Help Heather Fight Lymphoma

Heather and I have known each other for upwards of 20 years. Heather has been such an inspiration to me in my life; she is kind, she is funny, she is smart, she is warm and welcoming, she is mad creative, she is thoughtful, she is forgiving, she is full of grace. Heather has such a beautiful soul and does not deserve to be in these circumstances.

On December 3rd, Heather's life was turned upside down. Eventually, after the trauma of going to the ER, getting blood draws, X-Ray scans, PET scans, and appointment after appointment, Heather was diagnosed with cancer - Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Heather has remained the strong, tough woman we all know she is, doing her best to maintain a positive attitude. With that, I started this gofundme to alleviate any kind of stress we can from her during this difficult time as things get worse before they get better.

As we all know, medical bills can become very costly, very fast. Heather has many upcoming appointments, chemo injections, continual invasive procedures that will hinder her ability to work, afford the necessities to live, take care of Indi and all of his needs, all while this illness consumes her life for awhile.

Understanding of the holiday season and the state of the economy, money may not be easy to donate at the moment. Any amount helps, from big to small - even just sending positive thoughts will help tremendously.

With love and gratitude,

Rachel Erickson

Below are words from Heather - as she would like to share her experience so far and share how grateful she is for each and every one of you.

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From Heather:

On December 3rd, 2022, I enjoyed a rock climbing session with my partner, Sam. I was pretty hungry afterward so we decided to go out for dinner before heading home. I got sick on the way to the restaurant. At first, I thought it was my usual car sickness, but I quickly realized that something was different. In a matter of minutes, I became light-headed, nauseous, weak, and faint.

When we got to the restaurant I ate some chips, drank some water, and focused on breathing deep into my diaphragm, but nothing helped alleviate the sickness. I started to feel dizzy and uneasy so I stumbled to the bathroom to try to compose myself.

I was in the bathroom for upwards of 15 minutes, fighting to keep myself from going over the edge. I sat on the floor against the door, tears welled in my eyes as I struggled to catch my breath. Something was not right with me, I knew it and I was afraid.

Eventually, Sam came over to check on me. I cracked the door open and told him that I wasn't okay. I felt like I needed to lie down and curl into a ball to hold myself together...

Nausea and faintness, along with my cough and shortness of breath (that I had been experiencing since October) worried me. After a short conversation with Sam, I decided that it was best to make a trip to the emergency room...

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When I first showed up in the emergency room, I was severely anemic. Normal Hgb* levels are between 12-16 g/dl, I came in at a whopping 7.5g/dl. My doctors told me that if I fall under 7 g/dl, I would need a blood transfusion. But that wasn't the worst news I received that night.

They took chest X-rays and found a large mass in my lung. I didn't know how to process their findings. One minute I'm in the hospital because I'm insanely nauseous, and the next... I knew something was wrong with my chest/lungs because I had been coughing for months, but even so, I wasn't expecting to hear this news. I'm young, active, and healthy, how could this happen? It didn't feel real. I wiped tears from my eyes as the doctor consoled me as he could.

Everything has happened so fast since that weekend in the emergency room. I was discharged late on December 5th. I had a biopsy done on December 9th. And on December 12th, I was given my diagnosis: Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system*. It's known to be a relatively aggressive cancer that can quickly spread through the body so it's important to hit it hard and fast with treatment, which for me, at this moment, involves 6 infusions of chemotherapy (ABVD).

All of the nurses, doctors, and med staff have been so kind and helpful throughout this process but navigating all of my appointments and procedures, while juggling full-time work, has been exhausting, physically and emotionally.

I've only been with my company for 4 months so I do not qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Regardless, they have been supportive and have a non-FMLA option for me but it's essentially a promise not to fire me while I go through treatment over the next few months. I won't be getting paid, and I'm not sure how it will affect my insurance...

I don't know what my financial situation looks like right now, but I know that if I can take worrying about my medical bills, normal bills, and working while sick off the table, it would ease my mind and help me focus on healing.

This is all really sudden and scary but lymphoma will not be the end of me. I will live and I will enjoy my life, just like I did before my diagnosis, but I'm about to go through hell and I could use all the support I can get.

I appreciate any monetary amount you can donate. And if money isn't something that you are currently blessed with, I appreciate words of support that will help me stay strong during this trying time <3

I am honored to have such amazing friends, family, and community surrounding me, thank you all so much for being here with me while I face this, it means the world.

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*Reference

Hgb - Hemoglobin (Hb or Hgb) is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. If you have blood test results that show your hemoglobin level is lower than normal, it means you have fewer red blood cells doing essential work — that is, carrying oxygen throughout your body

Lymphatic system - The lymphatic system, part of our immune system, has many functions. They include protecting your body from illness-causing invaders, maintaining body fluid levels, absorbing digestive tract fats and removing cellular waste.