Megan's Cancer Surgery Recovery

In September of last year, Megan was rushed to the hospital with excruciating stomach pains. Unsure of what was causing the pain, the doctors scheduled an emergency surgery which resulted in the removal of over a foot of her small intestine along with several lymph nodes. She was diagnosed with stage 4 Neuroendocrine Tumors (NETs) a rare form of cancer that typically strikes people twice her age. She was told it was too risky to remove all of the tumors in her intestines and she began seeing a local oncologist and underwent extensive testing in Georgia. She was then referred to a NETs Specialist at the University of Kentucky (UK) Hospital.

Over Christmas, Megan traveled to her hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Once again, she was rushed to the hospital in excruciating pain. She stayed at the Medical Center for a short time before being transferred to the UK Hospital. As she stayed in the hospital over the holidays, more tests were conducted and she was told there was no choice but to remove the remaining tumors despite the risk. Unable to eat solid food safely, she was put on an all liquid diet until the surgery could be performed.

Once it was safe for her to travel, she returned home to be told her position with Lowe’s had been eliminated. Faced with losing her job and health insurance, she took another lower paying position with the company. Over the next few months, she traveled back and forth to KY to see her Medical Team for specialized scans and tests. By the time her surgery came around in early April, she weighed under 100lbs. They removed another 9” of small intestine which was fully encased in tumors. In addition to this, more lymph nodes were removed as well as her appendix and gallbladder. She has been on the mend, seeing her local oncologists for regular testing until a treatment plan is decided upon.

With the combined costs of her surgeries, trips to see her Medical Teams, and the loss of income from her job change, Megan cannot keep up. Even though she has negotiated payment plans with the various hospitals and doctors, her monthly medical expenses exceed her paycheck.

Anyone that knows Megan knows that she has the biggest heart and would do anything to help anyone she knows is in need. Now I am reaching out on her behalf and asking for you to help her. Anything you can give will help get her head above water.