This was his 'last hurrah' visit... his last chance to come home before his bone marrow transplant. We were very, very lucky - not only did they find a decent match, they found two, one of which is undergoing the donation procedure as I type. And, not only was it a decent match, it was a 10/10 match. It truly does not get much better than that.
Through all this stress and heartache, we have been truly blessed - I've still been able to 'see' my husband on a daily basis (via Skype), and when he's come home, it's been due to the overwhelming generosity of HopeAir, who has flown him on several occasions now. In addition, Ken has received grants from the Canadian Cancer Society to help with funding his accommodations and drugs. As Canadians, we are so fortunate that Ken's chemotherapy and the drugs he receives while hospitalized are covered by our Provincial Healthcare and the BC Cancer Agency. But... once he is discharged into 'day care', the financial burden of anti-nausea medications, antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals, becomes his to bear. And soon, should this transplant be successful, we'll be looking at the life-long requirement of anti-rejection drugs.
But that's getting ahead of myself.
The first go-round with Cancer last year exhausted us financially. This go-round was unexpected, to say the least, and our resources are now tapped out. As much as I hate to put my hand out, I've also been told repeatedly, "If you need help, ask for it."
And so I am.
I've set up a 'donation' page courtesy of YouCaring.com - you can find Ken's story here. I know not everyone is able to donate - and that's ok! I'm certainly not in the position right now! But even sharing the link helps so very much!
To break it down, Ken needs about $1500/month for the next 4 months to finish his treatment. Part of that time will require me to leave work to care for him, which will also increase our financial burden.
For Ken to stay in Vancouver, it costs him $45/day. This does include his meals. Honestly, this is a fantastic deal - where the heck are you going to get a (shared) hotel room in a good neighborhood in Vancouver at those rates? But... multiply that by 31 days in a month... well, you see what I'm getting at.
With any luck, 6 months from now, this will all be just a memory. And I'll be able to look forward to spending the next 50 years with my husband doing the things all families want to do - watching our children graduate from school, attend weddings, become grandparents...
The future can be so bright.
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