Lindsay vs Cancer

Hello Beautiful People!

My name is Lindsay and I LOVE life, I love life so much that I will do whatever it takes to stay healthy and alive.

In Jan 2023 at the age of 44 I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Stage 3 means the cancer spread to my nearby lymph nodes, thankfully at the time no where else in my body. Triple Negative Breast Cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer accounting for 10-20% of all breast cancers. The cancer tends to grow and spread quickly, although it can respond well to chemotherapy it has a high risk of coming back within 5 years of treatment.

On Feb 14 I started Chemotherapy (how romantic right) I completed 12 weekly chemo infusions along with Immunotherapy Infusions every 3 weeks followed up with 4 more chemo infusions every 3 weeks.

I tolerated chemo very well and on July 14 I got to ring the bell! 3 weeks later on Aug 3 I had a double mastectomy. Surgery was a success as far as clear margins. Unfortunately I only had a partial response to the chemotherapy and there was a lot of residual disease.I recovered quickly from my surgery and was able to enjoy the end of summer before starting my radiation Oct 10. Treatment was coming to an end and I was feeling really good. I was looking forward to the new year and getting back to work.

My oncologist scheduled a routine CT scan on Oct 27 (the first scan I had since Feb 1 ) I felt positive the scan would be clear but I also knew in the back of my mind it was possible for the cancer to spread even during treatment. Radiation was 5 days a week for 6 weeks so at that point I was about 3 weeks in and starting to get worn out. 

I got my results of the CT scan on Nov 2. The scan showed at least one spot on my liver and some thickening in my abdominal wall. I was in total shock. I didn't want to believe this could be true. Was this a mistake? Was this just damage on my liver from the chemotherapy? Did my cancer actually spread during treatment?! So many questions and so much FEAR. My Oncologist scheduled a liver biopsy on Nov 20 and it came back positive for breast cancer. I was now officially stage 4 Metastatic breast cancer.

I needed a PET scan so I could start treatment right away. A PET scan shows a lot more detail and this time they would also scan my entire body head to toe. It was scheduled for Jan 8 2024. Way too long a wait and not acceptable to me! I spoke up and advocated for myself and was able to get my scan on Dec 13. I got my results the next day, the scan showed at least 5 spots on my liver, as well as some in my stomach area. This news was just devastating and although I already knew it had spread, hearing these results was a hard slap in the face.

That week was the hardest week since this cancer “journey” started. My world felt like it was crumbling. My husband, family and friends were devastated. I was so positive through out the whole year, I never dwelled in the negative and I certainly did not spend time thinking about death. That week I thought a lot about death and dying. There was a lot of tears shed and sleeping pills popped. After a week of feelings and emotions I can not explain I got myself together. I can't give up now. I was ready to get back in the ring. Lindsay vs Cancer! I LOVE life! I want to live! This cancer may be aggressive but so am I!

Thankfully for me I have the most loving and supportive husband, family and friends one could hope for. My husband Dean is relentless and always researching every single day for the last year. We learn something new everyday. We have learned that conventional medicine is not enough, chemo is not enough, radiation is not enough. We have learned that we have to do absolutely everything in our power to fight this cancer and put it into remission so I can keep living and loving.

I continue to take care of myself through exercise when I can, diet and supplementation/vitamins but it's not enough. The chemo pills I am on right now are really hard on my stomach and I am struggling. Right now the cancer itself is not making me sick, the treatment is making me sick. I need to do everything within my power to stop this cancer and take control of it before it takes control of me.

Currently I am on a strict cancer fighting diet and working with a naturopath. There are many proven integrative therapies that can help with side effects, boosting immune system, quality of life and work synergistically with chemo to kill cancer cells. Some of these treatments are high dose IV vit C and injections of mistletoe. Unfortunately these treatments can cost more than $1000 a month. After a year of fighting cancer and being off work I am now only earning 60% of my wages on LTD through my employer. Money and savings are running low. But my will to live and fight this cancer stays stronger than ever.

I couldn't tell you the amount of times this year I have heard the words "If there is anything I can do for you let me know" up until this point I have never ask for anything. I have been so thankful just to have love and support. This time I am asking.

I need to do everything I possibly can to fight this aggressive cancer. I need to do as much as I can now while I am healthy and strong enough to do it. I truly believe in what I am doing and I believe I can put this cancer into remission.

I am asking, if you are able to give a financial donation it would mean more than you could ever know. If you can't afford to give, I completely understand and I would be so appreciative if you could share this on social media, with family, friends or anyone you know who might being able to help.

All funds will go directly to paying for integrative therapies with my naturopath and to purchase my supplements. I will give updates to my treatments and what the money is being used for. I just started my 3rd cycle of my chemo pills on Jan 29th and next week on Feb 5th I will meet with my naturopath to  plan our next steps. If anyone has any questions or would like to learn more about me or my treatments please feel free to message me.  

With love,

Lindsay