This past February Our lives changed drastically as some of you might know. My husband of 27 years is a Volunteer Fireman and Union Carpenter a very hard worker and nothimg stops him ,he makes the money to support his family.
,He didn't like when I did go to work but it ended up being when he was laid off . Now I myself have a medical issues and cant work, still waiting myself for SS.. But while at work in Gallitin Tennessee he collapsed , We live 80 miles away in Murfreesboro, I received a phone call about 5.45 a.m. from his work saying John had collapsed and was taken by Life Support Ambulance to Sumner Hospital in Gallitin, I was in a panic he had my van because his truck was broke down .I was in a panic trying to figure out how to get to the hospital,. One of the carpenters from my husband Job said if I couldn't find one he would come get me. It wasn't until I called my sister Sandy that I realized I had driven her car home the night before * she had come over earlier and picked me up at my house ) because she wasn't feeling well .
So I took off and headed to her house.
When we got there we were escorted to a small waiting room where his union steward and a safety officer from the plant were waiting for us. The nurse came out and got me and brought me back to the CAT scan room and then a little room off to the side where there were two doctors and a big window where I could see John and his xrays. The doctor showed me where all the blood clots were about 12 of them, one big one in his leg but most in his groin. He told me he didn't know if they could save his right leg and couldn't believe the mess in his groin from a surgery he had to have about 20 years ago in Michigan when he was in a car accident and the steering wheel crushed his iliac artery in his groin & they had to put in a iliac bypass. Into surgery they took him ,He was in surgery about 7 hours, the doctor came out and said they were able to save his leg but had to cut it open on both side to allow for blood flow and had to put a new iliac bypass in.He had told us that the other bypass had completely rotted and was held on by one thread,he had NO idea how John was able to survive this long without loosing his leg from no blood flow.The doctor also wasn't sure where the blood clots were coming from in the first place .He was in the hospital about a week. The doctor said that he was off of work for 6 weeks but in the mean time he had sent John to get another CAT scan to make sure that there were No more clots going on .
So about 2 weeks after surgery we returned to the doctors where he sent us to get a CAT scan done and the next day they called us and told us they need to talk to us about the CAT scan. So back up to Gallatin we went, when the doctor came in he said " well still not sure where the clots were coming from but looks like it may have been from that iliac bypass but through the CAT scan we found a 3/4 in spot on your upper left lung and 2 small dots in your right lower lung " He told us that he wanted John to get a PET scan ( it's a scan with a dye that will light up showing activity if the tumor is believed to be cancerous ) a long day .
Then a couple days after the test we were called back in to the doctors office this time in Hendersonville Tennessee to find out the results and yes it was said to be cancer and he gave us the options . My husbands best options was to choose surgery there a biopsy would be done to see if it is malignant and if so the protocol is to take 1/2 his lung..So before they scheduled surgery he had to go for another CAT scan and a lung capacity test..Then another doctors appointment to schedule surgery which we were told would last 3 hours , On June 2, 2015 in Hendersonville he had his lung surgery. My sister Sandy and her husband Bill stayed with me all day, if it weren't for them being there with me I think I would have fallen apart especially after the surgery lasted 7 1/2 hours.
Yes it was cancer ! The word hit me hard ! Not knowing what was going to happen next ! Of course John never expected it to be Cancer ! How was I going to tell him that they took half his left upper lung .when I saw him I cried
I had to tell him , he cried and keeped saying he was " so very sorry..." I said " Oh NO no it's not your fault.Stop stop "
At Hendersonville Hospital you ( the spouse or anybody ) are Not allowed to stay the night in the Critical Care Unit but you can stay in the waiting room which was crowded many staying , so since I had no money to get a motel room and to far for me to drive home I slept in the car,until he was moved to a normal room, luckily the next night !
On our left was 4 older folks that were talking about how you gotta do what you have to do to survive one had to quit his job he just couldn't do it anymore he had to get on Social Security just to try to live ! The other gentleman said he was down to a couple of hours a week but needed the money, Social Security is so hard to get on you have to wait so long.
By that time you just about lose everything you've ever worked for !
Yes my husband can return back to work and hopefully he can continue to work but I don't know how anybody especially senior citizens can survive the cost of Cancer or there for any devastating medical issues.
We had already used all our savings as my husband had not been to work since February and now it's July 10th . We had to do a "forbearance" on the house and it gave us until July 31,& they call almost every 2 weeks to see if John is back to work yet .Well as you can see as of right now no nothing and we pray every day that John gets called back to work .But even then yes money will start coming in. With 4 months house payments and bills for the 2 major surgeries ,ambulance & the , first one being a Emergency surgery , ICU for the first & Critical Care Unit for the Lung surgery,, there are 2 or 3 bills every day 46 thousand on just one & .on & on in fact had our first collector call today .
It was only by " The Grace Of God " & Yes the Blood clots & CAT scan that the Lung Cancer was found !
It was suggested to me to set up a GO Fun Me page to help us with saving our house and to help with all the medical bills .
We have never asked for Help but with All that has happened to us this year ., we can't see how we will ever be able to save our house !
If there is anyway you can Help Us or anyone else who is going through such a situation PLEASE do even a Prayer will help !
Thank You & May God Bless,
Cheryl & John
So I took off and headed to her house.
