Help for Carrie during Cancer treatment

On July 23rd, my sister Carrie was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. This news was very unexpected. She had a mammogram and ultrasound as they found an area of concern in her right breast that was not on her previous one. The doctor who ordered the biopsy said that he didn’t think it was cancer, but “just wanted to make sure”.  After a painful biopsy, it was confirmed DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma in Situ), which are precancerous cells contained within the duct. The good news is that it is stage 0 and non-invasive. The bad news is that it’s high grade meaning the cells are replicating at a faster pace.  High grade DCIS if left untreated will eventually leave the duct and spread into the breast tissue, which in turn would become invasive cancer. DCIS does not require chemotherapy but it does need to be removed, either by a lumpectomy with radiation or a mastectomy. She is currently seeing multiple doctors in order to get different opinions so she can make an informed decision as to what would be the best treatment for her. 

On August 10th, she received her results back from an MRI of her breasts to see if there was any additional areas of concern that might have not been found on the mammogram. Unfortunately, they found an oval mass with irregular margins on her left breast and another biopsy will need to be performed.

Carrie is single and has to reach her out of pocket max before anything is covered. In addition, her short term disability only covers a portion of her salary. She has been weighing the options of treatment and thinking about what she can afford to do. I don’t want the financial burden to be on her shoulders as she embarks on this cancer journey. In 2007, Carrie and I were living together when I was diagnosed with Lymphoma. She was a caregiver to me during that time. She was my rock, wiped my tears, and made so many trips to Walgreens! Now it’s my turn to take care of her. With all your help, I’m hoping that the stress of this financial burden will be far less.

Please keep Carrie in your prayers as she navigates through this difficult time in her life.
Thank you all so much for your help and generosity.

If you would like to follow Carrie’s story, please click on the link below:
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carriemontgomery 

Love, 
Laurie and the rest of the Montgomery Family