Help Sharon fight stage IV breast cancer!

Update: June 6, 2023

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for donating to this fundraiser or for reaching out to share your love and concern. It's been quite an adjustment not having Sharon with us.

I'm sharing the photo above so that you can see the lovely urn we found for Sharon. It was made by a local artist who started making urns when her husband died. We had a small family service at home, which was conducted by one of the hospice chaplains.

The medical bills continue to arrive, and the fundraiser's goal has not been met. Any amount you feel comfortable contributing to help with these remaining bills is appreciated.

Update: June 6, 2023

To all of you who have been aware of Sharon's almost five-year battle with cancer and have shared your kind thoughts and support, I have the sad task of letting you know that Sharon died peacefully in her sleep last night. She had been in home hospice care the past two weeks. Their kindnesss and expertise made all the difference as the end neared. Sharon was ready to go. So glad our family could be together on this day.

I'll provide you more details in the days ahead. Lee

Update: May 28, 2023

This is Sharon’s husband, Lee Beasley. I apologize for not updating you sooner. The past three weeks have been a blur. Sharon’s radiation oncologist ordered an MRI to determine what was going on with Sharon since he had radiated her chest and a tumor under her right arm in the March/April timeframe. In a follow-up visit, he expressed concern about some of the symptoms she was exhibiting and thought her cancer may have spread.

Sharon was also having problems with dizziness and low blood pressure, and I called the EMTs one morning about three weeks ago. She wound up in the hospital for two weeks, as doctors ran tests to determine what was going on. One of the factors was urine detention and low sodium and potassium levels. She had lost weight and was very weak, confined to a wheelchair to get around.

During her hospital stay, she had the MRI that her radiation oncologist had ordered. It showed cancer had spread to her brain, vertebrae on her neck, and her spine. Her radiation oncologist put together a compassionate team, including a neurosurgeon, a neuro-oncologist, her oncologist, and others to determine the best course of treatment and to monitor her care.

Before she left the hospital, Sharon had two rounds of radiation in these areas. These were followed by two more rounds after leaving the hospital. Sharon felt extremely exhausted after this. After observing her body’s weakness and weighing other factors, the team of doctors concluded that the toxicity of the radiation was outweighing its benefits. They recommended stopping treatment and for her to go into home hospice.

Sharon’s neurosurgeon, who also has an advanced degree in palliative care, met with us via teleconferencing and explained why entering home hospice at this stage was the best thing to do. She was compassionate and heartfelt, and she helped Sharon and I both understand that hospice is the right thing to do now. Her neurosurgeon told us about a palliative care/hospice group that her practice recommends. We met with the hospice organization’s representative, and we were very impressed with them. Sharon entered home hospice this week.

Entering hospice was not something we were considering before now, but it makes sense considering how quickly her cancer has spread recently and how weak Sharon has become.

Please keep Sharon in your thoughts and prayers in the weeks and months ahead as she enters a new phase in her cancer journey. If you can afford to contribute to this fundraiser, know that your contribution will go towards paying her existing and mounting hospital bills, along with expenses she’ll incur in the months ahead.

Background

Sharon Barrington is fighting to get Stage IV breast cancer into remission. It’s been a struggle since she discovered a small tumor in her right breast in September 2018.

Sharon is a mother, grandmother, and wife of 45 years. She is struggling to get through this period of her life, which has been impacting both her physical health and her mental well-being. Additionally, she and her husband, Lee Beasley, are financially overwhelmed trying to keep up with the expenses her cancer treatment has incurred so far and to plan for expenses that lie ahead.

The side effects of Sharon’s cancer and treatments are seriously impacting her ability to perform her day-to-day activities without assistance. Currently, Sharon is undergoing medical treatment and physical rehabilitation after receiving radiation therapy which caused lymphedema and impinged nerves in her arm – leaving her without the use of her dominant arm. This is greatly limiting Sharon’s ability to participate in activities with her husband, daughter, son-in-law, and eight-year-old grandson. These are activities that bring her so much joy and she wants to be able to be able to participate in them once again.

I’m sharing this GoFundMe with you to ask you to please contribute so that Sharon can get the help she needs to beat Stage IV breast cancer. Any amount you’re able to give will go towards helping Sharon get the care she needs and help with related expenses. Your donation will be greatly appreciated. If you are unable to contribute, Sharon will appreciate your prayers and concern.

A Bumpy Road: Sharon’s Cancer Journey

Sharon’s first experience with breast cancer was in 1997 when a small lump in her left breast was discovered. The cancer was caught early and she underwent successful treatment. Since then, she had been cancer-free since 1997. Discovering a new cancer in her right breast in the fall of 2018 after 21 years of being cancer-free was a real shock. Sharon had never expected to be dealing with cancer again.

It has now been over four years since she found a small lump in her right breast, and Sharon’s treatment has not always gone well.

First, she had to find a new surgeon. Her original surgeon, whom she had really liked, had retired. The surgeon she chose botched two lumpectomies without getting a clear margin around the cancer.

