- C
Heather Hoelyfield. Our sweet, intelligent, kindhearted, giving, beautiful friend has been given the news we all fear. Cancer. True to her nature, she has handled this devastating diagnosis quietly with strength and her faith in God.
On October 17th, 2019 Heather found a lump in her right breast. The very next day she went to her doctor where they ordered a mammogram. On October 22, 2019 that mammogram was performed and ultimately caused enough concern that an ultrasound and a biopsy were performed that same day. Just two days later she received the devastating phone call. The lump in her breast is cancer and there is lymph node involvement. Invasive ductal carcinoma. Stage 2, triple positive cancer. This is serious. Basically, Heather's hormones are feeding her cancer. Further testing revealed she also has a genetic mutation of the CHEK2 gene. The doctors believe this is what caused her cancer.
In just one week after her diagnosis, she was sent for a surgery consultation, radiation oncology consultation, and chemo education class. As you can imagine, this news is hard to swallow, so second and third opinions were sought. Thankfully, Heather has been very proactive in her care. She had to fight for an MRI, as this is not protocol. That MRI she fought so hard for ultimately led to more bad news. There's another tumor that the previous testing had missed.
November 15th, 2019 was the first of her many surgeries as they placed a port to begin her chemotherapy. Just a few short days later was the first of her 6 rounds of intense chemo. She has had to have multiple echocardiograms to ensure this intensive chemo treatment has not damaged her heart while trying to kill the cancer. Chemotherapy has multiple side effects and unfortunately I think Heather has experienced all of them. Starting with the vomiting, nausea, nerve damage, consistent diarrhea, chemical menopause, extreme fatigue, headaches, and last but certainly not least, hair loss.
Chemotherapy has been completed. March 2, 2020 was treatment number 6. March 6, 2020 an MRI was done and the results show that one tumor had shrank by half, the other was no longer visible, but the lymph node tumor was still present.
April 14, 2020 Our sweet friend is scheduled to have a bilateral mastectomy and she will also be having her ovaries removed to decrease the level of hormones feeding this cancer. This will be the first of three surgeries she will need to have in order to fully remove the cancer and reconstruct what it has taken from her. The recovery time with each of these surgeries is 4-6 weeks.
The final pathology that they find will determine if she needs radiation and/or more chemotherapy. Regardless of the pathology outcome, she will resume infusions to continue to block the hormones.
Heather is a planner, a hard worker, and a saver but this is nothing any of us can ever truly be prepared for. The mounting bills that are flooding her mailbox every single day, the co-pays, and all the other necessities for life have far outweighed what her and her husband can handle. Heather has continued to work as much as she possibly can in between treatments and appointments in attempt to handle this on their own, but they have reached a point where they need our help.
This is an uncertain time for all of us as our own jobs and health are being tested, but cancer doesn't wait for anyone or anything.
Heather is continually praying that God will take this away, that she will be healed, and for continued strength as she fights this ongoing battle. She feels blessed that she found this cancer, and that her doctors moved quickly in getting a diagnosis and beginning treatment.
On October 17th, 2019 Heather found a lump in her right breast. The very next day she went to her doctor where they ordered a mammogram. On October 22, 2019 that mammogram was performed and ultimately caused enough concern that an ultrasound and a biopsy were performed that same day. Just two days later she received the devastating phone call. The lump in her breast is cancer and there is lymph node involvement. Invasive ductal carcinoma. Stage 2, triple positive cancer. This is serious. Basically, Heather's hormones are feeding her cancer. Further testing revealed she also has a genetic mutation of the CHEK2 gene. The doctors believe this is what caused her cancer.
In just one week after her diagnosis, she was sent for a surgery consultation, radiation oncology consultation, and chemo education class. As you can imagine, this news is hard to swallow, so second and third opinions were sought. Thankfully, Heather has been very proactive in her care. She had to fight for an MRI, as this is not protocol. That MRI she fought so hard for ultimately led to more bad news. There's another tumor that the previous testing had missed.
November 15th, 2019 was the first of her many surgeries as they placed a port to begin her chemotherapy. Just a few short days later was the first of her 6 rounds of intense chemo. She has had to have multiple echocardiograms to ensure this intensive chemo treatment has not damaged her heart while trying to kill the cancer. Chemotherapy has multiple side effects and unfortunately I think Heather has experienced all of them. Starting with the vomiting, nausea, nerve damage, consistent diarrhea, chemical menopause, extreme fatigue, headaches, and last but certainly not least, hair loss.
Chemotherapy has been completed. March 2, 2020 was treatment number 6. March 6, 2020 an MRI was done and the results show that one tumor had shrank by half, the other was no longer visible, but the lymph node tumor was still present.
April 14, 2020 Our sweet friend is scheduled to have a bilateral mastectomy and she will also be having her ovaries removed to decrease the level of hormones feeding this cancer. This will be the first of three surgeries she will need to have in order to fully remove the cancer and reconstruct what it has taken from her. The recovery time with each of these surgeries is 4-6 weeks.
The final pathology that they find will determine if she needs radiation and/or more chemotherapy. Regardless of the pathology outcome, she will resume infusions to continue to block the hormones.
Heather is a planner, a hard worker, and a saver but this is nothing any of us can ever truly be prepared for. The mounting bills that are flooding her mailbox every single day, the co-pays, and all the other necessities for life have far outweighed what her and her husband can handle. Heather has continued to work as much as she possibly can in between treatments and appointments in attempt to handle this on their own, but they have reached a point where they need our help.
This is an uncertain time for all of us as our own jobs and health are being tested, but cancer doesn't wait for anyone or anything.
Heather is continually praying that God will take this away, that she will be healed, and for continued strength as she fights this ongoing battle. She feels blessed that she found this cancer, and that her doctors moved quickly in getting a diagnosis and beginning treatment.
Organizer and beneficiary
Heather Hoelyfield
Beneficiary