Cheryl’s Cancer and Travel Expenses Fund
Donation protected
UPDATE 5/21- Hey friends, I’m sharing this again as mom is going to have an additional surgery at the end of next month. She is having her jaw re-positioned and the hardware changed and “debulked” as she hasn’t been able to eat well. This means they will reopen her old wound and she will be back in the hospital for about a week post-op- as long as everything goes as planned. She will have a feeding tube again this time and her mouth wired shut, but no trach as far as we know. Because she will be in KC for recovery, this means another lengthy hotel stay, boarding for the dogs, and other expenses that we weren’t planning on. Please don’t feel obligated to donate but if you can, we greatly appreciate it. Please share. TIA. ❤️
UPDATE: The past few days, I’ve learned that being diagnosed with cancer is somewhat like going to through the court system. The doctors give you notice of the tumor, they collect evidence, do tests, and at the end of it they sentence you. Because that’s what it feels like- waiting to see if you get to go free or face a death sentence. And while this seems a drastic comparison, those are the options for mom; that’s exactly how we feel. Mom has an extremely rare form of osteosarcoma, a cancer almost exclusively occurring in children. It is even rarer that her tumor is in her jaw bone. Osteosarcomas are highly aggressive cancers. This particular form doesn’t respond to radiation treatment and because of her chronic health conditions, chemotherapy is off the table, too. Her only hope is surgery. We are all scared to death, and rightfully so. To make matters worse, the last few days have been a whirlwind of appointment after appointment, test after test with several snags along the way that have unexpectedly lengthened our stay. Yesterday, tests were halted because her creatinine levels showed acute renal failure and her pre-surgery admissions appointment revealed a possible heart abnormality. After finally getting her IV fluids and scans done this morning, she was taken by ambulance to the hospital for severe respiratory distress this afternoon. Since we have been at the hospital this evening, the surgeon has called and let us know that her cancer has not spread to her lungs (thank God). However, there seems to be significant trauma to her left lung, which explains her respiratory distress. Now, we are praying that the ED doctors can diagnose and fix whatever is wrong with her lung. Additionally, she has to be cleared by cardiology after her abnormal EKG result yesterday before she can be considered for surgery. If she is not cleared for surgery, there is nothing they can do. She will have maybe a few years at best. If she is cleared for surgery, the procedure will be extremely difficult. The surgery entails removing the entire left half of her jaw bone and the reconstruction of her jaw using harvested tissue, skin, and bone from the back of her leg. She will lose most of her remaining teeth and will have a tracheotomy, a feeding tube, and an NG tube. After a two week minimum hospital stay after surgery, she will be transferred to a rehabilitation facility for occupational and physical therapy for some time. Tonight, she will be admitted to the hospital for tests and observation. She will most likely be on a bi-pap machine. I will keep everyone updated as we know more. Please bare with me as plans and diagnoses are rapidly changing. Most of these outcomes rely on multiple test results. That takes time. In order to get the best care for this type of cancer, she has been referred to University of Kansas Medical Center for treatment. This means that we will be traveling to KC often. Due to COVID-19, the hotel once offered to visiting cancer patients and their families for free has been shut down. This means all of the expenses for both care and travel falls on my mom and I. This morning we were advised that it is likely we will need to stay in KC for weeks at a time. Because mom lives off of social security and I am living off a part time income as a new grad, this is devastating. This fund is set up to help supplement travel expenses and treatment bills. No gift is too little and we appreciate all your support. Anyone who knows my mom knows she is the sweetest woman. She would give you the shirt off her back. Now, she needs our help. If you can’t donate, we sincerely understand. Times are tough. Please do share this fundraiser and pray for healing and peace during this difficult time.
UPDATE: The past few days, I’ve learned that being diagnosed with cancer is somewhat like going to through the court system. The doctors give you notice of the tumor, they collect evidence, do tests, and at the end of it they sentence you. Because that’s what it feels like- waiting to see if you get to go free or face a death sentence. And while this seems a drastic comparison, those are the options for mom; that’s exactly how we feel. Mom has an extremely rare form of osteosarcoma, a cancer almost exclusively occurring in children. It is even rarer that her tumor is in her jaw bone. Osteosarcomas are highly aggressive cancers. This particular form doesn’t respond to radiation treatment and because of her chronic health conditions, chemotherapy is off the table, too. Her only hope is surgery. We are all scared to death, and rightfully so. To make matters worse, the last few days have been a whirlwind of appointment after appointment, test after test with several snags along the way that have unexpectedly lengthened our stay. Yesterday, tests were halted because her creatinine levels showed acute renal failure and her pre-surgery admissions appointment revealed a possible heart abnormality. After finally getting her IV fluids and scans done this morning, she was taken by ambulance to the hospital for severe respiratory distress this afternoon. Since we have been at the hospital this evening, the surgeon has called and let us know that her cancer has not spread to her lungs (thank God). However, there seems to be significant trauma to her left lung, which explains her respiratory distress. Now, we are praying that the ED doctors can diagnose and fix whatever is wrong with her lung. Additionally, she has to be cleared by cardiology after her abnormal EKG result yesterday before she can be considered for surgery. If she is not cleared for surgery, there is nothing they can do. She will have maybe a few years at best. If she is cleared for surgery, the procedure will be extremely difficult. The surgery entails removing the entire left half of her jaw bone and the reconstruction of her jaw using harvested tissue, skin, and bone from the back of her leg. She will lose most of her remaining teeth and will have a tracheotomy, a feeding tube, and an NG tube. After a two week minimum hospital stay after surgery, she will be transferred to a rehabilitation facility for occupational and physical therapy for some time. Tonight, she will be admitted to the hospital for tests and observation. She will most likely be on a bi-pap machine. I will keep everyone updated as we know more. Please bare with me as plans and diagnoses are rapidly changing. Most of these outcomes rely on multiple test results. That takes time. In order to get the best care for this type of cancer, she has been referred to University of Kansas Medical Center for treatment. This means that we will be traveling to KC often. Due to COVID-19, the hotel once offered to visiting cancer patients and their families for free has been shut down. This means all of the expenses for both care and travel falls on my mom and I. This morning we were advised that it is likely we will need to stay in KC for weeks at a time. Because mom lives off of social security and I am living off a part time income as a new grad, this is devastating. This fund is set up to help supplement travel expenses and treatment bills. No gift is too little and we appreciate all your support. Anyone who knows my mom knows she is the sweetest woman. She would give you the shirt off her back. Now, she needs our help. If you can’t donate, we sincerely understand. Times are tough. Please do share this fundraiser and pray for healing and peace during this difficult time.
Organizer
Cheryl Swinney
Organizer
Nixa, MO
