Glen Rhodes is a lifelong logger, hot rod enthusiast, and an incredible friend that was forced into retirement in 2017 by a diagnosis of colon cancer. Following that diagnosis, eleven rounds of chemotherapy ensued which left Glen and his family hopeful and optimistic. However, a year later the cancer was back and now it was stage 4. The next round of treatment included immunotherapy among many other procedures. The treatment was rough. None of the doctors told Glen that his finger nails and toe nails would all fall off. However, the pain was worth it because the next scan showed that he was cancer free. All was great until Glen found out that he had a slight hernia due to the surgeon initially removing the mass out of his colon. The surgeon said he thought he could repair it. He prepped Glen for surgery, got in the operating room, cut him open, took one look and said he could not fix it. The doctor said Glen had portal hypertension and that he would have to go to a surgeon that specialized in that. Long story short, with Covid and elective surgeries being postponed for over a year, Glen’s hernia grew in size to the point of where it affected almost every aspect of his life. With little help from his primary care doctor, Glen’s cousin Steven Gardner who worked as a doctor at Mass General learned that Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan had a wing that specialized in hernia repair. Glen called the hospital and made an appointment with a doctor. The doctor said it was not the worst he had seen (referring to Glen’s hernia) but that it was up there. The doctor said that he could repair the hernia and that he could perform the surgery at the end of July 2024. He emphasized that it would be a major surgery and that Glen would be looking at a week in the hospital at a minimum. It turns out that the surgeon does not take Glen's health insurance and the doctor wants all fees up front before he operates on Glen. Due to the cancer and the treatments (in addition to a stroke) Glen has not worked for the past six years. He is reliant on one income provided by his significant other. Financially it has been tough. In the words of Glen, “I am hoping to get some help from friends, family, or anyone else willing to help me so that I can cover the costs of my surgery and get back on my feet and continue to work and be happy. All help would be greatly appreciated.”
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