Sunday, October 24, 2010

Report from Weekend in Walla Walla

Note from Janet Evert (Jim's sister):

We just returned from visiting Jim in Walla Walla. He looks quite good, although he's moving a little slowly. He has been taken off all chemo in preparation for the procedure in Seattle. Unfortunately, the chemo has caused a fair amount of nerve damage, so he is struggling with some painful neuropathy, especially in his legs, which he describes as the feeling you get when you've been outside in freezing cold weather too long, and then come inside--that freezing, burning pain you get as you start to warm up.

Jim has an auto repair business in Walla Walla, "Jim the Automan." He's very concerned about what will happen when he packs up and goes to Seattle. Still, to not go would be a death sentence. He will be having what is known as an autologous transplant, which means his own stem cells will be collected from his blood stream over a period of 1-2 weeks. These will be stored in a freezer to be given back to him after he has been given high-dose, marrow-ablative chemotherapy and/or irradiation to kill rapidly-dividing cells such as cancer and bone marrow cells. The medical team will then thaw his previously-harvested stem cells and given to him through a central venous (CV) line.

His immune system will be very vulnerable during this time. He will be staying near the hospital, with a caregiver keeping close watch over him, taking him in for lab tests, tending his CV line, encouraging him to eat, etc.

Somewhere between 10 and 28 days after this, his marrow will start producing new stem cells. When the transplant team feels that he is ready to return home. This could be as soon as 40 days or as long as four months, depending on his response.

My brother Kevin and I are planning to be his primary caregivers. I am nervous about it, but also happy that I can be part of the team to surround him with love and care, and help him get well.

Some have asked me about his expenses and medical fees. His insurance has a high deductible, which starts over each January. This means that he is liable for this liability of $10,000 for both 2010 and 2011. His out-of-pocket expenses for the procedure, not counting loss of income or home expenses while he is not working, will run at least $30,000--and we probably don't know the half of it! He started up his auto repair business a few years ago and has put everything into it, so he has no savings to fall back upon. We will do all we can, but as we have been in ministry for 20 years, our best is not enough.

Thank you so much for your interest, your prayers, and your support. It means the world to him, and to all of us.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

What It's All About

In May of this year, Jim learned that he had multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells. Since then, he has been undergoing chemotherapy, and has seen some improvement. Still, without further treatment, he has a very poor prognosis. This means that the next step for Jim is stem cell therapy at the University of Washington in Seattle. This therapy often has excellent results, increasing Jim's life expectancy from a few miserable years as the disease progresses to a near-normal life expectancy. This will also make it possible for him to profit by more innovative treatments that may be discovered in the future. Jim has had a consultation with the physicians at UW, and has been accepted for treatment. Unfortunately, this therapy takes several months. After a variety of outpatient procedures, he will mostly likely require some time in the hospital. Following this, he must remain nearby as an outpatient until his immune system has recovered sufficiently for him to return home.

Although insurance will cover much of this very expensive treatment, he is facing considerably upwards of $20,000 in medical debts, and more are sure to follow. In addition, he must cover several months of outpatient housing near the medical center, as well as meals, transportation, and other non-covered expenses. During this time, Jim's household bills will be accumulating, since he won't be able to work. Helping to alleviate the financial burden of his medical expenses will help diminish his stress and allow him to focus on getting better. We, his friends and family, can support him by giving what we can—one less worry and a lot of encouragement in his fight! You can check this site for updates on Jim's progress. Please leave your comments—Jim would love to hear from you. To help with Jim's medical fund, click the arrow in the Pledgie box on the right. This will take you to PayPal. You do not need to be a member of PayPal to use the service. The money donated goes directly into a safe account, and 100% of the funds will be used for Jim's medical expenses. Mail also works. Send to Janet Evert, PO Box 400, Inchelium, WA 99138. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Janet at 509-722-3728 or ydjanet@yahoo.com.



This blog is being administered by Jim's sister, Janet Andrews Evert.