Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.
In July 2019 Wendy was diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer. That August she started her treatment plan which was 20 weeks of hard-hitting chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, followed by radiation, and finally a complete hysterectomy.
In January 2020 she heroically completed her last chemo treatment. The first step in her battle against cancer was completed. In February she celebrated being cancer-free with her amazing oncology nurses from the ProHealth Care Cancer Center, Mukwonago. She jokingly said it was her turn to give them a round of shots instead of them giving her the shots! Wendy keeps her sense of humor no matter what the circumstances.
In February she had a double mastectomy. Unfortunately, there were some complications after the surgery that postponed the radiation. During this time she completed physical therapy to help speed the healing process, but was still unable to receive radiation. Throughout this Wendy remained positive and never gave up strength or hope.
In June she received the terrible news that her cancer had returned and metastasized to her brain. She was now facing Stage IV Breast Cancer. She underwent urgent brain surgery to remove the largest of four tumors. The surgery was successful and again she bravely began the recovery process which included high doses of steroids that prevented her from sleeping, causing severe sleep deprivation. Wendy, who has always been independent, was now forced to rely upon others because she was unable to drive. At this point, Land Works, her employer encouraged us to start a GoFundMe page for Wendy. They helped spread the word and we began raising money to help her and her family with expenses. Many people graciously donated to this fundraiser and Wendy, Greg, and their girls were incredibly grateful for the show of support.
Things were starting to look up for Wendy, she was strong enough to receive radiation to her brain to treat the remaining tumors. She completed her radiation treatments and was filled with hope as she recovered from radiation. She was feeling much better but then she suddenly began having severe headaches. At that point she had an MRI which showed the tumors were shrinking and radiation had worked. The headaches were attributed to swelling of the brain from radiation so she went back on high doses of steroids. Days later she began experiencing back pain as well as nerve and joint pain in her legs. Dr. Raza, her oncologist, sent her to the emergency room and she was admitted to the hospital for more tests. She had a more comprehensive MRI which showed a small spot on her spine, but they were unsure of what the spot was. She then had a spinal tap which showed she has a rare secondary cancer, Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499862/ On 9/21/2020 Wendy will be admitted to the hospital for several days of intensive chemotherapy. Typically chemo treatments can be done outpatient but not this one. This round is expected to cause harsh side effects. Wendy is fulfilled by all the love, support and donations. Through CaringBridge we hope to be in touch by providing updates and giving you a way to connect with her.
