Tina Toomey

Back in Feburary, my mom had been complaining of back pain. She dealt with it for a couple months, but eventually it was too much to handle. After several visits to her doctor's office and even emergency room visits, she was told it was her sciatica. Without any testing, the doctors just kept throwing pain pills at her to help with the pain. But, with no relief from the medicine, she decided to switch doctors and get a second opinion. This doctor decided to send her to St. Joseph's Hospital for further testing. After many invasive tests, she was told she had lung cancer. My mom is not a smoker so we were all in shock! After several days later and an MRI, it started to spread and fast. With time working against us, her husband, Joe, my sister and I got her into Moffitt. She has had radiation and her first dose of chemotherapy and still no improvement. Some days are good, some are bad, and some are just horrible. My mom is the most active person you could have met. So, to see her confined to a bed without any movement because she had lost almost all her muscles is the most heartbreaking thing ever. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend. Whatever you can give to help is appreciated but please continue to pray. Thank you and God bless.