Help Dannie with Home and Medical Expenses

Hi Folks! I'm Dana Terry...better known as Dannie Lynn to all my friends and online followers. I'm a 45 year old mother of 4 wonderful kids and grandmother to 4 beautiful grandbabies. Life has always been good to me and I'm a happy-go-lucky type of person who makes friends with people from all walk of life. I've tried to always live by the Golden Rule and try to help others in need. Now I find it's my turn to humbly ask for help. you see.... I'm a very private person and it's so hard for me to open up to tell my story, mainly because it makes me feel so vulnerable and I don't want to come across as weak; especially when I try to be strong for everyone else. But, right now I need help more than ever, so it's time to open up.

Those who know me, know that for the past year or so, I've been suffering with back and hip pain. It came on slow, but gradually got worse. I thought it was a nerve, or that I pulled my lower back, but no matter what I did...it just got worse. I went to a couple of the stand alone ER's in my area, but they sent me on my way with steroids and muscle relaxers...and told me to take it easy. Finally in the first week of March I had to leave work early and go to the ER at ORMC because the pain had become so unbearable I could not get it to ease off in any position. They ordered MRI's, Cat scans, Xrays, Bone scans, and blood tests. What they found changed my world.

They found fractures and lesions on my neck and spine and my L2 was "Decimated" as the Dr said.

I was told I needed to have a procedure know as a kyphoplasty (or spinal fusion). They go in and inject a cement type of solution into your spine which hardens instantly and stabilizes. While they were in there, they were going to take a bone marrow biopsy to run tests on why my spine had so many lesions and fractures. It could be anything from Osteoporosis to the dreaded "C" word. All went well, and although the pain was really rough, They were going to run all kinds of tests and I was able to go home a few days later.

My life was changed.

The first few weeks were the hardest. I couldn't be alone. I needed help doing anything at all. I was in so much pain from the procedure that sometimes it took my breath away. I now needed to wear this huge hard back brace if I was doing anything out of bed, I needed a walker to get around, I needed help getting up and down, and for the food and drinks, to change, shower ....for EVERYTHING! The pain was excruciating for the first few weeks, especially in the mornings until my muscles warmed up. I cried so much... I'm so independent... and now I'm dependent for everything. Luckily I have wonderful people in my life to help me. Drew is off on the weekends, so he's here for me. During the week my youngest daughter Brianna stays over and she's here to help me with everything I need from food to showers and everything in between. Drew's lovely mother helps with meals here and there, and she helps to get me little things I need... and she also comes over to help with house work.. she's an angel.

I haven't been able to work, so our duel income, is down to one. and bills are piling up and we're running on fumes with the Dr. visits and Medications. All of our savings is used up.

Diagnosis:

This is the hard part folks. I've barely had time to digest it myself... and you know me... I keep it all to myself..... but we need help, and our friends deserve to know.

The Bone Marrow Bipopsy showed the presence of Cancer. and The Mri showed 2 spots on my right breast. I have been diagnosed with breast cancer and its in my bones. this is why I'm not healing very fast. My Neurologist said it may take up to a year for my spine to heal. I'm also seeing several other Dr's now. An Oncologist, and General Dr., and also Palative Care for pain management, all on a regular basis. I have no insurance, so we've been paying out of pocket for everything. (hence our used up savings)

I am in the process of trying to get Medicaid and Disability, but it takes time.

That's the long and short of it. I'm still needing a couple more tests done. I need a Breast Biopsy that is expensive to determine the details...like what stage of cancer I'm in etc... I also have a pain management regiment that I need to be on that will soon include radiation.

I'm humbly asking for any little bit you can spare to help. No one ever expects to wake up one day, and have to ask others for help because they have Cancer. Never in a million years, do you think that it will happen to you. Well it did... and here I am.

I thank you for anything you can do to help us. From the bottom of my heart.... thank you. I will keep everyone posted on my progress, and will try to do all I can to answer any questions you might have.