Thursday, April 22, 2021

24 Hour Live Fundraiser for Mike Caporale

 


Visit the Facebook Group for Information on the Show or Donations 

Story by:  Eric Carter.  


I am the partner of Michael Caporale and it’s with a heavy heart that I have to begin a journey of recovery with Mike from (Non-Small-Cell-Lung Carcinoma) NSCLC. 

 It has spread throughout his bones in a very short amount of time.

Mike known as (Bear Bear) to me and family members (Also known as VAPIN TRUCKER to the DIY community) is only 49 years old. It was March 17th when we entered the ER with symptoms of kidney stones.  It was after two different CTScans that we were given the news of metastatic lytic lesions all over his skeletal.  At the time we did not know the primary location until further genetic testing of his bone biopsy pin-pointed NSCLC.

Mike has been a very dedicated Over the Road Truck Driver for 27 years.  Shortly after high school, he entered the Navy, and after his service began driving a truck. His constant dedication to deliver the consumer goods of America is one of his greatest strengths, hoping through his commitment that all goods reach those in need and delivered on time.  I know that not being able to do that job anymore is weighing heavy on his mind.

I myself have been unable to work in the last few years due to my own health conditions.  We relied on Mike's weekly pay to keep our bills paid, and now that he has been hospitalized with Stage IV cancer we will need help to continue to pay for a place to live, a car to drive/ insurance for him to get to treatments and doctors appointments.  Basic household needs like water and electricity and food.  We will be applying for state help at some point, but as most of us know it takes months for you to be approved for said financial help.    

So we humbly ask for any help that you can afford.  I would be so grateful for any help provided that Mike's mind doesn’t have to be stressed with financial burdens on top of his illness.   If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.  We appreciate all words of encouragement and personal stories of the fight against this terrible disease of cancer.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story. God bless you for any help given.


Updates:  

Good Morning Everyone,

From a snow-covered morning here in Magnolia. I wanted to let everyone know that Mike has finally had scheduling for his PETScan and been approved by his insurance for Thursday 04/22/2021 @ 12:30pm. We have been fighting to get this scheduled since the 20th of March. I can not believe it’s been a month since we received the first preliminary diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. Hopefully, with this latest set of biopsies and the scan, we can figure out the true primary location where this all started. As I have stated before the NSCLC was the diagnosis from the first biopsy genetic testing, where they felt like the primary was still unknown. His follow-up will be on Tuesday the 27th @ 8:30am. I believe that is when they plan to finally start treatments if that is what he wants. We have discussed it many times and he’s a little on the fence about having to go through being sicker than he already feels. My only wish is that he doesn’t have to suffer in pain. It breaks my heart to see him so down. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers

Also please continue to share and talk about this with friends and family. I am currently in a situation that I will need to take the car to get worked on so that we have a vehicle to continue to get Mike to and from his appointments.

I want to thank everyone who has been involved and will be for your generosity and support. There are no words that can express the gratitude we have for you. Except THANK YOU from our hearts.






Monday, April 19, 2021

Vaping Saved My Life After COPD

Fighting for My Right to Live

Advocacy for Vaping


I know this is a romance blog where I share my writing and other authors, but I wouldn’t be here today to do that if it wasn’t for vaping.  As some of you might remember, in August of 2015 I shared my story on being diagnosed with COPD and using vaping as a smoking cessation tool.  It worked.  I was able to put down a 2 pack a day habit by using vaping as my nicotine replacement therapy.  The changes in my body have been unbelievable!

I’m able to sing again, sleep at night without coughing my lungs out waking up a hundred times, and haven’t gotten bronchitis or pneumonia once.  Prior to vaping, it was every other month I was diagnosed with bronchitis.  Vaping was the last thing I tried after:  Nicotine patches, hypnosis, prescription medication, and cold turkey.  None of those things helped me quit smoking.  When I went to the emergency room it was a huge wake-up call, getting hospitalized was proof that if I didn’t give up that horrible habit I wouldn’t be around.

This is much more than Big Pharma or Big Tobacco trying to strong-arm the FDA, our government, and the opinion of the public.  This is a fight for my life, for my right to breathe, to have an alternative that works for me to keep me away from combustible cigarettes.  Maybe it’s true that the long-term effects of vaping haven’t been studied to know how this is going to turn out in the long run BUT… and this is a HUGE BUT…. I wouldn’t have made it another five years without vaping.  So long term effects weren’t my concern because I needed something that worked RIGHT NOW!

