My journey began in 1995. My Mom passed away after fighting breast cancer for 3 years. In Febuary, I found a lump. I went to the doctor and he said he thought it was just calcium deposits. In August of 1997, I went for another mammogram and was immediately sent to a surgeon. After a biopsy, I was informed that I had stage 2 (almost 3) breast cancer. It had already entered my lymph nodes. I had a left mastectomy, 4 rounds of chemo, and 7 weeks of radiation. I got a mammagrams every 6 months after my initial treatment. In 2005, I had a  mammogram the Doctor and I decided to do an elective mastectomy on the right side. The biopsy revealed  that I had an early stage of cancer, so the mastectomy had been a good choice. The Doctor did not feel that any other treatment was necessary.

In 2008, I went to a new primary care doctor. I had been feeling tired and thought I had a kidney infection. She did a blood work up and sent me for a sonogram. It was discovered that I had cancer all over my liver, wrapped around my ureter and in my lower back. My oncologist did a pet scan and said it was stage 4 and I had 18 months to live. I did 10 months of chemo and then miraculously, was declared cancer free again!!!! During this time I was also living with my sister and  was placed on disability. 

Between the years of 2009 and 2012 my daughter and I bounced around living with different friends and relatives as I was not making enough in disability to pay bills and afford a place to live. I was working part time, but with disability, Medicaid and Medicare, I was only allowed to make $700 a month BEFORE taxes. Anything over and I lose my coverage, which helps pay for my treatments.

Around July of 2012, my cancer reared its ugly head. I was now going thru treatment yet again. On top of this: I now had lymphedema in my left arm. I now need a compression sleeve and glove to keep fluid from building up in my arm during the day, and I need to wrap it at night. I also need a machine to massage my arm to keep the fluid from getting hard in my arm. All of which I can't afford and Medicare and Medicaid do not cover.

It takes 2 paychecks to live anymore, I have managed to survive on disability, which is equivalent to 1/2 of one paycheck. It is very difficult, but now doctors and the hospital are wanting their portion of what I owe. In order to continue treatment, these bills need to be met, medicaid and medicare, contrary to what everyone thinks, does not cover all of it and disability doesn't even come close to touching it, especially since I need all of that check just to make it through the month. I do experience pain in my back and joints because the chemo has caused arthritis there, so now  I have that to deal with, which just makes things more challenging. 


If you can, please donate? If you can't donate, please share with your friends, family and co workers? It would be greatly appreciated! Asking for help is the hardest thing, I think, that I have ever had to do. 

God Bless each and every one of you for reading my story!!!! Thank you.