Join Michael's Fight Against Cancer

I’ll start with the good news… I feel pretty healthy despite my situation. I definitely have my good and bad days, but I can’t complain too much. I can still ride my bicycle, play my musical instruments, and go out with friends. I’ve also had the privilege of avoiding any chemo treatments for the last year. Although that is most likely going to change this summer.

As far as bad news goes… My lung cancer continues to grow. I’ve also sprouted a new tumor in my liver. Which is a bummer considering the successful major surgery I underwent to address the cancer in my liver. There’s also evidence that some pre-cancer dysplasia currently exists in my rectum. The thought of having to need a colostomy bag again is not very encouraging.

I have a lung biopsy scheduled for June 3rd. This will provide more information and hopefully open up some opportunities on how to treat my lung cancer. Unfortunately, I’m no longer a candidate for radiation which was really jarring to find out considering radiation has been part of the plan from the very beginning. However, I’m encouraged by the fact that these tumors seem to be growing at a slow pace. So that gives me some strength to continue what I’m doing and just focus on being healthy.

What I’ve been struggling with the most is my sleep. Absolutely insufferable restless leg and arm syndrome just about every single night. If you’ve experienced this, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It got so severe that my doctors ended up prescribing me oxycodone to treat it. The speculation is that maybe it’s nerve damage from chemo, but also extremely low levels of iron which could be a side effect from the cancer itself. Extremely frustrating to deal with and many sleepless nights were spent trying to overcome this overwhelming sensation in my body.

Like many of you, my financial situation has been increasingly difficult to manage. I’m grateful to receive a monthly social security disability check. However, it no longer covers the essentials. For instance, I was recently given a $40 increase to help offset the effects of inflation. However, this increase no longer made me eligible for the full food stamp benefits. After reporting these meager earnings, my food stamps were cut by $130. Who would have thought the government trying to help would actually just make things worse?

Surprises like this have made it nearly impossible to budget. Not to mention increases to utility bills and groceries. I also still have medical expenses to cover. Luckily, my medicaid coverage has been pretty reliable. I still get denial notices, but I am usually able to appeal these so that my doctor visits, surgeries, and prescriptions are covered.

What’s not covered are things like homeopathic needs including tinctures, lotions, etc. I’m also in need of a new pair of orthotics for my shoes. I’m grateful to have a therapist that discounts my sessions. However, this can still sometimes cost me up to $200 a month.

I am looking into the possibility of re-entering the workforce. Even if it's just a few hours a week. I’m a bit worried about my benefits being affected, but I’m encouraged by the prospect of making some money again. At the same time, I’m nervous about possibly having to work a job while dealing with chemotherapy side effects.

Anyways, there's so much more I can tell all of you. This is my first update in almost 10 months. Things are happening all of the time and I’m going to continue doing my best to keep all of you informed. I’ve had the privilege of spending lots of quality time with so many friends and a lot of you have helped me pay for meals and therapy sessions. I feel really lucky to have so many people that care about me. It’s honestly unbelievable to think about at times. It gives me the boost to get through this so I can hopefully return the favor someday.

Thanks for reading this far. I appreciate your continued support. Sharing this post and/or donating means the world to me. I’m happy to still be here and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Ps, Here's a photo Mark Brickman snapped of me petting Apollo. Apparently, I'm no longer allergic to dogs.

