Hi! My name is Carol, and I am a disciple of Jesus Christ! In February 2022, I relocated back to Columbia, Maryland after living in New York City for 27 years to be close to my adult children and two wonderful grandchildren. It was at the height of COVID-19 and the densely populated city that I love began to suffocate me, and I felt isolated and alone. When I arrived, I had a new contract job waiting for me with the help of a niece. I bought a car and it felt great to be mobile, not sharing crowded subway trains with strangers. And eventually I moved into a town home, and I am very happy living alone.
On August 17, my happy life was turned upside down when I discovered a large lump at the top of my right breast. I was putting on my bathing suit to go swimming with my grandchildren, and my left hand ran across the top of the lump as I pulled up the right strap on my bathing suit. I immediately knew something was wrong! I applied for health insurance coverage with the State of Maryland’s Affordable Health Care program, and when it went into effect on September 2, I began my search for doctors that specialize in breast cancer. My mother succumbed to Stage IV breast cancer that metastasized in 2014, so I knew firsthand what was ahead of me.
After finally getting appointments with various specialists to be seen in October, I was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer on November 22, 2022. It was the shock of my life because my mother’s breast cancer was not hereditary, and I am a pescatarian and try to live a clean, plant-based lifestyle. On March 1, 2023, I had an eight-hour surgery for a single mastectomy on my right breast, which included a DEIP Flap surgery, to reconstruct my breast using skin, tissue, and nerves from my abdomen, and the surgery went very well. On June 23, I had a second surgery to reconstruct my left breast to match my right breast, and that surgery also went very well. I did not need chemotherapy or radiation because the cancer did not metastasize to my lymph nodes or perimeter of the tissue that was removed, and I am very blessed!! I give myself Mistletoe immunotherapy subcutaneous injections every two days, and I must pay for my seven-day supply myself because my insurance will not cover them.
In April, I became unemployed, and I am waiting to start a new job for a nonprofit that supports people and their families that have been affected by cancer. The only income that I have is my Social Security benefit, which is not enough to cover my monthly expenses, and I need to pay my car payment for April and May, my rent for May, and purchase 3-4 boxes of Mistletoe ampules, which I have not been able to administer to myself because I finished what I had nearly two weeks ago, which is not good for my immune system. I sincerely will appreciate your help, and for blessing my temporary needs because I do not want to fall behind on my immediate bills. Unfortunately, my children are not able to assist me with the amount that I need, which is why I am seeking help through crowdsourcing. I was told about this platform by my patient advocate at Believe Big (www.believebig.org), a nonprofit organization that also supports people and their families that have been affected by cancer. The organization gave me a one-time grant post my surgeries, which I used to pay my doctor’s concierge fee and purchase Mistletoe ampules, but I do not qualify for additional grants.
Where I live, I see a variety of beautiful trees, lots of greenery, a beautiful clear blue sky, bright sunshine days (I love cloudy days and the rain, too!), deer, fox, and bunny rabbits. And I enjoy watching the birds eat from my bird feeders, and the squirrels collect the shelled peanuts that I feed them. These simple things are what my mind, body and soul crave!! Recently, I became an elected Board member for the town center community association where I live, and I feel blessed to be connected to a wonderful family environment, and to be able to give back to others.
Thank you for your gift, and I pray that God will bless you abundantly because you helped me. And I will share your benevolence with Believe Big and my network of people whose lives are being affected by some form of cancer. And I ask that you pray over my campaign. Amen. 😊