Donation protected
The danger with being young and invincible is exactly that. You think you are young and invincible.
Our friend, colleague, aunt, daughter, sister, mother and wife was diagnosed with Stage II invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer) in the days immediately before Christmas 2019. It made the Christmas holiday, a season that is meant to be joyous and full of hope, one of darkness and fear for us all. Despite that fear, we tried to remain optimistic that this would be a blip on our collective radar. That it had been caught early enough and that with a quick surgery, the cancer could be removed and life would move on.
Sadly, that has not been Carrie’s cancer journey. Her initial surgery on February 5, 2019 revealed that her cancer was far more aggressive than the imaging showed and that more extensive treatment would be necessary.
We were able to meet with Carrie’s oncologist on February 26, 2019. Her treatment team has recommended an extensive course of chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, radiation and extensive hormone therapy. The treatment remains daunting to Carrie and her family. She has chosen a terrific oncologist in Syracuse (Dr. Kligerman) at Hemotology and Oncology Associates to receive her chemotherapy.
Carrie will begin chemo on Monday, March 9, 2020. She will receive her chemotherapy in two stages. The first stage will be 2 drugs (adriamycin and cytoxan) given four times, once every two weeks. The second stage will be 1 drug (taxol) given four times, once every two weeks. Ultimately, she will receive 8 chemo treatments bi-weekly over 16 weeks.
Because her initial mammogram exhibited irregularities in both breasts, together with her genetic testing and family history, her treatment team has supported her consideration of a double mastectomy. Ultimately she would be eligible for a full reconstruction at the time of the mastectomy, but those surgeries have been delayed so that she can fully treat the cancer within her body through chemotherapy. Once her chemo and mastectomy are concluded, she will move on to 6 weeks of radiation. Following that she will have 10 years of hormone treatment.
Carrie has worked in the majority of her professional life in the nursing home and assisted living community. Because her immune system will be so severely compromised by her chemotherapy, her treatment team has recommended that she immediately take a leave of absence from work and be placed on disability. They fear that she will be susceptible to even the most mild infections, further jeopardizing her health.
Because of this her otherwise certain earnings are placed in jeopardy and many of the associated costs and expenses are quickly becoming overwhelming. Even with a great, supportive job that provides health insurance, there remain exorbitant and unplanned out of pocket expenses. With the lumpectomy and port insertion, in addition to other medical appointments, Carrie has already incurred several thousand dollars in medical fees out of pocket. Her health insurance covers only 50% of her surgical expenses, resulting in out-of-pocket costs over $6,000 for her lumpectomy and the insertion of her port. We will be purchasing a wig for her in the next weeks for when she inevitably loses her hair. With the additional expenses of her medical treatment, plus the cost of transportation to and from her treatments frequently multiple times each week, her ability to meet her ongoing and regular living expenses is all jeopardized.
There are several grants and foundational support that have been explored, as well as many other options for assistance with the costs Carrie has, and has yet to, incur. She is making every effort to reduce her expenses while they continue mount. They have eliminated many, if not all, of their unnecessary and disposable spending to help defray the quickly mounting medical expenses.
We have only undertaken the very beginning of this journey and it has been an incredibly challenging road. If you know Carrie, you know that she is a glowing beacon of cheer. She brings the life to any party and is the personality in the room everyone attracts to because she radiates fun, love and happiness. This diagnosis has brought her, and us all, to our knees over and over again. And it has been painful to watch the glow within Carrie dim even slightly as she has tried to take each piece of bad news in stride. There have been many cheerful moments, working on puzzles in the waiting room of the oncologist, kidding and joking with the nurses at the surgery, even attempts at wheelies with the wheelchairs. We have been able to walk out of some of the treatment meetings with tears in our eyes, not from fear, but from a good joke. But this experience has been hard and has challenged even the most light hearted among us. And we know that we have a very, very long road ahead of us.
Carrie is a devoted friend. She is a supportive colleague. She is a cherished niece and cousin. She is a fun, loving aunt. She is a loyal sister. She is a beloved daughter. She is a dedicated mother. She is a cherished wife.
We are creating this GoFundMe page to support Carrie and her husband Elmer as they undertake this journey. To show them that they are not alone. And to show them that we are all here to help them in any way they face a need. Your willingness to contribute to support Carrie means the world to us and we appreciate each and every donation.
