Hi, my name is Dan Schuster. Tracey's husband, Doug, is battling stage 4 esophageal cancer. His fight began almost 2 years ago, during the pandemic. This is our story. Everyone was affected by the pandemic, some more than others. Businesses were affected as well, including Doug’s in the automotive sales business, and Tracey’s as a self-employed hairstylist. With promises of a brighter opportunity to earn an income out of state, Doug accepted a position 4 hours away, with hopes it would prove lucrative. Tracey was at home recovering from her second rotator cuff/shoulder repair surgery and maintaining the household. Ultimately, the opportunity to work out of state did not prove to be as hoped. The pandemic hit there too. Doug returned home around December 2024, with complaints of swallowing issues. There began the process of the dreadful diagnosis. I started this LFEBridge, because of the financial havoc Doug's medical issues, loss of income, cost of insurance and Covid-19 shutdowns have brought upon their household. Doug & his brother Blaine at a car show. 2024 First, Tracey’s home salon business was shut down because of Covid 19 restrictions, which essentially affected a year’s total income during 2 durations of forced shut-downs. Doug was essentially unemployed at the same time too because of the pandemic. With the surgeon’s approval, Tracey was preparing to reopen her salon and begin styling hair once again. Her shoulder was repaired and healing well. Work would begin with short days while continuing to heal and gain strength. Doug’s cancer diagnosis came after just hours with Tracey back behind the stylist’s chair at work. There began the process of chemotherapy, radiation, and ultimately an esophagectomy. This surgery is considered the 3rd largest surgery Mayo Clinic performs but is Doug’s best chance for survival. His cancer was diagnosed at stage 3. It was grueling, scary and touch and go through the next months. With Tracey as his caregiver, there would be multiple hospital stays, procedures, a feeding tube, and learning to eat food again. Doug pulled through! Doug Carlson 2019 Working from home is a mixed blessing. On one hand, working from home, independently, allows her to be able to be flexible and care for Doug, attend appointments and maintain life with Doug at home. He is not able to work. Home is the location of Tracey’s business, and it is a financial savings to work there, versus paying rent in a commercial salon setting. On the other hand, the opportunity to work is constantly impacted. The issue of seeking additional employment is laden with its own challenges. There is only one Tracey. With so many appointments, Doug’s care, and managing the salon business at home, availability for outside employment is limited. This adds to the stress of the circumstances. Doug and his best friend, Chris, from high school, 1/2024 Tracey buys private insurance since she’s self-employed. This has ultimately been a blessing despite the added expense each month, as it does help to cover some of the unpaid medical bills. The loss of Doug’s regular income and severe cuts to her normal business hours and availability has made her financial situation untenable. She needs help with not just medical bills, but also the mortgage and other routine living expenses as she sees Doug through this battle with cancer. Her home is her business, and if she’s unable to make payments, she could be forced to sell, triggering a whole series of circumstances, as described above. Selling her home would be the end of her hard-fought home business. Tracey 2024 In February 2024, Doug’s cancer metastasized to his right shoulder and humorous, as well as lymph nodes. Stage 4. The pain was unbearable. To repair the frail arm and reduce the pain, he underwent a total reverse shoulder and humorous replacement. The cancer in the bone was like an octopus head where the marrow would be, with tentacles pushing out of the bone, wrapping around, and crushing it. This procedure would be the most difficult to recover from but offered the chance for a brighter future. He would have the opportunity for a greater range of motion, and in theory, would remove the cancerous lesion completely. Doug is currently undergoing bi-weekly life-extending chemotherapy and immunotherapy infusions. They remain hopeful for the best possible outcome going forward. This is very personal for me. To understand why this is so personal to me, we have to go back to 1995. As stated earlier, Tracey makes her living as a professional hair stylist. My wife and I were in the final stages of preparing for our wedding. I needed a haircut. My hair is notoriously difficult to cut, due to intersecting cowlicks. My mother was also a professional hair stylist. She was the only one that could cut it properly. After moving away from home for my job, I spent years trying stylist after stylist. While doing wedding errands, came upon a salon that said walk-ins welcome. “ Might as well.” I thought. I was pretty sure my fiancé was not going to be too impressed with how this was going to turn out. They had an appointment open, and it would be with Tracey. Boy howdy, was I impressed! I looked GREAT for my wedding and she still cuts my hair, what's left of it...lol, to this day. Years later, she would give each of our kids their first haircut as they sat on my lap. Twenty years later, I had to move my Mom into my home. When Mom came to live with my family, Tracey began to cut her hair as well. They both enjoyed the visits and the time Mom would spend in her chair. Tracey had a special spot in her heart as she would talk about Mom’s good times as a salon owner, Norwegian heritage, and going out dancing as a teenage girl with her beautiful golden hair. Those were good days, indeed, but Mom was eventually placed in adult foster care. There she received great care as she spiraled downward from dementia. I continued to take Mom for regular haircuts with Tracey. A few years later, Tracey gave my mother her last haircut after becoming homebound. Mom passed from dementia at the very beginning of the pandemic in 2024. This picture is one of my Mom's last haircuts. I snapped the picture to send to my brothers and it turned out to be one of my favorites. Mom likely had no idea where she was, who Tracey was, and could no longer even remember her own salon business she had run, but she absolutely loved looking great and the personal loving attention Tracey so naturally provided. The picture tells it all. Tracey and I have been through a lifetime of good times, and some not-so-good. We've even shared the loss of our pets through the years. It is now my turn to do what I can. Her business and livelihood are now at risk, as all other financial avenues have been exhausted. My Dad died of cancer, but not before rheumatoid arthritis destroyed first his health, and then his finances at age 40. He eventually had to sell his home. My Mom was living on a meager $900/month social security when she passed. Cancer, Alzheimer's and age-related dementia are difficult to deal with under the best of circumstances and I have personally witnessed the devastating financial toll it takes. Ruth Schuster at Epiphany Salon 2018 Since that first encounter and haircut with Tracey, (which I believe was sheer happenstance), I got married, raised a family, saw my kids go off to college, moved my Mom first into my home, then into adult foster care, buried her 4 years later, and now my retirement. Our youngest just graduated college. Tracey is much more than just someone who cuts my hair. We have known each other longer than most people have been married - 28 years. Occasionally Tracey moved from one salon to another. Wherever she went, I went. When she married Doug and purchased a home, Doug and a friend built out a salon in the 3rd garage stall. The business is known as Epiphany Salon. Her career thus far has spanned 34 years. Tracey has always been a self-sufficient and proud business owner. It wasn't until the Doug’s cancer metastasized, along with dramatic income loss, mounting bills and accompanying stress, that she recently relented and allowed me the privilege of telling our story by starting a LFEBridge. Even if I don't get another dime, I have told her side of the story from my heart. She has been involved with 3 generations of our family. How many others can say the same? It distresses me to know the situation she finds herself in. We'll both get through this, as people do, but knowing that other people also care does mean something. Whether you give a dime or a dollar, she'll know that someone else has indeed read her story and was touched enough to show it. A heavy burden needs many hands to carry it. Doug and Tracey are truly grateful and humbled by the generosity and kindness shown by others. It is their heartfelt belief that God is still good! Thank you from Daniel Schuster, 2024
Artículos relacionados
