Cindy Pejsa Medical/Funeral Expenses Fund
Donation protected
We started this Go Fund me page for Cindy and her family as a way to help them with all of the ongoing medical and living expenses associated with all of Cindy's prolonged hospital stays over the last four months. Please consider a donation to help this family who is dealing with so much.
Cindy is currently living with Stage 4 Metastic Breast Cancer. She has had several cases of pneumonia since April and has been in and out of the hospital four times with long extended stays this last one.
A little history, Cindy was diagnosed with Stage 2B Breast Cancer back in May of 2017 at the age of 43. She underwent chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation treatments and had finished with that in January of 2018. At that point, she was in remission and started to feel like herself again. Her hair started to grow back, she was able to be active again, and go on a few trips with her family, and just live life for awhile. In March of 2019, she started noticing some breathing problems and wasn't getting better from a cold. In April, she went into the hospital for the first time due to unresolving pneumonia with pleurisy pain. She got better for a week or so after rest, but then in May went into the hospital again and had a biopsy of the areas of pneumonia in her lungs which showed her breast cancer had returned with Metastic disease in her lung. She had a PET scan that also showed some spots on her ribs and iliac bone meaning her breast cancer had now spread and she would be living with stage 4 cancer. She started medicine to manage her cancer in May and it seemed to be working for about a month. She had a set back the beginning of July when she contracted another upper respitory virus which her fragile lungs did not like. She ended up going back into the hospital on July 3rd with increasing lung pain, cough, and several small pulmonary embolisms. After she got out of the hospital for the 3rd time, she was put on oxygen to help with her breathing. She also had a follow up PET scan to see how her oral chemo was working for her MBC. It showed a mixed response with some cancerous areas improving from her oral chemo but other areas popping up in her right lung and bones. The plan at that time was to change her chemo treatment to a more aggressive treatment. After just getting that news, Cindy and her family traveled from their home in South Dakota to the cities for a Twins game in Minneapolis that they had planned with all their extended family. Cindy made it to the game but by the end of the night started to go downhill. She was brought to the U of M Medical Center and admitted into the ICU in Minneapolis. She was diagnosed with Sepsis and Pseudomonas infection which is a very serious infection. We were lucky the doctors figured out she was in septic shock and were able to give her medicine to get the infection out of her bloodstream, however she still battles the pseudomonas infection in her lungs. She has been in the hospital now since July 21st. She has been on long term antibiotics for the infection in her lungs. It is a slow process to fight this infection and when she gets out will need to still be on IV antibiotics at home and most likely oxygen for awhile. As of now, she is on hold with any chemo treatment but is hoping to start back up on a different chemo med that she should be able to tolerate.
Through all of this, Cindy's husband, Joe, has been right by her side along with her kids, Matthew, Madison, & Morgan and many other family members too. We are hoping we can at least alleviate one stress of mounting medical bills, travel expenses, accomodation stays, and just general living expenses from being in the hospital away from their home. Thank you for taking the time to read about this courageous fight that Cindy is battling. Cindy has been through a lot these past four months and through it all has shown great strength, fight, grace, positivity, intelligence, and love. We hope she will be able to go home in the near future and get more days where she will feel better so she can make beautiful memories with her family.
Cindy is currently living with Stage 4 Metastic Breast Cancer. She has had several cases of pneumonia since April and has been in and out of the hospital four times with long extended stays this last one.
A little history, Cindy was diagnosed with Stage 2B Breast Cancer back in May of 2017 at the age of 43. She underwent chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation treatments and had finished with that in January of 2018. At that point, she was in remission and started to feel like herself again. Her hair started to grow back, she was able to be active again, and go on a few trips with her family, and just live life for awhile. In March of 2019, she started noticing some breathing problems and wasn't getting better from a cold. In April, she went into the hospital for the first time due to unresolving pneumonia with pleurisy pain. She got better for a week or so after rest, but then in May went into the hospital again and had a biopsy of the areas of pneumonia in her lungs which showed her breast cancer had returned with Metastic disease in her lung. She had a PET scan that also showed some spots on her ribs and iliac bone meaning her breast cancer had now spread and she would be living with stage 4 cancer. She started medicine to manage her cancer in May and it seemed to be working for about a month. She had a set back the beginning of July when she contracted another upper respitory virus which her fragile lungs did not like. She ended up going back into the hospital on July 3rd with increasing lung pain, cough, and several small pulmonary embolisms. After she got out of the hospital for the 3rd time, she was put on oxygen to help with her breathing. She also had a follow up PET scan to see how her oral chemo was working for her MBC. It showed a mixed response with some cancerous areas improving from her oral chemo but other areas popping up in her right lung and bones. The plan at that time was to change her chemo treatment to a more aggressive treatment. After just getting that news, Cindy and her family traveled from their home in South Dakota to the cities for a Twins game in Minneapolis that they had planned with all their extended family. Cindy made it to the game but by the end of the night started to go downhill. She was brought to the U of M Medical Center and admitted into the ICU in Minneapolis. She was diagnosed with Sepsis and Pseudomonas infection which is a very serious infection. We were lucky the doctors figured out she was in septic shock and were able to give her medicine to get the infection out of her bloodstream, however she still battles the pseudomonas infection in her lungs. She has been in the hospital now since July 21st. She has been on long term antibiotics for the infection in her lungs. It is a slow process to fight this infection and when she gets out will need to still be on IV antibiotics at home and most likely oxygen for awhile. As of now, she is on hold with any chemo treatment but is hoping to start back up on a different chemo med that she should be able to tolerate.
Through all of this, Cindy's husband, Joe, has been right by her side along with her kids, Matthew, Madison, & Morgan and many other family members too. We are hoping we can at least alleviate one stress of mounting medical bills, travel expenses, accomodation stays, and just general living expenses from being in the hospital away from their home. Thank you for taking the time to read about this courageous fight that Cindy is battling. Cindy has been through a lot these past four months and through it all has shown great strength, fight, grace, positivity, intelligence, and love. We hope she will be able to go home in the near future and get more days where she will feel better so she can make beautiful memories with her family.
Organizer and beneficiary
Betsy Noel Dodds
Organizer
West Fargo, ND
Joe Pejsa
Beneficiary
