Tracie Steger Cancer and Medical Expenses

Our beloved friend, family member and rescue president of Paw Warriors Inc. has been diagnosed with cancer. She will be undergoing surgery that will leave an open wound and also remove affected lymph nodes and will be on bed rest for several weeks. She will also need to under go chemo treatments.

She is being treated at Shands Hospital in Gainsville, far from her home in Spring Hill, FL. Any donations towards hotel stays, gas, co-pays, and recovery are greatly needed at this time.

WE LOVE YOU TRACIE! You are bada$$ and beautiful and you got this!

Here is Tracie's Facebook post:

I am going to be just fine !

I needed to say that first, because this is going to be a long and difficult post to write.

I have been contemplating on whether to share this or keep private, but I know I need as many prayers as possible, will most likely need some help along the way, and would appreciate understanding for PAW Warriors.

Cory and I will be headed to Gainesville on Sunday for a few days as I will be admitted into Shands hospital for surgery and then cancer treatment to follow.

Back in July I had a biopsy done under anesthesia on an ulcerated mole in a not so comfortable area.

The good news is that it came back as " precancerous" but it needed to be removed as soon as possible due to the area and the rate it was changing.

It in fact, has become one of the most relentless and painful things that I have ever had to deal with.

We had everything proceeding thru Moffet cancer center when my insurance company stopped that in it's tracks and denying coverage saying since it was precancerous, it was not an urgent procedure and I had to go to another hospital that they approved.

A LOT has happened in the time since finding this out and getting in at Shands.

this lesion has gone from "precancerous" to now being. treated as cancerous, as it has now intruder into my lymph nodes .

On Monday, I'll be going thru nuclear medicine for a pet scan to have the effected lymph nodes injected with dye, along with presurgical consults with anesthesiology. (Having narcolepsy, going under anesthesia Is extremely delicate and I had bad experience as it was during biopsy)

On Tuesday, I am having the lesion surgically cut out and the effected lymph nodes removed.

They will be doing an open wound healing to minimize infection and complications afterwards, as to not delay chemotherapy in the few weeks afterward.

I will need to be on total bed rest for wound healing. .

Being narcoleptic, sleeping a lot is easy for me , but knowing everything here at rescue that needs attending to, makes it difficult. .

We have such an amazing dedicated crew at the rescue, I would not be able to go thru this without their dedication and hard work. They all have shown how much they care and how strong as a team they are working together.

I am beyond lucky to have a man like Cory in my life and by my side. He has been amazing thru all of this! And Lord knows, I am not an easy patient It will likely get more difficult before it gets better , so any helping hands for him would be appreciated.

I have been blessed with a wonderful family and many friends, and have been asked what help we will need already.

I cannot say exactly, but throughout, my healing journey, I will be posting on PAW warriors and on here to update and share.

I love my family, friends, k9 kids and kitty misfits.

I am in love with my Cory.

I have such a purpose in my life. I am strong , stubborn, dedicated and needed.

I may be broken at the moment, but I am badass and beautiful and I will get thru this.

I will be just fine !