Marie's Fight Against Lung Cancer
Donation protected
My name is Amanda “Mandie” Gonzales and I am 27. I am the daughter of a Queen named Marie “Mer” Sanchez who recently turned 49. In November of 2018 my mom was diagnosed with limited stage small cell lung cancer which created paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis and seizure issues. This GoFundMe has been created due to the financial hardship her and I have experienced. This is our story.
Where it all began
In April of 2018 Marie was found at a Family Dollar in her home town of Trinidad, Colorado by a friend named Ashley. Marie had just arrived to buy a gift bag for a birthday party when Ashley said “hi.” My mom was unable to respond. My mother was extremely confused and unable to communicate what she needed. Ashley asked, “do you want me to call 911?” to which she shook her head yes. When the ambulance arrived, they suspected that she had a stroke due to the slight facial drop on the left side of her face and immediately rushed her to Mt. San Rafael emergency room. The doctors in Trinidad recommended that she be driven by ambulance to Pueblo Parkview Hospital for further testing. After a failed spinal tap, some blood work, CT Scan, EKG, and lack of EEG technician (it was 2am) they referred us to UCHealth Memorial in Colorado Springs. The original diagnosis was Left Temporal Tonic Clonic Seizures. After a 4 day stay they sent her home to Trinidad to begin her new drug regimen and recover. I, her daughter, began her home health care and left my life in Albuquerque, NM on hold to continue to care for her since she was unable to care for herself with the seizures being so frequent.
Back to Reality
Marie was referred to Dr. Sunku, a Neurologist in Pueblo, who provided continuous EEGs, blood work, medications, and various tests. Marie was seizure free and returned back to work full time after a month off. She began to taper off one of her medications since her seizures had diminished. The second to last day of the tapering off this medication she experienced several seizures. Her doctors advised she return to taking the original dosing. After multiple visits to Sunku, several emergency visits, and the seizures getting longer and worsening by the day our family decided she needed to be taken to UCHealth Denver. She was admitted November 9th, 2018.
We had No Idea
The same tests listed above were redone and her medication regimen was altered. An MRI revealed several lymph nodes under her right lung that were slightly enlarged that would need to be biopsied. November 20th the biopsy was done via bronchus. At the end of the procedure the surgeon and pathologist both retrieved me from the waiting room to let me know they were positive it was cancer, they weren’t positive what kind. The pathology report definitively showed limited stage metastatic small cell lung cancer Friday, November 23rd, 5 days before her 49th birthday. Her body recognized that she had cancer and tried to fight it on its own creating an abundance of antibodies. These antibodies settled in her brain causing swelling also known as Paraneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis. This swelling is what caused her seizures and memory to fade.
Life with Cancer
November 27th, Marie started her first mixture of chemotherapy including Carboplatin and Etoposide. She received 3 of these treatments via a port in her arm. She was released home November 30th. I have had to provide sole care with the help of friends and family on and off since April 2018. Both of us have been in and out of work since April. We have come to the point where we have completely depleted our resources of income including loans, credit, and unfortunately, with neither of us working, we have zero income. I have had to leave my home, college, job, cat, and whole world in Albuquerque, NM to be her full-time live in caregiver. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. She is my world.
Mom requires the care of an Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Therapist, Radiation Therapy, Chemotherapy, Neurologists, Oncologists, Primary Care Providers, and 24/7 home healthcare. Her seizures have cracked several of her teeth and wiped her memory. Her memory varies day by day, but she currently spends most days sleeping and extremely confused, not always aware she even has cancer. Her memory spans about 3 minutes and then she asks the same varied list of questions such as "how? Why? What happened? Do I have a job? Etc.." all day long continuously over and over. She is 100% dependent on others. She will receive Chemo every 3 weeks. This is just the beginning of our marathon.
The Help we Need
We have applied for Long Term Disability, Medicaid, Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS), cancer funds, and many other resources but approvals will take time. There comes a time in all our lives when we must realize and accept that maybe we need some help. My mom and I are at that point, we need help. She feeds all the wildlife around her home and has always been a kind giving spirit and amazing example of a woman. She has always been an incredible mother to myself and my friends she loved as her own. My mother and I usually adopt a family for Christmas, this year we cannot. We usually buy items from all the school fundraisers throughout the year that we possibly could, this year we cannot. We have made due with what we had but have hit the end of that road. Mom’s Paid Time off, Sick Leave, and Extended Sick Leave have all been depleted as well as mine. The holiday season has arrived and for the first time we are the ones that need your help. We love and appreciate all that you have contributed to us in your own way. Although my mom cannot remember the amazing things you have all done for us, I will be forever grateful and remind her daily. She has been the best single mom an only kiddo could ask for, I could only wish to continue providing care for her as amazing as she did for me. I have asked for $5000 to start but if you have ever been sick yourself you know the true cost of medical bills. A share is just as valuable as any amount of money donated and equally appreciated. You never know who may come across our story.
