Can you imagine being in so much pain you have to curl up into a knot to keep from crying because the ensuing tears will bring violent nausea?

Patty and I met almost 60 years ago. Our backgrounds, personalities, hopes and dreams could not have been further apart, yet we have remained dear friends over a span of six decades. Now we are over 2,000 miles apart and still very close.

My dear friend who is in Ohio, is fighting for her life after being misdiagnosed twice which allowed her condition to worsen.

First after seeing her family medicine doctor with a terrible stomach ache, she was sent for an ultrasound and was told she had gall stones that surely were the problem.

Next she had to wait to see a surgeon to discuss removing the gall stones and was immediately told she did not need gall stone surgery.

This sent her back to her family medicine doctor who eventually suggested seeing a urologist (because of bleeding). Time took it’s course and finally Patty was able to see a urologist who diagnosed her with a laxative curing condition and prescribed Miralax.

Now weeks and weeks after this discomfort started, it grew worse. Once again a call was made to her family medicine doctor and after explaining she was in excruciating pain, she was given an appointment for the following week.

She didn’t make it and had to be rushed to the hospital where she stayed for almost two weeks - she has colon cancer. And during the many weeks of waiting to get in to see doctors and doing what she had been told to do - the cancer has metastasized.

Let me tell you about Patty:

Now in her seventies, up until a few months ago she was able to take care of her home, mow her lawn or shovel snow and check on her disabled neighbor daily. Now she is the one who is disabled and has lost her footing. She is in debilitating pain.

She worked hard all her life and finally left the workforce prior to retirement age to take care of her sick father and allow him to remain at home during his care.

She is humble, loving, caring and always took pride in owning her childhood home which has had major roof and plumbing repairs very recently (while waiting for this diagnosis). Now Patty has exhausted her savings and is worried about bill collectors and is afraid of losing her home. This is not what one needs to burden themselves with while trying to fight cancer.

And more to the story:

To add insult to injury… she explained to hospital staff her low-income insurance would not cover medical expenses for chemo, but was told she was mistaken and she would be covered one hundred percent.

Arrangements were made for chemo weeks later, but just two days prior Patty got a call with an apology saying the staff had made a mistake and she would not be covered - she was told she had to bring over $500 to her appointments or chemo would not be administered. Now much more time had been wasted after she asked that the financial administrators look at her coverage closely because she did not think her coverage would pay for chemo.

Sadly, I remember the day she contacted me and cried tears of joy that a medical worker had called her telling her not to worry about hospital and cancer treatments because they would be covered one hundred percent.

Imagine the impact of that phone call telling her they had made a “mistake.” What a terrible thing to do.

Now, weaker and with a higher level of pain she is too weak and worn out, not even able to do her laundry. She is on the phone all day making phone calls looking for help from organizations.

Please help Patty order grocery deliveries, get home care and not have to worry about losing her home while she starts the process of getting medical care all over again. She is determined to fight this horrible disease and wanting to take the bull by the horns. She hasn’t lost hope and finally agreed to allow me to start this gofundme.

Something you may not realize:

People may think there are organizations that will help her. Perhaps eventually, after facing a lot of paperwork and long waiting lists, she can get some help. But this is the end of May 2026 and she started this journey in November of 2025. Cancer doesn’t hold back and the time to treat it is always NOW.

Please believe me, I am walking beside her on this journey and it’s not as easy-breezy to get assistance as folks think. She is too sick at this point and it’s not her fault. The system failed her. Her doctors failed her.

Thank you, this is not AI generated, it is from my bleeding heart. Please donate whatever you can and help give Patty a fighting chance to get this cancer in remission.

Brenda

P.S. I have the greatest respect for doctors and all those in the medical profession, but even they know that not all their peers are created equal.