Help Elizabeth Beat Stage IIIC EndometrioidPeritoneal Cancer

Hello Friends,

I’m here on behalf of my friend Elizabeth. I’ve known her for a while now. She’s someone that is kind, generous, self-sufficient, joyful, introverted with spurts of extroverted. She’s traveled the world, is an artist, worked in TV, film and commercials, owned her own businesses and worked in corporate America. She’s done just about everything, inspired many including me to be my best self and I’m hoping that with your support, she’ll be done with cancer and thriving again.

She tells me that when she was told she had cancer, she didn’t have much of a reaction, like the kind seen in the movies; more of a subtle curiosity look as to, how? Her story began with a removal of a large mass in her perineum that after a biopsy showed a trace amount of cancer cells in it, yet, it was contained, no worries. Six months later when she went in for a follow up CT scan it showed her abdomen and perineum was dotted with tumors.

Elizabeth lives her life in the belief, quality over quantity and began the process of understanding her options. Through encounters with others, their stories of treatments, survival and deaths, she explored the options. She consulted for end-of-life options and discovered the challenges of cancer without treatment. She then began investigating the non-traditional treatments as well as the common chemotherapy options.

Her choice to cancer treatment that is successful outside the traditional American methods couldn’t be done due to the inflammation levels at the time and the effects of the cancer in her abdomen began to show. She knew something had to be done, being guided to start chemotherapy with MD Anderson in Houston.

December of 2023, she began the chemical soup of chemotherapy with “unusual” side effects and problems that have had her in the hospital two times, incapacitated from tremendous pain with loss of work, limited the use of her feet and hands for work and art due to the aggressive neuropathy. The neuropathy slowed her down to where she could no longer exercise or be active in the self-sufficient ways she’s relied upon herself to be. Her love of food gone, sleeps whenever she’s not working or maintaining her home.

Her first CT scan after three infusions showed no tumor growth or reduction. Her second CT scan after six infusions showed a slight reduction in a few tumors which the oncologist explaining that Elizabeth will need surgery to remove the tumors and follow up chemo and immunology. If she chooses to not have the surgery, she’ll be on chemo the rest of her life. Elizabeth has just completed infusion #9, with a CT scan to follow in late July.

I’ve been a part of her cancer journey helping her to appointments and assisting where I can. During these 8 months she’s worked her full-time job, embraced the bald, been in gratitude and looked to the positive of the situation. She’s maintained her home and yard, paid her bills, worked her art business, participated in community programs, cooked, cleaned and lived as if everything was going well, yet she knew and I watched as the stress of doing this by herself has impeded her ability to heal.

Her life has been upended with doctor visits, treatments and recovery time that have depleted her PTO and sick days and her paychecks reflect lost wages. Elizabeth opened up to me that she can’t do this anymore; that she needs to step away from her job for a couple months and stress of life to be healed and that can’t happen without a financial miracle to alleviate her debts, pay her mortgage and loans. And she recognizes possible scenarios that would have unforeseeable costs of not working and losing insurance, further medical costs and that she needs to secure end-of-life matters in a proactive matter, which that too is an expense.

It would mean so much to know that she can recover without the stress that comes with being away from work and without a super-duper support system. Where she can find the peace in getting what needs to be done done and have the means to afford it. Any assistance is lovingly welcomed even if it’s simply sharing Elizabeth’s story with your family and friends.

Thank you in advance for your kindness and generosity. I will do my best to keep this updated to the goodness that is occurring for her as she takes this journey.

Also, tip is NOT necessary. There is a way to customize it. Please do not feel obligated to tip. Thank you!