Jerri's Triumph Against Cancer

Dear Friends, Family, and anyone else reading this. I am Sean Mory, Jerri Lynn’s life partner.  I am writing this update on her behalf so she can focus on her needs and those of our children. 

Written below, starting at ‘A Word from Squishy’, you will find the original story of what previously has taken place in Jerri Lynn's journey from the beginning in her heroic battle against cancer.
HERE IS A CURRENT UPDATE TO HER BATTLE:

Jerri Lynn has recently discovered that her ‘friend’ Squishy has returned for a second battle....one that we are confident we will win! 

We learned last month that Squishy had not only reared it's ugly face again but was now coming back with a vengeance. Jerri’s original biopsy was performed on the 6th of June 2018. After 10 days we got an update that the cancer was “low grade”……at first this felt like good news but, thankfully,  my mother’s career of 30 years in healthcare has proven to pay off. She was able to speak with a few physicians both in Boston (where she is currently on assignment) as well as in our hometown area of Fayetteville AR.  All these physicians urged us to seek a second opinion at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston, MA. A few emails and phone calls later, Jerri was on a plane to Boston and consulted  with a neurosurgeon, a Head & Neck surgeon, a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist. This occurred on June 28-29, 2018.  She flew back home to us in Arkansas on June 30, 2018.
After a few long nights, and a lot of big decisions Jerri has decided to pursue a very aggressive surgery called craniofacial resection in Boston, MA through the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. 

After the team of DFCI physicians reviewed ALL of Jerri’s records, it was their consensus that the curative  course of action is to immediately go “in for the kill” and get rid of Squishy. (If you remember from 3 years ago the name we gave this vicious cancer was Squishy so daughter Kayleigh could understand what was going on without being scared). Death to Squishy!!!!! 
The surgery is scheduled On July 12, 2018.  The surgery will consist of her having a section of her skull bone removed right behind her hairline (picture a headband approximately one inch wide).  Squishy is growing upward instead of downward which is why we can’t go in through the nose/eyebrow like the first time.  They feel this approach provides the optimal ‘view’ for utilizing endoscopic cameras that it has not spread to her brain or her eye.
The surgery will take 4-6 hours and she will then be in the ICU for 1-4 days depending on how her initial recovery goes.

Jerri will depart for Boston on the July 8th and hopefully be returning no later than July 29th. The flight is already booked but we will change accordingly should her recovery not dictate that early of a departure.

I will fly out on the 11th and get there 1 day prior to surgery (Her Bday is on the 9th so she will be meeting with the anesthesiologist and doing all her pre-op testing on her Bday —- WOOHOO!).  My mom will take care of Jerri Lynn the 2nd week post-surgery and I will return home to Arkansas on Sunday the 22nd  to move us into our new place and get it ready for her arrival! I will be returning to Boston on the 28th to bring Jerri back on the 29th!

After we return we will either be pursuing chemo and radiation but we are also considering alternative medicine therapy once the surgery is completed.

Anything you can donate from $1 to just some positive words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated!

We love all of you and look forward to updating this post with great news about her defeat of Squishy!

Thanks for reading!

A Word from Squishy
It was early September 2015 when my new partner Jerri first noticed my presence. I had snuck into her right nasal cavity and began to multiply and grow into who I am today……..excuse my rudeness. My name is “Squishy” and I am up until June what was thought to be an inverted papilloma and basically in a nutshell I’m a nasal tumor that originates in the mucosal membrane of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. Papillomas are benign epithelial tumors that grow outward in fingerlike projections in the nose. I know I know that was way too fancy…..basically I’m a rude unwelcomed houseguest during the holidays that continues to move in more family members (Eddie in “Christmas Vacation” seems to be a fair comparison outside of the end  result of getting Walt his bonus). I don’t want to stay on my soapbox forever but to fast forward I started as what felt to be to Jerri only a blocked tear duct, and in Jerri’s research she found this to not be of major concern. Little did she know that I would turn her world and life upside down as after she had my major cancerous mass removed from her right nasal cavity and eye cavity I would turn out to be cancerous……in fact I was one of the most aggressive types of cancer that if I should return and I have a high likelihood to do so; I could be fatal. I truly do love Jerri and if I cannot have her then no one can!

Needless to say, I've returned for round 2 and I love my Jerri so I won't give up easily but hopefully you and all her family and friends can get me evicted asap!


Love,
Squishy

Jerri's Journey
Jerri Lynn Dunlap is probably one of the most respectful and admirable people I know or have ever had the honor to meet in this lifetime. She was literally the woman that made me into the man I am today. She challenged me to be a better man from the day she met me and has yet to stop….she is relentless in her commitment to her daughter's, her family, and her work.

