Help Susie Fight Stage 4 Cancer
Donation protected
We are reaching out to our family and friends in hopes to help Sue Dickman and her family during this difficult time. We hope to bring as many prayers as possible and also some ease to financial burdens that are piling up from medical bills. As most of you know, Susie was a stay at home mom until her children were older. She then went back to school and received her degree in Nursing in 2010. For the past 9 years she has advocated for her patients with compassion, dedication, and love. We hope to spread cancer awareness with sharing her story as well as giving back to an amazing women that has cared for, saved, and loved on so many people.
She has 4 beautiful children, 2 boys and 2 girls and an absolutely adorable grandson who is 15 months old. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Andy, for 29 years and counting! Andy is now the sole provider for the family as a school teacher. He has taken his maximum allotted paid time off work to be with his wife. Any additional days he needs to take off for doctors visits, chemo therapy appointments, hydration appointments, hospital visits, for the children, or just needing to be home for Susie if she has a bad day are taken off as unpaid.
Many of you know our family history with colon cancer. Lynch syndrome is present in our genes and requires everyone to start having colonoscopies and testing as early as 30 years old. Lynch syndrome is an inherited cancer syndrome with a genetic predisposition risk of 60-80% chance of getting cancer.
Here we start with her story. She always had her colonoscopies done as suggested by her colon doctor. She was required testing more often since she had polyps a few times. She finally was in the clear and the doctor told her she could go 5 years until her next colonoscopy. However, due to our high incidence of colon cancer in the family, she decided that going in 3 years would be better. In July, she had horrible abdominal pain and ended up in the ER. After testing, it was discovered she had a large mass in her colon and she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer which was adhered to her stomach and also metastasized to her appendix. She went to surgery immediately for a colon resection and removal of her appendix. If she would have waited the 5 years as the doctors originally suggested, she probably would have been in worse shape.
At this point, her success was looking good, they removed the tumors and planned for chemotherapy to prevent spreading and kill any left over cells that remained in her body. She went through six months of chemotherapy infusions, 3 days per week, every other week. After she was healed from her surgery and received the clear from her surgeon she decided to go back to work. GO BACK TO WORK!!! A woman that was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer, undergoing chemotherapy, and still gaining back her strength, SHE WENT BACK TO WORK. After a few months, chemo started taking a toll on her and she had to go on leave again. Getting frequent labs and intravenous therapy for hydration.
After completing her six months of chemotherapy it was time for her PET scan to check for any concerning areas. The results were not good. She was asked to come to the office for the results and told that her cancer is now Stage 4 and has spread to her pelvic cavity and her abdomen. More biopsies completed to see the type of cancer. She has started a second round of chemotherapy in hopes to extend her life expectancy as long as possible. She now is going through what she had hoped was the end of chemo, yet again....3 days a week, every other week for 6 months. She is indefinitely off of work.
In the midst of all of this, over the last month, she went to her doctor appointment a few weeks ago for her check up and lab work. She was very short of breath and dizzy so they sent her straight to the ER. Through testing it was discovered she developed a life threatening complication from her cancer and chemo. She had multiple Pulmonary Embolisms in both of her lungs and pulmonary arteries. She also had blood clots in her leg. This complication could have taken her life. Fortunately, they were able to control the clots and she was started on a Heparin drip and stayed the week in the ICU. Now, she is at home resting, and continuing her chemotherapy.
If you can and it’s in your heart to donate, Susie and her family will be forever grateful. The donations will go toward the mounting medical bills and drug costs now and in the future. Gas cards or gift cards are also greatly appreciated. Any assistance will help alleviate the financial burden of her not being able to go back to work. If you are unable to donate PLEASE send many prayers her way and spread the word and SHARE her story! Cancer awareness is SO important! Please have your colonoscopy and cancer screenings done! Number ONE way to prevent cancer is screening.
Thank you for taking the time to read Susie's story. Please share/post to spread her story.
Thank you ❤️ Lots of love,
Susie's Family
She has 4 beautiful children, 2 boys and 2 girls and an absolutely adorable grandson who is 15 months old. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Andy, for 29 years and counting! Andy is now the sole provider for the family as a school teacher. He has taken his maximum allotted paid time off work to be with his wife. Any additional days he needs to take off for doctors visits, chemo therapy appointments, hydration appointments, hospital visits, for the children, or just needing to be home for Susie if she has a bad day are taken off as unpaid.
Many of you know our family history with colon cancer. Lynch syndrome is present in our genes and requires everyone to start having colonoscopies and testing as early as 30 years old. Lynch syndrome is an inherited cancer syndrome with a genetic predisposition risk of 60-80% chance of getting cancer.
Here we start with her story. She always had her colonoscopies done as suggested by her colon doctor. She was required testing more often since she had polyps a few times. She finally was in the clear and the doctor told her she could go 5 years until her next colonoscopy. However, due to our high incidence of colon cancer in the family, she decided that going in 3 years would be better. In July, she had horrible abdominal pain and ended up in the ER. After testing, it was discovered she had a large mass in her colon and she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer which was adhered to her stomach and also metastasized to her appendix. She went to surgery immediately for a colon resection and removal of her appendix. If she would have waited the 5 years as the doctors originally suggested, she probably would have been in worse shape.
At this point, her success was looking good, they removed the tumors and planned for chemotherapy to prevent spreading and kill any left over cells that remained in her body. She went through six months of chemotherapy infusions, 3 days per week, every other week. After she was healed from her surgery and received the clear from her surgeon she decided to go back to work. GO BACK TO WORK!!! A woman that was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer, undergoing chemotherapy, and still gaining back her strength, SHE WENT BACK TO WORK. After a few months, chemo started taking a toll on her and she had to go on leave again. Getting frequent labs and intravenous therapy for hydration.
After completing her six months of chemotherapy it was time for her PET scan to check for any concerning areas. The results were not good. She was asked to come to the office for the results and told that her cancer is now Stage 4 and has spread to her pelvic cavity and her abdomen. More biopsies completed to see the type of cancer. She has started a second round of chemotherapy in hopes to extend her life expectancy as long as possible. She now is going through what she had hoped was the end of chemo, yet again....3 days a week, every other week for 6 months. She is indefinitely off of work.
In the midst of all of this, over the last month, she went to her doctor appointment a few weeks ago for her check up and lab work. She was very short of breath and dizzy so they sent her straight to the ER. Through testing it was discovered she developed a life threatening complication from her cancer and chemo. She had multiple Pulmonary Embolisms in both of her lungs and pulmonary arteries. She also had blood clots in her leg. This complication could have taken her life. Fortunately, they were able to control the clots and she was started on a Heparin drip and stayed the week in the ICU. Now, she is at home resting, and continuing her chemotherapy.
If you can and it’s in your heart to donate, Susie and her family will be forever grateful. The donations will go toward the mounting medical bills and drug costs now and in the future. Gas cards or gift cards are also greatly appreciated. Any assistance will help alleviate the financial burden of her not being able to go back to work. If you are unable to donate PLEASE send many prayers her way and spread the word and SHARE her story! Cancer awareness is SO important! Please have your colonoscopy and cancer screenings done! Number ONE way to prevent cancer is screening.
Thank you for taking the time to read Susie's story. Please share/post to spread her story.
Thank you ❤️ Lots of love,
Susie's Family
Organizer and beneficiary
Christina Stephens
Organizer
Kimball, MI
Andrew Dickman
Beneficiary