Cheryl's Healing Journey

Hello friends, our fabulously loving and talented friend, Cheryl, will be celebrating her 60th birthday late this summer on July 30th, and she has chosen to spend the months leading up to her big birthday battling cancer.

Our brave friend, who once wrangled a school full of eager and imaginative preschool children, is now donning her warrior armor to defeat the invading armies of late stage metastatic breast cancer. To any of you learning of this diagnosis for the first time, Cheryl offers her most sincere apology. She has, understandably, been rather focused on choosing her treatment options, and has wanted to speak to each of you individually, but did not have the energy to reach out as she had hoped. She realizes how hearing this news in this way may be upsetting to you and again offers you her utmost deepest apologies.  She may even have seen and celebrated with you and held this knowledge as she held you. In typical early childhood educator fashion, she “didn’t want to ruin your day” or spoil the moment you were sharing,  cancer does this.

How You Can Support Her:

As our 60th birthday gift to her, we are asking for support to fund her treatment.  In essence, Cheryl is looking for an “All Expenses Paid Vacation (ha, ha, ha, humor…) to Grand Cayman Island” where she’s hoping to enter a very promising Cancer Immunotherapy Program following her initial round of chemotherapy.  And, as her 60th birthday gift, we’re expecting to raise $50,000 by the end of July. Big ask.  Expect miracles!

The Diagnosis:

For months, Cheryl has puzzled over the pain in her hip.  She’s tried acupuncture, deep tissue massage, yoga, and all manners of energy and exercise in hopes of shifting it, without success. She’s had a history of “lumpy” breasts or, for those of you more scientifically minded, fibrocystic breast tissue.  Fibrocystic breast tissue can mimic cancer without being cancer.  It can make diagnosis more challenging. On April 17th, Cheryl learned that her fibrous breast tissue has now, in fact, become invasive breast cancer that has spread to her bones (her hip and spine) and her liver.  She also has 3 “undifferentiated” spots in her lungs that may or may not be early tumors. Yes, she has a lot of pain in her hips and breast, and she’s working to find the level of pain treatment that allows her to remain sentient and alert.
   
The Treatment:

Cheryl is fortunate to have a strong community who surround her. Her life long love, Jay, her sister Nancy, daughters, and friends like you!

On Thursday, May 18th Cheryl will begin the first of 6 chemotherapeutic treatments, or “cycles”. The cycles will be 3 weeks apart.  She’s got an excellent oncologist, Dr. Sara Robinson, of the Longmont Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, in whom Cheryl has great confidence. She will complete Round 1, comprised of the 6 chemo cycles, on August 31st.  Ideally, Cheryl expects be healthy enough this autumn to pursue the very promising Cancer Immunotherapy treatment in Grand Cayman. 


Support for Cheryl and Family During Treatment:

As you’re probably well aware, chemotherapy treatment is commonly a very exhausting process and leaves the warrior not only physically depleted, but also potentially vulnerable to germs and infection. We trust that her knowledgeable practitioners will take good care of her and she will be supported by the love of her friends and family with our full awareness of her vulnerabilities. Cheryl requests that your expressions of love for her come in the form of written cards or emails that she’ll be able to read as she has energy. As we determine her energy level, we’ll give you further information about potential visits or phone calls.

As we are concerned with giving you enough information, without giving you too much, please know that Cheryl has deputized me, Deb Kelner, to speak on her behalf and to answer any further questions. You can contact me by email at [email redacted]

Thank You
Deb