We invite you to visit Carrie’s CaringBridge site for more information on her journey, follow along as she conquers her treatment and share messages of support. Check it out at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carrienarrow2
Our friend, colleague, aunt, daughter, sister, mother and wife was diagnosed with Stage II invasive ductal carcinoma (breast cancer) in the days immediately before Christmas 2019. It made the Christmas holiday, a season that is meant to be joyous and full of hope, one of darkness and fear for us all. Despite that fear, we tried to remain optimistic that this would be a blip on our collective radar. That it had been caught early enough and that with a quick surgery, the cancer could be removed and life would move on.
Sadly, that has not been Carrie’s cancer journey. Her initial surgery on February 5, 2019 revealed that her cancer was far more aggressive than the imaging showed and that more extensive treatment would be necessary.
We were able to meet with Carrie’s oncologist on February 26, 2019. Her treatment team has recommended an extensive course of chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, radiation and extensive hormone therapy. The treatment remains daunting to Carrie and her family. She has chosen a terrific oncologist in Syracuse (Dr. Kligerman) at Hemotology and Oncology Associates to receive her chemotherapy.
Carrie will begin chemo on Monday, March 9, 2020. She will receive her chemotherapy in two stages. The first stage will be 2 drugs (adriamycin and cytoxan) given four times, once every two weeks. The second stage will be 1 drug (taxol) given four times, once every two weeks. Ultimately, she will receive 8 chemo treatments bi-weekly over 16 weeks.
Because her initial mammogram exhibited irregularities in both breasts, together with her genetic testing and family history, her treatment team has supported her consideration of a double mastectomy. Ultimately she would be eligible for a full reconstruction at the time of the mastectomy, but those surgeries have been delayed so that she can fully treat the cancer within her body through chemotherapy. Once her chemo and mastectomy are concluded, she will move on to 6 weeks of radiation. Following that she will have 10 years of hormone treatment.
Carrie has worked in the majority of her professional life in the nursing home and assisted living community. Because her immune system will be so severely compromised by her chemotherapy, her treatment team has recommended that she immediately take a leave of absence from work and be placed on disability. They fear that she will be susceptible to even the most mild infections, further jeopardizing her health.
Because of this her otherwise certain earnings are placed in jeopardy and many of the associated costs and expenses are quickly becoming overwhelming. Even with a great, supportive job that provides health insurance, there remain exorbitant and unplanned out of pocket expenses. With the lumpectomy and port insertion, in addition to other medical appointments, Carrie has already incurred several thousand dollars in medical fees out of pocket. Her health insurance covers only 50% of her surgical expenses, resulting in out-of-pocket costs over $6,000 for her lumpectomy and the insertion of her port. We will be purchasing a wig for her in the next weeks for when she inevitably loses her hair. With the additional expenses of her medical treatment, plus the cost of transportation to and from her treatments frequently multiple times each week, her ability to meet her ongoing and regular living expenses is all jeopardized.
There are several grants and foundational support that have been explored, as well as many other options for assistance with the costs Carrie has, and has yet to, incur. She is making every effort to reduce her expenses while they continue mount. They have eliminated many, if not all, of their unnecessary and disposable spending to help defray the quickly mounting medical expenses.
We have only undertaken the very beginning of this journey and it has been an incredibly challenging road. If you know Carrie, you know that she is a glowing beacon of cheer. She brings the life to any party and is the personality in the room everyone attracts to because she radiates fun, love and happiness. This diagnosis has brought her, and us all, to our knees over and over again. And it has been painful to watch the glow within Carrie dim even slightly as she has tried to take each piece of bad news in stride. There have been many cheerful moments, working on puzzles in the waiting room of the oncologist, kidding and joking with the nurses at the surgery, even attempts at wheelies with the wheelchairs. We have been able to walk out of some of the treatment meetings with tears in our eyes, not from fear, but from a good joke. But this experience has been hard and has challenged even the most light hearted among us. And we know that we have a very, very long road ahead of us.
Carrie is a devoted friend. She is a supportive colleague. She is a cherished niece and cousin. She is a fun, loving aunt. She is a loyal sister. She is a beloved daughter. She is a dedicated mother. She is a cherished wife.
We are creating this GoFundMe page to support Carrie and her husband Elmer as they undertake this journey. To show them that they are not alone. And to show them that we are all here to help them in any way they face a need. Your willingness to contribute to support Carrie means the world to us and we appreciate each and every donation.
We invite you to visit Carrie’s CaringBridge site for more information on her journey, follow along as she conquers her treatment and share messages of support. Check it out at https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carrienarrow2
Organizer and beneficiary
Lisa Natoli
Organizer
Norwich, NY
Carrie Narrow
Beneficiary