Help Debbie Beat Cancer !

I am starting this fundraiser for my dads only sister, my amazing  Aunt Debbie.  

For those of you who know me, you know how important to me my Aunt is. She has done so much for me in my life, stepped in and taken      care of me when my father couldn't. She helped raise me like I was one of her own children.  I wouldn't one the woman I am today if it wasn't  for her.

Debbie, in short, is a badass. She has fought this fight before and won  despite whatever odds may have been against her at the time.  Here we are again... I am praying it is that last time.  She has been diagnosed with kidney cancer for the 4th time.  

I ask that you please take the time to read her story and if you can give anything at all, it would mean so much. 

Your funds will go toward her 5 weeks of housing while she is in treatment. Food, parking, and any unforeseen medical costs. If there is  anything left over she will donate it toward cancer research. 

Here is her story in her words . Thank you all so much <3
                                           
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                                                     Opps I did it again


I am a 3 times kidney cancer survivor. I did not think I would be fighting cancer again. Gearing up for the fight for my life. Number 4 and it’s  going to be a big fight.

I have metastasized kidney cancer to my pancreas. I have 2 significant tumors and several small tumors.

The tumors are in a difficult place to treat. After consulting with Doctors in my area I was sent to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.  

After testing and meeting with Doctors I’m not a candidate for surgery. My first cancer was in my right kidney and traveled up the vena cava to the atrium in my heart. I had a 9-hour surgery. 2nd surgery was a small  tumor on my left kidney the protocol at the time was if you had cancer  in your kidney they take the whole kidney, but I only had one so luckily my doctor sent me to National Institutes of health, where they did experimental surgery and saved my kidney. 3rd time I had metastases.   to my liver. I took a cancer new drug and shrunk the tumor till it was    small enough to be removed. 

This time my family and I were hoping for removal. It seems like the best way for me to be cancer free.  

Unfortunately, the surgery would involve them taking up to half of my pancreas, if not the whole thing. You can live without a pancreas, but it  is not advised and would be very hard on me. 

To complicate things, I have a rare muscle disease called Myasthenia Gravis. 

It causes severe muscle weakness in my voluntary muscles. Can making walking and breathing hard or very difficult.  

I receive infusions once a week in a port. I have a nurse come to my home to infuse them and I’m very lucky to have these treatments that make it so I can function. 

So, the treatment that Johns Hopkins has planed is 5 weeks of radiation. 25 treatments in all. 

I go back on the 19th and 20th of March to have an endoscope procedure to place seeds in the tumors for the radiation to work. Then on the 20th they will make a mold of my area to be radiated and do training on how to breath during treatments. I must wear a snorkel.

Crazy right?

We will do a simulation that day. The Radiologist will then   take a week or so make a design just for me. We hope that I will start radiation in April. When finished with radiation I will start several months of a cancer drug that targets kidney cancer. 

This is where I need your help. To drive to Johns Hopkins is just over 2 hours. Round trip over 4 hours a day. 

As the treatment goes on, I will become ill from the radiation. I will not be able to drive. My husband John can not take off that much work. 

They have housing at Johns Hopkins for patients and their family to be able to stay in during their treatment. I would love to be able to stay and walk across the street for treatment every day.

There are two apartments you can rent. A studio at $60.00 dollars a day plus parking, which is what I want. The other apartment is bigger at $87.00 dollars a day, but I don’t need that. I also must have a care giver with me the whole time. I’m blessed I already have some wonderful  people in my life who are volunteering.

We have already accrued significant debt from medical costs and at this time we financially don’t have the funds to pay for the apartment. Parking is also crazy expensive.

This may sound crazy, but I feel lucky. That’s right very lucky. I’m blessed with an awesome husband. We have been together 42 years.      Three fantastic children and their spouses. And most importantly my five grandbabies. Wonderful friends and family who have always been  so supportive. My 90-year-old mom is still with us and feisty as ever. I help her with all her shopping, hairdresser every week. She is blind and can’t hear a thing. I need to be here for her. These people in my life are   the reason I have fought so hard and will continue to fight. Now you know why I consider myself so blessed. 

The things we go through in life can be hard, but I always ask myself what I can learn from this. Cancer has taught me to live in the moment  take the time and stop and look around at take in the joy of living. It’s right in front of us.

Thank you for listening to my story.  I leave you with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. I go to fight a good fight and beat cancer one more time.