Help Kirsten Fight Stage II Esophageal Cancer
My sweet sister-in-law Kirsten is 28 years old and was diagnosed with Stage II Esophageal Cancer on November 13th, 2020. This is a very aggressive form of adenocarcinoma. The tumor is located in her lower esophagus, extending into her upper stomach and has spread to the tissues surrounding her esophagus. Kirsten has devoted her life to caring and helping for others through ministry around the world. She has a tough battle ahead of her and needs our help! She has an amazing care team of friends lined up to help get her through this next year as she lives out of state away from all of her family.
Her doctors have outlined a tri-modality therapy approach (chemotherapy/radiation/surgery) to fight the cancer. She will start her weekly chemo treatments (6 rounds in total) and daily radiation treatments (28 rounds in total) on December 14th.Following this course of treatments, Kirsten will have a six week healing period. Her doctors will utilize this time to assess the scans to see if the tumor has responded well to the treatment. If a secondary course of treatment is not needed, they will proceed with surgery.
The surgery she will receive is called an Esophagectomy which will consist of the removal of at least 2 inches of her esophagus above the tumor and at least 2 inches below, including the upper portion of her stomach. The surrounding tissues containing the nearby lymph nodes will also be removed. The recovery from this surgery will consist of two weeks in the hospital, as well as needing a feeding tube for 4-6 weeks post-op.
During the course of her treatment and recovery she will be unable to work, and will be relatively isolated at home for at least a year. All funds raised will help pay for her monthly bills and medical needs that are already stacking up:
- Her monthly bills are roughly $1000 to cover her cost of living. Her doctors have her on a fully organic diet and taking multiple supplements, which have increased her food costs exponentially.
- Her monthly medical costs for medications could be in excess of $1000.
Kirsten plans to create a caring bridge website soon to be able to provide updates for family, friends, and everyone following her progression through treatment (I will share that link once available). Anything you can donate will be truly appreciated. Everything we can do to help and surround her with love is what is most important in the coming months. This will allow Kirsten to focus on getting through all of this. Please help us in spreading the word in any way you are able to. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
