Help Steph defeat Breast Cancer
Donation protected
This community of my Chicago friends, colleagues and students did so much to ease the wave of fears and anxieties I struggled with leading up to and following my mastectomy on Jan 21st (just 5 weeks ago)
On Feb 6th I returned to work and other than feeling tired a little faster, I happily got back to my regular creative speed.
I'm loving my work with extra gratitude these days, grateful to have that tumor gone from my body.
Last week I had a follow up CT scan and sat down with my medical oncologist. Even though I have full lymph-nodes intact, there were pathology results to review.
That appointment knocked the wind out of me. There are concerning #s in the pathology and worrisome indicators that increase the odds that the cancer will return.
The day I learned that I walked around in a bit of a daze, to be honest.
But now I'm back on track.
And I will now start the next phase in the process of defeating this disease. The day after my birthday I will go through what they call a "Radiation treatment simulation session" and starting on 3/04 I will have daily Radiation Treatment M-F for 6 weeks.
The cost that is about to pile up from this Radiation treatment is what is alarming me enough to consider doing this Go Fund Me.
Here's the thing - I feel such a deep gratitude already to the dozens of friends who have reached out to me, chatted with me, and who attended the #Riff4Steph event/show that Keenan Camp put together during my recovery from my mastectomy surgery. That event alone raised an amazing $1600 which immediately went to help pay the first stack of hospital bills that started arriving this month. Thank you to everyone who have chipped in to help me!
I also have had many people ask me about ways to help - and I'm stubbornly independent and will continue to function at full capacity as I can and until the doctors tell me to pull back. So my only real stressor that keeps me up at night is the onslaught of medical bills that are about to come towards me.
I will keep posting about my process. I had hoped that by the strength of my own sheer will, I would have been out of the woods at this moment.
Not quite yet. But I'm stubborn as hell and we will plow this gross cancer down into the ground.
If you have the means to help, thank you. Also, all those hugs you give me are my true life source. Never treat me any differently and keep on Rockin'!
Love,
Steph
On Feb 6th I returned to work and other than feeling tired a little faster, I happily got back to my regular creative speed.
I'm loving my work with extra gratitude these days, grateful to have that tumor gone from my body.
Last week I had a follow up CT scan and sat down with my medical oncologist. Even though I have full lymph-nodes intact, there were pathology results to review.
That appointment knocked the wind out of me. There are concerning #s in the pathology and worrisome indicators that increase the odds that the cancer will return.
The day I learned that I walked around in a bit of a daze, to be honest.
But now I'm back on track.
And I will now start the next phase in the process of defeating this disease. The day after my birthday I will go through what they call a "Radiation treatment simulation session" and starting on 3/04 I will have daily Radiation Treatment M-F for 6 weeks.
The cost that is about to pile up from this Radiation treatment is what is alarming me enough to consider doing this Go Fund Me.
Here's the thing - I feel such a deep gratitude already to the dozens of friends who have reached out to me, chatted with me, and who attended the #Riff4Steph event/show that Keenan Camp put together during my recovery from my mastectomy surgery. That event alone raised an amazing $1600 which immediately went to help pay the first stack of hospital bills that started arriving this month. Thank you to everyone who have chipped in to help me!
I also have had many people ask me about ways to help - and I'm stubbornly independent and will continue to function at full capacity as I can and until the doctors tell me to pull back. So my only real stressor that keeps me up at night is the onslaught of medical bills that are about to come towards me.
I will keep posting about my process. I had hoped that by the strength of my own sheer will, I would have been out of the woods at this moment.
Not quite yet. But I'm stubborn as hell and we will plow this gross cancer down into the ground.
If you have the means to help, thank you. Also, all those hugs you give me are my true life source. Never treat me any differently and keep on Rockin'!
Love,
Steph
Organizer
Stephanie McCullough Vlcek
Organizer
Chicago, IL