Hi, my name is Kathleen (Kathy) Dillon. I was just recently diagnoses with Vulvar Cancer in October 2024. I was devastated, I couldn't believe it, my head was spinning. I went numb when I heard the news. I thought I just had a bad yeast infection that was very painful. After it sunk in, I didn't know what the future holds, or if I would even have a future. I was so scared. The past 7 months were really hard, the pain from the infection was so bad I would break out in tears in work because it was so painful to sit at my desk, but I needed the money, so I went every day. Even after I had my first surgery, when they biopsied several lesions, even though it was still painful to sit, I went back to work 10 days later and worked 12 hour days to make up for the time I missed. I don't make a lot of money and basically work paycheck to paycheck to pay my bills. It was the end of the year, so I had used up most of my vacation and sick time prior to all of this, so I didn't get paid for the time I was out. My second surgery there were complications, so I needed a third a few days later. I was in the hospital from 1/6/25 to 2/7/25. I was told in the hospital that I was going to need another surgery too, but after I heal a little. I just saw my Plastic Surgeon on 2/12/25 and he already scheduled my next surgery for 2/18/25. Hopefully this will be the end of it. This past month and a half has been so overwhelming, with set back after set back. Not to mention the lost time at work, with no income coming in since 1/1/25. I have been denied SSI, I don't have short term disability, my bills are piling up, and I just don't know what to do. I am so far behind on my bills and I still have co-pays for my upcoming appointments that I don't have the money for. I am not usually one to ask for help, but I am really in a hole I can't get out of. Anything you can give would be greatly appreciated, no amount is too small.

Here is my detailed story:

I went to my OB/GYN in August 2024 after suffering for about a month, with what I thought was a bad yeast infection. She prescribed me several topical ointments, put me on two rounds of antibiotics, and still, it was getting worse not better. I saw her several times over the next two months and she decided, just to be on the safe side to biopsy the areas that were ulcerated. I had my first surgery on Oct. 22nd, and a few days later got the news that I had Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Vulva. My OB/GYN referred me to an amazing doctor, Dr. Stephanie King at Fox Chase Cancer Center. I went to see her on Nov. 5th. She told me she was going to look over the test results and do a PET scan to see what was going on and discuss my case the the Oncology board. The PET scan also showed something in my left lymph node in my groin. My next visit she said that the she and the Oncology Board believed that the could get the rest of my tumor with just radiation. I had a huge choice to make, either do the radiation and hope they get it all, or surgery with a Radical Vulvectomy. I talked it over with my Fiance, Jim Hartnett, and we both agreed that I would have the surgery.

I had my second surgery on 1/6/25, with Dr. King and Dr. Adam Walchak a Plastic Surgeon at Fox Chase Cancer Center. The surgery went well at first, but a few days later I developed a hematoma and had to have my third surgery on. 1/10/25 The tissue Dr. Walchak used from my thigh to do the reconstruction of my Vulva had poor blood flow, so they had to remove a 1 inch square section of tissue that died. They were unable to close the wound, so they left it open and put a wound vac on me to promote faster healing. I was put on bed rest in the hospital for several days. Because of the location of the wound the vac didn't have much to grip and began to leak. They had to remove it within 2 hours or infection can set in, so they removed it right away and put it back on the next morning, when someone from the Plastics team came in for rounds in the morning. Things were looking up, so they decided to discharge me on 1/18/25. I chose a rehab facility instead of going home because the wound needed to be packed twice a day and I have no help to do that at home, and a nurse only comes out 3 days a week. What a mistake! I was sent to The Pines Rehab Facility. All of my top choices of Rehab facilities didn't have a bed available, so I decided to go there. They had a 5 star rating, so I thought it was a good place to go. So, I arrive at the facility by Ambulance, they take me to my room and the CNA gets me into my bed and asked why I was there? I told her I was there for wound care. She then asks me if she could see my wound. When I showed her, she made a grossed out face, and asked me if she could put a diaper on me. I said, "NO". She said my nurse would be in soon and left. About a half hour later I pushed the call button because I had to go to the bathroom to pee. I waited like 10 minutes and hit it again, still no one came, so I got up to go myself. She finally came back in while I was in the bathroom and said, "You're not allowed to get out of bed on your own till you are assessed by your nurse". I told her I couldn't hold it. I asked her