Support Margie Binder's Fight Against Pancreatic Cancer

This is a hard thing for me to do, but I need your help. My name is Margie Binder, a 59 year old mom to three terrific young adults who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early July (2024). Overall, the prognosis for pancreatic cancer is not good, but I am currently a candidate for the Whipple procedure, a complex surgery which provides the best hope of longer term survival and even cure. I am 3 (of 12) treatments into an aggressive, every other week chemo regimen, then I will have 5-6 weeks of a chemo/radiation combination, followed by at least 6 weeks, but no more than 10 weeks, off before the Whipple, all assuming that there is no indication of spread beyond my pancreas and local lymph nodes during regular re-scans/re-staging. Best guess is that the surgery will take place between mid-April and mid-May, 2025.

What I have realized, or perhaps accepted, since my diagnosis and certainly since I started treatment, is that managing my care and putting myself in position for the best outcome, is a full time job. I have lost over 50 pounds since early 2023; the first 20 last year by working on better habits and nutrition, and around 35 pounds in the past 4 months due to the tumor. Even though I could still stand to lose another 20 pounds or so I've been told to really focus on maintaining my current weight, because what I'm losing at this point is strength and muscle mass. Chemo weeks are difficult. Difficult to eat or drink, greater fatigue, and other persistent side effects. I am determined, though, to tackle this challenge as I have always tried to tackle challenges...one step, one day at a time. Managing multiple daily medications, some of which need to be taken at specific times relative to eating, and others in response to symptoms, and many appointments and correspondence with care providers and insurance, can be taxing, but I also count it as a great blessing that I have access to a level of care that many in this world do not.

The financial help I am requesting will go towards (1) medical expenses- I have paid out of pocket for health insurance for the past 4 years and have decent, but not great, insurance, and those monthly and out-of-pocket costs will only rise next year; (2) living expenses, including regular monthly bills; (3) needed upgrades and repairs to my 90-year old home to make my life easier and more comfortable, as well as for any caregivers staying with me; (4) paying off or at least managing debt; and (5) maintaining some of the online business platforms and programs I have been part of for up to 4 years and hope to continue; funds to continue this work give me hope, one of the most important outlooks I need to maintain for a cure.

I have experienced a wonderful outpouring of love and support through my Caring Bridge page and from cards, emails, texts, and practical help from local friends and even from those who live farther away. But I know that I also need financial help to give me peace of mind and the ability to take care of myself through at least the end of 2025. The Whipple procedure is a 4-12 hour operation, and the recovery time can last from 2-6 months. I won't know until early next year whether I will need post-surgical chemo, but regardless, most resources say that recovering fully from chemo can take 9 months or longer.

For the past 3-4 years I have been working to start an online business (Uncommon College Guide) to help parents guide their teens through the college admissions process, and I have produced a great many resources including an online course and other content. I had hoped that this would be the breakthrough year, but almost all work on that effort has stopped since June, and I don't know how much time I will be able to put in during treatments.

Prior to entrepreneurship, I worked for the Department of Energy as a contractor at Sandia National Laboratories (2014-2020), in the medical device world (2004-2016 with 2 breaks and the last 2 years were part time remote), primarily as a Regulatory Specialist, a junior high special education teacher (4 years) and math teacher (1 year) (1996-2001), and as an officer and helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy (1987-1995) after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1987. Service has always been my "why" in life and the thread between my different careers. I've been driven since I can remember to make a positive impact in this world, and will continue to do so with whatever time I have left. I owe a lot of that mentality to my parents- my dad, a proud U.S. Marine, and my mom, an elementary school teacher- who were two of the most generous and service-minded people I have ever met.

My two career gaps were from 2001-2004 and 2013-2014. During the first I was a stay-at-home mom to Scott (2000), Olivia (2001), and then Amy (2002), and during the second I pulled all three kids from public school (5th, 7th, and 8th grade at the time) to homeschool/roadschool for one year. It was the best mom thing I've ever done. We took about 5 3-week trips around the country and did regular homeschool stuff here in Minnesota. On each trip we visited with friends and family, went to various museums, historical sites, and National Parks, interviewed people, figured out how to use public transportation, volunteered, and many other things. And the kids each planned a part of each trip. I am certainly keen to live many more years, though I feel at peace with whatever comes. If things do go south I know I will never regret the time I spent with my kids and my efforts to raise decent human beings.

I often refer to my kids as "points of a triangle" because they are so different in personality, interests, and aptitudes, but I could not be prouder of how close they are (a year together in a vehicle tends to help with that :) ) and that they are each seeking to serve and make the world a better place. Scott (24) is entering his 3rd year teaching high school chemistry in the Milwaukee area, and just married his college sweetheart, Allie, in June. Allie is in her third year of med school at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Olivia (23) works for the Defense Department as a civilian at Scott AFB in southern Illinois and lives in St. Louis. And Amy (21) is in her 3rd year at the Naval Academy and wants to eventually serve on a submarine or surface ship. Another strong motivation for financial assistance is to do whatever I can to get my home and other affairs in order to alleviate the stress and pain they would feel, as well as the practical burdens they would have should the cancer take me sooner than later.

My first goal is to make it in the best shape possible for the Whipple in the spring of 2025, then the next strong focus, whether I end up getting a Whipple or not, is to not just survive, but be vertical and functional through the summer of 2026, after Allie graduates from med school (mid-May) and Amy graduates from the Naval Academy a week later, followed hopefully by a big family celebratory trip. And of course, the greatest goal is to be cured.

I sincerely thank you for whatever help you can provide. Large or small, I assure you any amount is appreciated.

~Margie