Esther's Medical Fundraiser
Donación protegida
Auntie Esther had a few medical conditions that she has been living with including repetitive congestive heart failure, diabetes, & tendonitis. When we first created this fundraising account, she was admitted at Guam Memorial Hospital on 11/11/14 where doctors found that she had cellulitis. "Cellulitis is a common skin infection that happens when bacteria spread through the skin to deeper tissues. Most cases are mild and last several days to a couple of weeks. But cellulitis can sometimes progress to a more serious infection, causing severe illness that affects the whole body (sepsis) or other dangerous problems." (WebMD)
While being treated for the cellulitis, something occured that prompted her doctors to perform an endometrial biopsy. During the biopsy, for which she was sedated, a lack of adequate oxygen left the doctors no other choice but to intubate her. "Endotracheal intubation is a procedure by which a tube is inserted through the mouth down into the trachea (the large airway from the mouth to the lungs)." (WebMD) A few hours after waking up from the anesthesia, the tube was removed as she was able to breathe on her own.
Just before being discharged from GMH, the family decided that an extreme lifestyle change needed to take place in order to help Auntie Esther lose weight, get healthier, & live longer. A few family members and I went to her home, invaded her kitchen, & cleaned out everything that had too much sugar (bad for diabetes) & too much sodium (bad for CHF). Needless to say, her pantry & fridge were left practically empty.
She was dicharged from the hospital on 11/17/14 weighing 378 lbs.
She was barely able to move around, became incontinent due to the dependency of a catheter in the hospital, could not breathe without oxygen & was pretty much in terrible shape.
I moved in with her to, not only help her function, but to make sure that she stuck to her new way of eating. Through the overflowing help of numerous family members, positive encouragement & Auntie Esther's group of strict "tough love" family members, we have been able to provide her with meals/foods that are good for her. Through consistent glucose checks & eating the right foods, she has not needed to take her Metformin since she was discharged! Great progress! :)
A week went by after being discharged & it was time for the results of the biopsy to be revealed. Upon checking her vitals, the nurse revealed that she now weighed 353 lbs.! She had lost 25 lbs. in 1 week! We were ecstatic! The extreme lifestyle change was proving itself effective. The OBGYN came in & we told her the amazing news. She celebrated with us. :)
She then told us that she had some not-so-good-news. The biopsy revealed that Auntie Esther had Stage I ENDOMETRIAL CANCER.
"Endometrial cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the lining of the uterus . The lining is called the endometrium. Endometrial cancer is also called cancer of the uterus, or uterine cancer.
Endometrial cancer usually occurs in women older than 50. The good news is that it is usually cured when it is found early. And most of the time, the cancer is found in its earliest stage, before it has spread outside the uterus.
The most common cause of type I endometrial cancer is having too much of the hormone estrogen compared to the hormone progesterone in the body. This hormone imbalance causes the lining of the uterus to get thicker and thicker. If the lining builds up and stays that way, then cancer cells can start to grow.
The main treatment for endometrial cancer is surgery to remove the uterus plus the cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. This is called a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Other treatments include radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or chemotherapy." (WebMD)
As of today, 12/13/14, Auntie Esther has lost a total of 59 lbs.!!! The only way that could be possible was by the lifestyle change that was first forced on her (but that she now loves......hahaha) & through lots & lots of prayer. God works miracles and THAT is a miracle in itself!
We originally started fundraising to bring her eldest daughter, Nicole, to Guam to be with her mom while she was in serious condition. Her health was progressing for the better but now our efforts have been rerouted to raising money for her cancer surgery. With her insurance, she will be having it done in Los Angeles, CA where she will also have to stay for 4 to 6 weeks after the surgery for recovery. Her Doctors agree that the surgery is URGENT and that it should be done as soon as her health will allow her to travel.
If she must wait a few more weeks to heal more and gain more strength, a temporary solution will be performed by her OBGYN that may help sustain her until she can have the surgery in hopes that the cancer will not spread any further than it has.
