Sandy's Medical Update: July 1st

I just had my latest rounds of tests including CT scans and MRI's and met with my Oncologist yesterday.

Unfortunately, it is not good news. The Lung cancer spots are growing again and I now have a new spot in a lymph node. This means that the cancer is spreading.

The doctor wants me to start another round of Chemo treatments ASAP, 4 to 6 cycles which is very intense. The hair that just grew back will fall out again, and the enduring the sickness that comes with Chemo treatments will also return. It's horrible to go through.

Thank you for the help all of you have already given. You've given our family one more month of security and a home, one more month to prepare for everything. Unfortunately even with the support given, it's not enough to ensure I'll be able to continue receiving treatment for my cancer, or to ensure that we'll have a home. As of right now, I probably won't be able to do these Chemo treatments. A month from now I will very likely be homeless and living in our car with my 3 other family members. If this happens, I may only have around 6 months left.

It's depressing thinking that the end of my time here will be spent as a homeless person.

Please help if you are able to and pass along my story to your friends and family.

God Bless

Thank you

Sandy

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Story:

My name is Sandy, and up until last year I was the main provider for my family of 4. Suddenly our lives changed when I was diagnosed with Lung cancer and Spinal stenosis. These issues have stopped me from being able to support myself and my loved ones. If we don't get help, we will be homeless very soon. Any support you can offer would be very helpful.

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Last year (on June 5, 2024) I went to the ER for what I thought was a heart attack due to extreme pain in my neck, arm, and hand. While looking for the problem, they found cancer. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 small cell lung cancer. This form of cancer is very aggressive, and the five-year survival rate is very low. It turned out that the neck and chest pain I went to the ER for was a spinal issue with my neck, which was diagnosed as Severe central canal stenosis between the C6 and C7 vertebrae as a result of disc herniation.

Because the cancer was in the same region as the stenosis, I wasn't able to have the surgery to fix it. As a result, I’ve had pain, numbness, and weakness in my right arm & hand ever since. These issues have prevented me from being able to work. When I started working for my employer, I began paying for a Disability Insurance Policy so I have been getting disability pay up until now. This is what we have been relying on to pay our bills.

This month, I will no longer receive disability payments. My employer is not required to continue employing me as a result of them not approving my FMLA extension request. I'll not only be unemployed, but I'll also lose my only current source of income. My family, including our three cats, will be homeless as a result of this. We need at least $2,400 to cover our rent and utilities for the next month to avoid being evicted.

We currently pay $1,600 for rent, plus utility bills of $450 for electric and $150 for water each month, and we're behind on some of the utility payments. Currently the only other source of income we receive is from my husband's Social Security, ~$1,000 per month. That isn't enough for us to pay our rent, let alone buy food for our family, or cover our bills. If we meet our goal for one month (July) of $2,400 the other income we receive will be enough to cover food and other essentials.

Thank you for taking time to read my story. I would greatly appreciate any financial support you could offer me and my family. Your help is the difference between us going homeless next month, and me being able to receive continued treatment for my condition.