You May Not Know Us, But Maybe You Know This Feeling

You may not know my husband Gary, or his music, or our family, or the last few years we have been trying to get through. And you may not know me.

But maybe you know what it feels like when life changes so fast you can barely catch your breath.

Maybe you know what it feels like to get a phone call, a diagnosis, a hospital bill, or a piece of news that makes everything feel different.

That is what happened to us.

Gary was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic cancer. It was not simple. It was not easy. It was terrifying. He had to stop doing what he loved, including music, and our world became doctors, hospitals, treatments, prescriptions, scans, and prayers.

His cancer medicine alone was $3,500 a month.

Then came hospital stays. Then heart attacks. Then surgeries. Then more bills.

And while I was trying to be strong for him, I was also still recovering from years of being my mom’s caregiver. I had spent so much time making sure everyone else was okay that I did not even realize how tired I was.

Then my own body gave out too.

I ended up in the hospital. I had three surgeries. One surgery had to be stopped because my fever went too high. Then I became septic. I was very sick.

And honestly, it was a lot.

It still is.

Gary is cancer-free now, and I am so thankful for that every single day. I do not want anyone to miss that part. He made it. We made it through things we were not sure we would make it through.

But here is the part people do not always talk about.

Even when the emergency slows down, the bills do not.

The letters keep coming.The emails keep coming.The phone calls keep coming.The payment notices keep coming.

And it feels like you are trying to stand up while something keeps pulling you back under.

Right now, we are facing medical debt that feels bigger than we know how to handle. It is not because we did not try. It is not because we were careless. It is because sickness is expensive. Survival is expensive. Hospitals, medicine, surgeries, and treatment are expensive.

And sometimes a family can do everything they are supposed to do and still end up drowning.

That is where we are.

I created Living with Teri because I wanted to take what we have lived through and turn it into something that could help other people. I write ebooks and resources about hard seasons, caregiving, confidence, peaceful living, rebuilding, and finding your way back when life knocks you down.

I did not create it from the perfect place. With all the perfect answers. This is a place where we talk about screaming and crying in a pillow so no one knows. Or driving somewbere alone so you can crt without others knowing.

I created it from real life. From my life.

From hospital rooms. From fear. From caregiving. From exhaustion. From trying to figure out how to keep going.

Every ebook purchase helps us pay down medical bills. Every share helps. Every prayer helps. Every donation helps. Every stream or purchase of Gary’s music helps too.

I am not great at asking for help. I do not think most people are. It feels uncomfortable. It feels vulnerable. It feels like admitting something you wish you could fix by yourself.

But I am learning that asking for help is smart.

It is honesty.

So I am being honest.

We need help getting through this.

We aren't looking for pity. We are hoping to crawl out of this mess. We are aware others are going through stuff too. But because the weight of it has become too much to carry alone. The stress is causing issues in health.

If you feel led to help, there are a few ways you can:

You can donate direct to our GoFundMe.You can purchase one of my Living with Teri ebooks. You can share our story. You can pray for us. You can support Gary Alexander’s music on your favorite streaming platform.

Even something small matters.

A $5 donation matters.One ebook purchase matters.One share matters.One kind message matters.

Because behind every link and every post is a real family trying to breathe again.

And maybe you do not know us.

But maybe you know what it feels like to need people.

Maybe you know what it feels like to be scared. Maybe you know what it feels like to keep going when you are tired. Maybe you know what it feels like to pray for one more way through.

That is where we are right now.

Thank you for reading this. Thank you for caring. Thank you for helping in any way you can.

With all my heart,Teri

Living with Teri: LivingWithTeri.comShop ebooks: https://www.livingwithteri.com/category/all-products GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/72083fc74 Gary Alexander’s music: Available on streaming platforms.