Kim's Kicking Cancer!
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Kim's Kicking Cancer!
Kim Highsmith is one of the most positive women I know. I admire her strength and sense of humor. Life has certainly given her some challenges, but she has always managed to dig deep and make it through with her smile intact. I know Kim doesn't want to set up this Go Fund Me campaign or inconvenience anyone, but she truly needs the support, which is why I am asking on her behalf.
Kim has been my hairdresser and friend for the last 25 years. We've shared many details of our lives in the process of a cut & color. Many joyful times like the adoption of her beautiful and talented daughter, Hannah, who graduates high school this year. Some challenging times like the small business she and her husband started that didn't make it. And some scary times like the detection of breast cancer 12 years ago.
When the cancer originally revealed itself, Kim was the primary breadwinner of her family and still is. Unfortunately as a self-employed person, she does not have sick leave or the benefit of unemployment so she did what she could . . . she schedule her clients around her chemo schedule.
I understand chemo is a bitch and literally knocks people to their knees. Kim had chemo every 3 weeks for
6 sessions. She allowed herself just 4 days with each treatment to handle the nausea, extreme energy drain, and flu-like symptoms before coming back into the salon for client appointments and a paycheck. She pushed through 8 hour shifts 3 days a week because she didn't have another option! The medical expenses became regular payments to Kaiser.
Kim made it through what would be Round 1 successfully. Unfortunately, the cancer came back in March 2012. This time it metastasized in her sternum; Round 2 with cancer was a bit different. No chemo, but a hysterectomy to cut off the hormones feeding the cancer and monthly Aredia infusions to rebuild her sternum. And of course more juggling of her client schedule to accommodate her surgery and recovery time. Kim just sort of laughed and said ,“here I go again.” The payments to Kaiser grew.
About a month ago, Kim sneezed and felt an incredibly deep pain and rush of blood internally. Her husband Herb took her to the emergency. Because of her history the doctor opted for a CT scan instead of the standard x-ray. This $1,200 picture revealed a fractured sternum and a change in size of the metastasized cancer that had been laying dormant. . . . It seems Kim has a more serious Round 3 ahead of her.
On March 21st, she will be having a significant portion of the bone of her sternum removed. The doctors are not messing around with this cancer; it is coming out! She will be in the hospital for about 5 days for this surgery and for the surgeon to connect the pectoral muscles together to support her chest and upper body. The process of this procedure and the time required to mend will not allow her to juggle her clients this time. Furthermore, the nature of the recovery may mean a slow building back into full 8 hour work days. Kim is facing a minimum of 2 months in which she cannot work, and another Kaiser deductible of $3,500.
While she is doing her best to process this and trying to be optimistic, thinking maybe she won’t need the full 2 months, realistically a surgery of this magnitude could end up requiring a very gradual resuming of work. I would like her to simply be able to focus on the surgery and recovery instead of allowing financial fear to compromise her health. Paying your mortgage or allowing your body to heal is not a compromise anyone should have to make.! Hoping to need minimal time off work is not what Kim should be thinking about.
This is the reason I have initiated this Go Fund Me campaign and put it in Kim's name. If we each can give what we can, we can make it possible for Kim to have the time needed to heal. My request is that those of us who know and love Kim . . . her clients, friends, coworkers and family . . . give what we can to ease her burden. Every little bit makes a difference! Additionally, if we each share this request to our circle of friends and family as well as coworkers, the support network for her will grow exponentially. In this way, we can collectively make a big difference in Kim’s recovery.
The financial goal I’ve set is $15,000 to pay for 2-3 months off work and her medical deductible.
Please consider giving what you can, every little bit helps, and spreading the word to help achieve this financial support.
Thank You!
Kim Highsmith is one of the most positive women I know. I admire her strength and sense of humor. Life has certainly given her some challenges, but she has always managed to dig deep and make it through with her smile intact. I know Kim doesn't want to set up this Go Fund Me campaign or inconvenience anyone, but she truly needs the support, which is why I am asking on her behalf.
Kim has been my hairdresser and friend for the last 25 years. We've shared many details of our lives in the process of a cut & color. Many joyful times like the adoption of her beautiful and talented daughter, Hannah, who graduates high school this year. Some challenging times like the small business she and her husband started that didn't make it. And some scary times like the detection of breast cancer 12 years ago.
When the cancer originally revealed itself, Kim was the primary breadwinner of her family and still is. Unfortunately as a self-employed person, she does not have sick leave or the benefit of unemployment so she did what she could . . . she schedule her clients around her chemo schedule.
I understand chemo is a bitch and literally knocks people to their knees. Kim had chemo every 3 weeks for
6 sessions. She allowed herself just 4 days with each treatment to handle the nausea, extreme energy drain, and flu-like symptoms before coming back into the salon for client appointments and a paycheck. She pushed through 8 hour shifts 3 days a week because she didn't have another option! The medical expenses became regular payments to Kaiser.
Kim made it through what would be Round 1 successfully. Unfortunately, the cancer came back in March 2012. This time it metastasized in her sternum; Round 2 with cancer was a bit different. No chemo, but a hysterectomy to cut off the hormones feeding the cancer and monthly Aredia infusions to rebuild her sternum. And of course more juggling of her client schedule to accommodate her surgery and recovery time. Kim just sort of laughed and said ,“here I go again.” The payments to Kaiser grew.
About a month ago, Kim sneezed and felt an incredibly deep pain and rush of blood internally. Her husband Herb took her to the emergency. Because of her history the doctor opted for a CT scan instead of the standard x-ray. This $1,200 picture revealed a fractured sternum and a change in size of the metastasized cancer that had been laying dormant. . . . It seems Kim has a more serious Round 3 ahead of her.
On March 21st, she will be having a significant portion of the bone of her sternum removed. The doctors are not messing around with this cancer; it is coming out! She will be in the hospital for about 5 days for this surgery and for the surgeon to connect the pectoral muscles together to support her chest and upper body. The process of this procedure and the time required to mend will not allow her to juggle her clients this time. Furthermore, the nature of the recovery may mean a slow building back into full 8 hour work days. Kim is facing a minimum of 2 months in which she cannot work, and another Kaiser deductible of $3,500.
While she is doing her best to process this and trying to be optimistic, thinking maybe she won’t need the full 2 months, realistically a surgery of this magnitude could end up requiring a very gradual resuming of work. I would like her to simply be able to focus on the surgery and recovery instead of allowing financial fear to compromise her health. Paying your mortgage or allowing your body to heal is not a compromise anyone should have to make.! Hoping to need minimal time off work is not what Kim should be thinking about.
This is the reason I have initiated this Go Fund Me campaign and put it in Kim's name. If we each can give what we can, we can make it possible for Kim to have the time needed to heal. My request is that those of us who know and love Kim . . . her clients, friends, coworkers and family . . . give what we can to ease her burden. Every little bit makes a difference! Additionally, if we each share this request to our circle of friends and family as well as coworkers, the support network for her will grow exponentially. In this way, we can collectively make a big difference in Kim’s recovery.
The financial goal I’ve set is $15,000 to pay for 2-3 months off work and her medical deductible.
Please consider giving what you can, every little bit helps, and spreading the word to help achieve this financial support.
Thank You!
Organizer
Kim Highsmith
Organizer
Folsom, CA
