Before Its Too Late ( Fighting for my Life)

As my pride has always got the best of me, asking for help from my community is hard.

But looking at my kids every day has given me the strength to ask for help and open up about my situation, fight for young women, and push life insurance classes to be added to the curriculum in high school.

My name is Stacy Putina, a 32-year-old with two children battling Stage IV Breast and Liver Cancer . I have been told I have an "up to 5 years" survival rate for my condition. Can you imagine the pain I feel inside?

My Story:

To begin, I urge every young woman to please get mammograms done. As I unfortunately never did, and now it's too late. I originally went in for a breast reduction due to severe back pain. After my surgery, I got a call that urged me to come back in due to some testing done on the tissue they removed during my reduction. Sadly, I was told that cancer cells had developed in my breast. Stuck and shocked, I couldn't believe this was happening to me. The "Are you sure?" response was probably the most ridiculous thing I could say on the phone with a doctor. Disbelief, I would say, is the best word. Looking at me, you can't even recognize I am ill because I try so hard not to look how I feel inside. Remaining strong for my girls has been my second priority after getting well.

Back in 2021, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer that then spread to my lymph nodes. Which now turned into Metastasized Breast Cancer due to the spread. I underwent a double mastectomy procedure with a deep flap to remove the Cancer from my breast area in hopes of focusing on just the lymph nodes. My next surgery, known as "Lymphadenectomy," removing cancerous lymph nodes, gave me hope.

Little did I know in 2022, I'd be in for a rude awakening. In November 2022, I got my MRI/CT, which revealed the Cancer then spread to my Liver. At this point, my heart was beating out my chest as I thought about my daughters. I was constantly asking why this was happening to me. I began to watch the way I eat and exercise more, along with taking my medication. At the beginning of 2023, everything was going so well. I got the news that my tumor had shrunk, and I was so excited. My Cancer was responding to the treatment. Somehow, although I was doing well on that treatment, I was switched to another one.

September 2023, my tumor is now 2.3cm. Then, in November 2023, it's 5cm. Growing and growing aggressively. How did I go from responding to not responding". At this point, significant changes are happening within my body (pain, Deficient energy, fatigue, nausea, sleepless nights, back pain, liver pain. You name it). But the scariest part of it all was hearing now there is activity in my spine! Wow, Cancer seems to be taking over my body. Now I'm scared and won't be here to see my babies grow up or go to prom or college. And the worst part of it all is I couldn't get life insurance because I AM ALREADY SICK. What do I do? Who knew I would get sick? Who knew the importance of life insurance coming out of high school? This topic was never discussed in my home. But I don't want to blame my mom. She was a single parent doing her best.

But what do I do about my funeral cost when I am not eligible for life insurance? How will my babies be financially supported when I am no longer here to provide for them? Every day feels like I'm defeated. I'm scared to sleep at night because I don't know if I will wake up to my girls the following day. Keeping all these emotions and information tucked in my heart has been so overwhelming for me.

The feeling of working through my sickness and pain because I have no choice has taken a toll on me and my body when I should be resting and spending more time with my daughters. My goal is to make sure my mom & sister can bury me stress-free and that my daughters' needs can be attended to without conflict.

I yearn for prayers from my community and friends. Praying warriors is one of my main goals for this fundraiser. I urge my young woman and sisters to get a mammogram even if your doctor says it's not needed at our age. I urge the school districts to incorporate life insurance classes for our seniors. I hope my story can save another life in time.

I thank GOD for giving me the courage and strength to open up and be vulnerable about my story and seek help as I've been silent for too long. I want to bring awareness to my community.

This is my story on life insurance policies, encouraging young women to get mammograms and fighting for my life.

Please, if you can donate to help assist I would greatly, wholeheartedly appreciate it.

God Bless us all.

Stacy P.