Angela Swindall: Cancer journey ❤️

Hey.  I'm Beth.  A nurse on the cardiac unit at Marin Health (formerly Marin General Hospital). A couple of years ago...I had the pleasure of meeting (and orienting) Angela Swindall. 

Well. I just liked her immediately. If you know her...I don't need to tell you how special she is. Not only just a great nurse--but a wonderful person.  Free spirit. Humble. Giving and selfless. She's just a completely lovely person.

Last year. If you bumped into our Angela (Swindall) you probably noticed her marked weight loss. Some said they knew she was trying to get healthy—maybe lose some weight. But unfortunately, as we now know--the weight loss was not intentional.

Angela has adenocarcinoma of the small intestine.

Her symptoms first started in February of last year (2019). Intermittent vomiting out of the blue. Pain. Various trips were made to different doctors trying to understand what was going on. Tests were done. Multiple medications attempted. Symptoms would seem to improve for a time only to decompensate again.

Fast forward a few months later. Multiple ER visits. More tests (CTs) that revealed nothing. More vomiting. More pain. She started losing weight. Then she became anemic.

The new year, January 2020, brought more tests. The symptoms continued. Finally, one of the tests showed something.

In March, what was supposed to be an outpatient biopsy of suspected bleeding lesions, turned into an admission to the med-surg unit at Sutter Santa Rosa. Doctors found a tumor in her small intestine. She was 5 days in hospital after removing an apricot sized tumor, 10 inches of her intestine and 9 near-by lymph nodes.  3 of those lymph nodes were positive for cancer cells. She recovered well after the surgery.

She started chemotherapy in May. 12 rounds.

She had a minor setback in August. Ended up back in the hospital after increased abdominal pain revealed itself as a blood clot in a stomach vein. 

As of today, she has completed 9 of 12 chemotherapy treatments. The chemotherapy, as you can imagine, has taken its toll. She has fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite and hair thinning, low white count, low platelets, etc.

It has taken its toll in other ways as well. She is unable to work. Her health insurance is now through COBRA and is exorbitant. Her PTO (sick, vacation and holiday time)--exhausted.

I know it’s the worst possible time—maybe in history!!—to be asking people for financial donations. The pandemic. The fires. The protests. The election. The world seems upside down in nearly every way.

But this is one of ours. Our Angela. One of the most positive, caring, selfless and loving people you’d be lucky to know.

ANYTHING can help. Whatever you can give. If you’re a Marin Health (Formally Marin General Hospital) employee you could also donate your PTO.

Thank you for your willingness to reach out and help someone who gives of herself so easily and  selflessly.