Hi, my name is Angi and I am a single, unemployed mother of two beautiful children. I work for my parent’s company half day to assist in their office. I was a teacher, but because of my journey with cancer, I had to resign due to going for chemotherapy and moving back to my parents as they assisted me with my little ones.
Here is my cancer journey to date:
May 2015, I felt 4 lumps in my breast, but I was having marital problems so chose to ignore them. I eventually got divorced in November 2015 and was diagnosed with cancer in March 2016, the weekend before Easter. I moved to East London end of March and had a mastectomy in April 2016. They also removed my gland in my left arm and sent it away for tests. My oncologist sent me for a CT scan and bone scan and the results came back showing cancer had spread to 8 different bone areas, called lesions. Results from my gland also came back, 5 nodes were cancerous. I started chemo, then radiation and then Herceptin. My body responded well but the lesions were still there. Cancer was inactive for a while and then the pain started which meant the cancer was active again.
I had more radiation to strengthen my bones and more Herceptin. I have recently been for my checkups and my lymph nodes and organs are clear and the original lesions are healing; however, there are new lesions detected on my sternum (chest) which explains my shortness of breath and very sore chest at times. I’m starting Herceptin on Friday, 2 February 2018 again and I will be on it for the rest of my life or until it stops working which I doubt it will because I respond so well to it.
1 injection is roughly R18 000, and I go for this injection every 3 weeks and because my medical aid is depleted, this is crippling me financially, this amount also doesn’t include the blood tests I will be having before each injection as well as the scans I have to go for every 3 months.
I would appreciate all the help I can get, as being a single mom with hardly any income I am financially burdened. My family has done everything in their power and given me such amazing support to me and my children.
My friend Anne Spinas is also busy arranging a fundraiser in our hometown in the next couple of months. We have discussed that if we raise more than the targeted amount or if I don’t use the full amount on my medical expenses, that we will be donating the extra funds to CHOC, which is the cancer organisation for children.
Please, can you assist me in fighting for my life to grow old with my children?