There are hundreds of thousands of people out there just like me that can’t WAIT for long-term testing because they are DYING today.  I’m an author, but I’m not overdramatizing the facts here!  If they tax these products to where those in a lower economic bracket can’t afford to quit by using vaping, those people suffer!  If they BAN vaping, they essentially KILL those who need this alternative to smoking to live.  I want you to think about that long and hard!  Without vaping, myself, and several people just like me will DIE addicted to cigarettes when the answer to quitting effectively was right in our grasp but we stood by and did NOTHING!

Looking at things realistically, Big Pharma and Big Tobacco should be the real losers here.  They don’t deserve the right to kill another person with their products or their FAILED methods of nicotine replacement and Prescription medications that have caused people to have suicidal thoughts.  Research the truth on Chantix:  Suicide warning for Chantix and Anti-smoking drug Chantix linked to 500 suicides.



I KNOW without doubt vaping saved my life, and I will fight until my dying breath to advocate for it.  There are so many lies out there about vaping and I encourage you to research for yourself to discover the truth, not what the media is trying to spin-off for their agenda.  Get the facts, and please support my cause to Fight for My Right to Live by visiting these pages:


Friday, April 16, 2021

Tears of Crimson is Going Keto!

 


So, I've been on the Keto "lifestyle" for over a month now and it's been working really well for me. The lockdown has really played havoc with my weight, and health, and I knew that getting back in shape was something I desperately needed.  I wanted to share my journey through this, so I thought I'd create a journal of sorts online.  You can pop in at www.ketowithmichellehughes.club if you're interested in recipes, and tips to get you started.  I've lost 16lbs, so far!  

As some of you may, or may not know, I'm a type two diabetic, and what really kicked me in the backside was my sugar levels reaching 377 at my last doctor's appointment. I'd been in a funk for the last year, and really let myself go, both mentally and physically.  If you've noticed, I haven't released any books in over a year, and a big reason for that is I was physically exhausted.  I'm writing again, my mental clarity is returning and my blood sugar is now back in the normal range.  Keto has been a huge life-changer for me!

It's been a huge adjustment changing a lifetime of eating habits, but I haven't been hungry!  I think the reason a lot of diets fail is that you're always starving.  If you're doing Keto right, you won't have to deal with that.  I'm not a doctor or a dietician, so I don't know why Keto works to keep you full while eating less, but it does work.  I even have to force myself to eat these days, because I'm just not hungry.  The hardest part about this is coming up with meal plans (at least it was for me) and I've shared exactly what I've eaten for the last five weeks on the new journal blog.  No, I'm not charging for this information!  

If you're looking to lose weight, or maybe even help your type two diabetes, I hope you'll join me on this journey.  For me, this is a lifestyle change, not a diet, and you have to go into this with the right frame of mind.  Believe me, I was a huge bread, pasta, rice, and potato eater prior to Keto, so it is an adjustment period.  I've learned how to substitute those foods for healthier, and believe it or not, tastier options, and I don't feel like I'm missing out.  I've even discovered how to eat out and still remain on Keto.  Basically what I'm saying is, if I can do this, I know you can too.  I hope to see you on the blog! 


 

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Keto Krate Unboxing for April!!!

 


Can you say EXCITED?!?!?!  I got my first Keto Krate in and I think all my dreams have just come true.  No, I'm not exaggerating! It was like Christmas morning because there were so many goodies packed inside I just couldn't wait to dive in.  I know, I know, I have to watch my calories and carb intake, so I'll have to space them out, but the idea of having snacks (especially ones I don't have to make myself) can you say KETO HEAVEN?  I could so keep on rambling, but instead, let me show you what's in the box! OH!!! Before I forget, if you'd like to try the Keto Krate, I have a $10 coupon code for your first box:  https://glnk.io/ykq1/tocsflavors or you can use my coupon code:  TOCFLAVORS 






I'll come back and give you my thoughts on all these snacks, if I can keep my kids out of the box so I get the chance to try them.  My boys are trying to lose weight as well, so they are doing Keto with me. If they beat me to them, I'll get their opinions.  The family that Keto's together stays together right?  Really excited about this snack box, and I'll be working into my meal plan.  Wishing you all the best on your Keto journey, and if I can help at all, just let me know how in the comments below.  


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