Donate to help Peggi fight cancer

My name is Cathy Wilbur. I’m writing to introduce you to my friend, Margaret “Peggi” Tehan. I’ve known Peggi since high school - way back in the ‘70s. We became reacquainted on Facebook years ago and became even better friends when we both got puppies at about the same time. (I helped her navigate new puppy adoption by giving her some really great dog tips - like that dogs like to chase and chew on plastic water bottles. That one tip kept Sheldon happy for hours.) She lives in Connecticut with her husband, Kevin Carragan, and their dog, Sheldon Cooper, the funniest Havanese on the planet.

Peggi was diagnosed with cancer, specifically Mantle Cell Lymphoma, in June of 2023. I am asking you to help Peggi recover lost income, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs from this past year as well as to assist her in raising the funds needed for her deductibles and out-of-pocket costs coming due in January 2024.

Originally diagnosed at stage III, Peggi and her doctor thought that she could wait a bit to begin treatment - taking a wait-and-see approach. Unfortunately, she had a tumor in her left tonsil that had other plans. Aggressive plans. She began treatment three weeks later at Yale New Haven’s Smilow Cancer Hospital. The plan of action was called a triangle study that would hopefully give her 15 years of remission - possibly even 20 years - and in rare cases, no recurrence of this deadly disease.

One 6-hour cycle of chemotherapy and steroids called R-CHOP…21 days later, a three-day hospital stay with chemotherapy and steroids called R-DHAP. 21 days later, repeat for a total of 6 cycles of chemo - three of each type of cycle to make up the triangle study. The first cycle was as could be expected…lots of nausea…the prednisone caused insomnia. But - so far, so good.

The second cycle is where all hell broke loose. Peggi went to the hospital on August 3, 2023 only to discover that the nurses could not access her port to administer the chemotherapy. She had to wait until the wee hours of the next morning to get an X-ray of her port. When they could not determine what was wrong with the port via X-ray, they inserted a PICC line in her arm and began her treatment - giving her Mannitol prior to administering the chemotherapy drug, Cisplatin. It did not go well. Peggi ended up with “direct chemotherapy-related kidney injury.” It was approximately 2 weeks before her kidneys functioned again - during which time the doctors gave her fluids via IV, lots and lots of fluids.

Peggi was sent home once her kidneys functioned only to wake up at 4am a few days later to severe pain below her left breast. Back at Yale, it was determined that she had pericarditis (fluid on her heart) as well as fluid in her left lung. She began taking colchicine for her heart and had the fluid in her lung removed via catheter. She then had a series of CT scans and MRIs where they discovered that she also had a pulmonary embolism. As if that wasn’t enough, she then learned she had clostridium difficile - also known as C.diff - a very horrible illness affecting people who have prolonged hospital stays. Approximately 11% of the people who get C.diff die from it. Peggi was in and out of the hospital several times with very stubborn C.diff that just would not go away and caused severe dehydration. Finally, very expensive meds and a drip called Zinplava helped. Needless to say all of this was very scary. It was also very expensive.

Peggi is finally home from her very long hospital stay of almost 60 days…but she lost a lot of time from work. She is a website designer and social media marketer. Self-employed. No paid sick days. No disability pay. Her husband works in IT for a local company. Since the pandemic, he has been working from home. His job allowed him the flexibility to even work from the hospital with his laptop.

Meanwhile, Sheldon, the Wonderdog, had to be boarded while Peggi and Kevin spent so very much time at the hospital. And she was not able to care for him immediately after coming home. They spent thousands on Sheldon’s boarding - even with a generous discount from the owners of the kennel to help defray the costs. He has had to be boarded throughout this ordeal with overnight stays during her hospital stay and continues with both overnight boarding and doggie daycare during her weekly trips to the infusion chair. Additionally, Peggi was bedridden for months and requires home physical therapy visits that will eventually lead to weekly physical therapy in a facility.

Peggi and Kevin had expenses this past year that they hope to recover through your generosity - deductibles and out-of-pocket costs as well as dog boarding - and they will have those same expenses moving forward. In January of 2024, all of the deductibles and out-of pocket costs will need to be met again. This year and next as well as for many years moving forward, Sheldon will need to be boarded again when Peggi visits Smilow for bloodwork and an IV drip that will hopefully send her into remission and keep her there for years to come. Please help save my friend’s life and help her afford her cancer treatment.

A donation of $50 pays for a tank of gas for visits to the hospital…or the co-pay for a visit with Peggi’s oncologist.

A donation of $35 pays for one overnight stay for Sheldon’s kennel, (already generously discounted by the kennel’s owners)…or for parking…or for meals while at the hospital.

A donation of *any amount* can help Peggi and Kevin recover her lost income…or help defray the cost of Peggi’s physical therapy when the deductible clock starts anew in January.

Thank you for your time. And thanks in advance for any amount you can donate to my friend.