Help Shelia Bailey Wallace On Her Cancer Journey

   I’m raising money to help my mama on her breast cancer journey. The funds raised will go to ongoing chemo, radiation, prescriptions, tests, etc. Mama is widowed and living on a fixed income.  Thanks to my wonderful husband, I have been able to quit my job to help Mama. I’m blessed to be able to help her full time, but it also puts a limit on how much we can help financially.  

   In April of 2023 my mama was diagnosed with IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma) - Triple Negative. After mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy the doctors said that we caught it early and it would be easy to treat with surgery, chemo, and possibly radiation. Despite it being triple negative, which meant aggressive and fast growing, it wasn’t attached to anything. It had not spread to the lymph nodes under the arm so we were hopeful. 

   Over the next two weeks we met with the surgeon, oncologist, and radiologist that would make up her cancer treatment team to come up with a plan. On May 11, 2023, the oncologist sent Mama for a full body PET scan to be sure of what we were dealing with. The following day we went for results. Our world stopped spinning for a moment as the doctor told us that she also had cancer in her right lung as well as the lymph nodes in her chest. 

   On May 19, 2023 Mama was scheduled for a bronchoscopy to biopsy the tumor in the lung. It was, in fact, breast cancer that had metastasized to her lung and chest. At this point we’re told that there is no cure. The oncologist said he will do treatments for as long as the cancer is controlled and she has a good quality of life. 

   The first weekly chemo treatment was scheduled for May 31, 2023. After eight weeks of treatment she had a CT scan (insurance denied the requested PET scan) to see how the cancer was responding. The cancer had grown several cm and there was new growth in the lung and chest. The lymph nodes in the chest have created a mass that is wrapping around the esophagus and she had little to no relief from the pain in her breast. At this point, along with the oncologist, we decided to try a different type of chemo and give radiation a try. 

   The first treatment with the new chemo was on July 27, 2023 and we also met with the radiologist that day. Her last radiation treatment was on August 16,2023. After daily radiation for two weeks the tumor on the breast has shrunk some and she finally has some relief from the breast pain. The down side to the radiation is that it burned her esophagus. She couldn’t eat and could barely swallow a sip of water during the last week of radiation. 

   She is currently on meds to hopefully heal the esophagus and getting IV fluids at home. She has been able to eat small amounts this week and has even been able to enjoy a little coffee (her favorite).