
Please Help Dawn on Her Journey to Beat Cancer
Hello family and friends,
This will be kind of long and if you make it to the end, well then, you are certainly one of the worthy reasons for me stepping outside of my comfort zone to put my personal business out here for all to see. Please understand that this is very exhausting for me and some of what I may say may seem off point and some of what I want to say may not come out at all, but this is most definitely a start.
Some of you may know, but for those that don't, I have been dealing with a pinched nerve in my neck since at least January. I have been seeing a chiropractor for much longer just for general care and regular alignments. Last year, pre-covid, my chiro used a device on my neck that actually caused tingling in my feet. His response was "that's weird." I wasn't sure at the time because tingling in my arms and hands was nothing new to me either. Just more weirdness I guess.
After no relief of this pinched nerve by around late March or early April, I took the advice of a good friend to go try accupuncture. After 4 visits, I noticed then that the tingling in my arms and hands had disappeared but the pinch/pain was still there. Do I give it more time or go back to my chiro or a different chiro? Or just leave it alone in hopes that this nerve will eventually unpinch itself?
In the mean time, pain was still there but life was great, life was happening. The pain is getting worst. I find a new chiropractor. He has done x-rays and can actually see what some of my issues are. Bone spurs, severe disc degeneration, and a spine that is looking to start twisting like an old live oak tree. I think we are finally heading in the right direction.....some days. Other days, I laid in bed contemplating crying all day but that would just add to the pain I could already no longer bare. So I just laid there staring at the walls that surrounded me and the dust I hurt too bad to touch.
However, on one of my last good days.....on a day that I finally thought we were breaking through this pinched nerve.......first day I felt good enough to run errands that I haven't felt good enough to do in months....
7 visits into the new chiro.......the pain is beyond excruciating!! No health insurance!! Which urgent care am I going to? May as well take it all to the ER and get this done and over with. Some how, some way, we will pay those hefty bills for a few x-rays and er doctors.... I just have to do something with this pain and now inability to properly use one of my arms.
Life says watch this!!
CT scans and MRI's sent the doctor out wondering where my husband was. (I had sent him and My Daughter off to get some food while awaiting the results). Things get a little blurry and fast paced from here, forgive me for something mispoken,
The doctor said, " C2 fracture and Multiple Myeloma." ???!!!??!!?!?Excuse me???? Multiple what?? "A very rare bone cancer.." Spinal Compression was also an issue.
Other scans have since showed that it is more of a possibility that this is a breast cancer that has spread to the bones vs being the rare multiple myeloma.
I'm sorry, I'm about 2.5-3 hrs into writing this and I'm exhausted. I'm going to try to speed up this last bit.
I went to the ER Wednesday evening at 5 pm, At 3am Thursday morning I was enroute via ems to musc.
Surgery for my spinal decompression and fusion of vertebrae C2-T1 was on Sunday July 4th. 2 days in ICU followed. I was released Thursday the 8th to come home.
From here lots of testing was still to be done to find out everything about this cancer that was now living in me.
Stage 4 Breast Cancer was the final result..
I am still currently healing from my C2-T1 fusion, the doctor is saying I am still 2 months away before they will even think about releasing me to be able to drive or go back to daily activities. I currently am still pretty much bed ridden with very little use of my arms. My family is doing daily exercises and stretches with me to help keep me moving and to help strengthen my muscles. With having no health insurance I was only allowed 4 PT/OT visits.
I will be starting Radiation within the next 2-3 weeks. This Wednesday August 4th, I will be meeting with my oncologist for the Breast Biopsy results to find out exactly what kind of Breast Cancer this is and the best plan for Chemo Therapy.
I have no insurance and have been denied for Medicaid, Disability, and any other financial assistance. I was able to at least get on a payment plan that allows me to pay a co-pay for each doctor visit, treatment, x-rays, scans or anything else they may need to do along this journey and they bill the remainder to me to pay on a monthly basis.
I am asking for your help to help get me through these co-pays so that I can continue treatment and get better. Any amount no matter small or large helps and is greatly appreciated.
Whatever your religion or faith may be, please send me healing prayers and prayers for strength mentally and physically. Push me to beat this! Please continue to pray for my family to have the strength to help me, guide me, push me, and put me in my place because I'm no longer in control.
Much love to you all and I am so thankful for each and every one of you!