to help me wipe myself because I was holding myself up off the toilet with the handicap rails because I couldn't sit with all the sutures on my butt, it was really painful to sit. She grabs those rough paper towels from the dispenser next to the sink, runs it under warm water and proceeds to wipe me. When I left Fox Chase Cancer Center they had to remove my wound vac for transport, so they taped a bandage over the wound to keep it clean. Well, the bandage got wet, so I asked the CNA if she could take it off because I couldn't reach it. She grabs it and tries to tear it off. (OUCH!) I told her she has to take it off slowly there are a lot of stitches down there. She said she was going to let my nurse do that. She guides me over to the bed , adjusts the soiled sheet (with drainage from my wound) that was folded under me and says lay down, I'll get your nurse. I looked at her and said I am not getting back into that bed with this wet pad and that soiled sheet. She says, "Okay I'll get some more sheets, and get the nurse". I stood there for 45 min. before the nurse came in. At this point I was so disgusted with this place that I called Jim and said I couldn't stay there another minute. His sister-in-law actually called my Doctor's at Fox Chase and told them about the conditions there and I didn't want to stay there. Jim came in and one of my many doctors called me and said that it was too late on a Saturday night to schedule transport back to Fox Chase, I would either have to call an Ambulance or have Jim drive me to the ER an Jeans Hospital. She calmed me down and asked me if I could hold out till the morning she would schedule transport back. While I was on the phone with her, my Nurse Tonya came in. She stood there while I finished up my conversation with my doctor and knew that I was upset. I hung up with the doctor and Tonya asked me what the problem was. I told her how the CNA wanted to put a diaper on me and used paper towels from the bathroom to wipe me, wanted me to lay back down on a soiled sheet. REALLY, that is not sanitary at all. She said she was really sorry, but she was going to take care of me. She said she would have a talk with the CNA's. She said her name is Tonya and she was my nurse. She was there to put my new wound vac on. She said, "Don't worry, I got you. I am a Wound Care Specialist, and we'll get that would healed in no time". They ordered a portable wound vac and she proceeded to take it out of the box and started putting it together. There is a sponge that is used to put in the would before the vac goes on. She takes the sponge out of the plastic it was sealed in, cuts off a piece for my wound, an throws the rest of it on the nightstand in the room instead of putting it back in the bag it came in. She comes over to me to put the vac on and I asked her if she was going to clean the area first. She said, "I got you, don't worry, I do this all the time". She wipes me with a dry paper towel and proceeds to put the vac on. When she finished she said she was getting ready to leave for the day, but not to worry, she was going to take care of me. I said, "So are you here every day"? She replies, "No, I only work Saturdays." But, she's got me! Around 2:00 am, I had to get up the go pee again, and hit the call button, waited, and when no one came, I got up myself to go with the portable vac. The night CNA came in while I was in the bathroom and asked if I was okay. I told her I was, but I needed help wiping myself. She grabbed a bleach dried towel in the bathroom and wiped my but really hard and shoved her fist between my legs and starts patting really hard. The pain took my breath away. I pushed her hand away, and said "You do realize I have a ton of stitches down there". She says, "You're okay". Well, the wound vac starts vibrating loudly, which means it is leaking. I tell the CNA that the machine has to be turned off and removed within 2 hours or it can cause an infection from the suction. She tells me, "I worked in many hospitals and have seen a lot of these, that sound means it's working". I said, No, it doesn't". I showed her the panel on the front of that vac the clearly, says leaking, with the alarm going off. I asked her again, to turn it off and have it removed and she said, "I can't do that, we have protocols". I yelled at her and told her to get this thing off of me. She said she was going to get the floor manager and left. I called Jim at 2:30 in the morning in tears begging him to get me out of there. He said he was on his way. The floor manager come in and asked me what the problem was. I told her the wound vac is leaking and it needs to be turned off and taken off within 2 hours. She said the same thing the the CNA" said, they have protocols and can't do that. She then asked me who my Doctor was. I told her the names of my doctors at Fox Chase and she said, "No, who is your doctor here?" I told her I didn't know. She said she was going to find out who my doctor was and leave them a message. Jim got there and asked what was going on just as the floor manager came back with the night CNA and another woman who came to take my vitals earlier. They had bandages and said what if we put these over