Kimberly's Fight Against Stage 3 Breast Cancer
Donation protected
Greetings!
My name is Kimberly and I am a 37-year-old wife and mom who was working full-time, eating healthy, exercising 5 days a week, and was active in my church - attending, serving in the kids' ministry, and doing life in a small group. That probably sounds familiar to a lot of you reading this. Life as a parent is BUSY and non-stop! I was happy in my life, day after day, going through the routines, when out of nowhere that came to a screeching halt.
I'll be the first to admit that I was never great about doing my self-breast exams every month, and when I found the "lump" it was not during a self-exam, but rather a chance finding. I was laying on my side in bed next to my son during bedtime routine when I happened to get a tickle from my tank top and so I reached across and rub a spot on my upper outer chest, at the very edge of breast, when my hand froze. What was that I wondered?? It felt odd. Not like a round lump like I would have thought, but like a ridge, a speed bump if you will. I immediately did the normal mom thing and ignored it and finished bedtime before going downstairs and checking it again. Yep, still there. Not very big, but it was definitely there and something I'd never felt before. I thought, surely this can't be cancer. I am only 2 years out from thyroid cancer and what are the odds I would have another cancer before even hitting age 40?? And yet my journey began...
Flash forward 3 months and here I sit, typing "my story", and thinking never in a million years would I be doing this, living this, sharing this with others. I have been diagnosed with Stage 3, possibly Stage 4 breast cancer. I have a rare situation (as in happens about 1% of the time) where I actually have TWO different breast cancers at the same time. I have 2 separate tumors in the same breast, right beside each other. The smaller one is ER+/PR+/Her2- and Grade 2 (moderately aggressive). The larger and more dangerous one is what's called "triple negative", meaning it is ER-/PR-/Her2- and is Grade 3 (highly aggressive). This complicates my treatment because they may each respond differently to the chemo agents and because the triple negative cancer cannot be treated with the newer medicines that are out these days like the estrogen blockers to keep recurrence at bay. The cancer is already in my lymph nodes and there is also a suspicious spot in my sternum. The plan is for LOTS of chemo upfront. The doctors are being very aggressive due to the aggressive nature of my cancer and my young age. I will be getting chemo every 2 weeks x 4 (Adriamycin/Cytoxan), then every week x 12 (Taxol/Carboplatin). I have completed 3 treatments of 16. Following chemo I will have bilateral mastectomies, then radiation therapy, then reconstruction surgery. The total time will be about 10-11 months.
Why do I share all of this you may ask? Well, for many reasons actually...
First and foremost, I decided immediately that there was NO way I could do this on my own and so went straight to God and said, "Ok, God, this is all you! You know I cannot handle this on my own, but I know YOU CAN and YOU WILL!!!" God desires us to trust him with everything, big or small, that we face in our lives! I have had tremendous peace and joy (yes, joy!) despite the storm I am in, by the grace of God alone, and I want to SHARE the love of Jesus with as many people as possible! I could not imagine the fear and despair I would have if I were facing this without God going before me and fighting for me. How comforting it is to know that all I have to do is TRUST Him and keep my eyes fixed on Him and he will see me though, no matter what the future holds! He has me in His hands and there's no better place to be! My prayer is that by sharing my story, at least one person will be inspired to come to know the radical love of Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior! I also pray that believers who hear my story will feel a stirring in their hearts and experience a renewing of their faith and a desire to walk closer with God. My mission is to get my story out there and then let the Holy Spirit work!
My second mission is to spread awareness. Breast cancer is a beast and a burden that too many women face. My prayer is also that at least one person's life will be saved by hearing my story. That someone who never does their monthly exams will start! That someone who has been putting off their mammogram will go! I want women to know that most breast cancers start in the upper outer quadrants of their breasts. I want women to know that it may not feel like a little marble in there, but rather like a little ridge or a cord, like mine did. I had no other symptoms, and yet here I am facing advanced breast cancer. PLEASE, ladies, do your exams, get your mammograms, and if you feel ANYTHING unusual, go get it checked right away!
If you are interested in tracking my journey, please like my public page I have created called "Faith-filled Fight Against Breast Cancer" on Facebook. And please feel free to share my page to help my mission to reach as many people as possible!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my story. I pray for God's blessings and providence in your lives!
Love in Christ,
Kimberly Stewart
P.S. I originally never planned to set up a gofundme because it just feels weird to set up a donation page for yourself! These last few months though I have had many people kindly ask me about a gofundme page because they wanted to donate. I set the goal at $8000 as that is my out of pocket maximum for my health bills for this year. Anything extra would go towards our living expenses as I am unable to work during this process and my family relies solely on my income. I do have disability insurance, but unfortunately I didn't read the fine print and will not be getting what I thought I would be. (I thought I would be getting 60%, but there is a cap so I'll actually only be getting about 30%. PSA... Read the fine print!!)
Thank you so much for even taking the time to read about our story, and for donating if you feel led! We appreciate any and all help during this trial in our lives!! We have already been so blessed with friends and family helping and donating and creating fundraising ideas... Every little bit helps! I can't say enough how thankful I am and how humbled I am!
https://m.facebook.com/faithfilledfight/?ref=bookmarks ⬅️ Link to my public page where you can track my journey!
