UPDATE: First and foremost, we’d like to thank all of you for your generosity! Scott has been very touched by the kind words and donations he has received. It has been so good for his spirit to have so many of you reach out to him. He has been so pleasantly surprised by those who have reached out and given him so much love and support. I know Cancer is a difficult topic to acknowledge let alone embrace. But please, consider how difficult it is for the person who has it. Their lives are turned upside down and have zero control of that. Some lose their sense of self. Others lose their livelihood since they can no longer work. There are so many life changing aspects for a person who is fighting for their lives. We wanted to give you all an update on how he is doing. Scott has had 8 rounds of Chemo to date (8/8/23). During his last Chemo session Scott developed an allergic reaction to one of the drugs in his treatment cocktail halfway through his session. Just prior to Chemo, he is given multiple medications to help avoid any allergic reactions. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to stop the severe reaction which the nurses acted on immediately. He was then given Epinephrine and thankfully, that was enough to reverse the reaction. Unfortunately, he can no longer be given that medication and they had to make adjustments to the Chemo cocktail. Scott remains in good spirits even with this setback. He is maintaining his weight which with any Chemo is very important! His energy level continues to be depleted with every Chemo session and he is sleeping a lot. We had a meeting with the Liver Surgeon this morning and will be meeting with the Rectal Surgeon in September. Currently, the plan is to have surgery sometime in October or November once this first round of Chemo is complete. We spoke about various options, but nothing is concrete since we need to see how the next few Chemo sessions go and see what the rectal surgeon says after reviewing his case. Scott gets 6 hours of Chemo every 2 weeks. He then is given a Chemo pump to take home which is attached to him for the next 48 hours. He then goes back to the hospital and has the pump removed. Then he is given a patch which then injects medicine to build up his white blood cells. After another 36 hours, he can take this off, shower and try to live his life. Which has become increasingly difficult. He does this routine every two weeks. Scott is wiped out from this for several days. A couple of days before his next Chemo session, he starts to feel better but then has to go battle Cancer all over again! This has been his life for the past few months and will continue to be for the unforeseeable future. The best thing Scott has been able to focus on since he was diagnosed are his owls that visit him and of course Turbo the Tortoise. It has made him so happy to share videos with everyone! Scott is hoping to attend his 40th High School Reunion this Fall. We hope that his immune system is strong enough and his doctors allow him to go. He's really looking forward to seeing everyone! It will be an amazing distraction for him. Especially, since he is now unable to work and his sole focus is fighting this Cancer battle. Again, thank you so much to those who have donated to Scott’s Go Fund Me! It has helped to take off some pressure. We haven’t nearly reached our goal for Scott. We hope that anyone who is in a position to make a donation will do so in any amount. No amount is too small! Lisa Thurston and Nancy Cohen SCOTT'S STORY: As some of you know, Scott Woodward was diagnosed with Stage 4 Rectal Cancer at the beginning of this year. Scott originally thought he had an ulcer, but the pain he felt did not go away. Like many of us, he didn’t get a routine Colonoscopy. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with Rectal Cancer after a Colonoscopy in January 2024. It wasn’t until March 2024, Cancer was diagnosed as Stage 4 Rectal Cancer with Metastasis to the Liver. Scott’s life completely changed overnight. He never imagined he would be in this position as he has always been healthy. It has been quite shocking. The things that we all take for granted such as eating, strength and stamina to do basic things, have all changed and have affected him greatly. Scott has lost 45+ lbs due to cancer. It is difficult for him to drink chilled beverages or hold things in his hands due to the side effects of Chemo. He can not eat certain foods anymore because his body can no longer tolerate them or they don’t taste right. These are just a few things that Chemo has caused for him. Currently, Scott is on a Chemo regimen every two weeks for 6-8 hrs each visit. Then he takes home a pump which continuously medicates for another 72 hours. He will be consulting with a surgeon for any possible surgical intervention soon. In the next phase in his treatment plan, he also may have radiation in the future. He has been told to expect to be treated until at least summer 2024. Scott has a long road ahead of him. Most days, he doesn’t feel well and needs a lot of rest. The uncertainty of how he will stay afloat during his treatment has become extremely stressful. Scott’s work has been in building/construction for the past 30+ years. Now he is unable to do any physical labor while in treatment and for the foreseeable future. Scott has always been there for all of his friends, family and anyone that he could help. Always checking to see how friends and their families were doing and would take a long road trip to be there when anyone was in need. Whenever anyone needed something to be fixed, built or just some guidance, Scott has been there. He makes strangers feel welcome and has always spoken to everyone with warmth, kindness and respect. Whenever they’d tell him their dreams, he always looked for ways that he could help make them into realities. Being an only child, he has been solely responsible for the well-being and care of both his parents who are in their 90s. He has always been close to both his parents. But since his diagnosis, not only has his life changed, but so has his parents. He is no longer able to take care of any of their needs, no longer able to see them on a daily basis and is struggling to take care of his financial obligations. Scott has been very humbled by the outpour from everyone who has been checking in, offering to help and is very grateful for everyone that has been there for him. He has been so touched by those who have been inspired by his very personal story and have taken steps to get their own Colonoscopies. Because Scott is very prideful, it has been very difficult for him to ask for help from friends and family. Scott never asks for anything. He has always been a doer and caretaker. For someone so independently driven, it has been an extremely difficult time for him to accept any help! At a very stressful and uncertain point in his life; last week his car’s engine and air conditioning broke down which is going to be costly to have fixed. He currently doesn’t have reliable transportation until he can pay for these repairs. In addition to the typical living expenses, Scott’s additional expenses are medical Insurance, medications, required medical testing not covered by insurance, medical copays, deductibles, Transportation to medical appointments when needed (living 1 hour away from the medical center), non covered treatments (acupuncture/herbal supplements) and living in Arizona due to record heat for a good portion of the year, air conditioning costs are through the roof! Now, it’s his turn in needing help. We need your help in assisting him through this very difficult time. He has exhausted his savings and has been trying to sell personal items to cover some bills. He has no financial means to help him through the fight of his life! Scott really needs to focus on fighting cancer, and not spend sleepless nights worrying about how he is going to pay everyday bills and his treatment. Please help Scott with the hardships having cancer has caused. Any dollar amount makes a difference. As Scott's close friends, we’re asking for your help on Scott’s behalf. The financial contributions collected on Go Fund Me will go directly to Scott which will allow him to have some peace of mind so he can concentrate on getting well. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity, Lisa Thurston and Nancy Cohen
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