Third Battle With Cancer, Please Help Amy

Hello, My name is Amy. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister and a two-time cancer survivor, currently navigating through my third cancer battle with Diffused Large B Cell Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

My first cancer diagnosis, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), came at the age of four. This diagnosis, in the 1970s, came with low survival rates, between 28-40%.

I don’t remember much from this time in my life due to my youth, but I can vividly recall endless out-of-town trips to MCV, multiple blood tests, lumbar punctures, pain and being terrified. I missed out on the opportunity to be a kid due

to medical isolation and the fear that simply playing outside could cause severe injury and bleeding. I had several side effects from my medications, including hair loss and weight gain, throughout my years of treatment. Despite what I went through, I feel it has made me a stronger person in all facets of my life, and I am incredibly blessed and grateful.

My second cancer diagnosis came forty years later, in February of 2020, during the height of the Covid pandemic. I was diagnosed with DCIS, a form of breast cancer.

This came as a complete shock, as we have no genetic family history of breast cancer. While working with my GYN, who caught the cancer, I stayed positive and hopeful, assuring myself that this was just another hoop to jump through and not a big deal.

At my first appointment, all those feelings were challenged as I listened to the treatment plan ahead: tests, surgery, radiation, PT—it all became real very quickly.

I was unsure if I would lose one or both breasts, and in March, I underwent a successful lumpectomy that allowed me to keep both. The radiation that followed was exhausting and brutal, leaving me to adjust to a new body that often resembled a burn victim-my skin charred, oozing and painful. My body was left disfigured and disproportionate, something I come to terms with each day emotionally and physically when I look in the mirror.

My third cancer diagnosis came only two months ago, almost two years to the day of being breast cancer free. My current diagnosis is Diffused Large B Cell Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. By the end of April 2022, I had multiple sore throats, hot flashes and had difficulty swallowing, talking, sleeping and even breathing. As round after round of antibiotics failed and my symptoms worsened, my PCP referred me to an ENT. In June,

I was scheduled for a biopsy and potential tonsillectomy, which quickly morphed into a week of CT and PET scans, bone marrow biopsies, lumbar punctures, echocardiograms and port placement to support chemotherapy treatments. Fortunately, my cancer is centralized in my throat and hasn’t spread anywhere else.

I am scheduled to receive six rounds of chemotherapy, one every three weeks. I have undergone two chemo treatments, each extremely long and lonely, lasting 7-8 hours each. The last medication I receive in my chemo treatment gives me debilitating headaches for up to a week and is accompanied by nausea, extreme exhaustion and “Chemo Brain.” The inability to remember things or concentrate can be frustrating, especially as I continue to work full-time as an Administrative Assistant in a busy surgery center. While I do feel fortunate that my symptoms from treatment appear mild thus far, I know that it will most likely get more challenging with time.

In an ideal situation, I would be able to focus solely on my health, caring for my needs regarding treatment and getting well. Unfortunately, I am facing rapidly depleting PTO at work, accompanied by a steady stream of bills that exceed my insurance coverage. On days when I desperately need to leave work and rest, I am unable because I need the paycheck. Because this is my third round of cancer, my treatment course is more fine-tuned and explicitly curated based on my history with previous chemo drugs. This means additional copays, blood work, MRI, injections and PET scans to ensure there are no conflicts in treatment.

Thank you for your time and for reading my story. The third time is not always a charm—but I am pushing through with bravery, grace and determination.

Thank you to my family, friends, and support team for all the continued love, prayers and support. I know I’m not alone in the journey, and I love and appreciate every one.

If able and it feels good to you, a monitory donation/gift would be greatly appreciated and will help towards treatment costs. It will afford a peace of mind that is priceless.

Thank you so much, Amy