Where it all began
In April of 2018 Marie was found at a Family Dollar in her home town of Trinidad, Colorado by a friend named Ashley. Marie had just arrived to buy a gift bag for a birthday party when Ashley said “hi.” My mom was unable to respond. My mother was extremely confused and unable to communicate what she needed. Ashley asked, “do you want me to call 911?” to which she shook her head yes. When the ambulance arrived, they suspected that she had a stroke due to the slight facial drop on the left side of her face and immediately rushed her to Mt. San Rafael emergency room. The doctors in Trinidad recommended that she be driven by ambulance to Pueblo Parkview Hospital for further testing. After a failed spinal tap, some blood work, CT Scan, EKG, and lack of EEG technician (it was 2am) they referred us to UCHealth Memorial in Colorado Springs. The original diagnosis was Left Temporal Tonic Clonic Seizures. After a 4 day stay they sent her home to Trinidad to begin her new drug regimen and recover. I, her daughter, began her home health care and left my life in Albuquerque, NM on hold to continue to care for her since she was unable to care for herself with the seizures being so frequent.
Back to Reality
Marie was referred to Dr. Sunku, a Neurologist in Pueblo, who provided continuous EEGs, blood work, medications, and various tests. Marie was seizure free and returned back to work full time after a month off. She began to taper off one of her medications since her seizures had diminished. The second to last day of the tapering off this medication she experienced several seizures. Her doctors advised she return to taking the original dosing. After multiple visits to Sunku, several emergency visits, and the seizures getting longer and worsening by the day our family decided she needed to be taken to UCHealth Denver. She was admitted November 9th, 2018.
We had No Idea
The same tests listed above were redone and her medication regimen was altered. An MRI revealed several lymph nodes under her right lung that were slightly enlarged that would need to be biopsied. November 20th the biopsy was done via bronchus. At the end of the procedure the surgeon and pathologist both retrieved me from the waiting room to let me know they were positive it was cancer, they weren’t positive what kind. The pathology report definitively showed limited stage metastatic small cell lung cancer Friday, November 23rd, 5 days before her 49th birthday. Her body recognized that she had cancer and tried to fight it on its own creating an abundance of antibodies. These antibodies settled in her brain causing swelling also known as Paraneoplastic Limbic Encephalitis. This swelling is what caused her seizures and memory to fade.
Life with Cancer
November 27th, Marie started her first mixture of chemotherapy including Carboplatin and Etoposide. She received 3 of these treatments via a port in her arm. She was released home November 30th. I have had to provide sole care with the help of friends and family on and off since April 2018. Both of us have been in and out of work since April. We have come to the point where we have completely depleted our resources of income including loans, credit, and unfortunately, with neither of us working, we have zero income. I have had to leave my home, college, job, cat, and whole world in Albuquerque, NM to be her full-time live in caregiver. I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. She is my world.
Mom requires the care of an Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Therapist, Radiation Therapy, Chemotherapy, Neurologists, Oncologists, Primary Care Providers, and 24/7 home healthcare. Her seizures have cracked several of her teeth and wiped her memory. Her memory varies day by day, but she currently spends most days sleeping and extremely confused, not always aware she even has cancer. Her memory spans about 3 minutes and then she asks the same varied list of questions such as "how? Why? What happened? Do I have a job? Etc.." all day long continuously over and over. She is 100% dependent on others. She will receive Chemo every 3 weeks. This is just the beginning of our marathon.
The Help we Need
We have applied for Long Term Disability, Medicaid, Consumer Directed Attendant Support Services (CDASS), cancer funds, and many other resources but approvals will take time. There comes a time in all our lives when we must realize and accept that maybe we need some help. My mom and I are at that point, we need help. She feeds all the wildlife around her home and has always been a kind giving spirit and amazing example of a woman. She has always been an incredible mother to myself and my friends she loved as her own. My mother and I usually adopt a family for Christmas, this year we cannot. We usually buy items from all the school fundraisers throughout the year that we possibly could, this year we cannot. We have made due with what we had but have hit the end of that road. Mom’s Paid Time off, Sick Leave, and Extended Sick Leave have all been depleted as well as mine. The holiday season has arrived and for the first time we are the ones that need your help. We love and appreciate all that you have contributed to us in your own way. Although my mom cannot remember the amazing things you have all done for us, I will be forever grateful and remind her daily. She has been the best single mom an only kiddo could ask for, I could only wish to continue providing care for her as amazing as she did for me. I have asked for $5000 to start but if you have ever been sick yourself you know the true cost of medical bills. A share is just as valuable as any amount of money donated and equally appreciated. You never know who may come across our story.
Organizer
Mandie Gonzales
Organizer
Trinidad, CO
