Sunday, June 5, 2011

She's Back!

It's been more than six months since I last posted on Cancer Banter. If anyone is still reading, you may have assumed one of three things: I was a) dead b) alive but sickly or c) alive and well.

I'm happy to report that the answer is "c," alive and well. After a year of non-stop colds, flus and pneumonia, punctuated with stomach ailments and plummeting weight, and culminating in a fractured hip and the death of my father, I'm back. Back to my goal weight, back to my old (before cancer) energy level and as close to feeling as "normal" as it gets.

But enough about me.

I'd like to introduce you to Jeanne, the Assertive Cancer Patient. She's taught me how to be assertive without being obnoxious, how to be your own best advocate, how to question everyone and everything, how to make arrangements for your own end-of-life hospice care and, most important, how to embrace life whether you have six months or sixty years to live. I'm proud to count her as a friend.

Jeanne has incurable, metastatic breast cancer. A year ago she and her doctors concluded that she had come to the end of her treatment options. That's a euphemism for "that's all folks." Enter T-DM1 - a miraculous new drug available in a clinical trial. Jeanne was lucky enough (or perhaps plucky enough) to enroll in the trial and, for the first time in more than a dozen years, is in remission.

But here's the catch. Jeanne must travel from Seattle to Southern California every three weeks to participate in the clinical trial at a hospital in Highlands. The travel schedule has taken a toll on her physically, emotionally and financially.

The drug will be available at a clinic near Jeanne in September, but, in the meantime, she must make four more trips to Southern Cal to receive this life-extending drug. She has managed to raise more than $3,200 in the last few weeks, but she needs just a few hundred dollars more to finance the trips.

Can you spare $10, $20 or more to help make this happen? She's fought for and won the privilege of staying in the trial. She's fought for and won the ability to receive the drug in Seattle in September. Let's not let her have to fight to raise the money necessary for travel expenses.

Click HERE to contribute to Jeanne's Travel Fund.

For every $20 donated, you will be eligible for a drawing for this beautiful Chinese swan necklace created by Jeanne.

15 comments:

Ann said...

I've been missing your writing. So happy to have you back.

baginskic said...

Awesome PTL!
Chris B.

Nelle said...

So happy to read your entry and that you are "c". :) Of course I will be happy to contribute for this plucky woman Jeanne. Her name will be added to my prayer list as well. Welcome back!

JennyB said...

Welcome back. I have looked at your blog numerous times wondering how you were. I am relieved to read you are going ok despite all the setbacks you have incurred since last writing.
Can someone from Australia donate money and if so, how?
Cheers, Jen xx

Susan C said...

Thanks, Ann. Nice to hear from you, Chris.

Nelle and Jen, I've fixed the link.
Just go to Jeanne's link (HERE on the post) and scroll down to the donate button.

Jen, do you feel comfortable using Paypal?

The Food Librarian said...

So glad to hear you are back and doing so well! I just donated to your friend. Plucky people rock.

Ronni Gordon said...

Welcome back. I missed you! How did you meet Jeanne? We actually corresponded a ways back about something...can't remember what.

Ronni Gordon said...

Welcome back. I missed you! How did you meet Jeanne? We actually corresponded a ways back about something...can't remember what.

Nancy said...

Gives new meaning to "I'll be Back!" So glad you are back. People ask me about you all the time, and quite frankly, I didn't know what to say to them...until today. Thanks for blogging. Glad you are well Susan. I've been so concerned about you. When you said you had "patient fatigue," you really meant it!!

Keep blogging girlfriend. I will definitely support Jeanne. Take care... see you soon? love ya, n

Nancy said...

Gives new meaning to "I'll be Back!" So glad you are back. People ask me about you all the time, and quite frankly, I didn't know what to say to them...until today. Thanks for blogging. Glad you are well Susan. I've been so concerned about you. When you said you had "patient fatigue," you really meant it!!

Keep blogging girlfriend. I will definitely support Jeanne. Take care... see you soon? love ya, n

Unknown said...

Love your pithy, clever writing style. So glad you're back!

Susan C said...

Mary, Thanks for your good wishes and for your donation.

And thanks, Ronni and Dustin, for the welcome back. It's nice to be missed.

CateRDH said...

Hi Susan.

Thank you so much for sharing your stories. What an inspiration. :) Sometimes, people who write blogs don't even know the effect they have on others. So I just thought I'd mention that.

I also have a quick question for you. I'm asking permission to use your image of your Hickman Line in a freely accessible (i.e., free) mini online lesson I'm developing to help people learn about oral cancer and about how to conduct an oral self-exam. Your image of the Hickman line is the best I've seen, so I'd like to include it (with proper acknowledgement, of course). Please let me know if I should contact you privately to submit my request.

Thank you for your time and your consideration.

Kind Regards...and keep blogging. :)
Cheers.
Cate G. (Ontario)

Susan C said...

Nancy, didn't mean to ignore you! Thanks so much for your support of me and Jeanne.

Cate, by all means use the picture. Could you send me a link when the video is done?

Atlanta plastic surgery said...

Very pleasant news of both of you.I can imagine the spirit that it needs to survive the pains that must have touched you...but this disease is all about testing your patience and level of pain.