the leak to seal it. I said, "No, don't touch me. I asked if there was a wound care specialist on at night. She looked at me like I had two heads and said, "We don't have wound care specialists, we are trained to treat wounds, but we don't have any specialists here". I told her Tonya told us that she was one. The manager asked, "Tonya told you she was a wound care specialist, well she lied, she ain't no wound care specialist". Then floor manager said she would be back if they hear from the doctor and left. Jim tried calling private ambulance services that said they where open 24 hours and all of them were closed. He really wanted to help me but, it was not an emergency so we couldn't call 911, and if we did they would only take us to the nearest hospital. And with my open wound on my butt, I couldn't just hop in the car for him to take me to the ER. He stayed for about another hour and I told him to go home and get some sleep. He didn't want to leave me there, but I told him to go, that I was going to call Fox Chase in the morning and get out of here asap. He went home finally but never got back to sleep. Well, I didn't sleep at all either, who could with the alarm sounding on the leaking vac. I called Fox Chase at 9:00 am but, my doctor was in a meeting and they said she would call me back. The day nurse came in and said, "I hear you had some issues last night and want to be transported back to Jeans ER." I said, "Yes, I don't want to stay here another minute." She said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it, I'll go put in the transfer order". The ambulance was there in 45 minutes and I got to Jeans ER around 11:00. Jeans Hospital is right next to Fox Chase and they are both Temple University Hospital. Fox Chase doesn't have an ER so I had to go to Jeans then be readmitted to Fox Chase. Anyway, the ER doctor called my doctors at Fox Chase and they came right over. One day in the rehab with the vac on, that they wouldn't take off, (for over 9 hours) and I wind up with a Cellulitis infection. Dr. Sid from the plastics team took pictures before I left Fox Chase for my file and everything was good, when I got to the ER, all of my incisions were red and inflamed. The doctors told me I did the right thing coming back. Well, my nightmare doesn't end there. In Jeans ER they gave me 2 IV antibiotics with Penicillin in them. I am allergic to Penicillin's. It was listed in my list of allergies for years and was listed the day before, why it wasn't listed that day, I have no idea. So, now Infectious Diseases is called in, and Dr. Shultz confirmed I am in fact allergic to Penicillin's. I had red splotches all over me and I was itching like crazy for several days till they got it under control. They had to put me on 4 other IV antibiotics that didn't have Penicillin. They had to give me Prednisone along with Zyrtec and Pepcid. That is the cocktail, my PCP gave me when we found out I was allergic like 20 years ago. The combination stops the itching within a half hour and the splotches went away the next day. Then they stopped giving it to me because steroids raise your blood pressure and blood sugar, and mine were off the charts. They started giving it back to me in lower doses and that seemed to stop the reaction finally. So, now they have to treat all 3. My blood sugar is still all over the place with the insulin they were giving me, which was different than the insulin I use at home. Next, a few days later I sprung a leak, my nurse was changing my packing and there was fluid coming out of my sutures in the crease of my right leg. Turns out it was lymphatic fluid from when they took out my lymph nodes. So for days, every time I got up, the fluid was running down my leg. I also had the same buildup in the other leg but that was in the form of a tennis ball sized lump. When they started talking about sending me home, I told them I couldn't go home like this. They agreed and sent me down the the Interventional Radiology Department to have drains put in my thighs. So, now I have 2 drainage tubes that they said I may need to have for a month or so. Wonderful! I am finally discharged from Fox Chase on 2/7/25. This time I decided to have an in home nurse check in on me instead of going through another nightmare at another Rehab Facility. So, I am healing slowly, but the front flap of my vulva was reconstructed with the same tissue that had poor blood flow, so the tissue also died and had to be debrided in the hospital a week before I left, so I have to have my 4th surgery on 2/18/25 to fix that. At least it is outpatient and I don't have to stay in the hospital again. Thank you for listening to my horrible story. Ladies, please get regular checkups at the GYN, any white spots or lesions that burn and itch, have it checked out immediately and biopsied. My visiting nurse said she has had a lot of patients with Vulvar Cancer recenty.

I want to thank Jim for sticking by me though all this. He is my Rock, I don't know what I would do without him. He has lost a lot of time off work too, taking me to Dr. appointments and my surgeries. Thank God his work has been really great about adjusting his hours to be with me. I love you!