Hard Lesson of Life

I went from being a very physically active painting contractor, working 7 days a week, to walking with a cane. I’ve had 11 surgeries, including the very first tumor removal surgery. Mostly fighting infections that I believe I received from the surgeries. 

I did not make sure to pay into my Social Security and Disability (as a sole proprietary owner), and my poor wife has had to obtain two jobs to try and cover our household bills. Now that she makes just enough money to almost cover all of our bills, I was denied all benefits. 

Although I have been working since I was 15 years old and started my own business at the age of 26, I am now forced back to work. I can barely walk and am working (when I can) on ladders, picking up heavy tools, spraying ceilings, etc. I also have 2 torn rotator cuffs and at least one shoulder that I am waiting to schedule to get replaced. I have made a few GoFundMe posts, sometimes, I get help, but most of the time, I do not.

I had migraine headaches for two months straight, followed by a case of the worst hiccups that any human could experience. Two weeks straight, 24 hours a day. I started messing up and making rookie mistakes at work that cost my company thousands of dollars. I kept working until the day that my left side started to numb up, and I actually couldn’t hold normal things with my left hand, including not being able to retrieve items from my front pocket. 

I brushed it all off until my wife forced me to see a doctor. With no medical coverage, I did not want to go. I had my original tumor removal surgery without any insurance at all. We are now in debt for almost $800,000 because of that surgery.

Our system is broken. I can’t even get 100 bucks a month just to help out my poor wife. I have 4 daughters. The 2 oldest are married now with their own families. This glioblastoma stage 4 has affected my entire family, my business, my acquaintances, and my life. Although, I was told by a doctor the day after the tumor was removed that I only had 13-24 months to live. It is exactly 30 months today!

Opinions expressed within this story belong solely to the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of the National Brain Tumor Society.