Pictures of my family! They are why I fight every day!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Psalm 27:13-14
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
My name is Kimberly and I am a 37-year-old wife and mom who was working full-time, eating healthy, exercising 5 days a week, and was active in my church - attending, serving in the kids' ministry, and doing life in a small group. That probably sounds familiar to a lot of you reading this. Life as a parent is BUSY and non-stop! I was happy in my life, day after day, going through the routines, when out of nowhere that came to a screeching halt.
I'll be the first to admit that I was never great about doing my self-breast exams every month, and when I found the "lump" it was not during a self-exam, but rather a chance finding. I was laying on my side in bed next to my son during bedtime routine when I happened to get a tickle from my tank top and so I reached across and rub a spot on my upper outer chest, at the very edge of breast, when my hand froze. What was that I wondered?? It felt odd. Not like a round lump like I would have thought, but like a ridge, a speed bump if you will. I immediately did the normal mom thing and ignored it and finished bedtime before going downstairs and checking it again. Yep, still there. Not very big, but it was definitely there and something I'd never felt before. I thought, surely this can't be cancer. I am only 2 years out from thyroid cancer and what are the odds I would have another cancer before even hitting age 40?? And yet my journey began...
Flash forward 3 months and here I sit, typing "my story", and thinking never in a million years would I be doing this, living this, sharing this with others. I have been diagnosed with Stage 3, possibly Stage 4 breast cancer. I have a rare situation (as in happens about 1% of the time) where I actually have TWO different breast cancers at the same time. I have 2 separate tumors in the same breast, right beside each other. The smaller one is ER+/PR+/Her2- and Grade 2 (moderately aggressive). The larger and more dangerous one is what's called "triple negative", meaning it is ER-/PR-/Her2- and is Grade 3 (highly aggressive). This complicates my treatment because they may each respond differently to the chemo agents and because the triple negative cancer cannot be treated with the newer medicines that are out these days like the estrogen blockers to keep recurrence at bay. The cancer is already in my lymph nodes and there is also a suspicious spot in my sternum. The plan is for LOTS of chemo upfront. The doctors are being very aggressive due to the aggressive nature of my cancer and my young age. I will be getting chemo every 2 weeks x 4 (Adriamycin/Cytoxan), then every week x 12 (Taxol/Carboplatin). I have completed 3 treatments of 16. Following chemo I will have bilateral mastectomies, then radiation therapy, then reconstruction surgery. The total time will be about 10-11 months.
Why do I share all of this you may ask? Well, for many reasons actually...
First and foremost, I decided immediately that there was NO way I could do this on my own and so went straight to God and said, "Ok, God, this is all you! You know I cannot handle this on my own, but I know YOU CAN and YOU WILL!!!" God desires us to trust him with everything, big or small, that we face in our lives! I have had tremendous peace and joy (yes, joy!) despite the storm I am in, by the grace of God alone, and I want to SHARE the love of Jesus with as many people as possible! I could not imagine the fear and despair I would have if I were facing this without God going before me and fighting for me. How comforting it is to know that all I have to do is TRUST Him and keep my eyes fixed on Him and he will see me though, no matter what the future holds! He has me in His hands and there's no better place to be! My prayer is that by sharing my story, at least one person will be inspired to come to know the radical love of Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior! I also pray that believers who hear my story will feel a stirring in their hearts and experience a renewing of their faith and a desire to walk closer with God. My mission is to get my story out there and then let the Holy Spirit work!
My second mission is to spread awareness. Breast cancer is a beast and a burden that too many women face. My prayer is also that at least one person's life will be saved by hearing my story. That someone who never does their monthly exams will start! That someone who has been putting off their mammogram will go! I want women to know that most breast cancers start in the upper outer quadrants of their breasts. I want women to know that it may not feel like a little marble in there, but rather like a little ridge or a cord, like mine did. I had no other symptoms, and yet here I am facing advanced breast cancer. PLEASE, ladies, do your exams, get your mammograms, and if you feel ANYTHING unusual, go get it checked right away!
If you are interested in tracking my journey, please like my public page I have created called "Faith-filled Fight Against Breast Cancer" on Facebook. And please feel free to share my page to help my mission to reach as many people as possible!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my story. I pray for God's blessings and providence in your lives!
Love in Christ,
Kimberly Stewart
P.S. I originally never planned to set up a gofundme because it just feels weird to set up a donation page for yourself! These last few months though I have had many people kindly ask me about a gofundme page because they wanted to donate. I set the goal at $8000 as that is my out of pocket maximum for my health bills for this year. Anything extra would go towards our living expenses as I am unable to work during this process and my family relies solely on my income. I do have disability insurance, but unfortunately I didn't read the fine print and will not be getting what I thought I would be. (I thought I would be getting 60%, but there is a cap so I'll actually only be getting about 30%. PSA... Read the fine print!!)
Thank you so much for even taking the time to read about our story, and for donating if you feel led! We appreciate any and all help during this trial in our lives!! We have already been so blessed with friends and family helping and donating and creating fundraising ideas... Every little bit helps! I can't say enough how thankful I am and how humbled I am!
https://m.facebook.com/faithfilledfight/?ref=bookmarks ⬅️ Link to my public page where you can track my journey!
Pictures of my family! They are why I fight every day!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Psalm 27:13-14
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Co-organisers (4)
Kimberly Williamson Stewart
Organiser
Clemmons, NC
Tom Williamson
Co-organiser
Deanna Yates Williamson
Co-organiser
James Stewart
Co-organiser