Help Gerri through her Cancer Fight

Gerri Pieczynski ne Grawey

Mother, daughter, sister, Grandma, friend, co-worker, acquaintance. Light bulb smile, giving spirit, helpful hands, strong work ethic, loving grandma, iron will, kind eyes, very protective, straight shooter, joyful spirit, unforgettable. Those who know Gerri can surely find one of these descriptions that fit your knowledge of this special lady.

The Diagnosis

Gerri is facing a challenge no one would ever wish for. In March of this year, Gerri had extreme abdominal distress, causing her to leave work and go to the ER for relief but there was no definitive answer on what the cause was.

During her routine (but delayed due in part to Covid) colonoscopy on May 14, 2021, Gerri was diagnosed with colon cancer. She went through surgery on June 7th to remove the tumor, which was upgraded to stage 2 as a result of significant penetration into abdominal tissue by the tumor. Due to the complicated nature of the surgery, Gerri ended up with an ileostomy bag as well. As a precaution (due to the depth of penetration) chemotherapy was advised, with IV Chemo that started on June 30th and oral chemo on July 2nd. Gerri faces several months of chemotherapy, another surgery to reconnect the colon, and recovery.

A Terrifying Weekend

Sunday, July 4th, we had a big scare – Gerri experienced extreme pain in her chest and had to call for help. She was taken to the ER in Stevens Point and then airlifted to Marshfield due to a double pulmonary embolism that nearly took her life. Suddenly feeling dizzy while moving around her house, she had enough presence of mind to get to her cellphone before fainting. Thanks to the persistence of her special dogs Ozzy (charging and barking in her face) and Winnie (licking her hands), she briefly regained consciousness enough to use her cellphone to dial back the last person she had spoken with – her Mom Paulette, who lives in Florida. Quick thinking on her mom’s (Paulette) and step dad’s (Wayne) part got an ambulance to her house in about 10 minutes, saving her life.

Knowing Gerri

I would like to tell you a little bit about Gerri that you probably do not know. Gerri is fiercely protective of her children, family and friends, and will stand up to anybody to protect her own. She will give you the shirt off her back, often going out of her way to help strangers who are in need of some assistance. Gerri has a very strong sense of fairness, and is unafraid to stand up to those in power to bring issues to a head. She is a great cook and takes pride in her eclectic décor in her home. She has a terrific sense of humor and a contagious laugh. Gerri has three dogs (one rescue) and two cats. She mourns deeply the loss of our brother Chris from pancreatic cancer 8 years ago and speaks of him regularly. Asking for help does not come naturally for Gerri, although she has always offered to help others.

Favorite things Gerri loves to do are:

• Spending time and FaceTiming with grand babies Silica and Bodhi

• HODAG! Country Music!

• Visiting with friends and family

• Cooking big meals to pamper her family

• Kayaking and picking berries with sister Shery

• Downhill skiing

• Spending time on the water

• Being a good partner to co-workers

• Spending time with her boyfriend Shane

The Costs

Gerri works as a Coating Operator at the Stevens Point Paper mill. Through the many company changes, she is a long-time employee of the Stevens Point Paper mill. Employment at the mill has enabled her to provide a solid livelihood for her three children growing up and to own a beautiful home.

Being unable to work, Gerri’s disability wages come to about 40% of her normal earnings. In addition, her high deductible insurance has an out-of-pocket maximum of $4,000 per year for covered expenses. We are concerned about covering the expenses of her ambulance rides (3) and helicopter ride, as we fear they will not be covered through her insurance. Out of pocket costs for supplies, travel expenses, home health items and special clothing to manage the ileostomy bag all add up. With her income severely curtailed for possibly the remainder of the year, I fear she may lose her home. Funds raised through the GoFundMe effort will be used to address these expenses as well as close the income gap so she can remain in her home. She is currently experiencing a loss of about $4,000 a month in income, while the remaining expenses out of pocket is expected to come up to $50,000 by the end of this year.

How You Can Help

Gerri has faced this demon with courage, grace, and strength. I have all the confidence in the world she will beat this disease, but I know she is going to struggle financially if we don’t band together to help her. Even asking for help makes her feel uncomfortable (which is why I am here). I hope you can help us relieve some of the stress and fear in dealing with this unknown, undesired, unasked for enemy – CANCER.

I am asking if you could contribute to her fund, which will be used to defray the costs she has already incurred and will be incurring as continues to battle her cancer. Any excess funds will be donated to support research on Colon and Pancreatic cancer. Please share this link on your Facebook Timelines and help us spread the word of her GoFundMe page!!!

Thank You for Your Generosity

Thank you for taking time to read Gerri’s story and for your generosity. Your support helps Gerri immensely and we are so thankful for your willingness to help her through this tough time. Please continue to pray for healing, strength, and courage.

Gerri has asked me to let everyone know – family, friends, co-workers, the EMT teams, the surgeons and cancer teams at Marshfield Clinic, the home health nurse from Accension – how much she appreciates their love and support. ABOVE ALL – Gerri says, “Get YOUR COLONOSCOPY tests done in a timely manner!”

God Bless