Help Marissa Beat Cancer
Donation protected
Marissa has always been a loving and caring person, always putting others ahead of herself. So, it was a very unfortunate surprise this past March to find out she had been diagnosed with Cervical Cancer.
What started out as a routine checkup quickly turned into so much more. I remember her going in for the appointment being told that there wasn't much to worry about as her chances of having cancerous cells were less than 5%. Marissa has always been that one in a million type of woman. So, I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise to find out she was one of the 5%. But we were again told, a quick procedure would get those cancerous cells out. This time 10% chance that the cancer could be more aggressive.
In April Marissa had her first procedure, we went in early in the morning to the hospital. We met with the doctors and nurses and everyone assured us this was a routine procedure. Everything went great and her recovery was very quick. Not much can keep her away from yoga or running so I knew it was not going to be long before she was back on her feet. The very next week her doctor broke the news. While the procedure went great she was the very small percentage that had an abnormally shaped tumor and the LEEP procedure wouldn't be able to get it all. The next step was to have a procedure that would remove a larger section and remove a few lymph nodes to test. There was a PET Scan prior to the surgery to determine if the cancer had spread. The test came back negative and once again, she was told while this was a rare surgery the chances that the cancer could have spread to the lymph nodes was so small it wasn't much of a concern. I remember that morning Marissa made the comment "but I am the one in a million".
The next surgery took place in June and it was a long surgery. Recovery was tough but as always, she was more of a trooper than anyone around her. She was back on her feet and back at work as soon as she could. The dogs would have much rather preferred her to stay home at least a week longer. This time the news came a lot quicker, two days into recovery Marissa had some complications and she was back in the doctors office. The news was the toughest yet, she would need to undergo radiation, chemo, and a third surgery to stop cancer in its tracks.
This has been a long and painful process that has incurred astronoimcal medical expenses. Marissa has been so strong and more positive than most would be. She has always put everyone before herself, has always been someone that everyone else can talk to her and know that she is always listening. She needs prayers and support more than anything else. However, the financial burden that this diagnosis carries has been weighing heavy on her. Any money donated that goes above her medical bills will be donated to a charity of her choice that supports women going through Cervical Cancer.
What started out as a routine checkup quickly turned into so much more. I remember her going in for the appointment being told that there wasn't much to worry about as her chances of having cancerous cells were less than 5%. Marissa has always been that one in a million type of woman. So, I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise to find out she was one of the 5%. But we were again told, a quick procedure would get those cancerous cells out. This time 10% chance that the cancer could be more aggressive.
In April Marissa had her first procedure, we went in early in the morning to the hospital. We met with the doctors and nurses and everyone assured us this was a routine procedure. Everything went great and her recovery was very quick. Not much can keep her away from yoga or running so I knew it was not going to be long before she was back on her feet. The very next week her doctor broke the news. While the procedure went great she was the very small percentage that had an abnormally shaped tumor and the LEEP procedure wouldn't be able to get it all. The next step was to have a procedure that would remove a larger section and remove a few lymph nodes to test. There was a PET Scan prior to the surgery to determine if the cancer had spread. The test came back negative and once again, she was told while this was a rare surgery the chances that the cancer could have spread to the lymph nodes was so small it wasn't much of a concern. I remember that morning Marissa made the comment "but I am the one in a million".
The next surgery took place in June and it was a long surgery. Recovery was tough but as always, she was more of a trooper than anyone around her. She was back on her feet and back at work as soon as she could. The dogs would have much rather preferred her to stay home at least a week longer. This time the news came a lot quicker, two days into recovery Marissa had some complications and she was back in the doctors office. The news was the toughest yet, she would need to undergo radiation, chemo, and a third surgery to stop cancer in its tracks.
This has been a long and painful process that has incurred astronoimcal medical expenses. Marissa has been so strong and more positive than most would be. She has always put everyone before herself, has always been someone that everyone else can talk to her and know that she is always listening. She needs prayers and support more than anything else. However, the financial burden that this diagnosis carries has been weighing heavy on her. Any money donated that goes above her medical bills will be donated to a charity of her choice that supports women going through Cervical Cancer.
Organizer and beneficiary
Keegan Malone
Organizer
Lakewood, CO
Marissa Longo
Beneficiary