Fighting for Karen Bishop Balog
Donation protected
A very special young woman, who is so dear to so many of us, received a very unwelcome Christmas present this past holiday. Karen Bishop Balog was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer of the gallbladder.
For a couple weeks prior, Karen had been feeling sick and nauseous. She then became jaundice—a clear sign her liver was not working properly. An ultrasound on December 13 showed what they thought were gall stones in the gallbladder and a stone lodged in the bile duct. An Endoscopy revealed it wasn’t stones.....it was cancer of the gallbladder. It was devastating news for Karen and all of the family and friends who love her so much.
Karen lives in Grandy, North Carolina with her incredibly loving husband, Bob. She was adopted at 6 weeks old and grew up in Stowe, Vermont with 4 older brothers. She spent many days down on her father’s dairy farm in Springfield, Vermont, riding her horse and enjoying all of the animals and outdoors. This is what propelled her to become a Pre-Vet student, and ultimately why she became a 20 year volunteer for the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She has spent many nights on the beach to safeguard little hatchlings, she has transported injured turtles for care, and she served as the first official president and state permit holder.
Karen is the most loving and nurturing person with the most caring and generous heart! As she begins her next journey of survival, she needs our help to get through this. Next week she is scheduled to have a PET scan, which will help identify whether there are metabolic changes in other tissues and cells in her body, which would indicate metastases. At this point, she has been given 20-30% odds of surviving 5 years. If the results of the PET scan are encouraging, then Karen will undergo major surgery to try to remove as much as they can. If not, then surgery is not an option.
Unfortunately, either way, Karen's healthcare insurance does not cover a catastrophe like this. The medical bills are already coming in and are predicted to be very high. Karen and Bob have worked very hard to build their home and their lives together. They fear the medical costs will challenge their ability to hold onto their assets.
Please consider making a donation to support Karen not only financially, but emotionally, as well. Every little bit helps, and it adds encouragement. Karen is a VERY strong woman and will undoubtedly fight as hard as she can, and we all have the opportunity to support her through this battle.
Thank you!!!
To join Karen's Caring Bridge page for updates: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/karenbishopbalog
One of the surgeries being considered, Whipple procedure: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/whipple-procedure/about/pac-20385054
To learn more about gallbladder cancer: https://www.cancercenter.com/gallbladder-cancer/learning/
For a couple weeks prior, Karen had been feeling sick and nauseous. She then became jaundice—a clear sign her liver was not working properly. An ultrasound on December 13 showed what they thought were gall stones in the gallbladder and a stone lodged in the bile duct. An Endoscopy revealed it wasn’t stones.....it was cancer of the gallbladder. It was devastating news for Karen and all of the family and friends who love her so much.
Karen lives in Grandy, North Carolina with her incredibly loving husband, Bob. She was adopted at 6 weeks old and grew up in Stowe, Vermont with 4 older brothers. She spent many days down on her father’s dairy farm in Springfield, Vermont, riding her horse and enjoying all of the animals and outdoors. This is what propelled her to become a Pre-Vet student, and ultimately why she became a 20 year volunteer for the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She has spent many nights on the beach to safeguard little hatchlings, she has transported injured turtles for care, and she served as the first official president and state permit holder.
Karen is the most loving and nurturing person with the most caring and generous heart! As she begins her next journey of survival, she needs our help to get through this. Next week she is scheduled to have a PET scan, which will help identify whether there are metabolic changes in other tissues and cells in her body, which would indicate metastases. At this point, she has been given 20-30% odds of surviving 5 years. If the results of the PET scan are encouraging, then Karen will undergo major surgery to try to remove as much as they can. If not, then surgery is not an option.
Unfortunately, either way, Karen's healthcare insurance does not cover a catastrophe like this. The medical bills are already coming in and are predicted to be very high. Karen and Bob have worked very hard to build their home and their lives together. They fear the medical costs will challenge their ability to hold onto their assets.
Please consider making a donation to support Karen not only financially, but emotionally, as well. Every little bit helps, and it adds encouragement. Karen is a VERY strong woman and will undoubtedly fight as hard as she can, and we all have the opportunity to support her through this battle.
Thank you!!!
To join Karen's Caring Bridge page for updates: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/karenbishopbalog
One of the surgeries being considered, Whipple procedure: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/whipple-procedure/about/pac-20385054
To learn more about gallbladder cancer: https://www.cancercenter.com/gallbladder-cancer/learning/
Organizer and beneficiary
Treva West Southworth
Organizer
Morristown, VT
Karen Bishop Balog
Beneficiary
