Published: November 14, 2009 08:32 am      

West Orange couple searches for hope

Janel Campbell, 48, starts to cry when she thinks about not being with her husband of 27 years and if he will die anytime soon.

“I have been luckier than most,” Janel said. “He’s a wonderful man.”

Janel and Stacy, 47, have raised three children at their West Orange home. Life comes with ups and downs, but nothing prepared them for what laid ahead.

The toughest time of their life is now as Stacy’s health declines further everyday.

It all began about 18 months ago when his legs began swelling and he felt run down and tired. The former welder of many years could no longer work and only wanted to rest.

The pair does not have insurance so they went to the local clinic, Gulf Coast Health Center, so Stacy could be seen by a doctor. Because of previous experiences and lack of insurance, they knew it was the only place they could afford to go. The doctor ran a blood test which indicated Stacy had cancer. But, he was also told he needed a biopsy to determine where the cancer was located.

The couple didn’t know what to do except to try to figure out their next move. Over the course of the next few weeks, his legs were not the only thing to swell. The fluid continued to build up and affected his entire body to the point he was having difficulty breathing.

“He was just so sick so I had to do something,” Janel said.

She took him to UTMB-Galveston where more extensive tests were run.

“I feel like they saved his life,” Janel said. “At least they were doing something.”

Stacy was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis with ascites and had “end-stage liver disease.” They were also told his liver had a “nodular surface” which is believed to be cancer. He also has other complications related to the liver problems such as some of the organs are enlarged, according to medical reports.

But, the most devastating thing said to them was the fact that Stacy has six months to two years to live.

“It’s hard to just sit here everyday when you know there is a time limit,” Janel says with tears in her eyes.

Hospital officials sent him home with seven medications which have helped Stacy get through the day— at least for now. He lost 50 pounds of fluid during the first five days of being on the medication, Janel said.

Stacy said he feels himself “getting worse daily.”

He still sleeps a lot, although sometimes at night he often wakes up and stares into the darkness to think about how he will get through the days ahead of him.

He also thinks about his wife and how this is affecting her.

“It’s harder on her than it is me,” Stacy said.

A Houston doctor has agreed to see Stacy at a reduced rate, if they can still come up with the money. However, they question whether Stacy will receive treatment or just more grim details on his illness.

Janel has talked to many people who she thinks may be able to help, among them officials with M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. They have agreed to send her a packet for financial help, but first they want a biopsy done to confirm the diagnosis before they will accept Stacy.

This may have put them back to square one, but Janel thinks it is a step in the right direction. Since then she has tried to find a doctor to perform the biopsy while she tries to raise more than $5,000 to cover the costs.

This has not been as easy as she originally thought. At times, bills and the costs of his medications are still in the forefront as they live paycheck to paycheck from her job as a dance instructor at a local dance studio. With the help of friends and family he has been able to keep taking them.

“My days are spent worrying and hoping we can get him help,” Janel said.

Neither one of their jobs offered insurance and Janel feels an insurance company would certainly not insure them now. They had tried before, but Stacy had a pre-existing condition then as well— high blood pressure.

Stacy has also applied for disability, but has been told it will take up to six months before a decision is made on the case.

“I decided last week to get past all the crying,” Janel said. “A part of me just wants to lock the door and just be together.”

She quickly admits she can’t do that nor will she give up hope on the love of her life.

For now, they try to do what they can in hopes of getting Stacy the help he needs so life will go on— for the both of them.



Debby Schamber is a reporter for the Orange Leader. She can be reached at 409-883-3571 ext. 2609 or at dschamber@orangeleader.com.