Help Judi Beat Cancer

Hi-

My name is Darcie and this is my husband, Kurt. I have a friend that I have known since I was tiny who is going through a battle with a deadly form of cancer called Stage 4 Billiary Adenocarcenoma. That friend is Judi Leavenworth.


Judi has already traveled once to Seattle for a surgery and she is looking at having to go back to Seattle for another, even more expensive surgery. Her husband takes time off of his work to travel with her and help out.

I've started this campaign to help Judi and her husband with some of the expenses involved in her treatment and the miraculous surgery called HIPEC. But before I go into that, let me give you a little history on Judi.

Judi has been a part of my life for so long, she is like a second mother to me, or a wise friend and advisor.

Judi's struggle began in 2011 when she had to have her gallbladder removed. She was very sick at the time and during the surgery, her gallbladder basically fell apart as they were removing it. We think that is when something horrible was let loose inside of her. Something that eventually grew into cancer.

The symptoms started almost right away, with trips to the emergency room in pain and all sorts of tests and biopsies. The doctors discovered a few small cysts on Judi's liver through one of their tests. These cysts were not there before the surgery. We were all thankful that the cysts were benign. But still, it was troubling that the cysts continued to grow in size and multiply in number all across the top of her liver as the doctors watched over the next couple of years.


Then, in Dec 2014, the surgeon told Judi that she would need another surgery. Her CA 19-9 tumor marker had shot up to 52, well above the normal of 37 or below. This news did not make Judi very happy, in fact she cried for a while and then decided to get a second opinion. That's how she ended up at Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle.

Judi traveled to Seattle in June to meet with the surgical team and to have some tests. The tests showed a huge mass of tumors on Judi's ovaries and uterus that the doctors in Boise had completely missed.

They made a plan was to operate to remove the tumor, the uterus and ovaries and to remove all the cysts from her liver at the same time. It was going to require 3 surgeons to complete. As it turned out, only one got her turn to operate.

Judi had her surgery in Seattle on August 7, 2015. The surgical team worked over 6 hours to extricate the tumor from around her organs. They found the cancer during this surgery. Because of the cancer they decided not to disturb the liver so the cysts are still on her liver.

She had a hysterectomy and also they removed her appendix. The surgeon said the operation took 2 hours longer than it should have because of the extent of the disease.


After a week in the hospital (during which Willie slept on a chair beside Judi's bed), Judi and Willie went to a motel room to wait for her follow up appointment.  A week later, she got the staples removed from her incision and came back to Boise to have chemo. She is determined to fight this cancer with all she has.

Judi's last chemo is Nov 27 and on Dec 8th she will have another test to see how well the chemo worked. At that time, the hope is that she will be well enough to undergo a miraculous operation called HIPEC where they pump heated chemo chemicals around inside her abdomen for a few hours to kill all of the microscopic cancer cells that are left inside of her.


This is a video of Dotor Ong at Swedish Hospital in Seattle talking about the HIPEC procedure. Dr Ong is the surgeon who would perform the HIPEC operation.

If Judi can have this surgery, it can save her life like it did for 2 of my other friends who had the same procedure.  

Judi is going to need our help, no matter what size donation, to cover the costs of travel and lodging while in Seattle for the HIPEC surgery.  She told me that she also has a large $1500.00 bill for medication that insurance won't cover.  

Let's make this one less thing that Judi and Willie have to worry about. Please hit the donate above to give whatever you can.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Darcie Faye Shetler
Peace!

P.S.  Be sure to Comment, Share and Like, too!  This helps us spread the word.




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