Help Paula heal herself from cancer

Many reading this are friends, family, colleagues and community members and some of you may simply be interested in someone's else's story. Please be willing to take a little time to share it. 

My name is Jena, and I am Paula's daughter. That is my brother Joshe. We are  doing this for her because she would never ask for this kind of help, so we are asking for her. We will do anything and go the ends of the world for our mom. She deserves hope and support along with the best care and treatment. Below is her story: 

Our mom, Paula, is the most kind and self-less person you could ever get to know. She has been a devoted mother, wife, and hard worker her entire life. Two years ago, she had an unfortunate fall that broke her left shoulder and received a shoulder replacement. While healing from her major shoulder surgery, she received a diagnosis that nobody want to hear: Stage II lung cancer. 
They had her start treatment right away with chemotherapy and radiation for many weeks during the spring/summer of 2017. 
During the time this is all happening, she was experiencing excruciating pain while going through physical therapy to heal the shoulder replacement. Then she learned the should replacement was done wrong! To find a doctor to fix it, she had to go to Philadelphia to Penn Medicine. The reverse shoulder replacement needed couldn't be done in the Lehigh Valley because no doctor there knew how to do it. The worst news, she had to wait an entire year to have this operation done because of having had no insurance. It would have to take a year, turning 65, and be applicable for medicare, then would be free to get care for her shoulder in Philadelphia. So she had to wait. 

With the exception of having limited mobility in the left arm, and being in mild pain constantly, 2018 was good year to start off with. Paula had a follow up PET scan in April, and tested cancer free. Her 65th birthday was coming in November, which wasn't too far long.  However, she did not make it until November. Paula ended up in the hospital due to her gallbladder. That is when they found the cancer has spread, to the rib and the brain. 

She was now diagnosed with Advanced Stage II lung cancer (aka Stage IV). In November, her gallbladder came out. They radiated the cancer in her rib immediately right after. 
The next month, December, she had brain surgery,  they removed a tumor from the back right side of her head, then she received  more radiation.

Her long awaited shoulder surgery had to be put off once more. 

She decided to go to Penn Medicine in Philadelphia to receive treatment for the stage IV cancer. They are known to be one of the best in the country, and has the latest new treatments available for cancer. The program consist of a 12 week intense chemotherapy treatment, followed by routine low dose chemo/immunotherapy, that she will need to continue indefinitely.

To seek more options,  we found a phenomenal integrative family doctor to help her with alternative therapies to help her get well,  feel better and stay healthy. My family, myself, and my mom, didn't want to rely on just chemo treatments alone as her only treatment given. She wasn't even in remission for a full year before the cancer came back full force and spread.

Our approach of using conventional medicine with holistic remedies is to give our mom her best shot at riding this disease for good. After the intensive chemotherapy, it is be known that it is very crucial to support her body to heal itself aided by holistic practices and good nutrition. 

In the weeks and months ahead, as she begins a long course of treatment to stop the spread of her cancer, we all will be facing a difficult challenge. How are we going to afford this? Major illness often brings enormous amounts of unexpected expenses, from making co-payments, prescriptions, intravenous infusions, blood tests, and herbal remedies. With all of the stress that accompanies the battle of cancer, the last thing one should be worrying about right now is money, especially when it comes to well being and quality of life. 

We are all hoping come this late spring that she is well enough to finally get the reverse shoulder replacement surgery. She wants nothing more than to not have constant pain in her shoulder. She also wants to start feeling better, and not to live in continuous pain anymore. She will do whatever it takes to live a better quality of life with the time she have left here on earth. Which is a chance we all deserve. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my moms story. It is not a short one but she has been on one hell of a journey. The reason we decided to start this fundraiser is to help raise funds so we can lessen the financial strain on her and our dad. My brother and I figured, if we each pitch in what we can, we can offer my mom a great gift: peace of mind as she goes through this journey. 

We are hoping to get started as soon as possible. The sooner the better.

THANK YOU!