- D
- S
Dawn Adams “I’ve Got This” Breast Cancer Fundraiser
Hello and thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.
My name is Dawn Adams and I am the mother of three amazing sons and three beautiful grandchildren who are the absolute loves of my life. I currently reside in Grass Valley California with my best friend and companion, a Boston Terrier named Lulu who has been at my side and with me for all of my adventures for the last 11 years.
Here are some photos of me and my family:
In June of 2018 I discovered a lump in my left breast while showering early one morning which was confirmed to be cancer by just a few days later. Newly separated I was on my own and completely overwhelmed to say the least, but was also very blessed to be surrounded by the love of family and friends. This love has carried me through many dark nights and helped me to adopt the “I’ve got this” attitude which has been my motto throughout my journey.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of scans and appointments where I learned that it was the “bad kind of cancer” and that I would have to have the “book thrown at me” with dose dense chemo starting immediately, followed by surgery and then radiation. A big part of this journey for me has been about learning to trust and follow my intuition and every fiber of my being was telling me this was not where I needed to be. I listened with an open heart and mind, prayed a lot, and ultimately knew that this was not the path for me.
After much research and many phone calls I decided to pursue an integrative approach starting first with a clinic in San Francisco, and then later followed later by a clinic in Reno Nevada where I received many months of Low Dose Chemo (IPT) as well as various alternative therapies including high dose Vitamin C, ozone, mistletoe, immunotherapy, supplements and nutrition.
This was a challenging for me as my reaction to the chemo was intense and unexpected. I wept as my beautiful blonde hair started to fall out in handfuls and cried from the pain of the worst chemo mouth sores my family doctor had ever seen. My weight plummeted as well and I soon weighed less than 100 lbs.
Me after chemo:
The financial impact of all this has been overwhelming to say the least.
Unable to work and ineligible for disability or unemployment, I found myself with no income and huge medical bills as choosing this approach was considered “alternative’ and therefore not covered by my insurance. I am so grateful that it was even an option for me as it isn’t the case for so many, but here’s the deal ...
The cost for for this last year of treatment:
$180,000.00 out of pocket and I’m running out of funds.
And unfortunately my cancer has progressed.
On December 4th 2018, I had a complete bilateral mastectomy with the removal of 18 lymph nodes. This may be one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced in my life but I was committed to moving through it with as much grace and humor as I possibly could. And with a little help from my friends, I believe I accomplished just
that.
Me and some of my friends:
And me leaving the hospital after surgery:
In the days following surgery I learned much more about the cancer I have as the pathology reports determined that it was Triple Negative Breast Cancer, the least common type of breast cancer (less than 10%) as well as being the most aggressive and the most deadly. It is difficult to treat because of the lack the estrogen receptors which allow traditional medications to work. More than 80% of women with this type of cancer do not live more than 3 years and I desperately want to be part of the 20% that not only survive, but thrive.
In April of 2018 I was in a car accident, a friend and I being hit head on by a drunk driver. The scan at the hospital revealed no major damage from the accident but showed the presence of a lesion in my liver. A PET scan revealed metastatic lesion in my liver as well as new lesions in my lungs which are currently too small to biopsy. A liver biopsy a few months later confirmed that it was metastatic disease and that I am now stage 4 with few treatment options.
This tumor is inoperable due to where it sits in proximity to my lung making surgery way too risky and although I was referred on for a treatment called cryo ablation which dissolves the tumor, unfortunately my insurance denied coverage through three appeals.
This week I had a consult with a specialist at UCSF that was encouraging and I plan to pursue some new approaches the she has suggested. They do veer a bit from my commitment to a more natural approach, but I’m open, as always, to this new information that has come my way. I will not be an easy road and it definitely increases my need to continue with the integrative supportive therapies going forward.
So here is where you come in my friends and the reason for this campaign.
I am so grateful that I have been able to pay for what I have done thus far but now the time has come for me to ask for help. I am not currently able to work and simply cannot pay for these continued treatments on my own. They are critical to my ability to stay healthy and strong during traditional treatment and increase my bodies ability to heal from from this cancer, or at least slow the progression as much as possible.
I currently spend around $2000 a week on these treatments as well close to another $2000 on supplements and organic food. Some quick math and you can see I am currently spending in the neighborhood of $10,000 a month. My goal is to raise what I need for the next 6 months of treatment.
Would you please consider making a donation to help me reach my goal?
It would mean the world to me if you would.
I want to live as long as I possibly can. I want to stick around for my children and to see those beautiful grand babies of mine grow up. I want to travel, eat chocolate, and squeeze as much meaning out of the rest of my life as I possibly can. I choose life and believe whole heartedly that the therapies I am currently pursuing will give me the best shot at that being a reality given the limited traditional treatment options available to me.
I also want to work with other women with breast cancer following in my footsteps. I want dearly to share the wealth of understanding and knowledge I have gained from my experience and believe that it is much of the reason I am still here.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and thank you in advance for helping in whatever way you can, even if that simply means passing it on and sharing my story with others. Your support in any capacity will be appreciated beyond words.
