Help Melissa Fight Cancer
Donation protected
On December 2, I was diagnosed with uterine cancer -- or uterine adenocarcinoma, to be specific.
Earlier in November, I had a surgical procedure to remove problematic tissue from my uterus, possibly caused by PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). This tissue had built up to the point of causing me severe pain and cramping at least one day a week. With a pre-op ultrasound, they found that the problem was bigger than just tissue -- an entire tumor had developed. During the procedure, a sample was taken, examined and flagged as cancerous and appeared to be advanced.
The next step is a full hysterectomy. We are hoping, praying and wishing to schedule this VERY SOON! Possibly before Christmas. Until this procedure is done, we will not know how advanced the cancer has gotten. This particular cancer can spread to lymphnodes and other organs outside of the reproductive system (sometimes even the lungs). The surgeon may have to do further cancer removal on the spot, and chemotherapy may be involved later on.
Because there is a risk that the cancer has spread, they cannot do this procedure transvaginally (a noninvasive procedure going through the vagina) but rather they'll have to make a vertical incision through my abdomen. This could put me out of work for a while. The recommended hospital stay is two nights and a leave of absence from work for six weeks. While I do not lift heavy items or things of that nature, I do sit for very long hours and this will be painful in the first several weeks.
While I do have insurance and disability coverage (hooray!), I still have a hefty deductible that has not yet been met (after what I've contributed for my first procedure, it's still around $2100 that I will have to pay upfront, out-of-pocket, and very soon), along with several doctors visits before and after the surgery, whose co-pays I will have to personally cover (usually $50 per visit) that do not count toward my deductible. There is also a possibility that I will have to miss two weeks of pay directly following my surgery, before disability coverage kicks in.
This whole thing has been a devastating surprise and I am just not prepared financially. I know that money is tight right now for a lot of folks during the holidays, but if you could donate even just a few bucks, it would mean the world to me, my husband and our families!
Any donations will go straight to my cancer care, which will include:
- pre-op CT scan
- hysterectomy surgery
- two-night hospital stay
- possible income loss during leave of absence
- prescriptions
- co-pays for future doctors visits & tests
- possible chemotherapy & future procedures
Thank you for considering my campaign. Hopefully we can get this cancer gone and done with!
Earlier in November, I had a surgical procedure to remove problematic tissue from my uterus, possibly caused by PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). This tissue had built up to the point of causing me severe pain and cramping at least one day a week. With a pre-op ultrasound, they found that the problem was bigger than just tissue -- an entire tumor had developed. During the procedure, a sample was taken, examined and flagged as cancerous and appeared to be advanced.
The next step is a full hysterectomy. We are hoping, praying and wishing to schedule this VERY SOON! Possibly before Christmas. Until this procedure is done, we will not know how advanced the cancer has gotten. This particular cancer can spread to lymphnodes and other organs outside of the reproductive system (sometimes even the lungs). The surgeon may have to do further cancer removal on the spot, and chemotherapy may be involved later on.
Because there is a risk that the cancer has spread, they cannot do this procedure transvaginally (a noninvasive procedure going through the vagina) but rather they'll have to make a vertical incision through my abdomen. This could put me out of work for a while. The recommended hospital stay is two nights and a leave of absence from work for six weeks. While I do not lift heavy items or things of that nature, I do sit for very long hours and this will be painful in the first several weeks.
While I do have insurance and disability coverage (hooray!), I still have a hefty deductible that has not yet been met (after what I've contributed for my first procedure, it's still around $2100 that I will have to pay upfront, out-of-pocket, and very soon), along with several doctors visits before and after the surgery, whose co-pays I will have to personally cover (usually $50 per visit) that do not count toward my deductible. There is also a possibility that I will have to miss two weeks of pay directly following my surgery, before disability coverage kicks in.
This whole thing has been a devastating surprise and I am just not prepared financially. I know that money is tight right now for a lot of folks during the holidays, but if you could donate even just a few bucks, it would mean the world to me, my husband and our families!
Any donations will go straight to my cancer care, which will include:
- pre-op CT scan
- hysterectomy surgery
- two-night hospital stay
- possible income loss during leave of absence
- prescriptions
- co-pays for future doctors visits & tests
- possible chemotherapy & future procedures
Thank you for considering my campaign. Hopefully we can get this cancer gone and done with!
Organizer
Melissa Rutledge
Organizer
Rome, GA