Ruby Leos: Cancer treatment

Cathi Mulcahy is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Ruby Leos.

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As you may know, our beloved Ruby is in for a fight! She is currently battling Cutaneous CD8positive T-cell lymphoma with extensive epidermotropism, folliculotropism and syringotropism in skin. The confirming lab report from MD Anderson states "Potential differential diagnoses include primary cutaneous CD8-positive aggressive epidermotropic cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma and CD8 positive mycosis fungoides. For a comprehensive and precise classification, correlating these pathologic results with the patient's clinical presentation and the progression of the disease is crucial." This is a type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma which is a blood cancer that was indolent (slow-growing) at first but has become aggressive since July of this year. Because of the differential diagnoses, the oncologist is waiting for the actual slides to present to the Tumor Board for a third opinion. Her last report stated Mycosis Fungoides transformed IIB which is considered in the advanced stage. This has become rapid spreading cancer but thankfully, to date, is still only on the skin. Ruby is facing Total body radiation 4 x day for 3 weeks to start. If that doesn't work then she is looking at systemic chemo. She is currently taking a type of chemotherapy pill but each increase in the dose causes more side effects. She will start radiation on April 22, 2024. So even though it's on her skin, it's a blood cancer not a skin cancer. Bexerotene is the name of the pill she is taking which suppresses her immune system and increases the risk of infection. She is getting infections throughout her body which are very painful and she is going through this as well as lupus and diabetes. It now hurts her to sit or lay on her back because of where the tumor is located.

Ruby travels to Albuquerque regularly and the costs associated with travel as well as the copays for her meds has become an unbearable weight for her to carry on top of trying to work.

Ruby has been a friend to so many people and I hope we can all pitch in to help her now in her time of need.

Please if you are able to help monetarily that would be greatly appreciated so that Ruby can continue on with her treatments and living expenses when she has to start her leave from work. If you can only afford prayer and good thoughts for her that is a huge blessing. Funds will be used for medical, caregiving, and living expenses. Please share this Go Fund Me so that we can help Ruby in her fight!

WARNING GRAPHIC PICTURES TO FOLLOW! With Ruby’s approval I am posting some pictures of her skin and they are very graphic!