Angela is;
kind     nurturing     nonjudgmental     loving     optimistic     fearless
     funny     approachable     smart     loyal     creative     open-minded
accepting     unique     selfless     appreciative     courageous     strong

Angela is a gift to those who are in her life. I hope people realize that she is a form of sunshine that can brighten anyone’s life.

Angela is also the owner of a genetic mutation which is the culprit of the reason for this gofundme page and the inception of the journey ahead of her, which she describes below.


"If you told me a year ago that I'd be on a train, on my way to an oncology appointment today, I wouldn't have believed you. I was human, but I was going to live forever. Yet, here I am, on a train to Chicago, going to see my oncologist. 
Some of you that know me well, know that my dad died when I was 13 from a type of rare cancer. It is called pheochromocytoma and/or paraganglioma. What a lot of people didnt know is that the type of cancer he had is genetic. A gene passed down to him from one of his parents predisposed him to getting this very rare type of cancer. See where I'm going here? My dad passed the gene to me, and only me, thank goddess. It also means both of my daughters have a chance in having this same gene. Adam and I decided to get them tested sooner than later. Knowledge is power with this condition. 
**
About a year ago I had a CT scan done on a lump I found on my neck while pregnant with Aelin. Me, not thinking much of it, thought it was just a swollen gland. Turns out, its not. It's a paraganlioma tumor. And its attached to my vagus nerve and my carotid artery. For those that dont know, your vagus nerve runs from your brain stem to your tailbone. Its pretty dang important. Your carotid artery is a main artery. These tumors tend to grow in the most important places in your body which makes treating them hard. Like in my case, my Dr is urging against surgery because of the possible side effects and probable reduced quality of life. Because these tumors do not respond to traditional cancer treatments my options are limited. But there are options. Some of which I'm exploring today. 
The reason my dad got so sick was A) he was misdiagnosed, multiple times. B) his tumor was secreting deadly amounts of hormones. Some of the times, these tumors secrete hormones, like adrenaline in dangerous amounts. Luckily enough, mine doesnt appear to be the secreting kind. My dads story surely would have ended differently had he known about his gene, like I do. He might even still be alive. 
Basically for the rest of my life, I will be under the watchful eye of some amazing Drs I am very privileged and grateful to have access too. I'll have scans every 6 or so months to make sure my tumor isnt growing and that I dont start forming new ones. The gene I have is the most aggressive kind, and I've come to terms with the fact that I very well may become sick from this one day. 
To say this last year has been trying is an understatement. I've had to dig down into places I didnt know existed to keep myself grounded. I've spiraled a few times, I've been in some very dark places. I've had to overcome huge anxieties surrounding medical treatment. A year ago I couldn't even have a CT scan without having a panic attack. Today, I'm on a train, by myself, going to see my team of drs to discuss my future which is full of unknowns. This isnt the life I thought I would have. Its not the life I want, but it's better than any alternative. So, I live my life thankful that I am here, thankful for my kids and my family. Thankful that I have access to some great drs and opportunities for care (I'm going to Maryland in Augusta to participle in a research study for this cancer with one of the top drs in the world for this condition) I've come to appreciate little things more than I ever have. I've learned that I am very human. And that while life is finite and scary at times, it is beautiful. 
As for me, I actually feel okay. Aside from all the anxieties looming over me now I'm getting along. I'm trying to stay strong which is hard sometimes. My tumor does cause me some effects, tinnitus, pressure in my head, flushing in my face, general pain in the area. But as of right now, all of those things are tolerable. It's been the hardest year of my life and it feels good to finally share what's been going on. 
Because of how rare this is, I hope this helps raise awareness for this condition. The website I linked is a great resource if you're interested to learn more. 
And if you made it this far, thank you for reading. <3"

Since her post above, Angela has learned that her tumor has increased in size . She will be making a trip to Mayo Clinic in April.

Along with the financial burden of making trips to hospitals to see physicians and surgeons that specialize in her rare form of cancer, there will also be the financial burden of treatments. Treatments may include beam radiation therapy (for which she has a consultation next week) or, possibly, surgery.

Angela will find out more in April when she visits Mayo but no matter what course of action she decides to take, it will be very costly.


For more information on pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma please visit:

https://pheopara.org