Help Rosanna Beat theOdds4Stage 4
My dear friend, Rosanna Frighetto, was diagnosed with Stage 1 Breast Cancer in May 2008, then in July 2011, it metastasized to her bones. She overcame it well and the cancer was clear from her bones for a year. Then in December 2012, the breast cancer metastisized into her lymph nodes. Doctors were able to keep the cancer - as they call it - stable. Unfortunately, Rosanna was allergic to the best drug to stop the progression of this aggressive HER2 breast cancer. Even still, things seemed to be going well when a tennis ball sized tumor was discovered on the left side of her brain. This was discovered during a routine petscan that Rosanna has to have done every four months to keep tabs on her cancer. She didn't have any of the usual symptoms that this tumor would present. It was a miracle they found it due to the usual practice of only scanning from the neck down. Her team of doctors decided to surgically remove it due to its size. She was told she would have a myriad of problems after surgery, including strength and speech issues. Miraculously, they performed brain surgery at the end of November 2013, and she came out smiling. One would never suspect the grandiosity of what she endured. She was out of ICU in one day and out of the hospital in three - symptom free! She is a walking miracle.
Since that time Rosanna has undergone a tremendous amount of chemo and radiation. Doctors keep finding cancer in various places, and Rosanna keeps overcoming each diagnosis. Their most recent discovery is that the cancer in her lymph nodes, that was at bay, has now doubled in size. Rosanna is slowly running out of money for her medical bills. The stress of cancer alone is enough to break down the immune system through worry. Add on top of it that Rosanna works full time, has a daughter in college, and runs around caring for whoever needs help. The last thing she needs is more worry and stress about how she is going to continue to pay for her bills. It is imperative for her immune system to be strong in order for her to be well.
The doctors have advised that chemotherapy is necessary indefinitely due to the aggressiveness of her cancer. At this point, however, due to the nature and size of the cancer that has double, they are stopping the chemotherapy treatment and proceeding with radiation, using a cyber knife to precisly treat the tumors. After this procedure, Rosanna's doctors will reevalute her and decide what is next. Her current chemotherapy will need to be changed, as it is not working for this cancer anymore. For those of you who don't know Rosanna, her spirit and confidence in God is astounding. There are very few people that I have known in my life that exude such confidence and grace under pressure. Her health journey is so astounding that she has been asked to speak at the 2014 Metastatic Breast Cancer Network Conference in September in North Carolina!
Rosanna doesn't know where to turn for the financial aspect of her medical bills. I know how important it is for her to focus on her health and not the money. She doesn't want to ask for money from anyone. So...I am doing it for her. Whatever you can give would be greatly appreciated.
