My Cancer Treatment

Hello. My name is Lynn Callahan. I am about to be 62 years old, and I live in Cazenovia, NY. I am in a battle for my life as I was diagnosed with stage 4 uterine cancer after having a robotic total hysterectomy on June 22, 2021. My then GYN Oncologist wanted me to do chemo after surgery, but he told me it would not save my life. In my discussion with him, I told him I have diabetic neuropathy and asked if a chemo drug that doesn't add to the neuropathy could be used. He told me all the chemo drugs were basically the same and he understood my concern as he has had patients with neuropathy, and after they received chemo treatment their neuropathy was increased so much they ended up in a wheelchair permanently. So if this chemo was not going to save my life and could make the quality of my life much worse - why take it? So I didn't, but instead took an alternative treatment called Fenbendazole starting in July 2021.

The Fenbendazole seemed to work for awhile, and I had a clean CT-scan the end of April 2022 - but I was spotting. It turned out I had vaginal tumors growing both inside and outside my vaginal "cuff." The spotting has turned into 24-hour/day bleeding since then.

My GYN sent me to a new GYN Oncologist in Rochester, NY, this last October. The news was not any more encouraging. This doctor told me he wanted me to take two different chemo drugs together, these drugs would not add to the neuropathy, but there was only a 20% chance it would cure me. There is a 65% chance the cancer would return anytime from 6 months to 3 or more years. At that time the doctor would give me a different chemo, hoping it would give me some time before the cancer came back - then start a new chemo. That would be the rest of my life until either the cancer or the effects of the chemo would kill me.

So I started researching and found around the world in many countries there are cancer treatments that have been proven to work for many years. These treatments are saving lives but are not allowed to be used in this country because the FDA does not approve them. I also found in Tijuana, Mexico there are numerous clinics and hospitals that treat late-stage cancer patients with many of these proven cancer treatments from around the world. They have brought the best of these cancer treatments from around the world to this city of Tijuana and it's cancer clinics and hospitals. Did you know 500,000 Americans travel to Tijuana for cancer treatment every year?

After much research and prayer, I have chosen to go to "Oasis of Hope Hospital" in Tijuana, Mexico. I will be flying into San Diego airport on Monday, December 19, 2022 and a driver from Oasis of Hope will pick me up at the airport and drive me across the border and to the hospital. Total trip from the airport is 30 minutes.

After sending Oasis of Hope all my medical records and test results since this cancer journey started, the chief oncologist there sent me a treatment plan tailored to me. They will be doing their own extensive testing on me once I get there and then fine-tuning my treatment plan. The doctor there has 10 different types of treatments they are planning on using on me, and I will have several treatments a day - 7 days a week. The cost for this is $30,200.00 USD, and that includes all my testing, treatment, my private room, three organic meals a day and transportation to and from the airport. My health insurance will not pay for any of this because it is being done out of network and out of the country.

To be honest, this is money my husband and I do not have. We had to take a home equity line of credit on our home to finance this trip to Tijuana. Our home was paid for; this is adding debt to our already very tight budget. My husband and I live off his social security income and disability from the Dept of VA.

This is not the total cost either. Every three months I will have to have a PET-scan and detailed bloodwork done to monitor how I am doing. As most doctors in the US will not work with doctors in Mexico, if I can't talk my local GYN or primary care doctor into writing scripts for me for the PET-scan and bloodwork to be done locally - I will have to travel to San Diego to have them done. If this three month testing shows the doctors at Oasis of Hope that I need further treatment, they will have me return for a week of a Second Cycle of Treatment - average cost is $11,650.00 USD.

This is not easy to ask you for help, but this is the situation I am finding myself in. If you should want to help me with my medical cost in this battle I am in, I would be forever grateful!

Thank you and God bless you!

Lynn