Help me fight brain cancer

Dear devotees and friends, it has been a while since i shared an update in regards to my health. A lot has been going on in the last couple of months and I also needed some time to digest it. For those who are not familiar with my situation, the first text is bellow.

After surgery in january, I went through 45 days of radiation and chemotherapy and now I am in the 3rd cycle of chemotherapy. After this 3 more cycles to go.

Very important MR check-up is ahead of me, towards the end of the month, as some changes has been spotted on the last one. My doctors are monitoring this and this MR should show if those changes are the result of surgery or new cancer cells. I would like to ask you to pray for me for good result / no cancer cells. I need your blessings, this time maybe more then ever.

I want to thank all of you on your prayers and donations as both have tremendously helped me go through this very though period of my life. It makes a big difference to know that you are praying for me and trying to help in any way you can.

As next three months will be much heavier in terms of theraphy I would like to double my efforts to regain strenght so I can try to handle it. This means increasing day to day treatment support and maybe if I collect some money on the top of that I would go for couple of days somewhere next to the sea or in nature to regain strenght.

As we live in material world that will cost me money and although not feeling at ease about it I have to humbly ask you not only for your emotional support but also financial one.

Any donation you can give will really help me on this journey.

Thank you upfront!

Your eternal servant,

Lila Purusottama das (Leo Dragicevic)

-------------------------------------------------------

Na pola puta

Dragi bhakte i prijatelji, prošlo je dosta vremena otkako sam podijelio novosti u vezi svog zdravlja. Puno se toga događalo u zadnjih nekoliko mjeseci i trebalo mi je vremena da to probavim.

Nakon operacije u siječnju, prošao sam 45 dana zračenja i kemoterapije i sada sam u 3. ciklusu kemoterapije. Nakon ovoga imam još 3 ciklusa.

Čeka me vrlo važna MR kontrola, pred kraj mjeseca jer su se na prošlom vidjele neke promjene. Moji liječnici to prate i ovaj MR bi trebao pokazati jesu li te promjene rezultat operacije ili novih stanica raka. Htio bih vas zamoliti da molite za mene za dobar rezultat (bez stanica raka). Trebam vaše blagoslove, ovaj put možda više nego ikada.

Želim vam svima zahvaliti na vašim molitvama i donacijama jer su mi oboje uvelike pomogli da prođem kroz ovo teško razdoblje mog života. Velika je razlika znati da se molite za mene i pokušavate pomoći na bilo koji način.

Budući da će sljedeća tri mjeseca biti puno teža u smislu terapije, želio bih udvostručiti svoje napore da povratim snagu kako bih to mogao izdržati. To znači da trebam povećavati svakodnevnu potporu za liječenje i možda bih, ako skupim nešto novca povrh toga, otišao na par dana negdje na odmor uz more ili u prirodu da povratim snagu.

Budući da živimo u materijalnom svijetu, to će me koštati novaca i iako se zbog toga ne osjećam lagodno, ponizno vas molim ne samo za vašu emocionalnu, već i financijsku podršku.

Svaka donacija koju možete dati stvarno će mi pomoći na ovom putu.

Vaš sluga,

Lila Purusottama das (Leo Dragičević)

----------------------------------------------------------

(English version bellow)


Dragi prijatelji i dobronamernici,

prije 13 godina mi je otkriven tumor mozga, tada gradiusa dva te sam zahvaljujući operaciji i lijekovima živio “normalno” dalje. Usput sam isprobavao razna alternativa rješenja, ali nijedno nije bilo dovoljno dobro da ozdravim.

U srpnju 2021. sam hitno hospitaliziran i operiran i tada je biopsijom utvrđeno da je benigni tumor koji sam imao 13 godina promijenio strukturu u maligni tumor treceg stupnja (anaplastični astrocitom gradiusa 3) i nažalost, 31% aktivnih malignih stanica što je jako visok postotak jer je prosjek kod ljudi koji imaju isti stupanj malignosti 12-15%. Nakon operacije napravljen mi je daljnji plan liječenja u vidu zračenja i kemoterapije.

