Help Continue Crucial CAM Treatments

Once again, a massive thank you to everyone who has contributed to me in the past! I have immense love and gratitude for you. You have helped me and my daughter on more than one occasion since I was diagnosed with breast cancer, first stage 2 in 2019 and then stage 4 in November 2021.

Now I’m asking again for your help for the same purpose: my CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) treatments and over-the-counter treatments for the next year, because they are crucial in helping me tolerate my cancer medications. These treatments consist of acupuncture, herbs, vitamin and immune system support, and drugs and supplements that help control nausea, digestive problems, headache, and other issues that are side-effects of cancer treatment.

Medicare or Medi-Cal covers none, and I can’t afford them with my Social Security retirement income alone.

After a failed clinical trial early this year and a partial response to a new chemo after that, I've started another chemo. Early indications show that it's working.

I'm also planning to begin a 3-procedure treatment that targets the tumors in my liver with radiation. Alternatively, I may opt for high-intensity ultrasound to target the tumors. The hope is that one of these procedures will treat my liver directly, and the chemo will keep the tumors from coming back or growing further.

I’m feeling the side effects of the new chemo now, so I’m back into regular acupuncture appointments after a few months of not getting them. To help stave off side-effects such as low blood counts, anemia, and nerve damage to my hands and feet, I’ll need to go regularly.

There have been a couple of other challenges this year. I was forced to leave my apartment for a month last winter while my bathroom was repaired and mold removed (yes, another mold issue!) due to a water leak inside the wall. Fortunately, everything is restored now, but I had to pay for temporary moving costs and a mold air test after the repairs. I had an emergency tooth extraction and routine dental care, all out-of-pocket costs.

I’ve hired a caregiver through a Medi-Cal program (CA’s Medicaid) to do basic tasks like shopping, cleaning, and cooking for the days I need more help than usual due to treatment side-effects. The state pays for it, and it’s been a blessing.

I have hope for the future. Even though the standard prognosis for me isn’t excellent — one to two years — there's a lot of research in breast cancer treatment and new treatments will be coming out. The good news is that doctors don't rely on standard prognoses for that reason and because people respond differently to treatments and in ways they can't always predict. My job is to stay around long enough to get the benefit of the new treatments and maintain some decent quality of life while I'm doing that. That can be a challenge because the treatments are toxic. Some people lose the battle because of the accumulating toxicity. That's why I use complementary and alternative supportive therapies.

It wouldn’t be too much of an exaggeration to say that I might not be alive without your help. For that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you so much, everyone!