Beth Simms Coleman Cancer Medical Bills
Donation protected
As we write this request, it is something that we just never thought we would have to do for Beth Simms Coleman. Beth was diagnosed with cancer in May, 2019. A trip to the Doctor to inspect a lump on the side of her neck and trouble swallowing, revealed that she had a tumor of the Hypopharynx that was covering most of her airway and it looked to be Cancerous. How could this be?? Beth was never a smoker. But she trudged forward to fight this diagnosis.
Just four days later, Beth was in surgery to remove the tumor, a feeding tube had been inserted into her stomach, since she could not swallow. Also, a Chemo Port was placed in her chest which was used to administer Chemo, meds, blood and to access blood for Blood work. By weeks end, Beth started the initial 7 weeks of Chemo to be followed up with another 7 weeks of daily Radiation treatments along with more weekly Chemo, simultaneously. This was nearly 4 months of treatment which also included Speech Therapy to help her not lose her ability to swallow. Once treatments were finished, there would be an approximate 6 week wait for a final PET Scan to provide proof that the cancer was gone. But even while waiting for the PET Scan She still had to endure many more doctor visits for continued Speech Therapy, Working with the Dietary and Pain management teams because of constant vomiting and powerful cough attacks - leading to painful sore throats, visits for upper body massage therapy to combat lymphedema of the neck and upper body, Esophageal dilation (throat stretching) procedure, and finally constant Peg Tube issues which finally led to the painful replacement of her Peg tube which would not deflate to be removed easily. But Beth endured and remained steadfast in her faith that She would be healed of this dreaded disease!
In December 2019, it was time for Beth to have the PET Scan to determine if the cancer was gone…but the results were not what the family prayed for. Two “Hot Spots” were noticed, one still in her throat and one in her lungs. Her Oncologist worked to set up a new plan of attack which would include Immunotherapy! Being Beth, she did not want to share these latest results with anyone, only she and her husband Ron knew. She did not want to ruin the holidays and they decided to tell them after the holiday season. But there was also a new grandson due in February, 2020, and she wanted to wait until after that. All along, the family could tell that she was failing.
So in January, without the family knowing, Beth agreed to her Oncologist’s plan and started her first infusion of Immunotherapy which would be given every 3 weeks. He suggested that it would be a good treatment to administer given the fact that Chemo caused her so much discomfort and did not stop the cancer from metastasizing (spreading), but there were some negatives, there was a 35% possibility that her immunotherapy would cause her immune system to attack her own organs, but the doctor felt he could catch and stop that progression if it started. However just a week or so after her second infusion in February, and after another throat stretching procedure, Beth was starting to have pain while walking and sitting! A week after missing her third infusion of Immunotherapy due to now excruciating nerve pain while sitting or standing, Beth was taken to the hospital, had blood work done and finally a new CT-Scan and was now diagnosed with a pathological fractured sacrum, yes, caused by the cancer which was now on her liver, in her bones, throat, lungs! As the Oncologist put it, the Immunotherapy made the cancer go crazy…which landed her in the hospital once again for about a week. This time for more radiation which was said to help ease the nerve pain along with other new medications, one being Celebrex…which would ultimately cause a crohn’s flare-up just two weeks after she started using it leading to stomach cramping and internal bleeding on top of all the other issues, yet another several days hospital stay into March.
Covid-19 shut downs, we only heard from the Palliative Dr. and the Dietician.
May 2020, Beth would be admitted to the hospital once again, this time needing 2 units of blood. And on her second day there, the Oncology and Radiology rep called her husband on the phone to ask him to come to the hospital even though family members were not allowed in due to new Covid-19 rules. Once there this Rep, the Palliative team rep, another Oncology rep and finally the hospitalist did their best to convince Beth and her husband that they should consider Hospice since they all thought her body was too weak to continue aggressive treatment as they called it and the cancer was continuing to progress and was now in her brain...which her family had been noticing some slight decline in mental capacity. So, the next day Beth signed the paperwork to come home with Hospice, but she and her husband were still believing she would pull through this cancer ordeal by a miracle from God!
10 days after being home, on a day that Beth was having her best day, though she needed someone to help her to the bedside commode and to wash and clean her, after leaving Beth alone for about 6 minutes after she said she didn’t need anything, Beth attempted to get out of bed herself…on return her husband found Beth on the floor. She had fallen and completely fractured her leg at the hip! She was rushed by ambulance to the hospital and after the examination at the hospital, it was determined that the cancer had also caused a lesion on her other leg so she would have to have two rods inserted in each leg to ease her pain, one surgery on Tuesday May 19th and the other on Thursday May 21st! From that surgery, therapy was planned to help Beth to learn how to walk again. Unfortunately, the cancer on her brain started to cause her to lose more mental capacity she was now coherent only 30% of the time. She was also vomiting and starting to aspirate. We continued to be faithful and steadfast in our prayers for a miracle.
June 1st. Through all this it was with heavy heart that her husband and her mother had to let family and friends know that our “Beth” had succumbed to the many complications of cancer. Yesterday, June 10, 2020 was her Memorial Service. And in memory of Beth we are setting up this fund. Even though insurance was available, a large amount of medical bills remains. We are asking for donations to assist the family. Any amount is helpful and will go directly to pay the Doctors, Hospitals, Medical centers, ambulances and credit cards that she used to pay copays and insurance deductibles. Anything over, will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research hospital on behalf of “Beth Coleman, Family and Friends!”
Thank you in advance!
The Coleman Family (Ron, Michael, Christina, Destinie, Noah) also thank you from Nadine Simms, Beth’s Mom!
Just four days later, Beth was in surgery to remove the tumor, a feeding tube had been inserted into her stomach, since she could not swallow. Also, a Chemo Port was placed in her chest which was used to administer Chemo, meds, blood and to access blood for Blood work. By weeks end, Beth started the initial 7 weeks of Chemo to be followed up with another 7 weeks of daily Radiation treatments along with more weekly Chemo, simultaneously. This was nearly 4 months of treatment which also included Speech Therapy to help her not lose her ability to swallow. Once treatments were finished, there would be an approximate 6 week wait for a final PET Scan to provide proof that the cancer was gone. But even while waiting for the PET Scan She still had to endure many more doctor visits for continued Speech Therapy, Working with the Dietary and Pain management teams because of constant vomiting and powerful cough attacks - leading to painful sore throats, visits for upper body massage therapy to combat lymphedema of the neck and upper body, Esophageal dilation (throat stretching) procedure, and finally constant Peg Tube issues which finally led to the painful replacement of her Peg tube which would not deflate to be removed easily. But Beth endured and remained steadfast in her faith that She would be healed of this dreaded disease!
In December 2019, it was time for Beth to have the PET Scan to determine if the cancer was gone…but the results were not what the family prayed for. Two “Hot Spots” were noticed, one still in her throat and one in her lungs. Her Oncologist worked to set up a new plan of attack which would include Immunotherapy! Being Beth, she did not want to share these latest results with anyone, only she and her husband Ron knew. She did not want to ruin the holidays and they decided to tell them after the holiday season. But there was also a new grandson due in February, 2020, and she wanted to wait until after that. All along, the family could tell that she was failing.
So in January, without the family knowing, Beth agreed to her Oncologist’s plan and started her first infusion of Immunotherapy which would be given every 3 weeks. He suggested that it would be a good treatment to administer given the fact that Chemo caused her so much discomfort and did not stop the cancer from metastasizing (spreading), but there were some negatives, there was a 35% possibility that her immunotherapy would cause her immune system to attack her own organs, but the doctor felt he could catch and stop that progression if it started. However just a week or so after her second infusion in February, and after another throat stretching procedure, Beth was starting to have pain while walking and sitting! A week after missing her third infusion of Immunotherapy due to now excruciating nerve pain while sitting or standing, Beth was taken to the hospital, had blood work done and finally a new CT-Scan and was now diagnosed with a pathological fractured sacrum, yes, caused by the cancer which was now on her liver, in her bones, throat, lungs! As the Oncologist put it, the Immunotherapy made the cancer go crazy…which landed her in the hospital once again for about a week. This time for more radiation which was said to help ease the nerve pain along with other new medications, one being Celebrex…which would ultimately cause a crohn’s flare-up just two weeks after she started using it leading to stomach cramping and internal bleeding on top of all the other issues, yet another several days hospital stay into March.
Covid-19 shut downs, we only heard from the Palliative Dr. and the Dietician.
May 2020, Beth would be admitted to the hospital once again, this time needing 2 units of blood. And on her second day there, the Oncology and Radiology rep called her husband on the phone to ask him to come to the hospital even though family members were not allowed in due to new Covid-19 rules. Once there this Rep, the Palliative team rep, another Oncology rep and finally the hospitalist did their best to convince Beth and her husband that they should consider Hospice since they all thought her body was too weak to continue aggressive treatment as they called it and the cancer was continuing to progress and was now in her brain...which her family had been noticing some slight decline in mental capacity. So, the next day Beth signed the paperwork to come home with Hospice, but she and her husband were still believing she would pull through this cancer ordeal by a miracle from God!
10 days after being home, on a day that Beth was having her best day, though she needed someone to help her to the bedside commode and to wash and clean her, after leaving Beth alone for about 6 minutes after she said she didn’t need anything, Beth attempted to get out of bed herself…on return her husband found Beth on the floor. She had fallen and completely fractured her leg at the hip! She was rushed by ambulance to the hospital and after the examination at the hospital, it was determined that the cancer had also caused a lesion on her other leg so she would have to have two rods inserted in each leg to ease her pain, one surgery on Tuesday May 19th and the other on Thursday May 21st! From that surgery, therapy was planned to help Beth to learn how to walk again. Unfortunately, the cancer on her brain started to cause her to lose more mental capacity she was now coherent only 30% of the time. She was also vomiting and starting to aspirate. We continued to be faithful and steadfast in our prayers for a miracle.
June 1st. Through all this it was with heavy heart that her husband and her mother had to let family and friends know that our “Beth” had succumbed to the many complications of cancer. Yesterday, June 10, 2020 was her Memorial Service. And in memory of Beth we are setting up this fund. Even though insurance was available, a large amount of medical bills remains. We are asking for donations to assist the family. Any amount is helpful and will go directly to pay the Doctors, Hospitals, Medical centers, ambulances and credit cards that she used to pay copays and insurance deductibles. Anything over, will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research hospital on behalf of “Beth Coleman, Family and Friends!”
Thank you in advance!
The Coleman Family (Ron, Michael, Christina, Destinie, Noah) also thank you from Nadine Simms, Beth’s Mom!
Organizer and beneficiary
Coleman Family
Organizer
Mesa, AZ
Ronald Coleman
Beneficiary