Renee Bearden Williams Cancer Fund
Donation protected
In April 2014, I went in to the hospital for surgery for what they thought was stage 3 ovarian cancer only to find out during surgery that I actually had stage 4 appendix cancer called pseudomyxoma peritonei. It's a very rare cancer. Most studies show about one in a million get it. The actress Audrey Hepburn and ESPN's anchor Stuart Scott died of appendix cancer.
My cancer had spread from my appendix to my intestines, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, liver, stomach, diaphram and spleen so I underwent a very extensive surgery. They removed my appendix, part of my colon, resectioned my intestines, scraped the cancer off my intestines and gave me a total hysterectomy. They removed my omentum and lymph nodes in my abdomen. They removed part of my stomach and part of my diaphragm and removed a tumor there. They cleaned off my liver and scraped off a tumor that was on it. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks because I had an internal infection from the surgery which required my surgery site to be reopened and kept open to drain and use special medical equipment and home nursing care to get rid of the infection. As a result, my healing process has been excessively long and I'm still waiting for it to heal, and because the surgery site didn't close up correctly it created a very large hernia which can only be repaired by surgery. I need another surgery to remove the rest of the cancer but can't have that surgery until my previous surgery site has completely healed. I currently have 3 new tumors; two on my intestines and one on my spleen, cancer on my spleen and ascites fluid around my spleen and stomach and I feel very tired most of the time. As a result, I'll have a surgery called the HIPEC procedure to remove the rest of this cancer on my spleen and all the tumors, and possibly remove more of my intestines, and wherever else they find the cancer. Hopefully the surgery will happen in the fall of 2015. It depends on when the old surgery site fully heals, but with each surgery it creates other problems. I get tests every few months so the doctor can see the progression of the cancer but this cancer is difficult to see on tests because it spreads as a mucous mass first causing organs to stick together. I'm also on a long list of medications.
I'm a single person and I live by myself. I don't have relatives I can live with and because of complications from this cancer and treatment for it I haven't been able to return to work yet. As a result, my income is now less than $1,000 a month and my bills, housing and basic living expenses exceed my income. My share of unpaid medical bills is approximately $5,000 and growing. In addition, my minivan is 21 yrs old and has over 225,000 miles on it and needs repairs and will eventually need to be replaced with a more reliable vehicle. My son is in the Navy and helps me financially when he can but on his pay it's a big financial strain on him and he can't always help me and because he's stationed halfway across the country I rarely get to see him.
Cancer has created an overwhelming financial hardship for me with many uncertanties and battles ahead. As cancer rates are increasing we've become a place where everyone has been touched by cancer to some degree. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to fight cancer. I can use any and all support while I’m on this long and difficult journey fighting against cancer. Donations will help me to afford the best possible medical treatment and help keep a roof over my head so I don't become a homeless cancer patient, which is a real possiblity in my situation, but that's America for you. Donations would also help to relieve the stress this situation has caused me and affects my health in very negative ways. All donations will go toward my care and support. If you can make a donation of any amount (even $1) I would greatly appreciate it.
If you financially cannot make a donation, please consider liking this post and sharing it. Please keep me in your prayers.
My cancer had spread from my appendix to my intestines, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder, liver, stomach, diaphram and spleen so I underwent a very extensive surgery. They removed my appendix, part of my colon, resectioned my intestines, scraped the cancer off my intestines and gave me a total hysterectomy. They removed my omentum and lymph nodes in my abdomen. They removed part of my stomach and part of my diaphragm and removed a tumor there. They cleaned off my liver and scraped off a tumor that was on it. I was in the hospital for 2 weeks because I had an internal infection from the surgery which required my surgery site to be reopened and kept open to drain and use special medical equipment and home nursing care to get rid of the infection. As a result, my healing process has been excessively long and I'm still waiting for it to heal, and because the surgery site didn't close up correctly it created a very large hernia which can only be repaired by surgery. I need another surgery to remove the rest of the cancer but can't have that surgery until my previous surgery site has completely healed. I currently have 3 new tumors; two on my intestines and one on my spleen, cancer on my spleen and ascites fluid around my spleen and stomach and I feel very tired most of the time. As a result, I'll have a surgery called the HIPEC procedure to remove the rest of this cancer on my spleen and all the tumors, and possibly remove more of my intestines, and wherever else they find the cancer. Hopefully the surgery will happen in the fall of 2015. It depends on when the old surgery site fully heals, but with each surgery it creates other problems. I get tests every few months so the doctor can see the progression of the cancer but this cancer is difficult to see on tests because it spreads as a mucous mass first causing organs to stick together. I'm also on a long list of medications.
I'm a single person and I live by myself. I don't have relatives I can live with and because of complications from this cancer and treatment for it I haven't been able to return to work yet. As a result, my income is now less than $1,000 a month and my bills, housing and basic living expenses exceed my income. My share of unpaid medical bills is approximately $5,000 and growing. In addition, my minivan is 21 yrs old and has over 225,000 miles on it and needs repairs and will eventually need to be replaced with a more reliable vehicle. My son is in the Navy and helps me financially when he can but on his pay it's a big financial strain on him and he can't always help me and because he's stationed halfway across the country I rarely get to see him.
Cancer has created an overwhelming financial hardship for me with many uncertanties and battles ahead. As cancer rates are increasing we've become a place where everyone has been touched by cancer to some degree. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a village to fight cancer. I can use any and all support while I’m on this long and difficult journey fighting against cancer. Donations will help me to afford the best possible medical treatment and help keep a roof over my head so I don't become a homeless cancer patient, which is a real possiblity in my situation, but that's America for you. Donations would also help to relieve the stress this situation has caused me and affects my health in very negative ways. All donations will go toward my care and support. If you can make a donation of any amount (even $1) I would greatly appreciate it.
If you financially cannot make a donation, please consider liking this post and sharing it. Please keep me in your prayers.
Organizer
Renee Bearden Williams
Organizer
Columbia, IL
