No one expects to have to deal with cancer, but unfortunately many of us have a personal connection to it. We are raising money for our mom who has been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.

The Story

Many of you might know our mom, Tea Bäckström, either because she has helped you do your bookkeeping or she just likes to give you a hard time, in her playful, well-meaning way! Well, now she is going through a bit of a hard time herself. Those of you who know her know how much she likes to ask for help . That is why we have set up this GoFundMe for her.

We had the chance to travel to Finland for an overdue family visit with Tea this summer. The vacation abruptly ended, however, when she started getting stomach aches that would not go away. The CT scan at the end of July revealed a large abscess in her colon. She was told to go straight to the ER. Thanks to our family friend Kathy Palin (thanks, Kathy!), Mom made it to the emergency room. The abscess was so infected, a drain was inserted, and antibiotics prescribed to reduce the size of the abscess. Her initial diagnosis was diverticulitis. After a few days in the hospital, she was sent home.

Back to the Hospital

However, her pain returned. On the same day as being evacuated because of a wildfire in the area, mom’s pain intensified so much that she went back to the emergency room. Her doctor said she needed to have surgery to remove the infected part of the colon. After waiting in line for a spot in the operating room, she was prepped for surgery. The doctors removed over 16 inches of infected colon.

The resected part of her colon was sent in for a biopsy and after a few days of waiting, the doctor reported that it was cancerous. We were taken off guard. We had not really dealt with the possibility that our mom might have cancer. Now, that grim possibility had become an intimidating reality.

Coping with Cancer

Mom spent 18 days at Billings Clinic recovering. Paul, Inga, and I came home from St. Louis and Washington, D.C., to be with her and help her get through the recovery as best as we could. Unfortunately, her recovery was a bit of a rocky road. There were some post-op complications that slowed the recovery, including a small bowel obstruction, but ultimately, she got to go back home. Now, daily, she deals with the care of her colostomy bag, worrying about what she can and cannot eat, and the healing of the incision from the surgery. The worst part is knowing she has cancer.

The good news is that the tumor was extracted during the surgery. However, there were lymph nodes affected and the infection perforated beyond her colon, which puts her at a much higher risk that the cancer has spread beyond the colon. The next step in the fight will be Tea facing at least six months of chemotherapy, beginning at the end of September.

Our Gratitude and Our Ask: The Journey Ahead

We are thankful for the support and love of family, friends, and community members in our journey so far. We are thankful that her recovery has gone this well. And we are thankful for her entire team of doctors, nurses, CNAs, and a range of other health care workers who took care of her and continue to do so. We are also hopeful that with good care and treatment, with a positive attitude, and especially with her stubborn spirit, she will soon be on the path to recovery. However, this all comes at an emotional and financial cost.

Insurance will cover parts of the total medical costs, beyond the annual deductible. Paul, Inga, and I will come home to be with her as she undergoes treatment. Family and friends will take her to treatments when she needs, back and forth, from Absarokee to Billings. We will make sure she is comfortable and healthy along the way.

To make all of this happen, we are asking for your help today. Every donation collected will be put toward medical and travel costs for mom’s cancer treatment and recovery. We know that many in our community have gone through this before and our mom will unfortunately not be the last.

We are grateful for anything you are able to give. We appreciate it so much and are so grateful that we live in a small community where people have each other’s backs.

Thanks again and take care.

Donations can also be made at First Insterstate Bank locations to the account Tea Backstrom Benefit.

Best,

Tommy, Paul, and Inga