My sister, Ashley Ice, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in November 2018. The radical hysterectomy was done in December at age 35 (luckily they have one awesome child). After she was healed enough from that surgery they started external radiation (5 days a week for 6.5 weeks) and round one of chemo (1 day a week for 6.5 weeks) in Feb 2019. When the tumor was not reacting the way the oncologist wanted, they added some internal radiation (very painful, luckily only had to do it twice). After all the radiation and the first round of chemo was finished they did round two of chemo which was 4 cycles every three weeks, once a week of a much stronger chemo. With all this treatment comes side effects such as hearing loss, nephropathy in her feet, and the list of issues from her auto immune flare ups (Rheumatoid arthritis, Sarcoidosis, and HS). After the treatments ended on June 28th she still had to get some blood transfusions and electrolyte replacement therapy. Her PET scan in Sept shows some enlarged lymph nodes in the cervical area but the oncologist thinks we can just watch it and that the cervical cancer is gone in that area. Woo Hoo! However, the ENT will be doing a biopsy Sept 25th to see if the glowing lymph nodes in the neck are the cancer spreading or just something we need to watch.
      Ashley was unable to work thought this process. She is a registered nurse, working the past 18 years at Mon General. Unfortunately, she ran out of FMLA and Mon General had to let her go which means she lost her medical insurance too. Between the cobra cost ($1,200 a month for just Ashley, her husband and son are not insured), mortgage, vehicle payment, utilities, and medical bills the debt is piling up. Ashley's long term disability payment (last one in Sept), her husbands income, and generous friend and family donations have kept them going but they could really use our help with the ever growing pile of bills.