In early March, Monique noticed some changes in her digestion and also found a large lump in her abdomen extending from her belly button. After visiting a doctor and having some scans, they noticed that she had a huge mass (10-12 inches) in her abdomen which seemed to be growing from her ovary. She was sent to a Gynecological Oncologist on a Monday where she had more tests and also ultrasounds. The doctor confirmed the previous findings and scheduled her for surgery on the following Friday. The doctor shared that because of the placement of the mass, he may have to perform a complete hysterectomy and might potentially have to insert a colostomy bag. Monique went in for surgery on Friday, April 24th. The doctor removed all of her right ovary and a portion of her left. During the surgery, the doctor removed three large tumors from her abdomen as well. When we were updated, the doctor confirmed what we all had feared, cancer. They sent her tumors to pathology and Monique began her stay at the hospital to recover from surgery. She has an incision from the bottom of her chest to the bottom of her belly. It was a hard and painful recovery, but our girl is strong! She was released from the hospital on Tuesday, April 28th. We also got a call from the doctor this day confirming her diagnosis. Monique has Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor (DSRCT). This is a very rare form of cancer that only has 300 reported cases. There are no Oncologists in Savannah (our home) that have ever seen a case, therefore no one to treat her at home. She was referred to an Oncologist in Gainesville, Florida at The University of Florida Health Shands Hospital.
We have started a fundraising page on Facebook to help Monique financially during this time.
https://www.facebook.com/donate/708395766629422/?fundraiser_source=external_url 