Last time I updated all of you, I had found out that the cancer had spread to my liver. It’s been a long time since that post and a lot has happened. Taking that ample time was incredibly necessary in helping maintain my peace and sanity. However, I lost touch with a whole bunch of you and I don’t feel great about that. I will be reaching out to all of you soon, just know that I haven’t forgotten. I’m just overwhelmed with everything going on and it can cause me to withdraw from communicating. I really appreciate the birthday wishes along with the occasional notes of love and support. It means a lot.
In a few days, I will be undergoing surgery to have a chunk of my liver removed. It took having to endure thirteen more chemo sessions just to be considered a candidate for this surgery. I will be having the procedure done at OHSU in Portland Oregon as opposed to North Shore University in New York. I decided to move my care from New York to Oregon mostly for logistical reasons, but also because I felt assured that I would be receiving great care amongst a wonderful community of friends and neighbors.
While it will be a huge relief to get this surgery over with, my doctors have been preparing me for an eventual lung cancer diagnosis. So I’m doing the best I can to manage my expectations all while keeping a good attitude. As spooky as this all seems, I still believe good news can happen at any time; and if anyone is due for a break, it’s gotta be me!
I do have a lot of positives to share with you… most notably is that I now own a functional and dependable automobile! No more will I have to take the bus or drive a dilapidated vehicle. Not to mention air conditioning! I also have my rent paid for the remainder of the year and will now have the convenience of recovering in my own bed.
Now here’s the hard part, I am out of money and need your help. I have applied for social security disability benefits, but the process can take up to a year to finalize. Luckily, I do have benefits like food stamps, medicaid, discounted utility bills, etc. However, food stamp amounts have dipped since the pandemic; and medicaid unfortunately does not cover everything. While I am going through many appeals processes, it’s no guarantee that these costs will be covered.
Lastly, I would like to highlight a fundraiser organized by amazing friends and artists in the great city of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. A city I've never lived in, but has treated me so well throughout the years. The turnout was incredible and I honestly did not know how to handle the attention and love from so many strangers and new friends. You can’t help but think “I wish this was under better circumstances”, but realize that life is often messy and finding joy in a scary time of uncertainty - can be fun.
A huge thanks to so many who helped make this happen: Ian, Adam Michael, Laurel Wain, Cody Clark, Jamie Fergus, Bethany Hallam, Úzkost, Man-E, String Machine, The Zells, Autumn Mohler, The Maple Leaf. Again, this was so much fun and it was amazing to see everyone having such a great time. I even performed a few songs which was incredible considering the havoc chemo has caused on my fingers. I can’t wait to return under better circumstances to make some new memories.
Thank you all for your continued support. Please share this as much as you can and I look forward to getting back in touch with all of you.
ONE LAST THING… if anyone has any advice on social security disability or how I can go about getting cancer treatments in other countries, please reach out! <3

A lot has been happening; and happening fast. Some encouraging news.. I'm three chemo sessions in! I've also begun immunotherapy which entails targeted cancer cell therapy. I'm not gonna lie, I definitely underestimated the side effects, but I'm powering through best I can. I'm currently on a strong antibiotic for the remainder of my cycles to help combat some of these symptoms. It's difficult feeling comfortable in my own skin and it sucks to know that it's probably not going to get any better as these treatment cycles continue. Regardless, I'm still here and I'm doing it.

My lovely friends in Pittsburgh are hosting a show to help with my financial struggles. Adam Michael & Ian Compton have joined forces to put this together and it's a beautiful thing. Super eclectic lineup with lots of bells and whistles. There will be art for sale and even a tarot card reader. The lineup is something I'm particularly excited about. I absolutely love events like this because more often than not, new creative friendships are forged between parties that would otherwise never meet. It's uncertain if I'll be in attendance, but I hope to bring some art of my own to contribute. This is happening THIS UPCOMING SATURDAY FEB 3RD!

Just a few people I'd like to thank for their support and guidance. Some of whom I meant to include in my last update: Erica Marie, Ian Berk, Colleen Long, Shannon Ruble Long, Carmen LaPlaca, Jason Primo, Jesse Builes, Mark Pickering, Thomas Ryan, Heidy Ryan, Nick Lee and Moon Tooth, Jeffrey Rapaport, Wokeface. I'm still doing my best to reply to messages. If you've reached out, you can expect a reply soon. Love y'all ✌️

As some of you may remember, I had to go to the emergency room a few weeks ago because of abdominal pain related from a recent surgery. While they were not able to find a reason for my pain issues, they did find something else. Two metastasized spots on my liver were discovered.

After finishing my recovery in Portland, I flew back to New York where I was unfortunately given the diagnosis of stage four liver cancer.

Weeks prior to this, I had been drafting an update to share with all of you. Part of me wanted to wait until I had some good news to share. However, life has been heavy and I just I couldn’t muster the strength to update my social media and fundly page.

I will do my best to summarize everything that has happened.

