Support for Jules Sheehan Lowy

Hello, Many of us know Julie "Jules" Sheehan Lowy, perhaps from her many years in Dorchester or maybe from her now home in Seattle. Jules is now fighting breast cancer and while that is tough enough, her contract position with Microsoft recently ended. Julie needs to complete chemo and then to have surgery in September, so getting another job right now is impossible. Realistically, she will not be able to work until the end of 2024. Jules has been a support to so many of us over the years. She is kind and has a huge heart. Let's show her some love and help her through this difficult time. Please consider donating and or sharing this to alleviate the financial burden. No amount is too small. If you would like to hear more about Julie's story, please read below.

In February 2024 Julie noticed a lump in her right armpit. She secured an appointment for 3 weeks later for a mammogram. By early March, the lump was huge. When she went in, the technician told her that she needed an ultrasound, not a mammogram. She called her doctor for a referral, but she was on vacation so another delay. She finally secured an appointment for April 16th. She and her sister saw this as "lucky" as it is her nephew Ryan's birthday. She had a biopsy and ultrasound and could tell by the faces in the room that it was suspected to be cancerous. On April 19th she got the call confirming a diagnosis of HER2 Positive breast cancer. But there's a catch: at this point they could only see it in her lymph nodes and needed to find it in the breast. An MRI soon followed, but it was not able to find the tumor. On to more tests, including a PET scan, bone scan and another CT. The PET scan found it and a treatment plan was developed. It's a doozy!

It includes:

- Six rounds of chemo every 21 days,

- Take a month to repeat to repeat tests to see if the tumors shrunk,

- Surgery (specifics TBD), with a 6-week mandatory recovery,

- Continued infusions for the rest of the yer,

- Radiation 5-days a week (half the day each day).

While Julie has had several complications, the good news is that she has a very treatable form of cancer.