With deep and heartfelt gratitude,
Dawn Adams
#Dawn’sGotThis
Hello and thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.
My name is Dawn Adams and I am the mother of three amazing sons and three beautiful grandchildren who are the absolute loves of my life. I currently reside in Grass Valley California with my best friend and companion, a Boston Terrier named Lulu who has been at my side and with me for all of my adventures for the last 11 years.
Here are some photos of me and my family:
In June of 2018 I discovered a lump in my left breast while showering early one morning which was confirmed to be cancer by just a few days later. Newly separated I was on my own and completely overwhelmed to say the least, but was also very blessed to be surrounded by the love of family and friends. This love has carried me through many dark nights and helped me to adopt the “I’ve got this” attitude which has been my motto throughout my journey.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of scans and appointments where I learned that it was the “bad kind of cancer” and that I would have to have the “book thrown at me” with dose dense chemo starting immediately, followed by surgery and then radiation. A big part of this journey for me has been about learning to trust and follow my intuition and every fiber of my being was telling me this was not where I needed to be. I listened with an open heart and mind, prayed a lot, and ultimately knew that this was not the path for me.
After much research and many phone calls I decided to pursue an integrative approach starting first with a clinic in San Francisco, and then later followed later by a clinic in Reno Nevada where I received many months of Low Dose Chemo (IPT) as well as various alternative therapies including high dose Vitamin C, ozone, mistletoe, immunotherapy, supplements and nutrition.
This was a challenging for me as my reaction to the chemo was intense and unexpected. I wept as my beautiful blonde hair started to fall out in handfuls and cried from the pain of the worst chemo mouth sores my family doctor had ever seen. My weight plummeted as well and I soon weighed less than 100 lbs.
Me after chemo:
The financial impact of all this has been overwhelming to say the least.
Unable to work and ineligible for disability or unemployment, I found myself with no income and huge medical bills as choosing this approach was considered “alternative’ and therefore not covered by my insurance. I am so grateful that it was even an option for me as it isn’t the case for so many, but here’s the deal ...
The cost for for this last year of treatment:
$180,000.00 out of pocket and I’m running out of funds.
And unfortunately my cancer has progressed.
On December 4th 2018, I had a complete bilateral mastectomy with the removal of 18 lymph nodes. This may be one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced in my life but I was committed to moving through it with as much grace and humor as I possibly could. And with a little help from my friends, I believe I accomplished just
that.
Me and some of my friends:
And me leaving the hospital after surgery:
In the days following surgery I learned much more about the cancer I have as the pathology reports determined that it was Triple Negative Breast Cancer, the least common type of breast cancer (less than 10%) as well as being the most aggressive and the most deadly. It is difficult to treat because of the lack the estrogen receptors which allow traditional medications to work. More than 80% of women with this type of cancer do not live more than 3 years and I desperately want to be part of the 20% that not only survive, but thrive.
In April of 2018 I was in a car accident, a friend and I being hit head on by a drunk driver. The scan at the hospital revealed no major damage from the accident but showed the presence of a lesion in my liver. A PET scan revealed metastatic lesion in my liver as well as new lesions in my lungs which are currently too small to biopsy. A liver biopsy a few months later confirmed that it was metastatic disease and that I am now stage 4 with few treatment options.
This tumor is inoperable due to where it sits in proximity to my lung making surgery way too risky and although I was referred on for a treatment called cryo ablation which dissolves the tumor, unfortunately my insurance denied coverage through three appeals.
This week I had a consult with a specialist at UCSF that was encouraging and I plan to pursue some new approaches the she has suggested. They do veer a bit from my commitment to a more natural approach, but I’m open, as always, to this new information that has come my way. I will not be an easy road and it definitely increases my need to continue with the integrative supportive therapies going forward.
So here is where you come in my friends and the reason for this campaign.
I am so grateful that I have been able to pay for what I have done thus far but now the time has come for me to ask for help. I am not currently able to work and simply cannot pay for these continued treatments on my own. They are critical to my ability to stay healthy and strong during traditional treatment and increase my bodies ability to heal from from this cancer, or at least slow the progression as much as possible.
I currently spend around $2000 a week on these treatments as well close to another $2000 on supplements and organic food. Some quick math and you can see I am currently spending in the neighborhood of $10,000 a month. My goal is to raise what I need for the next 6 months of treatment.
Would you please consider making a donation to help me reach my goal?
It would mean the world to me if you would.
I want to live as long as I possibly can. I want to stick around for my children and to see those beautiful grand babies of mine grow up. I want to travel, eat chocolate, and squeeze as much meaning out of the rest of my life as I possibly can. I choose life and believe whole heartedly that the therapies I am currently pursuing will give me the best shot at that being a reality given the limited traditional treatment options available to me.
I also want to work with other women with breast cancer following in my footsteps. I want dearly to share the wealth of understanding and knowledge I have gained from my experience and believe that it is much of the reason I am still here.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and thank you in advance for helping in whatever way you can, even if that simply means passing it on and sharing my story with others. Your support in any capacity will be appreciated beyond words.
With deep and heartfelt gratitude,
Dawn Adams
#Dawn’sGotThis