Fundraiser for Danet's Cancer Expenses

I feel like if it gets to the point you're doing a go-fund me, you know things are rough.

Well today actually, 11/18/2022, my eye tumor came back. So things are currently feeling...unspeakable.

Let me briefly back track to help you get a feel for why I started this page--you can really dive in if you so choose at my blog, to go back to when this all started.

https://rebellioushopesfd.wordpress.com/

The hope was that 2.5 years ago when I was diagnosed with ocular melanoma (google it, I dare you), I would have more time before having to face anything else this cancer brought to the table.

Ocular melanoma is sneaky. It shows up in the eye first. Hides out for a good long time. Then the eye is treated like mine was with plaque therapy. Thick metal chunk, surgically strapped to your eye for a week and left there to dose the tumor with radiation. it's great.

If you're lucky, that's it. you have monitoring scans every 3-6 months for a while; it's super scary, but you continue through life.

If you're not so lucky, the tumor in the eye silently sheds tiny cells. Those cells hide out for months, sometimes 5-10 years in your blood. Until one random day, they decide to make a house in your liver. At that point, they become nigh impossible to evict.

I've spent the last 2 years envisioning myself whole, healthy, and HERE in 5 years, 10 years.

That all changed in August 2022 when a spot was found on my liver. "Suspicious for metastases" is all that could be determined. Nov 2022, that biopsy was confirmed for uveal melanoma spread in my liver. It was also simultaneously ablated (burned) and that spot is gone (hopefully for good but no promises). 3 days later I found out my eye now has to be emergently removed (enucleated) before Christmas.

Currently, there aren't any curative options available to treat ocular melanoma. As a 31 year old mom of 3 kids, that's the most terrifying part of this: I've cried for weeks at a time just imagining the possibility of them graduating, going to a dance, getting married--without their mom.

I have an excellent medical team, but I absolutely refuse to sit and wait for this cancer to get worse before any clinical trial will take me. I want to do anything and everything I can.

Right now, that means I want to pursue integrative oncology methods. The suck? (And why I'm asking for your help):

Insurance doesn't cover it at all--and with this next eye surgery and a high deductible plan--it means we're paying out of pocket for anything not covered (which is a lot when you have upwards of $15k to hit each year before they "100%" cover "some" things.

And that is just to see the regular medical specialists (uveal melanoma oncologist, MRIs, ocular oncologist, among others) PLUS paying out of pocket for quality integrative oncology care?

It doesn't exactly bode well for an ideal living situation for our family without community help.

I'm hoping if I could reach say 2000 people and they all contributed at least 10-20 dollars, that at a minimum, we would have a cushion to fall back on for initial treatments, excessive medical bills for this year and next, anything that came up as necessary to keep me HERE.

If you're able to help me directly pave a way and hope rebelliously for this to work with me, I will be forever grateful.

If you do contribute, please also consider sharing with as many in your social circle as you're able to reach.

I feel firmly this is my best shot. I'm rebelliously hoping against any sucky statistic on google that I beat the odds.

Now I'm focused on todays, and tomorrows. I'm here today. I'll be here tomorrow. I'm determined to be here for every tomorrow possible. Eventually, if my math is correct, tomorrows add up.

Read more about my journey from the start to now (being updated) in navigating ocular melanoma at the blog link:

rebellioushopesfd.wordpress.com

Thank you for taking the time to learn and contribute and share.

Venmo direct to @Danet-Peterson or email [email redacted] for other methods.