Deanna’s Journey Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer
Donation protected
The purpose of this page is to raise money for our beloved Deanna, who is battling advanced stage ovarian cancer. Deanna is a young mother of 3 girls. She and her husband, Marc, anticipate high out of pocket expenses not covered by health insurance.
Please read the following note from Deanna. Thank you for your prayers and support.
For those who may not know, I was diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer on Wednesday, February 13th. My world was turned upside down that night. I have fallen apart many times, but am always put back together by the overwhelming love of Christ shown through His healing word and through my family and friends. I have seen God's hand at work throughout this process and feel extremely blessed to be able to share how He is working through this. I feel like God is allowing me to go through this struggle for some greater purpose and I will not stop listening for His call. I will not stop searching for the silver lining.
Many of you already know how God worked opened up appointments in record time with Dana Farber and Beth Israel. One receptionist even said to me, "Someone's in your corner," to which I had to respond, "God is in control!" She then told me she was tearing up. (Thought - Maybe He just used me to speak into someone else's life...what a great feeling.)
Let me back track to Wednesday, FEB 13th - I was in my car on the highway crying, on my way to my MRI at Newton-Wellesley. I just knew it wouldn't be good news. God gave me a divine appointment. He placed me behind a jeep with a tire on the rear. The tire cover had an eagle on it staring right at me. I was behind it for a while. God spoke to me through that eagle and reminded me that HE is STRONG and MIGHTY, I am strong because HIS spirit lives in me, and HE will carry me On Eagle's Wings (a song I grew up singing in the Catholic church - very dear to my heart) He reminded me of His word:
Isaiah 40:31 English Standard Version (ESV)
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
I can't explain how loved I felt at that moment, that God would speak to me in that way. HE cares for me and will carry me through this.
I believe most of you know that at the end of the day of appointments last Friday I did find out that the cancer had not spread to my lungs. So that was a huge sigh of relief. That means that I can proceed with surgery first, which supposedly (hopefully) has a better long term outcome. I LOVED Dr. Awtrey at Beth Israel who comforted us and gave us a sense of hope. He called me later that night to tell me he reviewed all of my scans and told me he can get everything out. Sigh of relief! He proceeded to tell me everything that he would be taking out of my body - and that turned my stomach. He said he could get me in for surgery on Tuesday, Feb.,19th. I was in shock at how fast that seemed. He sensed that in me and calmly offered for me to have a 3rd opinion with his buddy at MGH. He told me it was safe to wait another week and so he set me up to see Dr. Eisenhauer at MGH this past Thursday. He felt I would be more comfortable having a 3rd opinion to break the tie. So ...that was last Friday.
Since my mom got cancer 9 years ago I have been studying alternative cancer therapies so I knew that I had to explore this route for myself to make a well rounded decision on a treatment plan. I left a voicemail with a Naturopathic Oncologist in NH on Sunday night. I did not expect to be able to see him but at least wanted to have a conversation and opinion over the phone. Monday morning (President's Day), my phone rings as I am getting out of the shower. It was his office asking me if I could be there in 2 hours...the lady with the 12:00appointment called and cancelled because of the flu. They usually book out 6-8weeks. HOLY DIVINE APPOINTMENT! We are 1 1/2 hours from his office. We booked it! I now have him on my team to work alongside my conventional team to give my body the best fighting change to overcome this cancer. I started taking supplements on Tuesday and restricting my diet to inhibit the growth and spread of the cancer. It's not easy. I'm weak and tired from all the stress.
Moving on to our 3rd opinion - scheduled for Thursday at noon. I had to stop by Beth Israel to pick up my chest CT scan to bring over to MGH. Marc had prayed earlier that morning and asked God to just let us hear something or see something that would confirm for us the decision we felt He was leading us to make. We were one block away from BI and got stuck at a red light partially into the intersection. Cars started going around us...then the light switched for pedestrians to cross. Of all the people in Boston crossing the street, who would you think crossed the street right smack in front of our car but Dr. Awtrey, the surgeon from BI. I waved and said hi to him and we went on our way to our appointment at MGH. That was another DIVINE APPOINTMENT. He put us both there at that moment in this big city. It was clear to us that the Lord was leading us to Dr. Awtrey. WE all felt it in our hearts. Our meeting at MGH confirmed it as well. He was encouraging, in agreement with Dr. Awtrey, and said he'd send his own family to him. That's all I needed.
MY surgery is scheduled for Thursday, FEB. 28th at Beth Israel with Dr. Chris Awtrey. It's a big surgery. When I wake up I will be in complete menopause. There is so much I am afraid of, but I'm trying to rest in the peace of God.
Here's how you can pray for us:
1. That God would choose to heal me
2. For the best choices to be made for hormone replacement therapy
3. For a speedy recovery (I will be recovering at home about a month before starting chemo)
4. For my family who will be caring for me - for strength - comfort
5. For anything else my tired mind can't remember right now :)
I thank God for all of you in my life - I count it joy to go through this struggle because I know there is a greater purpose - somewhere over the rainbow...