We kindly request your support as we raise money to help with her surgery and recovery. Any amount you can donate will go a very long way. When you bless others, God will bless you even more. We love you and we appreciate you so much.
THANK YOU,
~The Family of Esther Philistine (Team Esther)
While being treated for the cellulitis, something occured that prompted her doctors to perform an endometrial biopsy. During the biopsy, for which she was sedated, a lack of adequate oxygen left the doctors no other choice but to intubate her. "Endotracheal intubation is a procedure by which a tube is inserted through the mouth down into the trachea (the large airway from the mouth to the lungs)." (WebMD) A few hours after waking up from the anesthesia, the tube was removed as she was able to breathe on her own.
Just before being discharged from GMH, the family decided that an extreme lifestyle change needed to take place in order to help Auntie Esther lose weight, get healthier, & live longer. A few family members and I went to her home, invaded her kitchen, & cleaned out everything that had too much sugar (bad for diabetes) & too much sodium (bad for CHF). Needless to say, her pantry & fridge were left practically empty.
She was dicharged from the hospital on 11/17/14 weighing 378 lbs.
She was barely able to move around, became incontinent due to the dependency of a catheter in the hospital, could not breathe without oxygen & was pretty much in terrible shape.
I moved in with her to, not only help her function, but to make sure that she stuck to her new way of eating. Through the overflowing help of numerous family members, positive encouragement & Auntie Esther's group of strict "tough love" family members, we have been able to provide her with meals/foods that are good for her. Through consistent glucose checks & eating the right foods, she has not needed to take her Metformin since she was discharged! Great progress! :)
A week went by after being discharged & it was time for the results of the biopsy to be revealed. Upon checking her vitals, the nurse revealed that she now weighed 353 lbs.! She had lost 25 lbs. in 1 week! We were ecstatic! The extreme lifestyle change was proving itself effective. The OBGYN came in & we told her the amazing news. She celebrated with us. :)
She then told us that she had some not-so-good-news. The biopsy revealed that Auntie Esther had Stage I ENDOMETRIAL CANCER.
"Endometrial cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the lining of the uterus . The lining is called the endometrium. Endometrial cancer is also called cancer of the uterus, or uterine cancer.
Endometrial cancer usually occurs in women older than 50. The good news is that it is usually cured when it is found early. And most of the time, the cancer is found in its earliest stage, before it has spread outside the uterus.
The most common cause of type I endometrial cancer is having too much of the hormone estrogen compared to the hormone progesterone in the body. This hormone imbalance causes the lining of the uterus to get thicker and thicker. If the lining builds up and stays that way, then cancer cells can start to grow.
The main treatment for endometrial cancer is surgery to remove the uterus plus the cervix, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. This is called a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Other treatments include radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or chemotherapy." (WebMD)
As of today, 12/13/14, Auntie Esther has lost a total of 59 lbs.!!! The only way that could be possible was by the lifestyle change that was first forced on her (but that she now loves......hahaha) & through lots & lots of prayer. God works miracles and THAT is a miracle in itself!
We originally started fundraising to bring her eldest daughter, Nicole, to Guam to be with her mom while she was in serious condition. Her health was progressing for the better but now our efforts have been rerouted to raising money for her cancer surgery. With her insurance, she will be having it done in Los Angeles, CA where she will also have to stay for 4 to 6 weeks after the surgery for recovery. Her Doctors agree that the surgery is URGENT and that it should be done as soon as her health will allow her to travel.
If she must wait a few more weeks to heal more and gain more strength, a temporary solution will be performed by her OBGYN that may help sustain her until she can have the surgery in hopes that the cancer will not spread any further than it has.
We kindly request your support as we raise money to help with her surgery and recovery. Any amount you can donate will go a very long way. When you bless others, God will bless you even more. We love you and we appreciate you so much.
THANK YOU,
~The Family of Esther Philistine (Team Esther)
Organizador
Desi Ree
Organizador
Barrigada, GU
