CANCERMATH

UPDATE (11.14.23)

Thank you everyone for all the donations and the love they represent! I truly appreciate you.

Surgery went great on October 30, and I am recovering well. I am stage 2, with microscopic spread, but no metastases. I will be doing lots of radiation starting in mid-December - looking at 25 to 30 treatments. There is a plan in place, and although it will be very hard, I will get to the other side of this.

Hello Lovelies,

I never expected to share the amazing art on the cover photo (Uterus Shieldmaiden by Jennifer O'Toole, cellsdividing.com where one day I will purchase it) but here we are: I have uterine cancer.

I am putting together this fundraiser right before I have surgery. This means that at the time of writing, I do not know the stage of the cancer because the spread is not known yet. The grade, which measures how far my cells have disintegrated, is known from the biopsy and it is FIGO 2 for those playing at home. I may only need surgery. I may need radiation, chemo, or both. I do not know.

But I do know that recovery from the surgery, even if it goes smooth as butter, is six weeks. I know I will lose a significant portion of my income this year. I know that although I have insurance through a spouse who deserves a specially dedicated stream of prayers and good thoughts, there will be bills. They have in fact already started coming and they are scary. They are especially terrifying because they find me in my middle years with precarious finances due to events that were outside of my control.

I will fight cancer and I do have good odds of surviving it. But while I fight to survive cancer, I will also have to fight to pay for it. The fight to pay for it is one you can join me in if you are so inspired and you have the means to do so by contributing or by sharing this fundraiser.

Thank you, truly

Melinda