Hi friends and family! If you haven't heard yet, our do-it-all dad was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer at the end of January. He hadn't been feeling well for a couple months and had started losing weight pretty rapidly when we noticed one day that he had become jaundiced. This prompted a series of doctor's visits that lead to the diagnosis.
Steve's doctors have been swift to act, as the tumor in his pancreas seems to be growing rapidly. The good news is, that after a myriad of tests we are assured that he caught this incredibly early and the cancer has not spread outside of his pancreas - which is a bit of a miracle. Dad is determined to do whatever he needs to do to get through this, he's up for the fight.
Here's the tough stuff - he's losing a lot of weight very quickly. After starting chemotherapy last week he hasn't been able to keep much down and his already waning appetite is completely gone. He's weak, and unable to drive or do many of the basic tasks we'd usually see him up and doing on any given day. Many of you know that Pattie, Steve's wife, is disabled and unable to drive (though she's determined to re-learn!). Mom and Dad are on a fixed income and things like grocery delivery, rides to and from the hospital, medications, and co-pays are adding up quickly. Bills from insurance have already started to roll in. Steve had planned on getting a part-time job this year to help pay for basic expenses that their fixed income couldn't meet, but of course that is now on hold as well. We don't know what everything will cost in the end. We're actively seeking financial assistance in every form we can.
Once Steve has completed 16 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation, the hope is that the mass in his pancreas will shrink and be operable. He'll then undergo surgery to remove the mass, if the surgeon deems it will have a positive outcome (apparently pancreas's are very tricky!).
We want to care for Steve in the same way he's been caring for all of us for so many years. He's our go-to-guy, the man that will stand on ladders when you're too scared of heights to change a lightbulb, the dad that will learn any new skill just to help you, the one you catch slow dancing with mom when you're not looking.
