ton of Lung cancer support bracelets. They will be white and say "Support Lung Cancer. Stay Strong." With the white ribbon for Lung cancer on them. If you would like to order one for $5, fill out this form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15H9w3U-7oOHxYCfX3MDEIhVP_m3rIBymE5lvX_o6mkE/viewform

We also have an event on FB where you can purchase jewelry and the proceeds will go towards helping fund cancer treatments. Samantha set this up and you can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/events/538746342847546/538748349514012/?notif_t=event_mall_reply

There is also the GoFundMe account: http://www.gofundme.com/42fy80

We will aslo be doing shirts: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.customink.com%2Fsignup%2F44p3gxch&h=7AQFGHSj1

The diagnosis...

The biopsy results came in and it turns out that my uncle has Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer. 

Just so we are clear, I will post some information I got from: http://www.cancercenter.com/lung-cancer/stages/

Stages:

• Stage I non-small cell lung cancer: Cancer may be present in the underlying lung tissues, but the lymph nodes remain unaffected.
• Stage II non-small cell lung cancer: The cancer may have spread to nearby lymph nodes or into the chest wall.
• Stage III non-small cell lung cancer: The cancer is continuing to spread from the lungs to the lymph nodes or to nearby structures and organs such as the heart, trachea and esophagus.
• Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer: The cancer has metastasized throughout the body and may now affect the liver, bones or brain.

Now as if this is not scary enough, they were denied emergency medical assistance so they have no way to cover the treatments for radiation and chemo therapy. They are trying to secure the funds for radiation to begin that first because it is the more important treatment at the moment. The tumors on his brain pose a greater risk than the tumor on his lung so they want to treat those with radiation before beginning chemo on the mass on his lung.

At this point all we can do is pray for the funds to find their way to my aunt and uncle for treatments. Then pray that the treatments work. It's a hard pill to swallow for me so I can only imagine how they feel. I am trying to be there for him in every way possible, but it is hard when I have two kids and a husband of my own. I'm thinking about starting some benefit sales to help go towards my uncles treatment costs. I also started up a gofundme account for them as well. 

Trying to think up some good ways to help them out with funding for treatments, but I'm drawing a blank! 

If anyone is reading this please say a prayer for him... for us,.. for funding... Just pray... 



http://www.gofundme.com/42fy80

Update via. my aunt.

My uncle is getting restless in the hospital, but who wouldn't? Seeing the same four walls day after day would get to anybody. He is still so optimistic, but says what are his other options? He said this has definitely given him a different outlook on life and he appreciates life so much more now. If anything good has come out of this experience it is that! To be given a good outlook on life and to build the appreciation of GODs greatest gift... life. As heartbreaking as this situation is, it has clearly brought us all closer as a family.

 

This situation has tested the strength of my aunt and uncles relationship, their love, and their bond as a couple. They have grown closer already in the short amount of time since the discovery of his tumors, which is a great thing! Especially if the worst does happen. I want their memories to be filled of good ones, not bad. I want them to enjoy every minute together and to be thankful for each other because GOD chose them for each other. She is his angel and he is her rock.

 

As for his biopsy results: We are still waiting for biopsy results, which we should get early Monday morning.

Here is an update via. my aunt:
Murray was transported to another hospital yesterday who has a neurological surgeon on board. ...They ran additional labs and scans. The new scans showed he has 5 tumors in the brain. They are all relatively small in size but all cancerous. One is affecting his speech and another is affecting his balance & coordination. He has a mass in the upper left lung. They will be performing a biopsy in the am to see if the mass is cancerous. Won't really know what the next steps are until the results come back from the biopsy. The plan so far is to see if radiation will take care of the tumors. If not then a surgery is planned for Friday. The doctor is very optimistic that this can be treated easily and he is optimistic that Murray has good chances of beating this. His optimism gives us hope and hope floats! Please keep us in your prayers for our finances as well. Murray had left his job in June because of some of his symptoms. Work was beginning to put a strain on him. So he has no health insurance. We have applied to every program the hospital has offered so we are hoping he gets approved for something. And now I am driving from AJ to Phoenix because he doesn't have a private room so I can't stay with him. So all our funds are going in the tank. Praying for blessing but just wanting prayers. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. This love & warmth amazes me





Here is a gofundme account set up for donations that will contribute to gas and cancer treatments: http://www.gofundme.com/42fy80