Donate to Gillie's Ongoing Cancer Recovery

Hi, my name is Gillie.

My cancer journey began over a year ago and many of you who are reading this walked along with me from the start. I say "me", but it really should be "us". Carolyn and I began referring to the cancer in my body as a shared thing: "We have cancer". It's sort of like saying "We are pregnant", but less fun.

Fast forward from those early days of facing awfulness to now. I wish that I could say that we are at the end of the journey, but like it is for many people, I think, it just changes direction. I am in remission now and that's a wonderful thing; it's what this whole journey is about, right? Mostly right. I still have a lot of leftovers from chemo. Fatigue, damaged immune system, loss of strength, gut issues, and CHEMO BRAIN that I'm TOLD will go away in time for me to be just like the rest of the old people who can't remember why they walked into a room or what you just told them a minute ago.

But I digress. I still have medical procedures going on. Periodic scans, blood tests, doctor appointments, testing all the spots and bits of tumor that remain in me but are hopefully just dead bits that won't ever become Undead Bits that want to eat my brain. Some good things have come back to me, like singing with the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers again. Some things I have lost. I can't work as a massage therapist again, maybe ever, and I'm really grieving that.

And why I'm writing this is, of course, to ask for help AGAIN. We are borrowing from Carolyn's life insurance and have used a lot of our retirement money, but the bills just keep coming and many of the old bills have not been paid. Insurance does pay a portion, but when one day in the ER with CT scans and blood tests costs $30,000....well, you get the picture. Portions can be large. The money you donate will help pay for chemotherapy, lab tests, spinal taps, MRIs, PET scans, Neurokinetic Therapy, one hideous bone marrow test and other medical costs. If you haven't any money to spare, we understand. Maybe you do, or maybe you know someone looking for a good charity. If so, please pass this idea to them.

I cannot thank you enough for the help we have received and continue to receive. I will spend the rest of my life being overwhelmed by the kindness and the generosity of the people who have touched our lives.