Hello Everyone, I am sharing some updates and updating a fundraiser I originally made in December for help. I shared the lengthy life update on Facebook below a few weeks ago. Since then, I have lost about 25/30 pounds and feel my life fading away. Thankfully to some connections, since my housing is ending next Monday, June 8th, I was able to get an offer to lease out a nice waterfront place for $250 a month, fully furnished, basically just covering the utilities, so I can spend out my final months in peace. If you would like to help thank you from the bottom of my heart, if you could help in alternative ways like PayPal, or Venmo, it would help me more directly without fees and having to wait a week for funds, especially since I need them in a few days. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Anything donated will be used for rent, and beyond that medication, and enjoying the life I have left with books, movies, hopefully a good meal and a crab cake. All my love, Justin

Orginal Life Update and Facebook Post-

Hello everyone. This is a hard post to write, however after being open and transparent with my journey and life I wanted to share the news and updates I received yesterday, after taking sometime to deal with them myself and deal with my emotions.

I met with my oncology team at Hopkins yesterday morning, and upon entering I could tell the news was not going to be great, just by their demeanor and looks on their faces. They have been so great and kind since this move back to Maryland, helping me navigate the clinical trial experience, helping me with my immense amount of questions, and helping me deal with the finacial strain of it all overall just great people.

What they told me - while things initially looked hopeful after the trial, my most recent scans have shown that the cancer has began to take over my tongue completely, spread to various places throughout my jawbone, and further into my neck in the cervical lymph nodes. Clearly the trial, radiation, chemo, and such that I've been doing for the last 6 months have not stopped the growth. Right now I am looking at having a Glossectomy, which will take away the majority, if not all of my tongue, as well as a reconstruction of my jawbone, and lymph node disection throughout my neck.

The options are to move forward with all of these things, which will almost certainly make it so I lose my ability to talk, possibly regaining some use within a couple of years of working with speech therapists, as well as an appearance change, while continuing to hope it doesn't spread further and treatments can further help that and possibly end it. Or option 2. Continue with life the way it is, by switching to n advanced palliative approach, and maintain life for what they are saying is 10 to 12 months.

At this point, I have 99 percent made the decision to seek option 2. I don't want to live a life where I have to use a whiteboard or tablet communicate. I don't want to do all of this and then maybe it was all for nothing. I don't want to endure all of this alone and it all be for nothing.

So I am going to meet with them tomorrow, and move forward with this new plan. I am going to continue to work my little job at Whole Foods I just started and can only work very part time in hopes to receive the full benefits from social security, and hopefully get more assistance from the State. I am going to live a life for the next year as long as I can, hopefully being able to find some happiness, hey maybe even a love a long the way, stranger things have happened.

This is not me giving up or throwing in the towel, I will still be on a round of oral Chemo medication called Methotrexate, in combination with some other things to hope for a miracle.

This is me saying I fought a good fight, I've lived a good life, from growing up with the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay as my backyard, to working in living in Hawaii and seeing the most beautiful sights God has created, to finding purpose and helping so many in Annapolis back in Maryland helping feed them during the pandemic, to struggling and starting over in a small town in Florida where I may of became homeless and struggled but found a great sense of community and great people, to back to Maryland. Life has been a journey, one that I have definitely made plenty of mistakes in and not always done the best things, but one that I am blessed to have.

This is me saying I'm ok with this, I'm ok with moving forward, as much as I'm upset, I want to do this on my own terms.

So here we are. What's next? Like I said I'm going to keep working, find an organization to give my time back too, keep trying to move forward, and fight some, but also try and enjoy the remainder of my life, something I haven't been doing. Life has been so day by day, week by week, but after talking to God, my grandma in heaven, and myself I know this is for the best.

I do have a few bucket list items, but they will never happen more then likely, and that's ok. For now I'm just going to move on, and when it's ready for God to take me home, I will embrace it.

For now, I have my temporary housing for another month, I'm hoping to get fully approved for social security assistance within a couple weeks.....the process is hard and long, and I'm just gonna keep on keeping on.

I am still in need of help with food, I haven't eaten much the last few days, and protein shakes and soft foods are best. I found a used electric bike for a good deal, about $100 it's really nice and will help me get to work on the days I can work, and help me enjoy life getting outside and breathing in the summer air and exploring some, overall just good for my mind . And I could use some help with my medications, which are about $150/$180 out of pocket every two weeks.

Sorry for the long post, just wanted to provide a transparent update. If you can find it in your heart to help, that would be amazing, and help but a smile and relief on my mind during this hard time.

I know that when God just chose to take me home, even if it is within these next 10 or so months, my Grandmother, my favorite person, will be there with open wings saying Hallelujah you're home! That brings me solace.

All my love, and prayers to y'all

Justin

If you can help towards food, the e bike, medication, new housing, or a bucket list item, it would mean the world-

Paypal- jschaff880@gmail.com or

https://www.paypal.me/JustinSchaffner2

Venmo- @jas0420 (0587 if it asks for the last 4 of my number)

Or cashapp- $jschaff420