Support Carri's Battle Against Cancer

First and foremost thank you to Brett. For urging me to be vulnerable (not an easy task) and for the last 26 years always being ready to listen. On July 29th I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Once again our lives were turned upside down. An aggressive chemotherapy plan was quickly scheduled. The day before I was to start chemo the results from a pet scan arrived. The cancer had spread. There was a tumor on my spine that had grown large enough to fracture my spine. I have an unusually high tolerance for pain. Up until the moment I heard the doctor say the words tumor, spine, fracture I had believed I had a bad case of sciatica. I had been doing all kinds of exercises, foam rolling, and chiropractic work to heal my back. All the while I was most likely making it worse. It just shows how strong our minds are. As soon as I knew the truth the pain became unbearable. Chemotherapy was no longer an option and an aggressive schedule of radiation was planned to shrink the tumor on my spine along with some intense drugs to shrink the tumor in my breast. During the month of September I went to the emergency room (once by ambulance because I could no longer move) and was subsequently admitted to the hospital three times. We just couldn’t get a handle on the pain. At one point I was hallucinating, for days. It was relentless. We finally found the right mix of pain medication and although I am not pain free it is now manageable. During my hospital stays I started the radiation treatment and I completed it just over three weeks ago. Radiation can take weeks to take full effect so I am hopeful I will be up and mobile soon! As of now I can’t stand or walk for more then a minute or two at a time. Lulu and Leo have been the absolute best caregivers. They have dealt with so much uncertainty and fear and yet they show up for me every day never complaining, always making the best of a situation that has been nothing short of brutal while still keeping up with their own busy teenage lives. My doctor recently added a new drug to the line up. This one is a little scarier because it can wipe out the immune system so I must be very careful to not catch any colds, flus etc. The cancer drugs along with the strong pain meds I’m on have me a bit loopy. I kinda fade in and out and to be honest I am not much help at anything. God/the Universe, whatever you choose really wanted me to take a seat!

This has been incredibly overwhelming for my little family of three. I am scrambling to get a plan in place to carry us through and give us however much time is needed to heal my body and mind. This is a non negotiable. My children cannot lose another parent. We deserve another chapter. One that has a little less heartbreak and loss and a lot more joy and hope. A future we can look forward to! I am working now on getting all my benefits in order so that we can be taken care of and ease some of the financial stress this disease has brought. This takes time and a tons and tons of paperwork!! Also, drugged up Carri works a lot slower! Until that all kicks in my children and I need help. We need community. This all happened very quickly. I am beyond thankful for any and all help. To have any of the uncertainty of the future eased is a gift. One that I hold with deep gratitude.