Help Brenda Get Home

This is something I never in a million years thought I'd be writing...... Hello, my name is Brenda. As of late-life has given me some uneventful turn of events for the worse. Back in February 2020, I started going back and forth to the hospital for abdominal pain. After several CT scans, PAP Smear, Hysteroscopic myomectomy, I was told on 9 November 20 that I had what they thought was cancer. There was no clear diagnosis, and they needed a biopsy to be sure. After a couple of weeks of trying to wrap my head around what was being said to me and going from one hospital to another (trying to find a specific Gynecologic Oncologist) just to spend 12 days in a hospital (that does not accept my medical Insurance) endure two biopsies just to be told it's not a GYN cancer but a GI cancer of unknown origin. I went back and forth and back and forth finally got a PET Scan. Before I could be given a complete diagnosis, I ended up in the hospital on 15 January 2021. I got diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer which has spread to my ovaries, uterus, and omentum. They performed a colostomy surgery, and I'm now left with a stoma. If I must be honest with all I have gone through and continue to go through, this ileostomy is the hardest thing to adjust to.

The devastation of this news is invariable, especially when I think of my mom and all she has had to endure over the past couple of years. And my lovely granddaughters. Just to give you a little insight into the past couple of years. I'm the third oldest of 7. My mom has had to go through the loss of her second-born on 30 June 2020 from esophageal cancer. During my sister's battle, my brother (my mom's firstborn) went through the ordeal of losing his sight. And as I stated, I found out in November I was dealing with a cancer of my own. That was all in one year. Now comes 2021 and the last word on my brother is he has less than 4 months to live as he is dealing with kidney failure, liver failure, and multiple metastatic myelomas throughout his lower bones. That's a lot for an 81-year-old to have to deal with.

I am a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, auntie, niece, and cousin. I am here, and I'm fighting. With all the above going on back in the states with my family, I'm here alone without any family for support, and I truly feel alone. I am at present abroad filling in to help my family. I have not seen family for a very long time at this point (Jan 2019). I just received all the devastating news from the states and tried to deal with this cancer battle on my own.

The hospital bills are starting to come in, and it's slowly becoming an overwhelming burden. I'm hopeful I can receive some help, just a little assistance to help ease some of this burden and remove some of the stress from my life. Any donation will go a long way in helping me on my road to recovery and will be greatly appreciated to help cover the cost of urgent medical expenses tied to a cancer diagnosis. I've worked to support my family and did all I could for my sister. Now I'm here needing assistance. My family is optimistic and faithful that God is on our side through this arduous journey. I appreciate any support that you can give me at this difficult time. As I said before, writing this was never part of life's plan but, with God's strength, everyone's well wishes, and the fighter mentality that has always been within, I pray to be back home soon with the love and support of my family.

I am presently attempting to take care of obligations gathered while helping my sister, as well as all the obligations I have accumulated of my own. I need to clear these obligations and pay my way back home. Unfortunately, because of COVID and clinical costs, I have not had the option to make it home.

At present, I Am still going through chemotherapy and have a long excursion in front of me. The side effects of chemotherapy are really kicking in now, and life has become tough to navigate on my own. I never wanted to ask for financial assistance but realize we all can use a little help every now and again. I am distant from everyone else abroad, and I genuinely need her family's love, help, and support. MY prayer is to get healthy enough to get home and continue whatever treatments are required until I get the cancer-free notification.

I have unpaid medical and personal care needs. All donations will be used to cover this expense and help me get back home as soon as the doctors give me the OK to travel back to the US. Some of the costs include

- cost of 12-day hospital stay (Not covered by Insurance)

-- include the cost of Biopsies

-- include the cost of Pain Management

-- The cost of all PCR testing as I must have one before every

procedure, and they are not covered by Insurance.

- Medication not covered by the health insurance plan

- Expense of getting back to the US

- Wage replacement for when I'm back home and no longer able to work

The objective is to support and alleviate worries, anxiety, and stress financially.