Jennifer's Chemo Treatment

My name is Megan, and I am running this campaign for my mother, Jennifer Matheny Thomas. She is a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, sister, aunt and friend. She is one of the strongest women I’ve ever know and her family is her everything. She is the single most selfless person I know, always has been. She is kind, has a pure heart and would give everything she has to help anyone. She has sacrificed a lot to help many people in her short life and without hesitation most of the time and never expecting anything in return.  So I am hoping to return the favor to her by helping raise some kind of money to help ease her mind and hopefully get her treatment started.

In November 2014, after undergoing a hysterectomy and some other procedures, there was a spot noticed on the outside of the sigmoid colon, which was biopsied. So thankful that her GYN was diligent enough to notice and take those biopsies. This biopsy came back as metastatic colorectal adenomcarcinoma, Stage II colon cancer. After undergoing a CT and PET scan, it was determined that there were no metastases to other organs or lymph nodes.

However, in December 2014, she underwent the surgery for resection of the sigmoid colon to remove the tumor, which had penetrated the outside of the colon wall and was the size of a lemon, and the lymph nodes in that area. After further biopsy on what was removed, it was discovered to be in 8 out of 25 lymph nodes, which now classifies her to be Stage III. She is recovering well from the surgery, but now faces the journey of chemotherapy. Her treatment will consist of 12 treatments that will be administered over 46 hours, twice a month for 6 months, with follow-up MD appointments for lab work on the off weeks.

First, she and I want to encourage each of you reading this to PLEASE do not put off having a colonoscopy when suggested to do so by your physician. My mother had no real symptoms, was being treated for anemia with no real reason for it, had mild "stomach discomfort" that she attributed to the GYN issues, and declined having a colonoscopy as far back as a year and a half ago until after her hysterectomy and other procedures. Turns out, anemia is a huge indicator for colon cancer when there is no other reason to be found. Again, thank God that her GYN noticed and biopsied the outside of the sigmoid colon, as she admittedly says she still would not have had the colonoscopy. Due to the size of the tumor and wondering now how long ago she could have prevented this, they are saying this could have been growing in there for at least 4 years. Her wish is to encourage each of us reading this to get the colonoscopy if/when recommended regardless of age and/or symptoms--do not put it off…..PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!

First, I ask that you please pray for her and every member of our family. If you are able, I humbly ask for anything you can contribute as my family was completely blindsided by this and we are not prepared financially to endure this battle.  Every little bit helps. I've calculated the amount by adding the first visit to the additional 11 visits for the treatment, along with the follow-ups for lab work to check her levels on the off weeks. This approximately comes out to $11,400 out of pocket. My mother does have insurance through her employer. However, with the New Year and new deductibles, along with her co-pay responsibilities, the cost for her initial treatment is approximately $2300 and $780 every two weeks for the remainder, 11 additional treatments, plus the $45 office co-pay on the off weeks.

Thank you so much in advance for your prayers and contributions. I will keep you posted once the treatment begins.