The day I found out the she had a tumor I didn’t know what to say. I’m an individual who lives a life based off of positive affirmations and a positive attitude regardless of what life throws at you,  but anybody who has had to be the significant other of somebody you love…….that’s just not what they want to hear in the initial stage. I’d be a liar if I said it was an easy road and that we both got positive overnight, but the simple fact is we decided on day 2 via text to name this monstrosity that showed up uninvited and unwelcomed into my wonderful girlfriends world. I knew that making it tangible would take away the fear and intimidation of the word “Tumor” and she asked me what we should name it. I knew instantly…”Squishy”(which on a side note came to me from “Finding Nemo” where Dori finds the baby jelly fish and names it “Squishy”. For me I admired Dori for her beautifully depicted positive and happy spirit and it gave me the feeling of strength and inspiration), she immediately agreed without even knowing or questioning my reasoning. It was at that moment that I knew she was ready for whatever was to come.

After that day our life took a turn down a road of challenges, emotional breakdowns, first time arguments (believe it or not.lol.), and best of all coming closer as one unit and not just a boyfriend and a girlfriend anymore.

On Fri April 3 2015 we went to an Urgent Care for what I assumed was a severe sinus infection that had been ongoing for about 6 weeks.... along with a blocked tear duct that she had since around Thanksgiving of last year. The Dr. referred me to an ENT when he advised that she had a polyp in her right sinus cavity. 

Wed April 8th she had a CT after her ENT was unable to get a scope around the mass. On Fri 10 the results  revealed a large tumor that had  aggressively invaded her my max. and eth. Sinus cavities. It had also begun to invade her right orbit. At that time a biopsy was scheduled as a surgery for Tues 14. The tumour was very sensitive and had begun bleeding the morning that she first visited her ENT so she wanted to do the biopsy in an OR to control the potential bleeding. The results came back as a benign Inverted Papilloma. The benign results were quite the relief and she was more than ready  for the next step!

She was then referred to UAMS to have the Head and Neck Surgeon consult and plan the surgery. She went to her consult and had the Maxillectomy/rhinectomy scheduled for May 12. He said that the surgery was a success and the entire tumor was removed. She has been finally almost recovered from the surgery to date.

The Pathology was still in progress when she had her post op appt on May 21, but she was confident because there had been no talk of potential cancer; although, she was very aware of the high likelihood that this tumour could easily return and could very easily become cancerous.

Thursday, May 28 her Dr called with the news of cancerous cells being identified at the base of the tumor. This was literally the last thing we were expecting, and she couldn’t even stand to tell me over the phone so I left work early to find out what was going on. She went on to explain about the cancer that was found in part of the of the tumor, and he had to present her case to a Skull Base Cancer Conference the night prior to get help on the best approach. Radiation will be a must, chemo is likely from what they advised. Information was minimal at the time of the phone call. She was truly scared, but again being as courageous as she is, she was ready for her next step.

Helping Jerri

So here we are…….June 19th of 2015, and now we have to figure out how the hell to get Jerri Lynn to Florida for 2 months, and as a normal family that doesn’t have extra money just laying around. I had no idea what we were going to do to get the money to get Jerri to Jascksonville and then my good friend Phil Tuinstra’s magical brilliant mind happened to pop into my head. I realized that I had to be ok with asking for some help, because frankly….Jerri called everybody she could in Florida to find out about discount programs or assisted living during her Proton Radiation Therapy. Honestly I’ve never seen her so disheartened in my 2 years of being with her. It was as though she didn’t have anything left in her, she had exhausted all resources and hadn’t asked me to lift a finger in the process. I saw the love of my life literally break down without shedding a tear and I decided it was time for me to step in.

I got on the website for the hospital in Jacksonville and after some digging found multiple apartments that are rented out to clients specifically coming there for medical procedures. Jerri is going to be in Florida by herself for at least 8 weeks, and the cheapest option I’ve found is $900 a month for an apartment with now washer or dryer but everything else that she will need to survive. If we can raise more than the cost of the $900 apartment, food, gas, living expenses etc. we have a really great idea in mind. We want to start a charity. “The Squishy Foundation”, a beacon of light for adults who can’t afford to spend $5,000-$15,000 just to get the treatment you need to live in this world. Jerri Lynn is the kindest, most caring, dedicated, passionate, and caring individual I know, and I know that whether or not she made it through this she would absolutely expect me to represent “OUR”  cause and to help others where nobody helped us.

So I’m simply asking one thing…..whether you donate $1 or $1,000……I ask that you donate not just for Jerri Lynn, but for all the people in this world who weren’t blessed with her strength and compassion. We would love to make this something that is beyond us, to make this a tangible idea that is in place to do nothing more than to help those who don’t have the ability to help themselves.

Whether you donate or not just know I’m grateful that you took the time to read this, and I ask only that you send positivity our way to help Jerri stay strong and to get through this.

Thank you for everything my friends, my family, and all of the people I haven’t had the honor of meeting as of yet. One day I hope to give you hug and to tell you how much you mean to Jerri Lynn and myself.

 

Thank you