My Sister's Battle With Cancer
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As many of you know my sister, Jill Jenkins, has been up against the fight of her life for the past several months. For those of you not as familiar, I would like to share her story with you.
After fighting years of chronic sinusitis, Jill underwent a routine sinus surgery on January 25, 2016 that took a turn for the worse. A blood vessel was hit during the surgery causing her left eye to hemorrhage which required an emergency decompression to save the left eye. In the weeks to come, Jill followed up with her ENT and eye specialist in hopes to have corrective surgery. Jill was and still is wearing a patch on her left eye because of double vision. Jill and her doctors became increasingly concerned when a protruding cyst continued to grow rapidly from the inner corner of her right eye. When additional scans and a biopsy were performed, a scull based tumor was discovered that had multiple characteristics of a malignancy . On April 7, 2016 we recieved the news that people pray they will never hear. Jill had Stage 4 brain cancer. The tumor was located in the sinus cavity, both eye sockets, and frontal lobe of the brain. The biopsy identified the cancer as a squamous cell carcinoma. Jill's type of cancer is very rare and is found in 1 out of every 200,000 people statistically.
Immediately a team of doctors in Atlanta began working on a plan that would best address her medical needs. The tumor was completely taking over the right eye and removal was the first option presented. Jill was determined to try to save the right eye and wanted to look at other options if possible. This would be trying to shrink the tumor first and give it our best attempt to save her eye. Her doctors continued to search for answers from doctors all across the country. We were sent to University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, Florida. Proton radiation is a very accurate therapy with less risk to healthy tissue and has reduced risk of complications and side effects. After her evaluation they told us to report back in a month. This was too long to wait with no treatment at all. So after returning to Atlanta, Jill began an aggressive dosage of chemo. Scary, horrible, brutal are just a few words to describe this first round of treatment!! After several hospitalizations from the side effects of chemo we were then sent back to Jacksonville. The plan was to receive 62 radiation treatments given twice a day in addition to 1 chemo treatment a week. This meant that we had to also relocate to Jacksonville for the 6-8 week treatment period. My mom, Jill and I moved to Jacksonville on May 21 with a determination to beat this. Although it was just the three of us, we never felt alone. We have an amazing group of family and friends back home who we call our prayer warriors.
Treatment thus far has definitely had many ups and downs, but we have learned quick that cancer requires you to take life one day at a time. There are times when you start to believe that treatment will kill you before the cancer does. Jill has experienced some side effects that are said to be permanent while others will hopefully be resolved after treatment is complete. Thankfully, I can report that recent scans have shown that the tumor is responding and is shrinking. All the glory is given to God for his amazing miracles!
We are in the final weeks of treatment here in Jacksonville and pray that Jill continues to show progress. We know that Jill will need eye surgery to the left eye that had initially hemorrhaged during sinus surgery. We are still unsure of other needed procedures or if more chemo will be needed. The doctors in Jacksonville have provided phenomenal medical care, and just as important hope and encouragement. For those who have gone through cancer or knows someone who has can testify that treatment is costly! Medical bills are mounting daily. My family and I are hoping to raise money to help ease this financial stress and help her continue living this precious life she has been fighting for. More important than financial support is our request for continued prayers that Jill will have complete healing. God can perform miracles! Please know we have felt the prayers of our family and friends back home and appreciate them so much. These people have been a personal gift from God and there is really no way to adequately express what encouragement and strength it has brought to our lives each day.
Sonja
After fighting years of chronic sinusitis, Jill underwent a routine sinus surgery on January 25, 2016 that took a turn for the worse. A blood vessel was hit during the surgery causing her left eye to hemorrhage which required an emergency decompression to save the left eye. In the weeks to come, Jill followed up with her ENT and eye specialist in hopes to have corrective surgery. Jill was and still is wearing a patch on her left eye because of double vision. Jill and her doctors became increasingly concerned when a protruding cyst continued to grow rapidly from the inner corner of her right eye. When additional scans and a biopsy were performed, a scull based tumor was discovered that had multiple characteristics of a malignancy . On April 7, 2016 we recieved the news that people pray they will never hear. Jill had Stage 4 brain cancer. The tumor was located in the sinus cavity, both eye sockets, and frontal lobe of the brain. The biopsy identified the cancer as a squamous cell carcinoma. Jill's type of cancer is very rare and is found in 1 out of every 200,000 people statistically.
Immediately a team of doctors in Atlanta began working on a plan that would best address her medical needs. The tumor was completely taking over the right eye and removal was the first option presented. Jill was determined to try to save the right eye and wanted to look at other options if possible. This would be trying to shrink the tumor first and give it our best attempt to save her eye. Her doctors continued to search for answers from doctors all across the country. We were sent to University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, Florida. Proton radiation is a very accurate therapy with less risk to healthy tissue and has reduced risk of complications and side effects. After her evaluation they told us to report back in a month. This was too long to wait with no treatment at all. So after returning to Atlanta, Jill began an aggressive dosage of chemo. Scary, horrible, brutal are just a few words to describe this first round of treatment!! After several hospitalizations from the side effects of chemo we were then sent back to Jacksonville. The plan was to receive 62 radiation treatments given twice a day in addition to 1 chemo treatment a week. This meant that we had to also relocate to Jacksonville for the 6-8 week treatment period. My mom, Jill and I moved to Jacksonville on May 21 with a determination to beat this. Although it was just the three of us, we never felt alone. We have an amazing group of family and friends back home who we call our prayer warriors.
Treatment thus far has definitely had many ups and downs, but we have learned quick that cancer requires you to take life one day at a time. There are times when you start to believe that treatment will kill you before the cancer does. Jill has experienced some side effects that are said to be permanent while others will hopefully be resolved after treatment is complete. Thankfully, I can report that recent scans have shown that the tumor is responding and is shrinking. All the glory is given to God for his amazing miracles!
We are in the final weeks of treatment here in Jacksonville and pray that Jill continues to show progress. We know that Jill will need eye surgery to the left eye that had initially hemorrhaged during sinus surgery. We are still unsure of other needed procedures or if more chemo will be needed. The doctors in Jacksonville have provided phenomenal medical care, and just as important hope and encouragement. For those who have gone through cancer or knows someone who has can testify that treatment is costly! Medical bills are mounting daily. My family and I are hoping to raise money to help ease this financial stress and help her continue living this precious life she has been fighting for. More important than financial support is our request for continued prayers that Jill will have complete healing. God can perform miracles! Please know we have felt the prayers of our family and friends back home and appreciate them so much. These people have been a personal gift from God and there is really no way to adequately express what encouragement and strength it has brought to our lives each day.
Sonja
Organizer and beneficiary
Sonja Chapman
Organizer
Atlanta, GA
Jill Jenkins
Beneficiary