When cancer reappeared, Sharon found a new surgeon, a doctor she wishes she’d found when the small tumor was first discovered. Sharon and her new surgeon decided a mastectomy and the removal of five lymph nodes in her right armpit would be the best course of action. Everything seemed to be going well, but after six months the cancer returned on the surface of her skin with lesions along the mastectomy’s incision line.

Since the cancer was found along the incision line, Sharon has worked with her oncologists and two radiation oncologists using traditional methodologies to treat her cancer.

She has also worked with a naturopathic oncologist and with a registered dietitian who specializes in helping cancer patients strengthen their immune systems to fight the disease. She believes their alternative treatments are prolonging her life as she has progressed to Stage 4, making her better able to respond to the medications her oncologist is recommending and providing additional insights into the best way forward with her care.

Regrettably, naturopaths are not covered by our insurance because they are not licensed in Georgia as they are in most other states. This is resulting in substantial out-of-pocket costs for their services. In addition, Sharon has had to work with them remotely via telehealth. Funds from this GoFundMe will enable her to cover costs her insurance doesn’t cover and also to travel out of state, if needed.

Side Effects of Radiation

In October 2022, Sharon found a tumor in her right armpit. She showed it to the physician assistant (PA) and her oncologist, but when four months went by and her oncologist hadn’t addressed the tumor, Sharon decided to try proton radiation to tackle the tumor in her armpit and the lesions on her chest along the incision line.

The radiation dosage was set too high for Sharon, and she received third-degree burns and bleeding wounds on her chest on the first day. She stopped the treatment the next day, but the damage was done. Sharon is still receiving wound care for one of these wounds.

In November 2022, Sharon began losing the use of her right arm, which is her dominant arm. This is caused by fibrosis that resulted from the proton radiation. The fibrosis is putting pressure on the network of brachial plexus nerves running down from her head to her fingertips, causing extreme pain.

In addition, the fibrosis has caused lymphedema in her right arm. Her right arm has swollen to twice the size of her left arm and is causing Sharon to have massive pain. She is currently getting physical therapy, including compression wrapping, at a rehabilitation group that specializes in treating lymphedema. In addition, she is renting a hospital bed so she can get a better night’s sleep.

In December 2022, Sharon went to the emergency room to get help for the swelling and excruciating pain in her right arm. Fortunately, the astute ER doctor thought there might be more going on than just the tumor in her armpit and the fibrosis on her chest, so she ordered an MRI of Sharon’s neck. The MRI showed Sharon had cancerous lesions on her C5 and C6 vertebrae that were starting to move near the spinal cord.

Sharon changed to a radiation oncologist in a different group. He used photon radiation at a much lower dosage to radiate the lesions on her neck in December.

Because she hadn’t been able to continue the radiation therapy she’d started in October, her new radiation oncologist also recommended radiating her chest with a much lower dose to address the tumors along the mastectomy’s incision line and the tumor in her armpit. Sharon underwent radiation treatment in February and March of this year. and she is hopeful this will eliminate the cancer cells and prevent the cancer from spreading more.

Unfortunately, the additional radiation has increased the amount of fibrosis she is dealing with, and the swelling and nerve pain in her arm has increased.

Sharon has always been physically active and full of life. Now she can no longer use her right arm. Doing simple day-to-day tasks in her home is impossible. Her husband left his job at the end of the year to help her get through her day and take care of the household. But as her needs have increased, Sharon needs to have in-home care some of the time to allow him to resume working. Some of your contributions will go toward paying for home health aides.

Restoring Sharon’s Ability to Do the Things She Enjoys

Sharon is a fighter, but her cancer is taking its toll—both mentally and physically. She’s always been active, taking walks in the neighborhood and with her daughter’s family. She loves being her eight-year-old grandson’s “Nana.” Sharon gets great joy reading and learning about new things with him, working on art projects together, and checking out his latest amazing Lego and Minecraft constructions.

When Sharon had breast cancer the first time, 25 years ago, she attended a breast cancer support group, where she learned about the benefits of yoga. She started a business as a yoga instructor, where in addition to teaching students in her yoga classes, she volunteered to teach persons with AIDS. After injuring herself lifting her mother’s wheelchair out of our car’s trunk, Sharon stopped teaching, but she continued her personal practice until recently, when the effects of her cancer limited her ability to continue.

She will use a portion of your donations to continue therapies for her arm so she’ll be able to get back to doing the things she enjoys.

Thank You for Your Help!

Sharon’s expenses have been mounting. Any amount you feel comfortable contributing to Sharon’s GoFundMe campaign will go a long way to helping Sharon cope with her current and future expenses as she continues her cancer journey.

If you would be so kind as to copy the link below to share this GoFundMe campaign with family and friends, Sharon will appreciate it and keep you in her prayers.

Sharon will continue to update you on her progress as she continues to get the help she needs.

Thank you so much!

Sharon and family.