While I was happy to be done with treatments and surgeries, I’ve been struggling with some complications. The biggest being neuropathy. I have not been able to play guitar or make art. Even writing my name on a piece of paper is a struggle. I also took a nasty spill down the stairs at the Jamaica train station because of how numb my feet have become. Losing the ability to make music has been beyond devastating and I’m still having a hard time accepting this new reality.

I also lost a close friend, Chris Askin (pictured). Chris was one of my favorite humans and musicians and we had been in close communication about meeting up until I heard the news of his passing. Losing Chris was so upsetting for me. I loved that kid so much and I regret not trying to see him sooner, but I realized my cancer battle had to stay in focus. So I’m still very much processing this loss. I would like to recognize friends like Andrew Accardi, who wrote a beautiful post and photo of Chris. Andrew also reached out to me after hearing the news. Which really meant a lot and made me appreciate the friends I don’t see very often.

Another Chris, my old boss, Chris Chapman.. sadly passed away from cancer. He was another friend I had been texting with, planning a phone call, but I just never found the time or courage to make that phone call; and I regret that very much. Chris was one of my favorite bosses and he was just the sweetest guy. He treated me so well and was always happy to talk about life and love and family etc.

Now… my chances of survival are not great. I know this. The tone of my doctors voices have changed and it is quite obvious that we are hoping for a bit of a miracle. The current plan is eight rounds of chemo with the possibility of radiation or maybe even other treatments if I’m a candidate. If we can somehow get this under control, I will undergo surgery and hopefully end up cancer-free.
I’ve already undergone my first round of chemo and currently feeling good. I’m doing everything I can to keep my spirits up and stay healthy so I can give myself the best opportunity at beating this. Yeah, my plans for Christmas were once again thwarted, but I can (and will) adapt to this new challenge and plan for Christmas in 2024.

Donations are huge right now. Just a few weeks ago, I was planning thank you notes and gifts to send to all of you who have generously donated. Now, I need help more than ever. Fundraising shows with some of my favorite bands and friends are in the works for both New York and Pittsburgh. So please keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, sharing my fundly link is the best way to help: https://fundly.com/color-me-rectal I also have a Venmo @familylumber if that helps makes donating easier for anyone that’s interested.

I have a lot of people to thank. Many who have welcomed me into their homes with love and kindness. Many others who have just been amazing and/or steadfast with their support: Cheesemaster Flex, Desiree Freeman, Josh Freeman, Dave Kalpakjian Cox, Brittany Berger, Mike Goodman, Chris Lewis, Beth Summer, Angela Gibaldi, Greg Gibaldi, Davey Jones, Carmen LaPlaca, Ken Russo, Mark Brickman, Maddy Gentile, Brian Kish, Eric Gustafson, Matt Brady, Ian Compton, Laurel Wain, Jaycee Rogue, Tara Mandella, Guy Hodyl, DJ Don Champion, Adam Michael, Joe Vaas, Laura Vaas, Joshua Thibault, Samson Davis, Mark Pirro

Wish me luck. I appreciate all the love and support. If I have not yet responded to a message of yours, know that I care and will respond in due time. Thanks everyone ❤

Do I look sick to you? This photo was taken in Flushing Queens right after my good buddy, Chris Lewis, got stuck in an elevator; immediately followed by his car being towed by the city of New York. Even with cancer, I still sit here contemplating who's day was worse. Fortunately, I am filled with loads of gratitude and a healthy perspective. A lot of that is thanks to your donations. With all of your help, I've been able to pay off numerous debts including: radiation treatments, visiting home nurses, labs, anesthesia, and surgeries. Having access to funding has also helped me pay for meals, airfare, lodging, green juices, talk therapy, prescription drugs, medical supplies, and a whole lot more. I recognize that I have it way easier than many others fighting disease, but the love and understanding of those around me has been paramount in helping me come to terms with what I've been going through. Big shout outs to the friends who've welcomed me into their homes with compassion and dignity. Those people include: Chris Lewis and Beth Summer, Ryan and Annaliese Spilken, and my dear friends Eric Gustafson and Matt Brady. I am happy to report that I have officially passed the 2/3 mark of my chemotherapy treatments! Still have plenty to endure, but the relief I feel in this moment is like nothing else. A very drunk man once told me "make sound decisions and listen to your thoughts." Happy Memorial Day :)