
Help a cancer patient get to treatment
Donation protected
A little over 2 years ago I found out i was pregnant.. before my Dr appt I started bleeding heavily.. my entire cervix was entombed in a tumor. I was told there was no way I could have the baby. I would have never survived. Diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer. Because of the condition of my cervix i had to have a first of its kind surgery. Thats right, i was the first documented case involving this surgery.(it's being published) A week after surgery I began chemo and radiation including bracytheraphy (literal torture). After the first round we found out the cancer spread all over, and I mean all over. upgraded to stage 4. Started round 2 of chemo. Then, last April after months of complaining about my stomach pain, my bowel perforated, causing 2 fistula that began to fuse to other parts of my body. I was rushed into emergency surgery. I woke up with a life saving ileostomy. Spent a few weeks in the hospital, when they thought I was stable enough to go home, I was only home one night before needing to be rushed back to the hospital. This time I ended up with bilateral nephrostomy tubes, after another week or so in the hospital i came home on a wound vac. I was 90 pounds and just now starting to get to a healthy weight. I still have my ileostomy and nephrostomy tubes and I still go to treatment every 3 weeks. The doctors believe I have at least 2 more years of treatment ahead of me, and I still won't be done. of course my ileostomy will need to be reversed, tube's out of my kidneys, but I also will need a hysterectomy.
Right now one of my biggest challenges is affording my medical supplies as I'm having problems with my insurance covering them. ( I am trying to fight with the help of someone from the Dr office). for example for just 10 bags it cost me $145 and that's not including the wipes I need, the skin tac, the adhesive remover, the skin barrier, and more, plus the dressings, flushes, and bags for my kidney tubes ($70 a month for kidney supplies). those 10 ostomy bags will last me 20 days if I'm lucky.
I work as much as I can, I am the sole earner for me and my 2 kids. I'm currently getting by but it's not easy and I am killing myself in the process. I also need to try and save so we have something to keep us going while I have and recover from surgeries.
I also need to get a new vehcle, right now im relying on family friends and uber as we lost our truck last year when I could no longer afford the monthly payments. I have purchased a cheap vehicle with a solid engine but needs alot of work on the under carriage and wheels and whatnot.
Organizer
Noelle DeFazio
Organizer
Pittsburgh, PA