Ok. OT but not totally. Clem grad that is a Cancer survivor,

I was diagnosed with Metastatic Melanoma, Oct 13th, the day Dabo was hired as HC. My life changed so many ways. I was give the "feed the worms speech" in 2012. 6-9mos to live, sowhat!!!! Haha!
Still kicking! No toes in the ground. 49yrs old now and lost every retirement dime I ever saved to medical bills, keeping house, boat and suv out of foreclosure. That was a battle.

That said, October 13th, was 9yrs since diagnosed and 6.5yrs longer than they said. Now i have scars, radiation tattoo's everywhere as it metastasized throughout lungs, neck glands and into my adrenal.

That said, i would like to get a Clemson tattoo on back of my shoulder to tell the story. Anyone know a great tattoo artist?

Also, i owe thousands. Some of my treatments were in Charlotte and a week was $126-147k for a week in treatment in ICU! Then my next chemo doses were $72,876 every 90 days for 14doses.

People have suggested GOFundMe, I have never begged for a dime but my dimes are not as plentiful. Should i ask for help? Or should i just pay what i can every month? Problem with "Cancer" is it takes its toll on your body then it steals your money. But guess what, then it steals your energy so your means to replenish $$$'s is diminished.

I never asked for a dime thru this. I only asked ppl to baby sit my Boykin Spaniel, she was always so happy to see me when treatment was finished. Im not asking for money but asking if i would be out of line to setup a GoFundMe. Ive never been on welfare well except for when my dad left the army and i was like 8yrs old. Im a 93 grad, some of the best yrs of my life!! Just not sure i will ever pay my bills off, actually build a retirement and payoff my house by time im 65. Thoughts?
Suggestions? Lot of ppl on here smarter than me but also dealt with life changing stuff

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Re: Ok. OT but not totally. Clem grad that is a Cancer survivor,

Oct 23, 2019, 6:03 AM

I’m so grateful you are still here. I too went thru something very similar. Mine started with my paradid gland being necrotic and I had to have it removed in May of 2012 after I recovered from surgery I bent down to pick up my 21/2 lbs Yorkie and something in my back snapped an I couldn’t move without screaming. After an hour I finally forced my self into the back of our Suburban laying to go to the hospital. They had to pull me out with a stretcher with me screaming the whole time.
I had always worked out played YMCA basketball ?? from 6am-8am every morning before work lifted weights afterward. I played outdoor an indoor tennis 3-6 days a week depending on the season. My whole life was upside down and I was unable to work or function. I was using a walker to get around. My bone structure was very strong but it grew into my spinal cord. I had so many different opinions about how to get relief. I knew I would need surgery to clear the bone off the spinal cord. The pain from my low back ran down both legs into my feet and around my torso.
They did a fusion surgery with a cage on my low back in June of 2014. After the surgery they sent me home with crazy amounts of narcotics to which reacted to my body and made me do stuff I don’t remember but my wife and daughters said I was so out of it but they didn’t realize I was allergic. I was taking my meds exactly as prescribed so they thought it was to help me get through I collapsed in the bathroom in kidney failure an almost died.
Hospice which was a block away from my home came in to help me with care and thought I wouldn’t make it and they helped me for 6 months. By 2015, I lost two homes and all my retirement most of my friends I was using a hover round wheelchair when I could go out usually to the doctor. We spent every dime I had to pay for my medications, doctors etc. if it wasn’t for my faith that God had this and would help me through I would have given up but “GOD” was there and has always been there for me.
Over the last 3 years I have gotten where I don’t use a hover-round wheelchair, walker or cane( still use cane on bad days) I still require lots of care ablations every 3-4 months for my hips, si joints and lower back. It took me 4 years to get disability despite being qualified in 2012 after working since I was 15. ( having a degree really goes against that) you wouldn’t believe the ones getting it. It seems those who need it have a hard time but those that play the system get it, it’s sad.
Apply for disability with a good lawyer, write your senator let him know your situation. That’s when they finally looked at mine. They said if I was 55 I would have gotten it the 1st time I applied. It was so hard going without income for 5 plus years while paying for life, meds and doctors. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I finally realized I could file for Medicaid about 6 months before the disability went through. It’s hard to use the system when you’ve never needed it or thought you’d have to apply for it but you worked hard, you deserve it in your situation.
If you will call the hospital and ask for a scholarship form. Their are grants the hospitals have that you can get help with those bills. It may not cover private doctors but it should cover your hospital bills as a write off and grant.

I’m praying for you to have healing, an all your needs to be met. If you need to ask questions or need someone to talk to call me at 336-338-9251. I know you must be an awesome fighter!

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We keep getting better & better everyday, in every way!
“The only disability is a bad Attitude” Dabo Swinney!!
Let’s Go Tigers!

Ok. OT but not totally. Clem grad that is a Cancer survivor,

Re: Ok. OT but not totally. Clem grad that is a Cancer survivor,

Re: Ok. OT but not totally. Clem grad that is a Cancer survivor,

Re: Ok. OT but not totally. Clem grad that is a Cancer survivor,

This is a really ###### hand to be dealt

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