GoClaudia! Conquering Lung Cancer
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GoClaudia! Conquering Lung Cancer
Two days before Claudia’s 60th birthday (November 25, 2016), Claudia went to a doctor to evaluate visual problems and challenges controlling her left arm. These problems plus some weakness had been preventing her from training her mare, a beautiful dressage and jumping prospect, for several weeks. They were affecting her work as manager of The Gulch, NOLS’s food and rations store, which she has run for 40 years.
The shocking diagnosis: Stage IV lung cancer that had metastasized to her lymph nodes and brain. Over 30 brain lesions were causing what were neurologic problems in Claudia’s body.
Prognosis
Prognosis for this cancer is grim: Claudia may have less than 2 years to live if her immune system doesn’t respond to treatment, and possibly 7 years if treatment is successful.
Treatment
By January 2017 Claudia has completed three weeks of radiation for the brain lesions. Some side effects are affecting quality of life already: a loss of appetite and inability to taste, as well as some inner ear/sinus challenges and weakness. Because cancer patients must not lose weight, side effects involving eating can be challenging. Claudia has fought to eat in spite of them, and is maintaining her weight, a symbol of her determination to overcome this disease.
Clinical Trial
In January 2017 Claudia was targeted to begin chemotherapy with Crizotinib for her ROS-1 mutated lung cancer. Since traveling to the University of Colorado recently for a second opinion with the University of Colorado’s premier lung oncologist, Claudia has been accepted into a clinical trial of a new drug which is demonstrating more benefits for her particular type of cancer than the drug that is currently available on the market. The clinical trial will require initial extensive travel to Denver, which can be particularly daunting this time of year, making it necessary to utilize air travel. Once she is initialized into the program ( a period of six weeks, traveling to Denver every two weeks) she will follow-up with monthly trips. These monthly trips will occur for the duration of the study which can proceed up to the next 5 or more years.
Travel Costs Needed
Travel expenses will be needed to make the initial and monthly flights to Denver in order to maintain her spot in the clinical trial and cut down time away from her job at NOLS.
We are working with the airlines to get a medical rate per se…. and will most likely try to find friends to stay with and use ground transportation while there.
Long-Term Need
As of now, because she is still able to work at least part-time at NOLS, Claudia’s health insurance covers most of her costs. Additional costs she’s responsible for—annual deductibles paid out within days at the first of the year, travel to Casper and Colorado for evaluations, treatment, and consultations—are untenable given her tight finances. Long term, as the disease progresses, Claudia is likely to lose insurance and may be forced to rid herself of assets to make ends meet.
For over 40 years, Claudia has supported herself and her animals managing The Gulch and running a side business retraining young Thoroughbred horses off the track to sell as talented and fun pleasure horses for their new owners. She has also been an energetic member of the Lander community, editing NOLS’s cookbooks and forming and supporting the eventing and dressage communities within Wyoming. She may have lived close to the bone financially, but was independent and ran her small property well and was able do the things she loves particularly with her horses and dogs.
Throughout her life, Claudia has never asked anyone for financial help, even when facing tough economic decisions. Claudia’s independence is critical for her mental well-being, and funds contributed to GoClaudia! will help her deal with immediate additional medical and travel costs not covered by insurance and not feasible for her to pay out of her salary. They will also give her a sense of independence and some cushion so that she can take off work when she’s unable to focus on her job without devastating financial side-effects. GoClaudia! funds will enable her to worry about fighting cancer, not bills, and focus her energies on living as long and high-quality a life as possible.
Local friends who want to do more can also connect with Claudia’s LotsaHelpingHands community to be available for horse, dog, house, and Claudia maintenance and assistance as needed.
Many, many people in the Lander and NOLS community have been helped by Claudia: she’s made sure back-country NOLS students had foods that met their nutritional and dietary needs, she’s helped riders and horses overcome challenges to be productive and happy, and she’s been a great friend to all of us. GoClaudia! is a chance for us as a community to give back so Claudia can enjoy the best possible quality of life as she fights this challenge of all challenges: lung cancer.
