Lara Maldonado

Hi everyone, as you all know, i have been fighting Low-Grade Ovarian Cancer for the last 9 years.

Recently, my cancer has advanced to where I am no longer able to eat solid foods. The tumors have grown and wrapped around/intertwined with my intestines causing several bowel obstructions.

Surgery is not an option due to the locations of the tumor nodules. It would be too invasive and painful for me.

I have known about the nodules growing on my intestines for about 5 years and that is why I have done numerous rounds of chemo to try to kill them. Unfortunately, after working through 9 different chemo, they’ve all proven ineffective to kill the tumors. The last experimental chemo treatment, Mekinist, was looking promising in reducing the tumors but at the cost of my heart health.

It was a difficult choice to make but I have opted for Hospice Care. I understand many people do not know what Hospice entails or what it is.

Hospice provides compassionate care for people in the last phases of an incurable disease so that they may live as fully and comfortably as possible.

I choose to be comfortable during my last days and forgo painstaking, expensive treatment. This is a personal choice that did not come lightly and it is my right to no longer receive cancer treatment.

Many people might want to offer medical advice and urge me to keep fighting but please understand I have been fighting for 9 years straight and it has been tiresome and rough.

This leads me to why I am starting a CaringBridge page. Many of you will want to reach out personally and ask questions. This page is to help field the load of responses and questions I will get from many of you who care to know how I'm doing. I am always appreciative of love and support but it can become very overwhelming to answer the same questions over and over again. This is why I have defined what Hospice means and where I am in my journey. There will be days when I will not have the energy to respond to anyone. I also ask that you please not offer any type of “cures” you've found or advice on how I should handle my care. As a personal choice and at this stage, it can be very disrespectful to my decision to just enjoy the time I have left with my husband and family.

I hope this bio may answer your questions as I have reached the 9-year survival rate for my cancer. There will be many things I need and I will be posting them on this page. In lieu of flowers, I will be asking for donations to help my family pay off the numerous medical bills I've accumulated through my journey and with funeral costs. Flowers, though lovely and appreciated, will only mean upkeep to deal with and they will ultimately wither and die.
I will be setting up a GoFundMe and will share those details.

We appreciate all the love and prayers we have and will receive. All of your kind words and blessings have given me the strength to begin a peaceful and honest transition. Stay true to yourself and love one another because tomorrow is never promised. Much love and many thanks.

Love,
Lara