Support Kim Andis

Kim is 45 years old, married for 26 years to her high school sweetheart Blake Andis, and mother to Dylan and Kori Andis. Kim found out she had lung cancer in September 2013. Her two aunts Nineen Boyd and Teresa Dupuis also found out they had cancer in June 2013. Based on Teresa’s Doctors advice, Kim and her sister Michelle Thayer went and had a calcium score x ray and this is how a lung mass was discovered in Kim’s left upper lobe. A biopsy was done thru her nose and the results came back negative and she was treated for pneumonia. After about a month another x ray was performed and the mass was still in the lung. A needle biopsy was performed and was positive for cancer. Surgery was scheduled to remove her left lung at The University of Virginia by Doctor Ben Kozower. The surgery was performed removing the left lung and all limp nodes that could be found. Dr. Kozower explained in the follow-up visit that the tumor had spread to one positive lymph node and it was a very unique cancer. Dr. Kozower discussed the tumor with Teresa’s doctor in Boston at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Doctor Geoffrey Oxnard at the Dana Farber Institute advised Doctor Kozower of the rare inherited mutant gene T790M that was currently found in Kim’s family. Kim’s grandmother had passed away of cancer at an early age of 54 with the mutant gene cancer. While Kim was in recovery her aunt Nineen Boyd passed away from complications associated with the cancer leaving two children Alan and Jason Boyd. Doctor Kozower discussed this type of cancer with other doctors at UVA to study this type of cancer. After returning to Abingdon Kim went thru cocktails of chemotherapy treatments from local Oncologist Dr. Tim Davis. Chemotherapy is very poisoning to the body attacking good and bad cells and making the person very sick for days at a time. After the treatments CT scans were performed and all showed up negative for any cancer. In August 2014 Kim’s Sister Michelle Thayer fell in their garage after a rain and had to go to doctor and that is when they discovered Michelle had liver cancer. Michelle went thru several months of chemotherapy treatments with the first test showing positive results and the second scans showing poor results. Kim and Michelle’s mother Josie Tweed Nunley was a carrier of the T790M mutant gene. Josie was constantly struggling with the thought of passing these cancer genes on to her children. Josie was hospitalized for an intestinal issue and emergency surgery had to be performed and she passed away due to surgery complication in December 2014. Michelle discovered her cancer developed from her gall bladder after doctors said the liver was always a secondary site. Michelle and husband Kevin traveled to Cancer Centers of America and they advised they couldn’t do anything more than her current doctors were doing. Michelle passed away in March 2015. Kim’s Aunt Teresa Dupuis passed away in December 2015 due to cancer.
After several years of getting CT scans with negative results for cancer Kim thought she had the cancer beat. In winter of 2015 Kim developed a chronic cough and x rays and CT scans were performed with negative cancer results. She was treated for allergies and asthma and eventually her voice seemed to be very hoarse. Kim is a Board member of the Washington County Virginia Cancer Outreach Board and while attending a meeting in May she talked to Doctor Swann and Doctor Tisdale. Both Doctors were concerned with her voice and asked about her treatment. Doctor Tisdale immediately advised she needed to have a PET scan performed. On May 12, 2016 Kim and Blake (Their 26th wedding anniversary) went to Johnston Memorial Hospital and had a PET scan performed. They were not really concerned because Kim had not had any pain or symptoms and had a CT scan just three weeks prior to scan. Doctor Emory Robinette called both in to his office with the news the cancer had returned. The PET scan showed 7 spots of cancer. The breastbone, shoulder blade, sixth rib, lymph nodes, and the right femur were positive. Doctor Robinette scheduled a visit with Doctor Davis to discuss option for treatment. Doctor Davis recommended after talking with Doctor Oxnard a new drug called “Tagrisso”. Tagrisso was a new mutant gene blocker that was released by the FDA in November 2015 and is about $500.00 per pill and is to be taken by the patient one per day. Doctor Davis also recommended radiation treatment to the femur but in looking at scan would probably have to get a pin placed in bone since cancer had ate about 80% thru making it very fragile to breakage. After visiting a local orthopedic doctor they recommended treatment by a university as a hip replacement not a pin. Doctor Tisdale recommended Doctor Foster at Virginia Commonwealth University because he was an Oncologist/Orthopedic specialist.
The family traveled to Richmond to meet Doctor Foster and get advice on surgery and treatment. Doctor Foster recommended a full hip replacement to get rid of tumor and replace femur joint were bone was deteriorated. Surgery was performed with a full hip replacement and the surgery went great. Kim was up and walking the next morning after surgery and was able to return home after three days. After three weeks she is able to walk without any assistance on her own. Kim started Radiation treatments on July 6, 2016 and is currently going thru treatments.
Kim is a strong Christian and always puts others first, helping others any way she can. She continues to work as an office manager at Abingdon Internal Medicine, volunteer for various events, serve as Board member for Cancer Outreach Foundation, and enjoys sharing her story of how Christ has helped her in this war on cancer to others.  Your Support for her and her family would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you and God Bless.