Help Alison Get Healthy Again
Donation protected
August 2017 I was diagnosed with colon cancer, then to my dismay, again in October 2018.
My story begins: My name is Alison Brooks and I am fundraising for myself to help with medical bills and other things that are listed at the end. I did not own a car at the time and had to walk up and down a long steep hill to the bus stop to go to work. That lasted about a year. I started having painful leg cramps, and my breathing became winded. I found myself out of breath and gasping for air. I then had a week off from my job in August 2017. The plan was to get a ride to visit one of my good friends down the shore.
My body began to feel strange. I knew something was wrong. I got a ride to the local hospital. Tests came back and revealed that I was bleeding internally somewhere within. I was given 4 units of blood and was told that is why I was winded and had severe leg cramps. I was released from the hospital and was told to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. I had the procedure. The doctor came out and said there is a tumor within and it looks cancerous. I was very distressed and in shock. All I could do was cry. This is something I did not want to hear. Confused and distressed I attempted to make an appointment with the doctor for further results.
A good friend of mine drove me to the doctor's office and remained with me. We went into the office and shared my diagnosis. The doctor said, "I have colon cancer". Unbelievable! Again this is something I did not want to hear. My mother died of an inoperative tumor behind her heart. Please! I am hurting.
That was extremely difficult. What is next? I was disheveled and unable to focus. I was recommended to look into other hospitals. I decided to go to Hackensack UMC and be operated on by one of the top cancer surgeons. It happened. I had the surgery. He took out the cancerous tumor. It was said that it was the size of a golfball and stage 3. There is still another cancerous tumor in my rectum that cannot be removed at this time due to the limited amount of entry space. It is in an area that is very narrow. It needs to shrink, so it can be removed. This is a stressful waiting game.
Another one of my good friends came up from down south to be with me when I had the surgery. Her along with my son were right there by my side. That was wonderful. She was with me every day while I was in the hospital. I am so grateful for people who share whatever they are able to share. She even had a prayer chain going for me.
I had 12 sessions of chemo that left me with neuropathy in both hands and feet. The chemo affected my taste buds and balance. The chemo treatment ended in May 2018. I was relieved to have made it through this part of my journey. I continued going for checkups to make sure everything looked good. All appeared fine except for the tumor in my rectum. The blessing was that the tumor shrunk a little, but not enough. I was informed that I needed a D & C, although that had been put on hold.
The oncologist wanted to start me on radiation in October 2018 to try to shrink the tumor even more. That was the plan. Then early October 2018, I had dinner at a friend's house. Upon returning home, I went to the bathroom and discovered that my belly was bloated and gassy. I was extremely uncomfortable. I tried to lay down after drinking some ginger ale, but that did not relieve the gas feeling. Nothing worked. I did not want to call 911, because they would take me to the nearest hospital, and I needed to go to Hackensack. I waited for my son to come home from work and he drove me to Hackensack.
They took a CT scan and saw a mass in my uterus. OH NOOOOO not again. I was operated on October 9th, 2018. The cancer surgeon was also in the operating room along with the surgical gynecologist because they were not sure what they were going to find. They found a cancerous tumor the size of a cantaloupe on my left ovary, stage 4. They removed it and performed a hysterectomy. The next day I was in serious pain. The bloating I had aggravated the tumor. This trip I stayed in the hospital for a few days. I had another one of my good friend's pick me up from the hospital, brought me to my apartment to pick up some things, then drove to her house about an hour away. I stayed there with her and her husband for a week. That was the best gift because the first few days I just needed to take it easy.
I went back to the oncologist to go over the next part of the plan. The plan was to get more chemo, a different kind. The chemo that I had before will not work. This cancer was very different. It is very aggressive. That massive tumor was formed within a few months.
I started the second round of chemo in November 2018 to kill off whatever was hiding. This chemo makes me more nauseous. The oncologist would like to start me on radiation to further shrink the tumor, but I cannot get it when I am getting chemo treatments. Radiation is different. There are different side effects such as dry chafing skin.
I have 2 beautiful cats, Simba and Tiger. They are my healing cats. They know when I do not feel well.
I am currently on disability. It's tough. I have been through HELL!
This is why I am asking for funds to help me. We all go through different trials and tribulations, and some will say that is the hand we are dealt. Maybe; although, I know that you, the reader can make a positive difference with any contribution that you are able to share and if you choose to do this, I want to thank you in advance.
Need funds soon for:
1. Medical expenses.
2. Everyday living expenses.
3. A civil attorney for a lawsuit pending. Someone stole from me.
4. A more reliable car.
I thank you for reading my story and making a difference.
