Support Alena's Battle Against Aggressive Cancer

I never thought it would come to this, me publicly asking for this kind of help, but my family needs it, so I'm putting my shame aside and here I go...

As many of you know, I've been battling very aggressive breast cancer for almost 5 years, which got to the point that last week I was admitted to Mayo in Minnesota. They are trying to control my pain, which is caused by a huge tumor on my neck. This tumor is pushing on the nerves in my arm and causing a lot of problems and actual damage to the brachial plexus. That's why I can't move my left arm for quite some time as well. I have been dealing with increasing pain for over 4 months, and nothing seems to be working. My local doctors were doing everything they could and prescribed me many different drugs, but they only work for a little bit and then they stop. Last Friday, I went to see my new radiologist here in Mayo and also had an appointment with a palliative care doctor, who admitted me for pain right away, and I was finally able to get some relief! I was able to sleep for more than a couple of hours for the first time since July, which was absolutely amazing. I still have a lot of pain, but it's managed, and that makes a huge difference. They also started radiation very quickly because the tumor is still growing. I already had two radiations in the past, so they were worried it would cause damage to my nerves because the same spot shouldn't be radiated more than once, but the pain is so big and nerve damage already started that the benefits are higher than the risks. So they did another CT and confirmed that it grew another 3 cm since last month, so now I have this 12 cm mass sticking out of my neck and back area.

I also started a new chemo back in Iowa a couple of weeks ago, which will be once a month, and then I'll be coming here to Mayo for radiation. It's heavy-dose radiation twice a day for 2 days straight and then 3 weeks off. It's scheduled as a three-month cycle. All of this will require a lot of traveling, expenses for accommodation, and food. My only income is my disability at the moment because I wasn't physically able to work at my part-time job anymore. My family is helping me as much as they can, but we all know we won't have enough finances to do this comfortably, especially when I want Leila to come to see me occasionally as well. Leila is my biggest motivation, my whole life, my everything, and I promised her one day I will be a granny because she wants to have two kids, one boy and one girl, and I will make this promise happen. No matter what cancer's plan is, I will be a Grandma!!!

I always say cancer brought also so many good things to our life, especially kind and loving people whose help is out of this world, and my heart literally melts when I see this crazy unfair world as a good place full of love and compassion.

Thank you for reading all the way through here. I really appreciate it, and I totally understand if you cannot help us financially this time. But there is another way you can help, even more important than money, and that is your prayer. Please send all the positive vibes you can to our family. It's not only hard on me, but also on everybody else, especially Leila. A 7-year-old child shouldn't see her mom be so useless and in constant pain, not be able to do anything for her. She went through a lot in such a short life, and luckily she doesn't remember many things from the time I was first diagnosed when she was 2 years old (I am sure she remembers the feelings), but she is fully aware now... Don't get me wrong. She can drive me crazy (like every child), but she is so sweet and has such a good heart, and when we first prayed together, she only asked God to heal me. Nothing for herself, just to help me. I was so moved, I could only squeeze her hands tighter, and we just kept crying.

Another great thing about cancer is, it literally brought my mom back to my life. I have lived in the US for 13 years without my family and only went to visit them. When I had my recurrence, my mom put her fears aside (she never wanted to come to the US because she was worried about her medical condition as well) and made it across the ocean at the age of 70! On her 71st birthday this year in April, which was her first birthday we could finally celebrate together since I moved out, she had a heart attack!!! She was life-flighted to Des Moines, and another group of amazing doctors put 2 stents in her blocked arteries, and she is recovering beautifully. Thank you, Lord So we know miracles are real, and I truly believe my family will get one more. So she moved in with us last year, and I am so grateful she did because right now I'm totally relying on her help. I have days I can only lie down, and even a bathroom trip feels like climbing Mount Everest. Please pray for my family back in Slovakia who can't be with me, Ryan, and of course my second mom Monique, who has been my rock since this nightmare started almost 5 years ago. With her help, I did my first 5 months of chemo, mastectomy, radiation, and another oral chemo back in 2020-2021. I was in remission for not even 2 years when cancer came back (as a swollen lymph node which is causing me so much trouble at the moment). Since my recurrence in February 2023, I switched three different kinds of chemo because they all stopped working, so hopefully, this new chemo and radiation will do the trick, and I can finally have a few years of peace and truly enjoy life with loved ones by my side. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Alena