My Stage 4 Cancer Journey: Help Me Beat Aggressive Lymphoma!

My life took an unexpected turn when I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma. As a 32-year-old dog mom navigating this challenging journey in a new city on my own, I'm facing mounting medical bills and the inability to work. I'm reaching out for help to ease the financial burden so I can focus on healing. Please read my story below and consider donating. Every donation, big or small, will help me on this journey!

At 32, my life in Philadelphia was just beginning – a new city, a blossoming career, and endless possibilities. Then came the shock: Stage 4 Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), an aggressive blood cancer.

I was sure they were mistaken, jumping to conclusions prematurely, all the way until chemo and treatment plan discussions began. I’ve always lived my life in an overly independent and self-sufficient manner, thriving on my ability to do it all. I pride myself on my career and being the best pet mom possible to my dog and two cats. I kept telling myself I need to slow down and find balance between work and personal but didn’t, ignoring my body’s plea for rest.

I could tell I wasn’t feeling well, but assumed it was stress. I wasn’t listening to my body begging me to take a break and to see a doctor until I had no other option. After a 2am ER visit, I was told I had pancreatitis, an enlarged liver and spleen, a damaged kidney, and enlarged lymph nodes throughout my body. Suddenly my days were filled with appointments, biopsies, and follow ups.

The biopsy results and official diagnosis came on March 20th, just a year and one month after moving to Philadelphia. I won’t lie, my initial reaction was fear. I’m here on my own with my friends and family in FL and GA. This wasn’t in the plans! I don’t get sick; how could I have cancer? And how could I have cancer and not know?? I’ve always believed everything happens the way it’s meant to, but I couldn’t see the purpose in this. I felt like a kid being given information way above my comprehension. Like my time had been cut short and I hadn’t used it wisely.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. While battling fatigue, hair loss, and other side effects, the kindness I’ve received from people is more than I could’ve ever asked for. Most days the chemo has me too fatigued to even walk my dog. My neighbor regularly knocks on my door to check on me and offers to bring me food or help around the apartment. And my mom, who barely drives to the grocery store on her own (sorry, Mom!), got on a plane to help take care of me after a close call with kidney failure and my first round of chemo. I’ve never been on this side of needing help, or admitting that I need help, but I am learning to accept help and witnessing the beautiful connections that emerge in crisis. Turns out there’s a lot of truth in the cliché that a crisis brings people together. I’ve been given the gift of seeing the kindest parts of people, even strangers, and I’m so thankful for these connections, old and new.

My prognosis is good! I love my doctors and am confident in their abilities. A PET scan in June will reveal how the cancer is responding to the treatment. So far, we know the cancer is above and below my diaphragm, in my organs, and in my bone marrow, categorizing it as stage 4. Because of this, I have an equally aggressive treatment plan. I’ll receive 6-day chemo treatments as in patient, with 2 weeks to recover between each cycle. To be extra cautious, my doctors are recommending two additional chemo cycles to target any remaining cancer cells. I mean I’m already bald, so I say let’s do it!

The costs associated with cancer treatment are daunting. Each hospital stay requires boarding for my child (dog) and pet sitters on the days the chemo side effects are too much. This can cost upwards of $500 per cycle. Thankfully, insurance has covered a significant portion of hospital costs, but there are still medical bills rolling in. Being out of work has me concerned with how I will keep up with it all. Your support will help cover rent, utilities, pet care, medical bills, groceries, and any other surprise expenses that pop up and allow me to focus on healing.

We all have something we’re struggling with, and times are tough for everyone. I am incredibly grateful for any support whether it's a donation or a share. Your support will allow me to focus on healing and spending time with my loved ones. Cancer is a guest that I plan on removing as quickly as possible.

Please consider donating or sharing my story to help me focus on healing and removing this unwanted guest as quickly as possible. Every little bit helps, and I am eternally grateful for your support.