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Angel Fund for June: Life-Saving Cancer Treatment

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On February 2, 2019, I received the news "You have Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer." It was surprising since I have devoted my life to health and wellness. Whether hiking, cycling, or creating green juices and organic whole food, plant based meals, I'm dedicated to embodying a healthy lifestyle.

My  friends and family are pulling together to help. I am praying you can assist by making a contribution and by spreading the word. The funding from your contributions will go directly towards uninsured medical expenses, medical co-pays, and any other health care needs. I ask that if you can give, please do. Every donation  is a blessing to me.  

Conventional Cancer Treatment alone offers a 22% five year survival rate for Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). For aggressive MBC like mine, survival rates are measured in months to three years, due to the doubling rate for the disease and the low efficacy of conventional chemotherapy alone. It has become clear to me that the Integrative Cancer Therapy clinics in Switzerland, Germany, and Arizona offer the highest hope for life-saving cancer treatment. It has also become clear to me that these treatments are beyond my financial means without help. Basically I need a miracle.

This is why I am praying for you and many angels to: 

1. Donate life-saving funds
to this campaign or if you would prefer to send a check directly please send it to June Katzen, PO Box 43, Stinson Beach CA 94970.

2. Spread the word of this campaign by sharing the link to  gofundme.com/JuneKatzen with your  friends and fellow humanitarians, via email, text, Facebook, or other social media.

Please help me reach the Angel Fund Goal to afford Integrative Cancer Therapy to reverse the progression of the cancer and live a healthy life in remission.


How I Learned of My Diagnosis and Prognosis

Nothing prepared me for the life-altering experience of receiving an advanced stage cancer diagnosis. I had initially gone to the doctor for a painful rib fracture. My primary care physician called later and in a sorrowful tone said "I am sorry to tell you the Radiologist found what appears to be multiple tumors in the x-ray." I was next referred to the Breast Care Team. With a sense of urgency, the Breast Cancer Surgeon referred me for a grueling series of intensive diagnostic testing:  multiple CT Scans, two Ultra Sounds, nine Mammograms, a brain MRI, a nuclear medicine full body PET Scan, plus three painful and risky biopsies.

While I was still driving home from the PET Scan, with the nuclear radioisotope sugar intensely impacting my brain and body, the Breast Cancer Surgeon--a caring woman who had not yet desensitized her heart to bearing grave news to patients-- called as I reached the turn towards my home at the crest of Mount Tamalpais. In a somber and compassionate tone, she explained that the aggressive Metastatic Breast Cancer had spread beyond the right breast primary tumor and lymph node into both lungs, multiple ribs and spinal vertebrae. She then stated this Stage IV diagnosis translated into inoperable cancer. She referred me to the Oncology Palliative Care team with a prognosis of six to twelve months to live.

In the silent stillness of that moment on the mountain, I breathed in the warming grace of the late afternoon sunlight and felt the grounded, calming presence of the redwoods holding space around me.

The Palliative Care team are kind and caring people whose work is to help you integrate the shocking news of a "life limiting illness." In our first meeting they requested that I immediately fill out an Advanced Health Care Directive which had a series of questions to answer such as "how did I want to die?" and "describe in detail your preference for funeral arrangements?" I was stunned. What are my choices for dying?" I asked. The palliative care social worker suggested I educate myself by reading the book "The Art of Dying Well." 

Next, I met with the Oncologist, an intelligent woman and forthright young doctor who reviewed the conventional Stage IV MBC treatment protocol at Kaiser. "Every person's case is individualized," she said, "even with the same type and stage of cancer." If the first cycle of chemotherapy treatment worked it offered a 20% efficacy, plus risks for long lasting cardiological and cognitive side-effects that could reduce my quality of life. 

In March I had a surgical procedure to get a port installed in my chest and vein to receive the chemotherapy infusions. I will not know if the chemotherapy is working to slow down the progression of the disease until I am rescanned in July.  If the first cycle of chemotherapy is not working, the conventional treatment plan is to add more chemotherapy treatments, but by then the disease may have gained resilience. In addition, the cancer has a doubling rate of approximately every forty days during which time it may metastasize to my brain or other organs such as the liver or seriously damage my lungs.

Due to difficulty breathing and significant pain, I went on disability. I can no longer meet all my monthly bills. The medical co-pay bills are racking up quickly. I have exhausted all my savings. I applied for Social Security Disability, but there is a 6 month delay before the payments begin. Even when the first check arrives sometime in September, it will not be enough to cover the costs of life-saving intensive treatment. The Social Security Agent told me, "many people with Stage IV cancer die before they receive any of their benefits."

Why I Am Seeking Integrative Cancer Treatment

As I researched promising integrative cancer therapies with higher efficacies than conventional chemotherapy treatments alone, I came upon a research study that was done here in Marin, with Advanced Aggressive Stage IV Lung Cancer patients. "82% of those treated with conventional chemotherapy plus adjunctive herbal medicine and vitamin therapy were alive after one year, while only 17% of those treated with conventional chemotherapy alone were alive after one year." 

I was recently gifted with a $500 consultation with a local Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor who has 38 years experience. He prescribes the protocols mentioned in the research. He said:

"Think of this as a competition. If what you are doing now is only staying even with the cancer, it will win due to its aggressive doubling rate. What you need is a set of Integrative Cancer Treatments that will allow you to get in front of the cancer in the competition. He then said one thing more, "There is nothing you are doing right now that will get you ahead of it." You need more intensive treatment, which I know you are not able to afford.

This is when a friend suggested a Go Fund Me campaign to save my life by raising funds to finance Integrative Cancer Treatment.

There are several Integrative Cancer Therapy clinics that have higher efficacy in getting ahead of the cancer and to reverse its progression to disease free remission. The most affordable clinic is in Arizona. The stretch goal is $50,000, but the first twelve week cycle of treatments, which is the minimum, is $25,000.

This is why I am praying for you and many Angels to donate life-saving funds. Please help me reach the Angel Fund Goal to afford Integrative Cancer Therapy and live a healthy life in remission.



If your heart is inspired to give generously to a sweet soul sister in need of life-saving medical treatment. My heart bows in gratitude.

Again, I appreaciate your lovingkindness in spreading the word of this campaign
by sharing the link to gofundme.com/JuneKatzen.

I have faith in our collective heartful creativity and the power of love to save my life.

May you be blessed with a long, happy and healthy life.

I love you all and I am grateful for your love,



June Katzen

Organizer

June Katzen
Organizer
Stinson Beach, CA

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