Penny Russell Breast Cancer Fund

Her name is Penny and she was  diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2015. It came as quite the shock to her and her family. Things progressed quickly to discover she had stage 2, Nottingham grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma that is poorly differentiated. They began chemo soon after and she is currently receiving 6, she has been going approximately every 3 weeks for chemo. However, after her first round she became extremely ill and was in and out of the hospital numerous times. Come to find out her gallbladder was failing and she ended up going in for surgery. Round 2 and 3 had slight improvements but she was still in and out of the hospital repeatedly to help with the aftermath of the chemo; basically she would feel terrible for 2 weeks then have a week of feeling better to turn around and start all over again. In January, just a month or so after her diagnosis, she began losing her hair which meant time for cute hats to keep her chilly head warm! Penny has been unable to work since the diagnosis and her husband Mike is working as best he can, not to mention keeping up with their three busy kids! !
Today was suppose to be my surgery but we got the genetic testing back and I am breca+ so that means my cancer is genetic. I was scheduled for a partial mastectomy and now I will have to have a bilateral total mastectomy and a few months later I will have to have a hysterectomy. I am still getting perjeta and herceptin every 3 weeks and that will be for a year. it  has been very hard. I am so sick in the morning and can't eat much. I have lost almost 97lbs since my diagnosis in December. So my surgery is now scheduled for June 28th and praying nothing else changes before then.  I plan on being a survivor...just hitting a few bumps in the road.
Watching the special on Stand Up to Cancer and thinking of my journey and all those fighting this battle. A year ago my life was "normal". You never know what your future holds. Being diagnosed with breast cancer changed me, my husband, my kids...my entire family and friends. I am in a clinical trial and hope that one day it helps to find a cure so we can all be survivors! Even though I have had a bilateral mastectomy and the cancer tumor "is gone" it is an everyday thought for me. I wonder if it's anywhere else in my body, if it will come back. I have had to hold my treatment because of the damage that the chemo has done to my heart. The MUGA test I had showed the function was returning on the new cardiac med and holding treatment. I still have to have reconstruction surgery and a hysterectomy because of being BRCA+. So, my journey continues and I pray everyday for all who are going through this and hope one day to say, "I survived breast cancer". note from Mike i am her husband , But now the end is not so great now the finacial burden has put on our family. I  am  not sure you know but most of us are in the same  situation we  are one major illness from losing everything you have work for our entire lives . The finacial stress has be put on our family now is real and does not go away with her getting better  or surgery .Our savings is depleted to nothing , loans have run out , family finacial support is very taxing on our whole family. But the bills keep coming . I am not a person who likes to ask for help those of you who know me , i like to be the helper and give its very unconfortable for me to recive. all our family and friends have been a unbeliveable life changing support system .Our lives will never be the same this is the worst thing to ever happen to me in my life      Thank you to my family and friends for all of the support you have given me. It gives me strength to take this one step at a time. I love you all!!.TEAM RUSSELL