Support a Brave Mom's Urgent Breast Cancer Reconstruction

So, I’m a 38-year-old wife and mom of two kids, a son age 13 and a daughter age 10, and I was told in June that I have breast cancer (invasive ductal carcinoma). I tackled the diagnosis head on and was seen by MD Anderson the very next day. At first, my doctors believed we caught it early and that I only needed a lumpectomy, but further testing revealed my breasts were riddled with cancerous masses and a double mastectomy was required.

Once again, I didn’t balk at the news and instead instantly started to research reconstruction options. I decided on an immediate DIEP Flap, which uses my own stomach tissue to rebuild by bust at the same time of my mastectomy. My surgery was scheduled for 7/30/24. I made arrangements to take a month long leave of absence from work since I couldn’t afford the take the full two months recommended by my doctor.

However, my plastic surgeon, the doctor scheduled to complete my DIEP reconstruction, fell sick the day of surgery and couldn’t complete my reconstruction. Because of the aggressive nature of my cancer, my breast surgeon (a different doctor who does the actual mastectomy) told me the surgery should not be postponed because we needed to get the cancer out before it spread even more.

So I got the double mastectomy as scheduled but instead of my immediate DIEP reconstruction, I had to get these terribly painful space-holders inserted called expanders, which are usually used to prepare for implants but not needed for a DIEP. Not only do they cause the most blinding, stabbing pain imaginable with every move I make, but I now need to undergo a second surgery to compete the reconstruction.

The trouble is, I’m no longer considered a “cancer patient” (since the cancerous masses were removed on 7/30) and therefore no longer considered a priority patient. This means, I’m at the back of the waiting list, which goes all the way into 2025. There’s no way I can live with this pain for that long. It would also require taking another leave at a job I’ve only had for one year, which is something that makes me extremely uncomfortable.

Luckily, I have a friend who has a connection with a breast reconstruction practice and they were able to squeeze me in for September 13th and possibly even earlier if they are able to move some other things around. This means I’ll only have to deal with the pain of the expanders for a few more weeks and will only have to extend my current leave (which is so much better than having to take a whole new leave). BUT, this provider is out of network.

This brings me to my request. Because I’m out on leave, for now two months, and my husband is a school teacher and doesn’t get paid during the summer, we cannot afford the $2,500 co-pay and deductible that the surgery will cost. So I’m hoping some nice people out there looking for a good cause to support may read this and help out. As they say, nobody fights alone! Thanks for your time and your support.