Single Mom to Allison age 15. Mom has been diagnosed with vulvar cancer and is having major surgery on 1/20/22. This will be a radical vulvectomy with removal of lymph nodes on both sides, and also reconstruction. The surgery with no complications is expected to last 5 hours that is gyn/oncology surgeon and plastic surgeon. It is expected Michelle will require 1-3 blood transfusions to replace blood loss. Expected to be inpatient 5 nights and absolutely no work or driving for 6-8 weeks. Radiation and chemo will start 4-5 weeks after surgery as long as no complications-this surgery has a HIGH risk of infection. Resurgery is not out of question as sometimes the muscle transfer plastic surgeon uses doesn’t take the first time. Removing of lymph nodes means she is at risk of lymphodema for the rest of her life. That won’t be known until after if she gets it or not.

Michelle works full time for an insurance company and also works part time for the office at Tanger outlets. Her full time disability gives her $485 a week but of course there is no disability pay from a PT job. She averages 15-25 hours a week at her PT in addition to her full time position. This loss of income will be a substantial strain to her-strain not needed as she needs all she got to fight this cancer and to keep from infections and get her thru radiation and chemo and be cancer free.