Supporting Gretchen's cancer treatment to end of life care

On June 6, 2023, I went in for a brain MRI after experiencing tingling and numbness on the right side of my body. The neurologist called me that night to tell me the MRI showed a mass on the left side of my brain. I was already scheduled for surgery on June 13 to remove a large ovarian cyst that had grown into a tumor, something I'd been following up on after experiencing sporadic but severe abdominal pain for over a year. My doctors agreed the best course of action was to push back my abdominal surgery by a week in order to undergo brain surgery. In a week, I underwent two major surgeries.

It is with a heavy heart that I share I was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma brain cancer. On top of this devastating news, my doctors have also confirmed the tumor on my ovary is ovarian cancer. Two synchronistic, unrelated cancers. I have only just begun to process this shocking, painful, and overwhelming health crisis that has befallen me. I had to make urgent decisions about the next steps of my treatment, and I've decided to temporarily leave New York and begin treatment in California so that I can be closer to my family.

I'm looking to raise money to help offset the costs of my relocation and support my treatment. The first phase of treatment is 6 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation for my brain, followed by a month off, and then additional chemo for my brain and chemo for the ovarian cancer.

While this is a terribly unfortunate hand to be dealt, I remain filled with hope.

With love,

Gretchen

***February 2025 update: Gretchen has stopped all treatments and is now under the care of hospice. Please read all updates for complete details. Thank you for your continued support.