With Love,
Deanna
Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10
Please read the following note from Deanna. Thank you for your prayers and support.
For those who may not know, I was diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer on Wednesday, February 13th. My world was turned upside down that night. I have fallen apart many times, but am always put back together by the overwhelming love of Christ shown through His healing word and through my family and friends. I have seen God's hand at work throughout this process and feel extremely blessed to be able to share how He is working through this. I feel like God is allowing me to go through this struggle for some greater purpose and I will not stop listening for His call. I will not stop searching for the silver lining.
Many of you already know how God worked opened up appointments in record time with Dana Farber and Beth Israel. One receptionist even said to me, "Someone's in your corner," to which I had to respond, "God is in control!" She then told me she was tearing up. (Thought - Maybe He just used me to speak into someone else's life...what a great feeling.)
Let me back track to Wednesday, FEB 13th - I was in my car on the highway crying, on my way to my MRI at Newton-Wellesley. I just knew it wouldn't be good news. God gave me a divine appointment. He placed me behind a jeep with a tire on the rear. The tire cover had an eagle on it staring right at me. I was behind it for a while. God spoke to me through that eagle and reminded me that HE is STRONG and MIGHTY, I am strong because HIS spirit lives in me, and HE will carry me On Eagle's Wings (a song I grew up singing in the Catholic church - very dear to my heart) He reminded me of His word:
Isaiah 40:31 English Standard Version (ESV)
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
I can't explain how loved I felt at that moment, that God would speak to me in that way. HE cares for me and will carry me through this.
I believe most of you know that at the end of the day of appointments last Friday I did find out that the cancer had not spread to my lungs. So that was a huge sigh of relief. That means that I can proceed with surgery first, which supposedly (hopefully) has a better long term outcome. I LOVED Dr. Awtrey at Beth Israel who comforted us and gave us a sense of hope. He called me later that night to tell me he reviewed all of my scans and told me he can get everything out. Sigh of relief! He proceeded to tell me everything that he would be taking out of my body - and that turned my stomach. He said he could get me in for surgery on Tuesday, Feb.,19th. I was in shock at how fast that seemed. He sensed that in me and calmly offered for me to have a 3rd opinion with his buddy at MGH. He told me it was safe to wait another week and so he set me up to see Dr. Eisenhauer at MGH this past Thursday. He felt I would be more comfortable having a 3rd opinion to break the tie. So ...that was last Friday.
Since my mom got cancer 9 years ago I have been studying alternative cancer therapies so I knew that I had to explore this route for myself to make a well rounded decision on a treatment plan. I left a voicemail with a Naturopathic Oncologist in NH on Sunday night. I did not expect to be able to see him but at least wanted to have a conversation and opinion over the phone. Monday morning (President's Day), my phone rings as I am getting out of the shower. It was his office asking me if I could be there in 2 hours...the lady with the 12:00appointment called and cancelled because of the flu. They usually book out 6-8weeks. HOLY DIVINE APPOINTMENT! We are 1 1/2 hours from his office. We booked it! I now have him on my team to work alongside my conventional team to give my body the best fighting change to overcome this cancer. I started taking supplements on Tuesday and restricting my diet to inhibit the growth and spread of the cancer. It's not easy. I'm weak and tired from all the stress.
Moving on to our 3rd opinion - scheduled for Thursday at noon. I had to stop by Beth Israel to pick up my chest CT scan to bring over to MGH. Marc had prayed earlier that morning and asked God to just let us hear something or see something that would confirm for us the decision we felt He was leading us to make. We were one block away from BI and got stuck at a red light partially into the intersection. Cars started going around us...then the light switched for pedestrians to cross. Of all the people in Boston crossing the street, who would you think crossed the street right smack in front of our car but Dr. Awtrey, the surgeon from BI. I waved and said hi to him and we went on our way to our appointment at MGH. That was another DIVINE APPOINTMENT. He put us both there at that moment in this big city. It was clear to us that the Lord was leading us to Dr. Awtrey. WE all felt it in our hearts. Our meeting at MGH confirmed it as well. He was encouraging, in agreement with Dr. Awtrey, and said he'd send his own family to him. That's all I needed.
MY surgery is scheduled for Thursday, FEB. 28th at Beth Israel with Dr. Chris Awtrey. It's a big surgery. When I wake up I will be in complete menopause. There is so much I am afraid of, but I'm trying to rest in the peace of God.
Here's how you can pray for us:
1. That God would choose to heal me
2. For the best choices to be made for hormone replacement therapy
3. For a speedy recovery (I will be recovering at home about a month before starting chemo)
4. For my family who will be caring for me - for strength - comfort
5. For anything else my tired mind can't remember right now :)
I thank God for all of you in my life - I count it joy to go through this struggle because I know there is a greater purpose - somewhere over the rainbow...
With Love,
Deanna
Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10
Co-organizers (3)
Esther Johnson
Organizer
Norfolk, MA
Marc Cusano
Beneficiary
Deanna Cusano
Co-organizer
Rob Johnson
Co-organizer