Denise’s Story

My name is Denise. I live in Spring, Texas – about 25 miles north of Houston, straight up I-45.

I’m 49 years old, single, no children. Two dogs, one cat. I rent a house that I have called home for 15yrs. I own my 2001 Ford Explorer and have all the required coverage and maintenance up to date. I am a responsible person.

I have no partner – he was gone soon after the diagnosis. I have no financial assistance… I pretty much live paycheck-to-paycheck. Like so many others…

I’m a temp office worker, an Admin, aka secretary, for a major oil company, THE Major Oil Company, in Houston, Texas; I work Monday – Friday, 8:30 – 5:30. I’m one of the “worker bees”.

I have Family and Friends who I am blessed to have in my life. I am truly fortunate to have the friendship, love and support of my Family and Friends.

I’ve been diagnosed with Infiltrating Ductile Carcinoma. An Invasive Breast Cancer. I was treated for over a year as mastitis and then a “staph infection”, which allowed the cancer to grow and spread throughout my body – to metastasize. I currently have been diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer and am awaiting the results for metastatic liver cancer. I will be undergoing a head/brain scan to evaluate the possibility of metastatic brain cancer.

My medical outlook is not good. I am trying to maintain a positive mental and emotional outlook, but sometimes it’s difficult.

My Mom is a 26-yr breast cancer survivor. A Survivor. Bi-lateral Infiltrating Ductile Carcinoma – the same cancer. She was diagnosed early, had surgery and radiation and recovered with minimal problems. She is currently healthy and living in Corpus Christi, Texas.

We knew there was a strong chance this would happen, that this cancer would find me… though I didn’t want to believe it, didn’t want to think it would. Hoped that I would be fortunate and escape it. Not so lucky.

Also thought my Doctor – a Breast Disease Specialist – would make knowledgeable and appropriate suggestions and decisions regarding my treatment.  Again – Not So Lucky.

I’ve made some bad decisions in my life (not finishing college, choosing the “wrong” man, always looking for that “better” job), but – for the most part – I’ve paid my own way through my adult years.

I know I won’t be able to pay my way out of this one.

I have no health insurance.

I’m scared, ice water scared, but I believe I can beat this. I’ll be working at my job as much as I can through all of this, but I know I’ll miss days and that will result in missed pay. Missed pay is missed resources to get me through this. I’m told I’ll need chemo, mastectomy surgery and radiation. I haven’t even considered reconstruction yet…

I do not qualify for any government assistance programs, unless I want to quit my job and go on welfare. I don’t want to do that, I depend on the spiritual and emotional support of my friends at work, and I need to work to keep from going stir crazy. I asked the government for a little help, with no luck – it is “all or nothing”. I won’t qualify for Medicare for 2 years – even with my condition! That’s not fair. Life is not fair.

Its gonna be a struggle to survive.

I don’t want to die. I Want To Live. Except I don’t have the insurance, and I don’t have the money. It’s going to be a tough fight, I know. Tougher than anything I have ever done.

I Will Do By Best To Be Up To It.

Now is not the time for pride. Now is the time to hold my head up and look eye-to-eye and ask for help. I am here asking for help. I need all the help I can get – spiritually, emotionally, physically and – yes – financially.

I am more scared than I have ever been…

But I Do Not Want To Die.

Please consider donating directly to my cause, there’s a “Donate” button located on my front page (http://TeamDenise.org/)

Please donate a dollar… heck, if you feel like it, donate a few dollars!

Please help me survive.

My Homepage and Blog:  http://teamdenise.org/

Because I’m asking for help, I’m being very open about the finances and keeping my budget info here:
http://teamdenise.org/budget/expenses/

UPDATES:

April 15 2009
Tumor Marker Baseline – My oncologist never did a baseline test for my Tumor Markers, so Burzynski Clinic did them for me.

April 27 2009
Good News!

“It Does NOT appear that the cancer has spread to my liver!!  YAY!!!

With That said, they feel pretty confident that it has Not spread to my brain.  I will still feel better with test results in-hand.  That will come in several weeks (a month+?), after the chemo has had a chance to leave my body and we see if the headaches, nausea and dizziness can be attributed to chemo or maybe more.  Hope not more.  More would not be good.

It still appears to be in my bones.  That has not changed.  But “only the bones” is less than we thought, and that is something good to hold on to.

I am officially a stage 3b metastatic breast cancer.

May 01 2009
I have decided that the current path (chemo) is not the path I should be on.  I am investigating a controversial, alternative therapy offered by a local (Houston) Doctor (Dr. Stansilaw Burzynski).  This therapy is very expensive, but since I don’t have insurance, it will be about the same cost for me as the chemo / surgery / radiation / surgery path I was previously on.  The treatments are not as destructive as chemo, and there is a Possibility of a lesser surgery.

May 10 2009
I have officially made the decision to stop further chemo and pursue treatment at The Burzynski Clinic.

May 12 2009
I have started treatments at The Burzynski Clinic

June 03 2009
Tumor Marker Test #2 – Good Results!

July 07 2009
Tumor Marker Test #3 – GREAT Results!

August 15 2009
PET/CT #3 & Bone #1 Results – AWESOME!

September 02 2009
Tumor Marker Test #4 – Results Still Looking Great!

Added September 21 2009
My medication costs approximately $14,000 per month.  With Patient Assistance Programs that the drug companies offer, I have been able to get this amount reduced to $4,600 per month – still a Huge amount for me.  To date, I have been able to cover expenses with savings, fundraising and donations from family, friends and generous “strangers”.  My Dear Friends, Christine & Rob are hosting this website for me.  We figure if 150,000 people would donate $1 each, then my treatment, mastectomy and radiation will (Hopefully) be covered.  After that, I can think about fundraising for reconstruction, which would be kinda nice.

So – PLEASE pass my story and website along.

This page updated as needed!