BriggsVSLymphoma

This fundraiser is for my father. He has had a long road with illness this past year. It started back in December of 2022. He had a cold and at one point we thought "oh no, it's Covid!" However, he never tested positive for that. He never tested positive for anything actually. Every week he got more sick. He was vomiting and had vertigo. We went to the doctor many times and each time they chalked it up as the flu or a virus. It got the the point where every 10 days they were sending us to the ER for fluids. Still the vomiting and the dizziness increased. He was starting to lose weight and was having trouble walking. His blood sugars were bottoming out and he was having diabetic emergencies multiple times a month. The dizziness became so overwhelming that he could not even turn his head to look at you when you spoke to him. The nausea caused vomiting upon movement. I was frantic. This was February. My husband and I were sure he was dying and no one was doing anything about it. Finally, we took him to another city and went to the ER there. They did an MRI and found a massive sinus infection and blockage. They also discovered his brain was swollen and there was a small area of shading. Doctors came in from every specialty of the hospital. We ended up having a lumbar puncture to see if it was meningitis. Negative. A month long hospital stay and a brain biopsy also negative. He left the hospital with home health care for therapy, his weakness was worse. The only diagnosis they could give us were hystoplasmosis and gastroparesis. So weeks went by and his personality was changing, weakness was not improving. He seemed to be forgetting simple things like whether or not he had eaten that day. I had to take over administering his medications. At times he would feel okay and do his therapy but other times he seemed to not think it would help. My husband and I saw his personality being drained. He would stare at the tv and not be able to tell you what was on it. He was not interested in anything. The nausea continued. This was June. Medication after medication was thrown at us in an attempt to stop the nausea and improve his nutritional intake. His neurologist would shrug it off when I told him he was not better. The doctor no longer wanted to hear what I was saying. It felt as if they had all given up on a real answer. My father had went from being an able body man to one who was dependent on a walker for short distance and relied on a wheelchair for longer distance. Movement made him nauseous. He began to forget what day it was. He began to have falls at home and could no longer step into the shower safely. We decided it was time to seek help again. We went back to the emergency room to tell them we could no longer take care of him safely in our home. More tests and scans were done. The swelling in his brain had increased. There seemed to be a bigger mass of shaded area as well. Another hospital stay was needed. It was now mid August and we were right back where we started... lumbar puncture--nothing... brain biopsy. Finally, an answer. My father was diagnosed with Primary CNS Lymphoma on September 4th. We were relieved to have an answer but devastated by what it meant. However, the oncologist was optimistic about treatment and we proceeded with an IV and oral Chemotherapy blend that had decent results in other patients. A treatment that was supposed to take about 4 days to complete kept my father in the hospital for another 10. He was sick and sore. By the time he was discharged to a home he was weak and swollen beyond belief. He spent exactly one week at the home before he was rushed to the ER. He was having trouble breathing. Another hospital stay had him in the ICU. Pneumonia and sepsis. He was more sick than I had ever seen him. We were not sure he was going to make it out of the hospital. He had to learn how to swallow again and they had been talking of a feeding tube. He told me one day, with tears in his eyes, "I am sorry to do this to you, but I am done. No more treatment." That day my dad decided to ride out his journey with cancer the natural way. His oncologist agreed that more treatment would only cause him pain and sickness. He was discharged to another nursing facility with a 6 week prognosis. It was October when we decided home was best for him. We placed him on hospice and moved him back home. Here he will spend the remainder of his life surrounded by family in the comfort of his own home. November 16th was the 6 week mark. I am blessed to be writing this on November 26th knowing that Thanksgiving with my father was a gift this year. We have decorated the living room with a Grogu Christmas tree just for him. He is forgetful and has days where the agitation gets to him. On these days we turn to the comfort kit provided by hospice, and utilize the medications there. We have had a benefit to raise money for his final expenses and it was profitable. However, the cost for such things is high. Unfortunately my father was not prepared for the worst and has no life insurance. Upon learning this, I tried to help him get coverage but the risk is too high with a diagnosis like his, no one will take him on. So here we are, on borrowed time, asking for donations for a suitable funeral for my father. Nothing extravagant is needed, he would not want that, but a service fit for your average dad is all we are asking to achieve. My thoughts and love go out to anyone who is battling this aggressive and mean disease. This type of cancer takes parts of you and you don't even realize it. You forget what day it is, where you are, and why you are bed bound. It is great to have my dad with me still and a final Christmas with him would be the biggest of blessings, but I know he is suffering. I know, he is not who he should be and not who he wants to be. I am praying for strength for me, my husband and our daughter as we watch and live this journey with him to the end. If you can give to this cause, we would appreciate it and we will promise to pay it forward when we have the chance. Thank you.