RETURN OF THE INCREDIBLY SHITTY TUMOR
Donation protected
Hey y'all!
It’s Gigi with another update on my FACE.
Last year my community came together and helped me raise over $35k ahead of my May 2022 surgery. I’m asking for your support again, plenty of updates below. Thank you for reading.
If you're not aware of my history with this tumor in my face please listen to my updated September 2022 episode of Terrible Thanks for Asking.
The name of my tumor is an Ameloblastoma, it means really shitty tumor. I have had this tumor on and off over 24 years of my life. We remove it and it comes back, YES the Dr's are doing what they can but this tumor is very rude. It is NOT MALIGNANT but it is really aggressive and spreads slowly overtime. Currently it is pressing down on my
optic nerve. You can see in the picture below how close it is to my eye. I have an MRI scheduled for February 6th to see how much it has grown since we took this.
At the time of my last surgery in May of 2022 we decided not to remove it because it was latched on to my perfectly working eye and I wanted to hold off on that as long as I could.
My last surgery was a success but the tumor that is on my optic nerve is continuing to press down on it and has gotten bigger and pushing my eye outward and drastically changing the way I look once again. I currently have double vision, migraines, light sensitivity, and my peripheral vision is also affected by the tumor.
I am going on my 24th year dealing with this highly aggressive, reoccurring, painful, and annoying tumor. That is well over half my life. It’s taken so much from me over the years and now it is taking the sight in my left eye.
I am relaunching this GoFundMe to reflect necessary costs associated with my health over the next few months as I go through this extremely traumatizing experience again. I have many appointments coming up with my new Ophthalmologist + ENT team as we plan for a spring surgery, my insurance deductible, eventual prosthetic eye from an Ocularist, and to sustain myself and my business while I go through this life altering change again.
The main source of worry with my tumor is wondering how i’m going to support myself with repeated SSDI insurance denials and honestly that should be the least of my worries at this time and I will no longer let my business and life suffer at the hands of my health - i’ve worked too hard to get where I am for that to happen.
I plan on working and keeping myself busy until I go in for surgery so if you have projects you’d like to include my work in please let me know!
I am in pain & yes it does hurt. Recovery and however much downtime I need is yet to be determined since i’ll be getting used to life without my left eye.
Your continued support means the world to me and i’m eternally grateful, thanks so much.
- Gigi
Organizer
Gigi Berry
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN