Caity vs. Cancer
Donation protected
This page is for the purpose of keeping all of you informed and up-to-date, not for raising money. Many have asked how they can contribute, others have already contributed, and frankly, you’ve all contributed more than enough just being the people you are to me. Love is you.
To my friends and family,
If you haven’t already heard the news directly, I’m so sorry, it’s been a whirlwind of a month. I’m happy to chat personally with everyone asap, but you can find some early details and sentiments below.
So what’s going on here?
I found a lump in my left breast in mid-May, and in late May was diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer. On June 23rd, I’ll be starting ~6 months of chemo, then undergoing a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery(ies) followed by an additional 6-9 months of at-home maintenance/chemo.
I know, fu*k cancer, right?
All the deets
- Invasive ductal breast cancer of the left breast
- Triple-negative prognostic panel (hormone stuff)
- Stage 2B – assessed based on the size of the mass and how fast it’s growing. They estimated the mass had only been there for a few months prior to me finding it.
- Grade 3 – how abnormal the cells are, mine are the most abnormal, no surprise there ha!
- KI-67: 77% – how fast the cancer is growing/spreading. This percentage is high, but common to triple-negative cancers in young women.
- No sign of cancer spreading outside the left breast – CT scans, bone density scans, and the echocardiogram were all “great.”
- Chemo plan – there’s a Part A and a Part B (6 months in total), followed by an at-home maintenance plan (6-9 months). Chemo will take place before surgery due to the triple-negative nature of the cancer.
- Part A – Chemo 1x/week, 3-4 hours each time, for 12 sessions (3 months). Expected to be the “easier” of the two halves, as far as symptoms go.
- Part B – Chemo 1x/ 3 weeks, 3-4 hours each time, for 4 sessions (3 months). Expected to be the more difficult of the two halves.
- At-home protocol – 6-9 months after chemo. TBD what this looks and feels like—it’s all based on the meds I need after measuring if there is residual cancer post-chemo.
- BREAK TIME – there’s a 2-3 week break between chemo and the double mastectomy.
- Double mastectomy – for future prevention and general symmetry, I’ll be having both breasts removed.
- Reconstruction surgery – this typically follows the mastectomy, during the same procedure, unless vitals don’t allow for it.
- Recovery – 4 weeks for the surgeries themselves. Chemo symptoms will last through the treatment of ~1.5 years, and may persist for another year after.
- At-home maintenance – 6-9 months. The medications are TBD until we learn how the cancer responds to the chemo.
My team of doctors, whom I adore:
- Dr. Stephanie Miller – breast surgeon
- Dr. Mabel Mardones – oncologist
- Dr. Michael Bateman – reconstructive/plastic surgeon
My team of appointment pals—these are the two that are dropping everything to join me at each appointment:
- Carla Cutino (wife)
- Terry Halligan (dad)
All the feels
It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions over the last month, and overwhelmingly busy each and every day. If I’ve been stressed, not responding, or generally MIA, please forgive me.
I’ve felt scared, hopeful, sad, happy, angry, thankful, anxious, loved, overwhelmed, and the list goes on. But it’s go time—if you know me, you know I don’t like to lose, so it’s time to get the job done and beat this thing.
There are a few lame side effects that come with the diagnosis and chemo:
- More appointments, doctors, nurses, schedulers, and phone calls than you can imagine.
- Tons of biopsies (3), IV bruising, and a “port” surgery in the right bicep.
- Hair loss – catch me with a shaved head via zoom. JK I’ll definitely be wearing my new wig unless you can talk me out of it.
- Immunocompromised – you get the gist, the people around me need to be extra careful. This means visitors have masks on during travel, at all times when in contact with me, and may need to take at-home COVID tests before we hang.
- Forced menopause – not looking forward to the hot flashes.
- Fertility (in the future) – carrying a child is off the table for me.
- Feeling tired and icky – at times, I’ll be lethargic, nauseous, grumpy, forgetful (“chemo brain”), stressed, weak, etc.
There are a few changes for the better too:
- A fresh new diet – talk to me about it. Think vegan, but I can also eat lean meats like chicken, cooked fish, or lean turkey. Low sodium and low sugar.
- No alcohol – more like fun green teas and Topo Chicos.
- Game-time mentality – more specifically, Kobe’s mamba mentality. I’m here for that W, so time to get to work.
- Perspective change – everything hits a little differently now.
I don’t know how I’ll feel in the months to come, but I hope to keep being the goofy human I always have been. If you aren’t laughing or smiling with me, I haven’t done my job right—so keep the humor and smiles comin’ if you can :)
All the love
To those who have already reached out, to my Gusto family (past and present) who have already come together and shown so much love, to anyone reading this and supporting me in any way, thank you.
My people are my life, so I may be fighting for me, but I’m more so fighting for you.
I’ll be working while I go through chemo, so I’ll be pretty busy. If I’m slow to say thank you, failing to keep you updated, etc, you can always reach out to Carla for more information. We’ll also try to keep this page updated of course.
All the things
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again and again, this page is not about asking for money. It’s about having a place to point people who are looking to help, or wondering what I may be needing or wanting as I go through this.
The truth is, I’ll be purchasing what I need in real-time, and it’s likely I’ve already gotten the essentials in preparation for the chemo start date of June 23. I also may not be readily available to comb through the current inventory of what we have and provide a specific item/need/ask.
For those reasons, the easiest way to contribute is usually via donation, though I’m most thrilled about your general love and support.
There is no true goal, and I have good medical insurance (but of course, it won't cover everything). For those who decide to contribute, here are a few things I’ve already spent money on or plan to spend money on:
- Medical stuff: mammograms, biopsies, ultrasounds, MRIs, CT scans, bone density scans, echocardiograms, port surgery, genetic testing, prescriptions, chemo drugs, a double mastectomy, reconstruction surgery for both breasts, etc.
- Chemo accessories: a wig, cooling mittens + socks (for neuro therapy), head caps, anti-nausea solutions, warm clothes and blankets, a go-bag, a go-cooler, a chemo wardrobe, lotions, vitamins, mouthwash, aromatherapy for smell sensitivity, activities for during-chemo sessions, extension cord, etc.
- At-home thangs: portable AC/heating unit for the primary bedroom/upstairs, a cleaning service to give Carla a break every so often, groceries for a unique chemo-diet, stress/anxiety relievers (rings, balls, etc), a printer for all the forms I have to sign, books, games, etc.
I'm not sure what else I should share in the now, and I'm not even sure how GoFundMe works, but if you have additional questions please reach out to me or Carla and we'll answer all we can. If GoFundMe feels as odd to work with as it did for me, you can always Venmo me at this handle instead: @Caity-Halligan.
I may hand off some of the page updating and posting responsibilities to friends or family in the future, but will try to keep an eye on this page often <3
I'm so grateful to have had each and every one of you in my life and look forward to making more memories ASAP.
Thank you again for the outpouring of support, I don't deserve y'all.
Organizer
Caitlin (Caity) Halligan
Organizer
Aurora, CO