Support our Sweet Sister
Donation protected
My sister has gone through so many trials and tribulations in life, and she is about to enter the fight of her life next week. It is beyond overwhelming.
She has suffered through a debilitating life-long condition called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS for short. She has been unable to work for over two years now given the excessively reduced volume of blood that returns to her heart after she stands up from a lying down position. Throughout her life she has passed out numerous times due to this condition.
Just when they thought they were getting her medication to a point where she could start living life again, she was diagnosed with oral cancer. A few weeks ago, they took out 3 mm of her tongue. It wasn't enough. On Tuesday, July 16th, she'll be having surgery again. Here's a few things they'll be doing while she's under anesthesia for 8 hours.
--They'll be removing half of her tongue and reconstructing with skin and muscle from her forearm.
--They will be removing her lymph notes and glands from the right side of her neck.
--This portion of the surgery will most-likely leave her with limited use of her right arm.
--She will have a tracheotomy and may have to go home with it. (Learning how to clean and re-attach was not a fun experience for her to go through.)
--She will not be able to speak for some time, and will never regain full functionality of her speech. (Which will greatly reduce her ability to practice her degree in Speech Language Pathology in the future.)
--After 7+ days in the hospital, she will return home with a feeding tube.
--If this doesn't remove the cancer, she will undergo radiation and chemotherapy.
--She is already losing her hair.
Given her previous condition, multiple surgeries, and being hospitalized in Ann Arbor, she and her family can use our support - in many ways. One way would be to reduce their expenses as they travel this broken road. From gas, to food, to medical bills, to everything in between, we'd like to ensure we're removing at least one worry from their overloaded plate.
She has suffered through a debilitating life-long condition called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS for short. She has been unable to work for over two years now given the excessively reduced volume of blood that returns to her heart after she stands up from a lying down position. Throughout her life she has passed out numerous times due to this condition.
Just when they thought they were getting her medication to a point where she could start living life again, she was diagnosed with oral cancer. A few weeks ago, they took out 3 mm of her tongue. It wasn't enough. On Tuesday, July 16th, she'll be having surgery again. Here's a few things they'll be doing while she's under anesthesia for 8 hours.
--They'll be removing half of her tongue and reconstructing with skin and muscle from her forearm.
--They will be removing her lymph notes and glands from the right side of her neck.
--This portion of the surgery will most-likely leave her with limited use of her right arm.
--She will have a tracheotomy and may have to go home with it. (Learning how to clean and re-attach was not a fun experience for her to go through.)
--She will not be able to speak for some time, and will never regain full functionality of her speech. (Which will greatly reduce her ability to practice her degree in Speech Language Pathology in the future.)
--After 7+ days in the hospital, she will return home with a feeding tube.
--If this doesn't remove the cancer, she will undergo radiation and chemotherapy.
--She is already losing her hair.
Given her previous condition, multiple surgeries, and being hospitalized in Ann Arbor, she and her family can use our support - in many ways. One way would be to reduce their expenses as they travel this broken road. From gas, to food, to medical bills, to everything in between, we'd like to ensure we're removing at least one worry from their overloaded plate.
Organizer and beneficiary
Lisa Nic
Organizer
Lansing, MI
Barrett Compton
Beneficiary
