Kick Cancer

UPDATE:  Nicole has started her treatments.  She has got her port in.  She handled the first treatment like a champ with a little nausea and now a case of laryngitis.  Keep the prayers coming because she is one tough girl.  I really appreciate all the LOVE everyone has showed her!  Ya'll ROCK!


I am writing on behalf of my dear friend Randi Nicole Cook Sandoval.  Unfortunately, “Nicole” has been diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread to her lymph nodes.  I am all too familiar with what she is going through right now since I was diagnosed in October of 2016 with inflammatory breast cancer and have received a total of 45 chemo/ immunotherapies and several surgeries including lymph node bypass, lymph node transplant, and bilateral mastectomies all there in Houston, Texas.  I still have at least 5 more chemo/immunotherapies and I will then be followed several times a year for scans and bloodwork.  My reasoning for explaining my history with breast cancer is to show how exhausting financially, emotionally, and physically this long drawn out battle is and what my sweet friend Nicole is going to face.  I did have insurance that was accepted as a preferred insurance there however Nicole is going there hoping to gain a prior authorization to receive a work up or second opinion and treatment to follow there.  Her insurance is not a preferred insurance and she will have to pay out of pocket for the workup while we are waiting on the prior authorization and appeal.  We chose to use M D Anderson for the same reason, They are the #1 rated hospital for breast cancer treatment in the United States.  They also specialize and classify the breast cancer and treat each case aggressively based on each individual to gain better outcomes. 

Nicole is very active in our community.  She’s a full time nurse, AMAZING mama, loving wife, daughter, friend, and the list goes on and on.  Nicole would help anyone in need and this is our time to help her through this adventure of “kicking cancers butt”.  Nicole is being so strong however the hurdles she’s having to jump through are very trying and financially breaking.  They were hard enough for me just paying copays let along having to pay out of pocket 100% until the prior authorization is gained if it can be gained.  The travel will be a 12 hour drive one way each time she has to go for appointments, treatments, surgeries or scans.  She could fly but airline tickets can be around $400 one way for one person.  Nicole with the support of her family will be making this first out of pocket trip hopefully within the week. 

I am reaching out to everyone to see if she can get help to lessen the burden that she is having to go through.  I hate for anyone to have to worry about money when all of their focus should just be on winning this fight.  This is a hard enough fight to fight without all the other complications she is facing. 

Thank you for listening to our story and God Bless you for helping my friend. 

 

Jamie Millender on Behalf of Randi Nicole Cook Sandoval