Jay’s Journey If you know Jay, you know that his smile lights up any room and he instantly can make you feel comfortable. He becomes friends with anyone he meets and will have a conversation with a perfect stranger. I met Jay working at a hospital in Saint Petersburg. I was a nurse and he just started working in the lab as a phlebotomist. He had just returned to work after taking a leave of absence while he battled cancer and received chemo and radiation. After months of treatment, he was in remission. We have spent the (almost) past 2 years building our lives together when we received the devastating news that Jay’s cancer was back. The Dr’s became concerned right before Christmas about a spot on his MRI that they weren’t sure what it was. A biopsy came back negative but we continued to monitor for 6 months. In June, MRI results showed the “spot” had grown so we were scheduled for another biopsy. The results came back in 3 days, Jay’s rhabdomyosarcoma was back. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare and aggressive cancer in the soft tissue and bones. The past few weeks have resulted in many Dr’s appointments and the ultimate decision for treatment is surgery. Jay requires a radical surgery that will remove a portion of his pelvis, a hip replacement on the left side and a flap done by his plastic surgeon. The surgery is now scheduled for this week and the procedure itself can take up to 18 hours. This surgery will require extensive physical therapy afterwards, resulting in Jay not being able to work for upwards of 3 months post operatively. If you have ever worked with Jay, you know he has a tremendous work ethic and consistently works overtime to help his team. Neither Jay nor I like to ask for help, as a matter of fact we are typically the individuals who help others since we are in the medical field. But we find ourselves in a position where we are in need of assistance. I will return to work as soon as I am able to after his surgery but we are looking to raise whatever money we can to go directly towards our bills for the house and medical expenses not covered by insurance. We appreciate each and everyone who has been there for us and supported Jay during his cancer journey. Jay’s motto is “keep going, never give up” and that is exactly what he is going to do!
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