Kleng battles the Big C
Donation protected
Hi, I’m Klea Hofilena! About a year a half ago, I was just a regular tech support person for a mobile phone company—I clock in at 9 and leave at 6, resolve a few issues in between and then I go about working on other things: friends, family, some hobbies. Truth be told, I lived an ordinary life. I had no noble pursuit, except maybe to help my family and I was pretty much okay circling around a consistent orbit, until I suddenly got kicked out of it in June 2014.
That month after several nerve-wracking trips to the doctor, I found out that I had stage 3 breast cancer. It was the shock of my life—I went from okay to just plain devastated. A month after, I started 8 cycles of chemotherapy and by December I already had a left breast mastectomy. During those times I just thought of doing all the things I ever wanted to do and how it was probably too late to try them. And how, I missed all the chances because I was too comfortable with routine.
In February 2015, I started another 12 cycles of chemo, but before the summer ended, my onco discovered lumps on the lymph nodes of my left armpit. Then I went for another grueling surgery. I had seizures two days later and the tests that followed confirmed my worst fears: brain and lung metastases, single tumor on my right brain, multiple tumors on my lungs. To fix it? Ten days of brain radiation and four cycles of chemo.
Most people would say that they had about enough and I wonder what makes me feel otherwise—what makes me more determined versus when I first found out about it in July 2014. When this whole ordeal started, I thought maybe the surgery would fix everything and I’d be done with this in a couple of months. Not so.
As of September 2015, my doctors said I am required to continue chemo, but our resources are running a bit low.
Perhaps you can help me out.
I regret not living enough when my body was working fine and well. So now, I’m even more determined to put up a fight—for all the things that I could possibly do. And if I ever succeed in turning this situation around, I promised never to stay still
That month after several nerve-wracking trips to the doctor, I found out that I had stage 3 breast cancer. It was the shock of my life—I went from okay to just plain devastated. A month after, I started 8 cycles of chemotherapy and by December I already had a left breast mastectomy. During those times I just thought of doing all the things I ever wanted to do and how it was probably too late to try them. And how, I missed all the chances because I was too comfortable with routine.
In February 2015, I started another 12 cycles of chemo, but before the summer ended, my onco discovered lumps on the lymph nodes of my left armpit. Then I went for another grueling surgery. I had seizures two days later and the tests that followed confirmed my worst fears: brain and lung metastases, single tumor on my right brain, multiple tumors on my lungs. To fix it? Ten days of brain radiation and four cycles of chemo.
Most people would say that they had about enough and I wonder what makes me feel otherwise—what makes me more determined versus when I first found out about it in July 2014. When this whole ordeal started, I thought maybe the surgery would fix everything and I’d be done with this in a couple of months. Not so.
As of September 2015, my doctors said I am required to continue chemo, but our resources are running a bit low.
Perhaps you can help me out.
I regret not living enough when my body was working fine and well. So now, I’m even more determined to put up a fight—for all the things that I could possibly do. And if I ever succeed in turning this situation around, I promised never to stay still
Organizer
May Anne Morton
Organizer
Mississauga, ON