Help Cheryl fight lymphoma!
Donation protected
My family and I are asking you to help my Mom, Cheryl Bogdan, as she battles an aggressive B-cell lymphoma.
Last year, Mom was diagnosed with cancer for the third time, but this time was by far the most devastating. We were told the cancer was aggressive and in multiple areas of her body, and the best option was aggressive chemotherapy. After three rounds of the prescribed chemotherapy, a PET scan showed no sign of cancer (in October). We all celebrated the news, and she began maintenance Rituxin treatments.
As family and friends celebrated, Mom had to recover from the destructive effects of the chemotherapy. She had numbness in her fingers and severe pain in her back. She had to relearn how to walk; she noticed problems with balance and coordination which her neurologist found was due to a brain stem condition (Central Pontine Myelonolysis) that was likely caused by the chemotherapy and high volume of IV fluids. The neurologist told her that she was lucky she wasn’t paralyzed, and that the best way to heal the brain stem was to stay away from chemotherapy.
A week ago, our family was shocked to learn that the cancer had already returned. A PET scan showed a 7-centimeter tumor next to her bladder as well as two smaller spots in other areas of her body. A biopsy of the tumor showed that it is B-Cell lymphoma and it is more aggressive than the last time. The only treatment the oncologist can offer is aggressive chemotherapy (the same type she just had last year), followed by a stem cell transplant. If she survived the chemotherapy and were able to get a stem cell transplant, her chance of long-term remission would be only 20%.
My Mom decided that the chemotherapy is not worth the risk. The likelihood of surviving it is low, and if she did survive it, her quality of life would likely be terrible, since it would cause further damage to her brain stem. She could end up paralyzed.
Fortunately, as she has done extensive research on cancer these past few months, she has discovered that there are non-toxic cancer treatments available both in the U.S. and in other countries. As she considers her options, she is looking for the cancer center that has the best statistics and has been successful in treating lymphoma. The funds raised here will go towards such a treatment program as well as the intravenous Vitamin C treatments she receives to maintain an optimal immune system. She will need to start treatment very soon, as she is already experiencing fevers and weakness from the lymphoma.
My Mom hopes to live for many more years with a good quality of life. She dreams of growing old with her husband, laughing and playing with her 4-year-old grandson, and encouraging others who have been diagnosed with cancer. With your prayers and support, we can make this possible.
Thank you so much! Please share this on your Facebook page, and spread the word!
-Catrina
Last year, Mom was diagnosed with cancer for the third time, but this time was by far the most devastating. We were told the cancer was aggressive and in multiple areas of her body, and the best option was aggressive chemotherapy. After three rounds of the prescribed chemotherapy, a PET scan showed no sign of cancer (in October). We all celebrated the news, and she began maintenance Rituxin treatments.
As family and friends celebrated, Mom had to recover from the destructive effects of the chemotherapy. She had numbness in her fingers and severe pain in her back. She had to relearn how to walk; she noticed problems with balance and coordination which her neurologist found was due to a brain stem condition (Central Pontine Myelonolysis) that was likely caused by the chemotherapy and high volume of IV fluids. The neurologist told her that she was lucky she wasn’t paralyzed, and that the best way to heal the brain stem was to stay away from chemotherapy.
A week ago, our family was shocked to learn that the cancer had already returned. A PET scan showed a 7-centimeter tumor next to her bladder as well as two smaller spots in other areas of her body. A biopsy of the tumor showed that it is B-Cell lymphoma and it is more aggressive than the last time. The only treatment the oncologist can offer is aggressive chemotherapy (the same type she just had last year), followed by a stem cell transplant. If she survived the chemotherapy and were able to get a stem cell transplant, her chance of long-term remission would be only 20%.
My Mom decided that the chemotherapy is not worth the risk. The likelihood of surviving it is low, and if she did survive it, her quality of life would likely be terrible, since it would cause further damage to her brain stem. She could end up paralyzed.
Fortunately, as she has done extensive research on cancer these past few months, she has discovered that there are non-toxic cancer treatments available both in the U.S. and in other countries. As she considers her options, she is looking for the cancer center that has the best statistics and has been successful in treating lymphoma. The funds raised here will go towards such a treatment program as well as the intravenous Vitamin C treatments she receives to maintain an optimal immune system. She will need to start treatment very soon, as she is already experiencing fevers and weakness from the lymphoma.
My Mom hopes to live for many more years with a good quality of life. She dreams of growing old with her husband, laughing and playing with her 4-year-old grandson, and encouraging others who have been diagnosed with cancer. With your prayers and support, we can make this possible.
Thank you so much! Please share this on your Facebook page, and spread the word!
-Catrina
Organizer and beneficiary
Catrina Pinkham
Organizer
Village of Germantown, WI
Cheryl Bogdan
Beneficiary