Kako je nažalost, moja bolest nepredividiva, tako je došlo i do promjene plana mog liječenja. Naime, tumor se “vratio” mnogo brže nego što je bilo tko očekivao i to je smanjilo prognozu uspješnosti planiranog zračenja i kemoterapije. Zbog toga sam morao biti ponovno hitno operiran. S obzirom da je operacija bila jako rizična i komplicirana (trajala je 7 sati), neurokirurg koji me je operirao na ljeto se nije usudio me operirati me. Prof. Paladino, koji nažalost više ne operira u Hrvatskoj, rekao je “da” i operirao me u Mostaru (BiH). Operacija je prošla uspješno, ali sam je kao hrvatski državljanin morao platiti. Ispod dostavljam račun.

Sretan sam što vas imam svih i što sam zahvaljujući vašim donacijama imao sredstava za ovu operaciju te što se brzo oporavljam zahvaljujući vašim molitvama.

Sljedeći korak je zračenje i kemoterapija za otprilike dva tjedna u Zagrebu (6 tjedena zračenja i kemoterapije plus 6 mjeseci kemoterapije).

Molim vas za pomoć jer sam plativši ovu operaciju ostao bez sredstava za pokrivanje troškova puta i smještaja u Zagrebu za vrijeme zračenja i kemoterapije, nekoliko kontrolnih magnetskih rezonanci, poklona doktorki (kako to već nažalost ide), Covid testiranja svaki drugi dan, dodatke prehrani, fitoterapiju, zdravu prehranu za to vrijeme i sl. Nažalost, zbog bolesti ne mogu zarađivati više. Ranije sam honorarno radio koliko sam mogao te sad živim od socijalne pomoći koja mjesečno iznosi oko 110 eura.

Svaka vaša donacija kolika god bila mi puno znači! I svaka vaša molitva mi puno znači jer je velika i teška borba ispred mene.

Hvala vam unaprijed za pomoć i podršku.

Ako vam više odgovara, možete i na moj PBZ privatni racun.

Leo Dragičević (Lila Purusottama das)

-.-

Thirteen years ago, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, anaplastic astrocytoma grade two, and with the help of surgery and medication, I lived "normally". Along the way, I tried various alternative solutions, but none of them were good enough to heal me.

In July 2021 I was urgently hospitalized and operated and and biopsy showed that a benign tumor that I had for 13 years has changed its structure to a third-degree malignant tumor, and 31% of active malignant cells which is unfortunately extremely high as average in people with the same tumor is 12-15%.

After the operation I was scheduled for radiation and chemotherapy.

As unfortunately, my illness is unpredictable, so was the change in my treatment plan. Namely, the tumor "returned" much faster than anyone expected and this reduced success prognosis of the planned radiation and chemotherapy. Because of that, I had to be urgently operated again in January this year. Since the operation was very risky and complicated (it lasted for 7 hours), the neurosurgeon who operated me in the summer did not dare to operate, but prof. Paladino, who unfortunately no longer operates in Croatia, said yes and operated me in Mostar (BiH). The operation was successful, but as a foreign national I had to pay for the operation. I'm sending an invoice below so you can see it.

I am happy and fortunate, that I have you all, that I have had the finances for this operation thanks to your donations, and that I am recovering quickly thanks to your prayers.

The next step is radiation and chemotherapy in about two weeks time in Zagreb (6 weeks of radiation plus 6 months of chemotherapy), as originally was planned.

I am kindly asking you for your help as after paying for the operation I am left without funds to cover the cost of travel and accommodation in Zagreb during radiation and chemotherapy, several MRI scans, gifts to the doctor (as it unfortunately goes like that here), Covid testing every other day, supplements, phytotherapy, healthy diet during that time etc. Since July, i live on income suport 110 euros per month. Unfortunately i am not capable of working at least part-time as i used to, thus, i need financial help.

Each of your donations, no matter how much, means a lot to me! And each of your prayers means a lot to me because there is a great and difficult battle ahead of me.

Thank you in advance for your help and support.

If it is more covenvenient for you, you can also give donation on my croatian account.

Leo Dragičević (Lila Purusottama das)