It has been a whirlwind of a week.  I didn’t realize that the month of October could be bring more heartbreaking news but, unfortunately, it did. 

We, as a family, wanted to make a post to inform all of our family members and friends about some recent news that we received.  Amber has been diagnosed with Stage IIA2 Carcinoma.  We are currently waiting on imaging to confirm how far it has or hasn’t spread.  She’s been to a few appointments this week and we have a treatment course laid out, as long as the imaging confirms the IIA2 diagnosis.  The plan so far entails a couple of surgeries and then, at least, a six-week round of radiation therapy (2 types) and chemotherapy.  This next week is filled with more imaging and consultation appointments.  The week after is when the course of treatment will get underway, with two surgeries scheduled for the week of 11/12.  Luckily for Amber, and Ben, our parents came here immediately.  And, will be here for the duration of her treatment to support her wherever she needs it.  Derek and I will also be doing all we can to support her.  We all know that, while it may be rough for a few months, our girl is so strong.  She has a will and determination that we all admire.  She’s got this.  She’s going to beat this.      

If you are wondering how you can help, we have a couple of things that we are thinking of. 

First, please send your prayers.  We’ll need them all, especially my sweet baby sister.  Your encouragement, good juju, good vibes, love, and light will help her get through this.  With that said, this has been a lot to process in a very short amount of time.  So, if you reach out to her, please give her time to respond and know that she may need a little space and/or quiet time.  

Second, we’ve set up a GoFundMe page.  As you’ve probably seen, Amber and Ben just got engaged.  They are excited to get married, plan their lives, and someday soon start their own family.  But one of the major concerns for this cancer and treatment course is infertility.  One of the surgeries she will have involves moving her ovaries out of the radiation area, so that they will be preserved.  But, as a precaution, her doctor is recommending that she see a reproductive endocrinologist.  The RE would retrieve eggs for freezing, for future use.  Like most insurance plans, infertility (even if caused by a medical condition) isn’t covered by her insurance.  We are in the process of appealing the pre-authorization denial, but we are anticipating another denial.  As you may know, proceeding without insurance is going to be a very costly endeavor.  The overall estimated cost for reproductive endo alone could be $20 - $25k.  The initial consultations and procedure will probably run $9k - $12k.  These amounts do not include her out of pocket costs for everything else involved too.  She will, most definitely, hit her $5k out of pocket max for this calendar year.  And, because she will cross calendar years with her treatment plan, she is looking at hitting her out of pocket max for 2019 very early on in the year.  We’re hoping to raise between $10k to $15k to help with her expenses related to her diagnosis.  So, we are setting our GoFundMe goal at $15k.  Anything you can contribute will help and we’ll all be so gracious. 

Third, I’ve seen people set up meal trains to help families when they are in need.  My mom thinks we’ll be okay between her and I on the meals.  But if you can’t donate to the GoFundMe and would like to provide a meal, please let us know.      

If you want to check to see if there is anything else you can do, please reach out to me, our mom, or Brian first.  We are really trying to protect her and Ben from feeling too overwhelmed. 

We know that you will all be here for all of us and we are blessed to have such a great circle of family and friends.  Please know that your support is so greatly appreciated. 

Now, we’re going to dig our heels in and kill this cancer.