Kim’s fight with stage III breast cancer

Hello my name is Kim Schumacher and I hope you can understand how difficult this is for me to publicly come forth and ask for your help. I was a single parent from day one and fought hard to bring up my son and take pride in the fine young man he is today. With great perseverance I would say I was successful as a mother, holding down a career and respectively remaining independent.

In November of 2020 I was diagnosed with Stage III Triple Negative Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (TNBC). This type of cancer is aggressive, invasive and resistant to most traditional cancer treatments.

”Triple-Negative Breast Cancer accounts for about 10-15% of all breast cancers. Triple-Negative breast cancer differs from other types of invasive breast cancer in that they grow and spread faster, have limited treatment options, and a worse prognosis (outcome).” - American Cancer Institute.

I’ve been through the gamut this past year, every scan that you could ever imagine. The prognosis seemed positive, the cancer was retained in just my left breast, it hadn’t spread it’s ugliness in my organs, bones or brain.

My first Chemo treatment sent me to the hospital with Diverticulitis...chemo kills your white cells that fight infection and helps build your immune system...ie. I will talk about immunotherapy in a bit.

Not to dis my oncologist but I wound up in the hospital again after my second treatment, the infectious disease doctor stepped in and basically saved my life with heavy duty infused antibiotics for 21 days.

Chemo continued and ended, and it was time for my surgery..the choice was a single mastectomy or be pro active and choose a double..I chose the latter..

The surgeon at Moffitt removed both breasts and my left main lymph node as well as the shrunken tumor and determined that my lymph nodes were ok and later through the pathology report it was confirmed, but what was shocking in the report was that I did have cancer cells in my right breast.

I bring this up for two reasons, one is that my insurance does not want to pay for the right breast being removed as they say it was preventative surgery.. I have to file an appeal with an attachment of the pathology report.. I have been fighting my insurance from day one..horrible...my bills have accumulated and I continually have to either fight for my life and or my insurance company..nobody should have to go through that whilst battling cancer.

Now reason two, I have a mass underneath my right armpit.. I was seen yesterday by my oncologist and he is concerned to say the least. Back for another pet scan.. back for another biopsy and back for my sixth surgery to remove it. I thought it was over.. after the double mastectomy with direct implants.. my skin on the left breast went dead..had to have surgery to cut off the dead skin and re sow the breast... that never healed either...so I had to have another surgery.. taking skin grafts from my back..it’s called some sort of flap..that was just a few weeks ago..I am still healing only now to discover it’s not over.

i.e. Immunotherapy: I really thought It was over and knew I had to have some follow up therapies.. the first recommendations were radiation.. I was adamant that I was not going that route. I took chemo pills called capecitabine.. I didn’t like the after effects and my doctor agreed to take me off for 2 months.. I also was doing my own research months prior and found out about immunotherapy...that is where your white cells and red cells are separated after withdrawal and the white cells are re injected to attack any cancer cells.. bravo..

I had my first infusion a week ago, I thought I was on my way to somewhat of an end.. but the question now is an end to what?

I ask you for some type of donation big or small to help me sustain my livelihood, I actually was able to keep my head afloat for one year and now the coffers are empty. I need to pay my cost of living and medical bills not covered with my insurance..

I will keep you posted about my results and what comes next.

Thank you and God Bless you,

Kim Schumacher