Julie's Stage 4 Cancer Fund
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My mother Julie, is the most hardworking, beautiful inside and out, passionate, and courageous person I know. She is a 911 Dispatcher for Sarpy County and loves her job so much! It takes a special kind of person to do the life-saving work that she does everyday, and this why I want to set up this gofundme account for her. She has spent her days volunteering every chance she gets with animals at the local humane society, so now instead of her helping them, she desperately needs help from others. She's recently been diagnosed with a brutal, aggressive cancer and has been given only 2 to 9 months to live (as she is out of options regarding treatment).
She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the middle of March 2017 and within a couple of weeks of PET scans, MRI's, and CAT scans, they determined that it was already at Stage 4. She has a massive tumor inside of her vaginal wall, and the cancer has since spread to all of her lymph nodes. This is a very rare type of Squamous Cell Carcinoma, according to her doctors. On top of having Stage 4 cancer, she suffers from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus), which causes her to be extremely fatigued and have severe joint pain and swelling of her hands and feet. Lupus is an auto-immune disease that makes her immune system shut down, so something as simple as a cold could kill her.
Since her cancer is considered Stage 4, the doctor's told her that it was inoperable and radiation was not an option. Her only option was to do agressive chemotherapy, using three different types of chemo at once, every third week, two times a week, for 6 months. She agreed to try it, in hopes of having more time with family and her two daughters, Siara (23) and Jessie (17).
Her first round of chemo went horribly wrong, because she had a very awful, rare reaction to the chemotherapy drugs, which had her in the emergency room within three days. Her sodium levels dropped dramatically to a near-fatal situation and the doctors said she would've died if she didn't call an ambulance at that time. After a few days stay in the hospital, the sodium levels still weren't rising as quickly as they should've been, and she had a seizure that lasted 1 minute and 30 seconds. For days after her seizure, she was completely out of it, with no recognition of who she was, who her family was, where she was, and why she was there. It was a very life-changing experience, for not only her, but her whole family.
After her recovery period from the seizure, she spoke with her oncologist and he informed her that she was out of options and if she continued to the chemotherapy, it would kill her. After she was released from the hospital, it was mandatory for her to do occupational, speech, and physical therapy at Madonna Rehabilitation Center. She spent two weeks there and then continued rehab at home. Now, she is on hospice at home, which is where prefers to be with her puppies (Rascal & Missy), and her two daughters.
As of right now, her doctor gave her 2 to 9 months to live. She can no longer work at her job that she loves and with her coworkers (that she loves more). I just don't want her to have to spend her time stressing about medical bills. Instead of stressing and worrying, she should be spending time with the people she loves and enjoying every minute of it.
Thank you for all the prayers, donations, cards, and kind words. It means the whole world to her and her family. We can't thank you enough.
Help spread the word!
She was diagnosed with Stage 4 Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the middle of March 2017 and within a couple of weeks of PET scans, MRI's, and CAT scans, they determined that it was already at Stage 4. She has a massive tumor inside of her vaginal wall, and the cancer has since spread to all of her lymph nodes. This is a very rare type of Squamous Cell Carcinoma, according to her doctors. On top of having Stage 4 cancer, she suffers from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus), which causes her to be extremely fatigued and have severe joint pain and swelling of her hands and feet. Lupus is an auto-immune disease that makes her immune system shut down, so something as simple as a cold could kill her.
Since her cancer is considered Stage 4, the doctor's told her that it was inoperable and radiation was not an option. Her only option was to do agressive chemotherapy, using three different types of chemo at once, every third week, two times a week, for 6 months. She agreed to try it, in hopes of having more time with family and her two daughters, Siara (23) and Jessie (17).
Her first round of chemo went horribly wrong, because she had a very awful, rare reaction to the chemotherapy drugs, which had her in the emergency room within three days. Her sodium levels dropped dramatically to a near-fatal situation and the doctors said she would've died if she didn't call an ambulance at that time. After a few days stay in the hospital, the sodium levels still weren't rising as quickly as they should've been, and she had a seizure that lasted 1 minute and 30 seconds. For days after her seizure, she was completely out of it, with no recognition of who she was, who her family was, where she was, and why she was there. It was a very life-changing experience, for not only her, but her whole family.
After her recovery period from the seizure, she spoke with her oncologist and he informed her that she was out of options and if she continued to the chemotherapy, it would kill her. After she was released from the hospital, it was mandatory for her to do occupational, speech, and physical therapy at Madonna Rehabilitation Center. She spent two weeks there and then continued rehab at home. Now, she is on hospice at home, which is where prefers to be with her puppies (Rascal & Missy), and her two daughters.
As of right now, her doctor gave her 2 to 9 months to live. She can no longer work at her job that she loves and with her coworkers (that she loves more). I just don't want her to have to spend her time stressing about medical bills. Instead of stressing and worrying, she should be spending time with the people she loves and enjoying every minute of it.
Thank you for all the prayers, donations, cards, and kind words. It means the whole world to her and her family. We can't thank you enough.
Help spread the word!
Organizer
Julie Hergenrader Riggs
Organizer
Omaha, NE
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