Sheila Davis Cancer Fund
Donation protected
Nothing could explain this better than Sheila's own words!! Please help this wonderful family through this fight! Her treatment means long weeks in Cleveland, a long way from McMechen, WV, paying for housing, food, dog sitters, medical bills, the works! Sheila and John have given so much to so many, it's time to give back in their time of need!! Sheila's words...
So, let me tell you a story about how covid may have saved my life. I had covid in early January and never really ever got better. Well, the high heart rate, palpitations, shortness of breath and continued headaches all made me think I had long haulers covid. I was told a couple times by a doctor “it’s covid related, it’ll improve.” Until I wasn’t getting better, it was worse, I was exhausted and so incredibly tired. Back to doctor, finally labs done - that sat on a desk for a week before someone called to tell me that the labs were critical and needed to be repeated. More labs - more days- and still critical. My hemoglobin dropped to 7.5 and I couldn’t even hold my head up last Friday, the 12th, when I was sent to special procedures for 2 units of blood (incidentally I only received 1 unit because they closed at 7pm and couldn’t fit me in until 2pm, so they didn’t have enough time for the 2nd unit- healthcare at its finest). Well, with my new diagnosis of severe iron deficiency anemia and my FAP (not defining it - look it up, sorry), I took it upon myself to get more answers. I called my doctor at Cleveland Clinic and they immediately made room for me in their schedule (so grateful to have an amazing facility a few hours away). I went up Thursday for a thyroid ultrasound, upper and lower scopes. I talked to my doctor in depth about my history since covid and then she made me sleep. I woke up to what will become my new world. I was in and out of sleep when my doctor told me that all the excedrin I had been taking for my headaches had caused an ulceration at my anastamosis site to bleed because of the aspirin in the excedrin- I never noticed any bleeding, so this truly surprised me- this caused the anemia that ultimately led me to where I am. I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I will have to have some major surgery as well as chemo and radiation. My doctor told me that covid probably saved my life and brought me to seek treatment at a very early and treatable stage.
So, now that you know my story, stay tuned because I can’t fight alone and my family needs support right now. My husband knows he’s my rock - but I’m his rock too. My adult kids have now realized how precious and vulnerable life is. If you know me well, you know I am stubborn and strong - but right now, I’m scared and tired. I’m putting this out there because I need to be honest with myself for my family’s sake - I can’t bottle everything up and push it down like I normally do. I can’t pretend that it will be easy or that there won’t be awful days. My kids deserve to know what’s going on so they don’t feel helpless and frustrated.
Trust me, I didn’t put this out there to get your sympathy- being a nurse, I know all too well that illness can definitely tell you where your cards lie and who really has your back when the chips are down. I say this only because if you are in my corner - don’t hold me up- hold my family up because they need your love and strength right now so that they can hold it together for me. I’m going to fight and kick cancers ass! #fuckcancer
So, let me tell you a story about how covid may have saved my life. I had covid in early January and never really ever got better. Well, the high heart rate, palpitations, shortness of breath and continued headaches all made me think I had long haulers covid. I was told a couple times by a doctor “it’s covid related, it’ll improve.” Until I wasn’t getting better, it was worse, I was exhausted and so incredibly tired. Back to doctor, finally labs done - that sat on a desk for a week before someone called to tell me that the labs were critical and needed to be repeated. More labs - more days- and still critical. My hemoglobin dropped to 7.5 and I couldn’t even hold my head up last Friday, the 12th, when I was sent to special procedures for 2 units of blood (incidentally I only received 1 unit because they closed at 7pm and couldn’t fit me in until 2pm, so they didn’t have enough time for the 2nd unit- healthcare at its finest). Well, with my new diagnosis of severe iron deficiency anemia and my FAP (not defining it - look it up, sorry), I took it upon myself to get more answers. I called my doctor at Cleveland Clinic and they immediately made room for me in their schedule (so grateful to have an amazing facility a few hours away). I went up Thursday for a thyroid ultrasound, upper and lower scopes. I talked to my doctor in depth about my history since covid and then she made me sleep. I woke up to what will become my new world. I was in and out of sleep when my doctor told me that all the excedrin I had been taking for my headaches had caused an ulceration at my anastamosis site to bleed because of the aspirin in the excedrin- I never noticed any bleeding, so this truly surprised me- this caused the anemia that ultimately led me to where I am. I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I will have to have some major surgery as well as chemo and radiation. My doctor told me that covid probably saved my life and brought me to seek treatment at a very early and treatable stage.
So, now that you know my story, stay tuned because I can’t fight alone and my family needs support right now. My husband knows he’s my rock - but I’m his rock too. My adult kids have now realized how precious and vulnerable life is. If you know me well, you know I am stubborn and strong - but right now, I’m scared and tired. I’m putting this out there because I need to be honest with myself for my family’s sake - I can’t bottle everything up and push it down like I normally do. I can’t pretend that it will be easy or that there won’t be awful days. My kids deserve to know what’s going on so they don’t feel helpless and frustrated.
Trust me, I didn’t put this out there to get your sympathy- being a nurse, I know all too well that illness can definitely tell you where your cards lie and who really has your back when the chips are down. I say this only because if you are in my corner - don’t hold me up- hold my family up because they need your love and strength right now so that they can hold it together for me. I’m going to fight and kick cancers ass! #fuckcancer
Organizer and beneficiary
Gractia Manning
Organizer
Eaton, OH
John M Davis
Beneficiary
