We are a group of friends and coworkers raising resources, support, and money for Dresden to put toward her healing journey. Dresden was diagnosed with advanced Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in November 2023 and underwent a full thyroidectomy in December 2023. Her thyroid, malignant masses, and 75 lymph nodes were removed from her neck and upper chest, of which 25 had cancer. The 6-hour surgery was intense but successful, and was followed by a round of radioactive iodine that will slowly be treating any lingering thyroid tissue in her body over the coming year.

Now she is on the uncharted road that follows a cancer diagnosis, and the roller coaster ride that comes with managing a delicate endocrine system within a complex health care system. If you have ever sought treatment yourself, just imagine how the ups and downs of navigating the medical system are exacerbated by hormonal dips and dives! Without a thyroid, Dresden is now reliant on medications and synthetic hormones for the rest of her years.

Dresden is a resource of love and healing for others via her acupuncture practice, and her educational social media offerings, and we want to support her so she is able to focus her energy on establishing the support she needs for her own journey.

She recently started a newsletter for thyroid issues after searching the internet for resources and coming up short. Currently, she’s trying to sustain her business while doing the necessary research and self-advocacy for her own health. This has presented a challenge to sustain the patient load needed to meet monthly costs.

Financial support will go toward rental costs for both home and office, and medical and prescription costs. Researchers have found thyroid cancer to be a diagnosis that imposes more financial strain on patients because symptoms and care heavily affect everyday lifestyle. This leads to frequent monitoring with doctors, as well as trial and error to find a doctor that presents an effective treatment plan. Various medications can supplement after a thyroidectomy, each which work differently for each patient. As a result, it can take at least a year to find the most effective medication and dose. So far, the most effective medication is a name brand, and not covered by insurance. Certain required, recurring blood tests are also not covered by insurance, so there is considerable out-of-pocket cost.

We want to provide Dresden the influx of resources she needs so she doesn’t have to worry about bills, her business, and how to make it all work at this acute time, and can instead secure the doctors, therapists, and other support she will need. Often, cancer survivors are not granted the time and space to simply have cancer and process the many life changes that are taking place.

When she found out about the masses, Dresden determined that she would face this scary diagnosis with a proactive, positive approach, and to use it as a way to consciously live her values toward health and to be free from any energy that caused dis-ease or contraction in her body.

Please contribute what you can to support our dear Dres so she can continue to shine her beautiful, sunny light!!