When we got there we were escorted to a small waiting room where his union steward and a safety officer from the plant were waiting for us. The nurse came out and got me and brought me back to the CAT scan room and then a little room off to the side where there were two doctors and a big window where I could see John and his xrays. The doctor showed me where all the blood clots were about 12 of them, one big one in his leg but most in his groin. He told me he didn't know if they could save his right leg and couldn't believe the mess in his groin from a surgery he had to have about 20 years ago in Michigan when he was in a car accident and the steering wheel crushed his iliac artery in his groin & they had to put in a iliac bypass. Into surgery they took him ,He was in surgery about 7 hours, the doctor came out and said they were able to save his leg but had to cut it open on both side to allow for blood flow and had to put a new iliac bypass in.He had told us that the other bypass had completely rotted and was held on by one thread,he had NO idea how John was able to survive this long without loosing his leg from no blood flow.The doctor also wasn't sure where the blood clots were coming from in the first place .He was in the hospital about a week. The doctor said that he was off of work for 6 weeks but in the mean time he had sent John to get another CAT scan to make sure that there were No more clots going on .
So about 2 weeks after surgery we returned to the doctors where he sent us to get a CAT scan done and the next day they called us and told us they need to talk to us about the CAT scan. So back up to Gallatin we went, when the doctor came in he said " well still not sure where the clots were coming from but looks like it may have been from that iliac bypass but through the CAT scan we found a 3/4 in spot on your upper left lung and 2 small dots in your right lower lung " He told us that he wanted John to get a PET scan ( it's a scan with a dye that will light up showing activity if the tumor is believed to be cancerous ) a long day .
Then a couple days after the test we were called back in to the doctors office this time in Hendersonville Tennessee to find out the results and yes it was said to be cancer and he gave us the options . My husbands best options was to choose surgery there a biopsy would be done to see if it is malignant and if so the protocol is to take 1/2 his lung..So before they scheduled surgery he had to go for another CAT scan and a lung capacity test..Then another doctors appointment to schedule surgery which we were told would last 3 hours , On June 2, 2015 in Hendersonville he had his lung surgery. My sister Sandy and her husband Bill stayed with me all day, if it weren't for them being there with me I think I would have fallen apart especially after the surgery lasted 7 1/2 hours.
Yes it was cancer ! The word hit me hard ! Not knowing what was going to happen next ! Of course John never expected it to be Cancer ! How was I going to tell him that they took half his left upper lung .when I saw him I cried
I had to tell him , he cried and keeped saying he was " so very sorry..." I said " Oh NO no it's not your fault.Stop stop "
At Hendersonville Hospital you ( the spouse or anybody ) are Not allowed to stay the night in the Critical Care Unit but you can stay in the waiting room which was crowded many staying , so since I had no money to get a motel room and to far for me to drive home I slept in the car,until he was moved to a normal room, luckily the next night !
My husband was in the hospital for a week and then we had to go back to Hendersonville 2 weeks later for an ultra sound then set an appointment for an oncologist thank goodness here in our town on July 2 nd.. the doctor came in an said " Wow you've been through a lot in the last five months , saved your life ! He said normal protocol is to give chemo & radiation but studies show it can be worse it just weakens the body " so in 6 months john goes back for a CAT scan and make sure the left lung is clear and to keep check on the 2 spots on his lower right So PLEASE Pray all will be good !
All his doctors say he can go back to work but they are not sure he will be able to do the same work he does, he will have to adjust to a new way of breathing and after 2 major surgeries and 5 months off work. He is just waiting for that phone call any day !!, John said he needs to see what he can and can't do , his job requires alot of climbing , extreme heat & humidity & long hours , he works at Nuc , Gas, Steam, Plants, scaffeling or form building.
While sitting in the waiting room at the oncologist I was listening to some of the conversations. On my right was a older couple & a son I'd say in his 40's the dad was saying to his son " you know I have taught you all you know about everything & the band but promise me I just want to get up there and play one more time ! On our left was 4 older folks that were talking about how you gotta do what you have to do to survive one had to quit his job he just couldn't do it anymore he had to get on Social Security just to try to live ! The other gentleman said he was down to a couple of hours a week but needed the money, Social Security is so hard to get on you have to wait so long.
By that time you just about lose everything you've ever worked for !
Yes my husband can return back to work and hopefully he can continue to work but I don't know how anybody especially senior citizens can survive the cost of Cancer or there for any devastating medical issues.
We had already used all our savings as my husband had not been to work since February and now it's July 10th . We had to do a "forbearance" on the house and it gave us until July 31,& they call almost every 2 weeks to see if John is back to work yet .Well as you can see as of right now no nothing and we pray every day that John gets called back to work .But even then yes money will start coming in. With 4 months house payments and bills for the 2 major surgeries ,ambulance & the , first one being a Emergency surgery , ICU for the first & Critical Care Unit for the Lung surgery,, there are 2 or 3 bills every day 46 thousand on just one & .on & on in fact had our first collector call today .
It was only by " The Grace Of God " & Yes the Blood clots & CAT scan that the Lung Cancer was found !
It was suggested to me to set up a GO Fun Me page to help us with saving our house and to help with all the medical bills .
We have never asked for Help but with All that has happened to us this year ., we can't see how we will ever be able to save our house !
If there is anyway you can Help Us or anyone else who is going through such a situation PLEASE do even a Prayer will help !
Thank You & May God Bless,
Cheryl & John
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