Tina's fight against breast cancer

Hi All,  How did we end up here?... The year started like nothing out of the ordinary. THEN LIFE GOT REAL. Tina found a lump in her breast and went in for a mammogram. The results came back negative and we were told it was just a mass.  The lump was still there a couple months later. Another mammogram with ultrasound STILL showed nothing! Tina finally insisted on an MRI after finding a lump on her lymph nodes in her armpit. A biopsy of her breast and lymph node came back positive for diffuse carcinoma.  A few days before Thanksgiving, Tina and I got the news that spun our world upside down. Stage 2b metastatic breast cancer... a punch to the gut. So there, it's out...I said it. After seeing a few Drs, we have a game plan in place. Virginia Mason and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance assured us we will get through this.  Chemo, surgery, proton therapy... I can't say I'm looking forward to 2019. It's going to be hard. Tina is a warrior though. More of a fighter than I ever imagined! Nobody is ever prepared for a cancer diagnosis and neither one of us is the type to cry "why me (us)" or really ask for help. We will be looking at a stack of medical bills and when the surgery comes a loss of income. Even with insurance, we're expecting $12k-$15k combined! So we discussed it and finally gave in... we are asking for help.  Friends, family, universe...  If you can donate, we are grateful. Every little bit counts! Also, please share our story, forward this link, and keep us in your prayers.  I will be periodically updating Tina's progress along this journey. Thank you for taking the time to read this. -JC