Justin Dortch

Got diagnosed on December 8th 2025. Went in for yellow eyes and back pain in November 2025. Started as gallbladder issues, did more testing and found cancer all throughout my body. Carried on as usual while waiting for updates on what to do. The week of Christmas I went to work like usual (diesel mechanic) on 22nd and 23rd. Had to call in on 24th because the back pain was unbearable and I was struggling to walk and had to use dads old cane to get around. Come Christmas day I had to have my brother practically carry me. Went to the hospital later that day and on the 27th had back surgery due to spinal stenosis and a tumor flattening out my spinal cord. Had to deal with all that back pain all while being too weak to walk and also waiting for word on what to do about the lymphoma. Finally by the end of January 2026 I started chemo. Handled the first 2 rounds just fine. During that time I started losing my vision. I couldn’t even see my mother from 6ft away. They gave me steroids and ran some tests. Found a 6mm mass on my brain. The steroids helped the inflammation go down and my vision mostly came back. Then later after the 3rd round of chemo I got real nauseous and next thing I know im waking up in the hospital. Apparently I had seizures, got sepsis, meningitis, was on a ventilator and who knows what else. I remember very little from that. Everyone says that should have killed me. I guess im stubborn though, thank God. After I woke up and started to come to I couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk, couldn’t read, write or spell. That was a very scary and frustrating time. I gave the ICU nurses a run for their money. God bless them and all they did for me. After a few weeks in ICU I spent another few weeks inpatient all while doing chemo and having an ommaya reservoir put in my head to try to combat the mass on my brain. Spent 2 months straight in the hospital. After getting out I continued coming back to complete my chemo regiment all while spending every other week in the hospital for a week at a time. Now its mid August 2026 and we are preparing me for a bone marrow transplant. I have gotten stronger but im still struggling to walk and we aren’t sure if I’ll ever walk normal again. All throughout this time I haven’t been able to work or make money, haven’t been able to make mortgage payments or even stay at my house. Will probably have to sell it or lose it. The saddest thing about all this is I’ve had to give away my dogs because I can’t properly take care of them anymore. But my hopes are high, my attitude is mostly good and I know the Lord has my back through whatever happens next