Hi my name is Lisa Evensen. In July of 2022 I went in for surgery on what we were told was a benign tumor of the ovary. Turns out it was nothing of the sort. To mine and my family’s shock, it was found that I have Stage 4 Appendiceal Cancer, which is a very rare and devastating disease. Unfortunately the delay due to the misdiagnosis has made the situation much worse, as it had perforated the appendix and spread the cancer throughout my abdominal organs. I am scheduled for surgery at Johns Hopkins, with an expert in appendiceal cancer. It is a plane ride away, and this surgery requires me to be away from home for approximately 6 weeks - both in the hospital and in the area for several weeks due to the possibility of serious complications. This is a metastatic cancer, so after my extensive surgery and hot abdominal chemo, I will be monitored for the rest of my life and may have to repeat the surgery and chemo to “set back the clock” on this disease. My surgery will be close to 14 hours long, and the surgeon will be removing organs and parts of organs to get this disease under control. Beyond the shock of it all, are the ongoing, astronomical medical and travel expenses involved. Thank you all for reading my story and for helping our family out to lessen the financial burden that we are facing.