Karissa's medical care
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Our beautiful, bright, quirky, and ridiculously funny friend needs our help. For those of you who don’t know, Karissa has been faced with an incredibly difficult diagnosis. Through genetic testing, she was found to have a mutation in the CDH1 gene. A CDH1+ genetic mutation is very rare and manifests in most patients as a very aggressive diffused gastric cancer with a median onset of 38 years of age. Diffuse gastric cancer is extremely rare, occurring in 0.6 percent of the general population. However, a diagnosis of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer syndrome increases that risk to 83 percent. The average age of onset is about 38 years old, with a 4 percent survival rate and an average life span of 2 years from diagnosis. Most people with HDGC are gone by the time they are 40 years old, some much sooner. The current recommendation for CDH1+ patients is a total gastrectomy as early as possible to eliminate the opportunity for hereditary diffused gastric cancer to manifest.
A CDH1 mutation also increases the risk of lobular breast to 52 percent. Ultimately, that could mean a double mastectomy may also be in her future, but the need to address the potential of stomach cancer is more emergent.
Karissa was tested by her OBGYN initially because of her strong family history of cancer. Her grandma, Ginnie, died of cancer at age 62. Her mom, Teresa, was diagnosed with gastric cancer and sadly died when she was only 54. Karissa now knows that her mom also likely had the CDH1 mutation.
What has made this process even more difficult is that she faces a huge financial burden on top of an already terrifying diagnosis. Karissa has worked hard at building her own business as an interior designer and unfortunately pays for an insurance plan that is expensive and has been difficult to work with. They have denied coverage of her initial consult with Mayo Clinic which alone is a $1,500 expense. This is considered out of network even though she was referred by the OBGYN, surgeon, and gastroenterologist in Rapid City. Multiple subsequent referrals back to Mayo to schedule surgery have also been denied. Her insurance has a max out of pocket of $8,000 for in network procedures/office visits, which she has reached, but her max out of pocket could be an unknown amount if appeals for coverage for surgery are ultimately not allowed. At this time, Karissa has amassed a debt of more than $10,000 for in and out of network costs, plus travel to seek the advice of specialists.
The current costs and potential future costs of surgeries and surveillance are overwhelming, and doctors have told her to expect to take 8 weeks off to recover from surgery before beginning to work again on a part-time basis as her body adjusts to her new normal. We don’t want the stress of these financial burdens to weigh on her and impact her ability to take the time she needs to heal. She is already without her mom at a time when she is most scared, and she has had to let go of some of her pride and privacy to rely on help from others. No one wants to ask for money, so we are doing it for her. If able please help our beautiful friend.
A CDH1 mutation also increases the risk of lobular breast to 52 percent. Ultimately, that could mean a double mastectomy may also be in her future, but the need to address the potential of stomach cancer is more emergent.
Karissa was tested by her OBGYN initially because of her strong family history of cancer. Her grandma, Ginnie, died of cancer at age 62. Her mom, Teresa, was diagnosed with gastric cancer and sadly died when she was only 54. Karissa now knows that her mom also likely had the CDH1 mutation.
What has made this process even more difficult is that she faces a huge financial burden on top of an already terrifying diagnosis. Karissa has worked hard at building her own business as an interior designer and unfortunately pays for an insurance plan that is expensive and has been difficult to work with. They have denied coverage of her initial consult with Mayo Clinic which alone is a $1,500 expense. This is considered out of network even though she was referred by the OBGYN, surgeon, and gastroenterologist in Rapid City. Multiple subsequent referrals back to Mayo to schedule surgery have also been denied. Her insurance has a max out of pocket of $8,000 for in network procedures/office visits, which she has reached, but her max out of pocket could be an unknown amount if appeals for coverage for surgery are ultimately not allowed. At this time, Karissa has amassed a debt of more than $10,000 for in and out of network costs, plus travel to seek the advice of specialists.
The current costs and potential future costs of surgeries and surveillance are overwhelming, and doctors have told her to expect to take 8 weeks off to recover from surgery before beginning to work again on a part-time basis as her body adjusts to her new normal. We don’t want the stress of these financial burdens to weigh on her and impact her ability to take the time she needs to heal. She is already without her mom at a time when she is most scared, and she has had to let go of some of her pride and privacy to rely on help from others. No one wants to ask for money, so we are doing it for her. If able please help our beautiful friend.
Organizer
Meagen Kopp
Organizer
Rapid City, SD