Help Hillary Fight Cancer

Who is Hillary? Ask anyone from Brooklyn and they’ll likely say she’s the person who rescues cats and works at her mom’s pet store.  She’s the person who helped my dog get on the right food to stop the terrible allergies.  She’s the person who cared enough to get me to change foods to help my cat start eating again. She’s the person always in a tee shirt with a great slogan.  Today her shirt reads: FUCK CANCER. Hillary was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-smoking lung cancer (Adenocarcinoma) over one month ago.  Her first symptom was waking up on a Friday and feeling like she slept on her arm.  We were going on vacation the following Monday and I told her she should go to the doctor. “No mom, I’m ok”. Well as the week progressed it became clear that something was not normal.  She rapidly became paralyzed on her left side.  She went to her neurologist and got an MRI of the spine. Nothing showed up and Hillary thought he said maybe a slight pinched nerve.  Then he wanted her to get a brain MRI but did not tell her when, where or what time. He eventually told me that it was her responsibility to make the appointment which many have said he should have helped her.  He did not believe her.  So she went to the emergency room because her right shoulder was hurting her, still with the paralysis on her left side.  The doctor prescribed Tramadol (which made her violently sick) but did not address the paralysis.  Then another trip to the emergency room that Monday, again not addressing her paralysis and got her a cab to go see her neurologist.  Imagine Hillary’s surprise when the doctor made her wait outside on the street while they went to lunch because she did not have a scheduled appointment.  Again, he sent her home not believing her.  Then that following Thursday a customer of ours insisted we take her to NYU in the city.  After the emergency room visit they wanted to see her in a week.  I insisted no, I yelled “you’re giving her the brain MRI”.  When the doctors came back after the MRI their faces revealed a bit of horror.  They were so shocked at what they found.  Over 20 tumors throughout her brain.  Each with severe swelling.  She was admitted and had a body scan the next day which revealed the cancer had actually started in her lungs, and metastasized through her body and her brain.  What a shock.  No cancer in our family, no explanation and no prognosis. Since the tumors in her brain were very crucial we needed to start radiation to reduce the swelling which caused the paralysis on her left side.   We are now trying to get a 2nd consult with Memorial Sloane Kettering but her primary care physician is not being cooperative so I’ve elected to pay for the consult.  This does not mean she’ll be accepted but at least we will be doing the right thing.  Her insurance is not good and to treat her properly we will need funds to give Hillary a fighting chance.