Hello,
My name is Crystal. In March of 2024, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer that is aggressive due to a genetic mutation I have. With the BRCA2 mutation, I am also at high risk for ovarian and pancreatic cancers. The options that were given to me were chemotherapy for 6 months, bilateral mastectomy (removal of my breast) and reconstruction, radiation, chemo again, possibly removal of my ovaries, and periodic monitoring of my pancreas.
Thoughts of how chemo will affect my body and kill off healthy cells while killing off cancer cells scares me and not being able to feel my breast anymore is something I still can’t comprehend. I am mentally taxed with emotions surrounding this process and am currently taking time off from work to take the necessary steps for treatment and get a second opinion.
When researching ways to treat triple-positive breast cancer I started to see different places that can treat cancer by directly killing the cancer cells, using immunotherapy to help the immune system recognize and kill cancer cells, and testing is done to help find the underlying cause(s) of the gene expression that made it become cancerous and treat those root causes. The facility I chose is Sunridge Medical.
Receiving integrative cancer treatments will take about 2-months, depending on how my body is responding to the treatments, and will be building my body up to fight the cancer and if I choose the first option the process is about 1 1/2 years and will be full of sickness, pain, feeling helpless, and a lifetime of trying to process the emotions surrounding it all. I cook for a living and I would have to take 1 – 1 1/2 years off from work which will sorely hurt my ability to pay all my bills and take care of my son.
I am rallying as much help and support as I can to help with the process of getting this integrative treatment and I still need some help. The treatment process costs around $104,000 for the 2 months of treatment and is 6/days a week. I live in Northern California and will have to travel down to Phoenix, Arizona for treatment. I would greatly appreciate any help that is given, thank you.