Cancer Sucks - Help Melly Smile & Walk Again!
Donation protected
My name is Melanie. Some of you know me as Mel, Melly, or Dr. Meowmy. I am 32 years old, a resident doctor, and self-appointed ‘Crazy Cat Lady’. I am also a cancer patient, and I am writing today to ask for your help.
I suffer from a rare form of cancer called Neuroendocrine Cancer. Unlike other cancers, this one involves very small and hard to find tumors, which wreak havoc in the body by over-secreting a variety of different hormones. These hormones have caused me to have severe symptoms in almost every part of my body - extreme digestive issues, incredible abdominal pain that leaves me writhing on the floor and makes death seem like a better option, flushing to the point where it looks like I’ve showered in scalding hot water with my clothes on, demineralization of my bones so that they’ve become brittle, leading me to break a vertebra in my back simply by standing up from a chair the wrong way, keeping me bed-bound for three months and mostly stuck in my apartment for over a year, and unfortunately the list goes on and on. My type of cancer is NOT curable. The treatment I receive helps in slowing the growth and spread of these small tumors, but unfortunately also leaves me very sick and has several side effects; it has turned me into an insulin-dependent diabetic and has destroyed my liver, and often leaves me feeling like I have the flu. Sometimes I don’t know which is worse - the cancer or the treatment.
I haven’t been able to work for over two years; instead of helping others as a doctor I find myself seeing more specialists than I ever thought imaginable. I hope one day to find a way to manage my symptoms so that I can continue to pursue my passion of healing others, but that feels very far away right now.
I am writing you today to ask for help with two urgent issues:
1) Dental Work - Due to the effects of both my cancer and the treatment, my teeth have been destroyed due to, among other issues, a lack of calcium and other minerals. Over the last 8 weeks I have had to have fillings on 34 surfaces on 19 of my teeth and 2 root canals; because my teeth keep crumbling, I am already going to need another 3 fillings and another root canal in the weeks to come, despite not having finished paying the previous bill.
2) Physiotherapy & Osteotherapy - due to my body producing too much cortisol (a steroid hormone), I have severe muscle weakness that has left me unable to walk more than half a block and doesn’t allow me to sit up for more than 15-20 minutes at a time; even these simple activities leave me exhausted and in pain. In the past I was seeing an osteopath and a physiotherapist, sometimes a few times a week. Unfortunately, all my savings are gone and I am no longer able to afford to see these important healthcare providers, as my insurance only covers $30/visit. Having access to these specialists is my only option if I want to be able to walk more than a few steps at a time without pain or weakness.
I have been trying to find a way to do this on my own, but I have reached the point where I can’t. I am suffering, my quality of life is horrible, and I need your help. If you can donate even a few dollars I would be so appreciative, and if you can’t afford to then it would mean so much to me if you could share this page.
Please, help me walk and smile again. Every little bit helps.
With love,
Melanie
I suffer from a rare form of cancer called Neuroendocrine Cancer. Unlike other cancers, this one involves very small and hard to find tumors, which wreak havoc in the body by over-secreting a variety of different hormones. These hormones have caused me to have severe symptoms in almost every part of my body - extreme digestive issues, incredible abdominal pain that leaves me writhing on the floor and makes death seem like a better option, flushing to the point where it looks like I’ve showered in scalding hot water with my clothes on, demineralization of my bones so that they’ve become brittle, leading me to break a vertebra in my back simply by standing up from a chair the wrong way, keeping me bed-bound for three months and mostly stuck in my apartment for over a year, and unfortunately the list goes on and on. My type of cancer is NOT curable. The treatment I receive helps in slowing the growth and spread of these small tumors, but unfortunately also leaves me very sick and has several side effects; it has turned me into an insulin-dependent diabetic and has destroyed my liver, and often leaves me feeling like I have the flu. Sometimes I don’t know which is worse - the cancer or the treatment.
I haven’t been able to work for over two years; instead of helping others as a doctor I find myself seeing more specialists than I ever thought imaginable. I hope one day to find a way to manage my symptoms so that I can continue to pursue my passion of healing others, but that feels very far away right now.
I am writing you today to ask for help with two urgent issues:
1) Dental Work - Due to the effects of both my cancer and the treatment, my teeth have been destroyed due to, among other issues, a lack of calcium and other minerals. Over the last 8 weeks I have had to have fillings on 34 surfaces on 19 of my teeth and 2 root canals; because my teeth keep crumbling, I am already going to need another 3 fillings and another root canal in the weeks to come, despite not having finished paying the previous bill.
2) Physiotherapy & Osteotherapy - due to my body producing too much cortisol (a steroid hormone), I have severe muscle weakness that has left me unable to walk more than half a block and doesn’t allow me to sit up for more than 15-20 minutes at a time; even these simple activities leave me exhausted and in pain. In the past I was seeing an osteopath and a physiotherapist, sometimes a few times a week. Unfortunately, all my savings are gone and I am no longer able to afford to see these important healthcare providers, as my insurance only covers $30/visit. Having access to these specialists is my only option if I want to be able to walk more than a few steps at a time without pain or weakness.
I have been trying to find a way to do this on my own, but I have reached the point where I can’t. I am suffering, my quality of life is horrible, and I need your help. If you can donate even a few dollars I would be so appreciative, and if you can’t afford to then it would mean so much to me if you could share this page.
Please, help me walk and smile again. Every little bit helps.
With love,
Melanie
Organizer
Melanie Bee
Organizer
Côte Saint-Luc, QC