Two days before Claudia’s 60th birthday (November 25, 2016), Claudia went to a doctor to evaluate visual problems and challenges controlling her left arm. These problems plus some weakness had been preventing her from training her mare, a beautiful dressage and jumping prospect, for several weeks. They were affecting her work as manager of The Gulch, NOLS’s food and rations store, which she has run for 40 years.
The shocking diagnosis: Stage IV lung cancer that had metastasized to her lymph nodes and brain. Over 30 brain lesions were causing what were neurologic problems in Claudia’s body.
Prognosis
Prognosis for this cancer is grim: Claudia may have less than 2 years to live if her immune system doesn’t respond to treatment, and possibly 7 years if treatment is successful.
Treatment
By January 2017 Claudia has completed three weeks of radiation for the brain lesions. Some side effects are affecting quality of life already: a loss of appetite and inability to taste, as well as some inner ear/sinus challenges and weakness. Because cancer patients must not lose weight, side effects involving eating can be challenging. Claudia has fought to eat in spite of them, and is maintaining her weight, a symbol of her determination to overcome this disease.
Clinical Trial
In January 2017 Claudia was targeted to begin chemotherapy with Crizotinib for her ROS-1 mutated lung cancer. Since traveling to the University of Colorado recently for a second opinion with the University of Colorado’s premier lung oncologist, Claudia has been accepted into a clinical trial of a new drug which is demonstrating more benefits for her particular type of cancer than the drug that is currently available on the market. The clinical trial will require initial extensive travel to Denver, which can be particularly daunting this time of year, making it necessary to utilize air travel. Once she is initialized into the program ( a period of six weeks, traveling to Denver every two weeks) she will follow-up with monthly trips. These monthly trips will occur for the duration of the study which can proceed up to the next 5 or more years.
Travel Costs Needed
Travel expenses will be needed to make the initial and monthly flights to Denver in order to maintain her spot in the clinical trial and cut down time away from her job at NOLS.
We are working with the airlines to get a medical rate per se…. and will most likely try to find friends to stay with and use ground transportation while there.
Long-Term Need
As of now, because she is still able to work at least part-time at NOLS, Claudia’s health insurance covers most of her costs. Additional costs she’s responsible for—annual deductibles paid out within days at the first of the year, travel to Casper and Colorado for evaluations, treatment, and consultations—are untenable given her tight finances. Long term, as the disease progresses, Claudia is likely to lose insurance and may be forced to rid herself of assets to make ends meet.
For over 40 years, Claudia has supported herself and her animals managing The Gulch and running a side business retraining young Thoroughbred horses off the track to sell as talented and fun pleasure horses for their new owners. She has also been an energetic member of the Lander community, editing NOLS’s cookbooks and forming and supporting the eventing and dressage communities within Wyoming. She may have lived close to the bone financially, but was independent and ran her small property well and was able do the things she loves particularly with her horses and dogs.
Throughout her life, Claudia has never asked anyone for financial help, even when facing tough economic decisions. Claudia’s independence is critical for her mental well-being, and funds contributed to GoClaudia! will help her deal with immediate additional medical and travel costs not covered by insurance and not feasible for her to pay out of her salary. They will also give her a sense of independence and some cushion so that she can take off work when she’s unable to focus on her job without devastating financial side-effects. GoClaudia! funds will enable her to worry about fighting cancer, not bills, and focus her energies on living as long and high-quality a life as possible.
Local friends who want to do more can also connect with Claudia’s LotsaHelpingHands community to be available for horse, dog, house, and Claudia maintenance and assistance as needed.
Many, many people in the Lander and NOLS community have been helped by Claudia: she’s made sure back-country NOLS students had foods that met their nutritional and dietary needs, she’s helped riders and horses overcome challenges to be productive and happy, and she’s been a great friend to all of us. GoClaudia! is a chance for us as a community to give back so Claudia can enjoy the best possible quality of life as she fights this challenge of all challenges: lung cancer.
Organizer and beneficiary
Sue Elston Piccone
Organizer
Lander, WY
Mary Claudia Pearson
Beneficiary
