Hi. I’m a rare person. The kind where you mention one thing about me and other people go, “Oh, I know Amber!” Rare in all the best ways. I have a unique mixture of hobbies, curated through years of curious hyper-fixations and exhilaration with awesome crafting results. I march to a completely different beat, unexpected and unique, and that’s what makes me awesome!
Three years ago, I woke up unable to stand or walk. This was the beginning of a difficult process of constant adjustment for me and my husband. Now, I have a custom wheelchair, a desk that works with my wheelchair, and a husband who is there for it all. Thankfully, Brian is one of those unexpected guys, rough and tough, nostalgic about having been a tank commander. However, my retired First Sergeant is also kind, gentle, incredibly dedicated, and does absolutely everything he can to help me through all of my chronic illness. Anything I can no longer do, he now does. The cooking, the cleaning, all of it.
As if all of that didn’t make my life unusual enough, my rarity has graduated to a new level. Cancer. A combination of two cancers, actually. Inoperable vulvar cancer which nearly reaches the colon. This makes treatment options challenging.
Whether the cancer has metastasized or not, the only survivable plan involves a very strong chemo that will soften that tumor in the tumor site, then a large dose of radiation to fry that cancer to oblivion. After that, a dilator to keep the internal shape and conditions we need for life after cancer. Then, imaging and pathology to ensure we’re on the right track. It’s a rigorous treatment campaign to eradicate a cancer combination that is rarely ever seen.
The only place in the state of Oklahoma to find qualified gynecological oncologists is at the Stevenson Cancer Center, 3 hours away from my home. That’s almost 7 hours in one day each time there is an appointment. The doctor and social worker tells us to expect 3 appointments a week.
One surgery has already been scheduled for me to establish metastasis status. It will require 1-3 days in the hospital. On occasions like this, Brian will need lodgings at the nearby hotel. We have asked the social worker if there were lodging or fuel cards we would have access to, but there are not right now. We’re on a waiting list. Until then, everything will be on us. In order to get me to appointments, Brian has to take off work, bleeding off all income for the day. We’ll also burn a tank of gas for every appointment. We’ll spend at least $100 for Brian’s lodging. The three to six weekly trips to the pharmacy add up quickly, too. The medical copays have been stacking up for some time now.
Brian and I choose to be self-employed because we have such a passion for helping people love their home. We are founding partners in charge of Jensen Renovations, a small contracting company that specializes in drywall and paint but also does all sorts of residential and commercial renovations and repairs. We’ve been in business for 12 years, and we’ve kept the crew small on purpose to ensure consistent and precise results for our projects.
I’m a proud person. Asking for help is so difficult for me. But as my bestie said, maybe I should receive love from others by letting them offer their help, so here I am. Asking for $1, $10, $100, $1,000, whatever you feel led to contribute. All of it will be accepted with so much gratitude. Sincerely, literally every little bit helps.
I have faith that this story will end with hope and love because all the best stories do. Your generosity may actually save my life. I have all the best hope to survive this thing and go on to tell other people to do their preventive exams. I want to make a difference in the world. In every generous donation I will feel your love. If you can’t donate, don’t worry! You can show your love by sharing this link, and if you know me, giving testimonial to the type of person I am. I love you all so very much! I’m finding out a person can be brave and also scared. I am definitely both of those things, but with your love, I’ll also be able to get well soon.