Alison.
My story begins: My name is Alison Brooks and I am fundraising for myself to help with medical bills and other things that are listed at the end. I did not own a car at the time and had to walk up and down a long steep hill to the bus stop to go to work. That lasted about a year. I started having painful leg cramps, and my breathing became winded. I found myself out of breath and gasping for air. I then had a week off from my job in August 2017. The plan was to get a ride to visit one of my good friends down the shore.
My body began to feel strange. I knew something was wrong. I got a ride to the local hospital. Tests came back and revealed that I was bleeding internally somewhere within. I was given 4 units of blood and was told that is why I was winded and had severe leg cramps. I was released from the hospital and was told to make an appointment for a colonoscopy. I had the procedure. The doctor came out and said there is a tumor within and it looks cancerous. I was very distressed and in shock. All I could do was cry. This is something I did not want to hear. Confused and distressed I attempted to make an appointment with the doctor for further results.
A good friend of mine drove me to the doctor's office and remained with me. We went into the office and shared my diagnosis. The doctor said, "I have colon cancer". Unbelievable! Again this is something I did not want to hear. My mother died of an inoperative tumor behind her heart. Please! I am hurting.
That was extremely difficult. What is next? I was disheveled and unable to focus. I was recommended to look into other hospitals. I decided to go to Hackensack UMC and be operated on by one of the top cancer surgeons. It happened. I had the surgery. He took out the cancerous tumor. It was said that it was the size of a golfball and stage 3. There is still another cancerous tumor in my rectum that cannot be removed at this time due to the limited amount of entry space. It is in an area that is very narrow. It needs to shrink, so it can be removed. This is a stressful waiting game.
Another one of my good friends came up from down south to be with me when I had the surgery. Her along with my son were right there by my side. That was wonderful. She was with me every day while I was in the hospital. I am so grateful for people who share whatever they are able to share. She even had a prayer chain going for me.
I had 12 sessions of chemo that left me with neuropathy in both hands and feet. The chemo affected my taste buds and balance. The chemo treatment ended in May 2018. I was relieved to have made it through this part of my journey. I continued going for checkups to make sure everything looked good. All appeared fine except for the tumor in my rectum. The blessing was that the tumor shrunk a little, but not enough. I was informed that I needed a D & C, although that had been put on hold.
The oncologist wanted to start me on radiation in October 2018 to try to shrink the tumor even more. That was the plan. Then early October 2018, I had dinner at a friend's house. Upon returning home, I went to the bathroom and discovered that my belly was bloated and gassy. I was extremely uncomfortable. I tried to lay down after drinking some ginger ale, but that did not relieve the gas feeling. Nothing worked. I did not want to call 911, because they would take me to the nearest hospital, and I needed to go to Hackensack. I waited for my son to come home from work and he drove me to Hackensack.
They took a CT scan and saw a mass in my uterus. OH NOOOOO not again. I was operated on October 9th, 2018. The cancer surgeon was also in the operating room along with the surgical gynecologist because they were not sure what they were going to find. They found a cancerous tumor the size of a cantaloupe on my left ovary, stage 4. They removed it and performed a hysterectomy. The next day I was in serious pain. The bloating I had aggravated the tumor. This trip I stayed in the hospital for a few days. I had another one of my good friend's pick me up from the hospital, brought me to my apartment to pick up some things, then drove to her house about an hour away. I stayed there with her and her husband for a week. That was the best gift because the first few days I just needed to take it easy.
I went back to the oncologist to go over the next part of the plan. The plan was to get more chemo, a different kind. The chemo that I had before will not work. This cancer was very different. It is very aggressive. That massive tumor was formed within a few months.
I started the second round of chemo in November 2018 to kill off whatever was hiding. This chemo makes me more nauseous. The oncologist would like to start me on radiation to further shrink the tumor, but I cannot get it when I am getting chemo treatments. Radiation is different. There are different side effects such as dry chafing skin.
I have 2 beautiful cats, Simba and Tiger. They are my healing cats. They know when I do not feel well.
I am currently on disability. It's tough. I have been through HELL!
This is why I am asking for funds to help me. We all go through different trials and tribulations, and some will say that is the hand we are dealt. Maybe; although, I know that you, the reader can make a positive difference with any contribution that you are able to share and if you choose to do this, I want to thank you in advance.
Need funds soon for:
1. Medical expenses.
2. Everyday living expenses.
3. A civil attorney for a lawsuit pending. Someone stole from me.
4. A more reliable car.
I thank you for reading my story and making a difference.
Alison.
Organizer
ALISON BROOKS
Organizer
Little Falls, NJ
