Hello, my name is Kim. I am sixty-seven and female.
I am going to be honest with you, I really need your help.
All my adult life I have been independent, worked hard and took care of myself. I never married. I have always tried to live a Christian life. I was a foster parent for years, always trying to help children who were in need. I have also been a volunteer in my community at the men’s and women’s shelters and worked faithfully in my church.
When I was in my late twenties, I had to have work done on my teeth. My mother had soft brittle teeth and I inherited that from her. Long story short, I wound up having to get three bridges and crowns. The dentist did an amazing job. That dental work held up for thirty-five plus years, until my diagnosis with breast cancer in July 2018.
The cancer was in my left breast and duct tissue. I underwent six months of chemotherapy and steroids. I lost all my hair, eye lashes and eyebrows. Despite my appearance, I put on a wig and makeup and went to work every day, arriving at 7:00 a.m. and leaving at 3:30 p.m. to go for treatments. At the end of January 2019, I had a mastectomy. I was off work for six weeks for surgery and recovery. That is all my insurance would allow. During June and July of that same year, I underwent thirty-seven treatments of radiation. The radiation burned me across my chest area, and it was raw in areas, yet I got up and went to work every day. I also had two reconstructive surgeries, the last one being in December 2019. I was recovering from my last surgery in early January 2020 when COVID hit. I went back to work in February. By mid-March, I was working from home. I continued to see my oncologist and complained about my teeth chipping, breaking, turning yellow and feeling sensitive. Three or four times while I was eating, my teeth broke off and I had to spit out my food because it had tooth particles in it. I was so stressed out with medical bills. I could not afford a dental bill. My goal was to keep paying the bills and hope my teeth would hold up. Most of my time was spent indoors, so I really did not encounter a lot of people.
By the time we went back to work in the office, it was November 2021. I started having issues with my teeth. My bottom right bridge broke and I had to have it removed. Two months later the top right bridge broke and I had to have it taken out also. I have no teeth on the right side of my mouth. The left upper side of my mouth has a bridge as well and I am missing a tooth on the lower left bottom. I chew on the left side of my mouth. My front teeth are cracking, chipping, and breaking. Three of my doctors told me chemo and radiation do this to the teeth. I could not believe it. Now I am losing my teeth.
Yet, another health issue would be upon me, in 2022. My vision began to fail me. I could barely drive during the daytime, and I did not dare drive at nighttime. I used Dollar Store readers to help me get through work. Things were tight, but I stayed strong. Finally, I was able to get to a point financially where I could have cataract surgery in my right eye and purchase an expensive pair of glasses I needed. I felt so much better and relieved. But just when I thought things were starting to calm down, I would suffer another blow.
I was teleworking at home on a beautiful bright summer morning in June 2022. I received an email asking me to attend a 9:00 a.m. call. The call was short and to the point. My manager thanked all fifteen of us for our hard work and dedication to the company. She then informed us the company was terminating us. Once the call ended, I submitted my time sheet. Corporate planned to have the equipment picked up. That was it. I could not believe it. I spent the rest of my day thinking about what my next steps should be. I still had medical appointments to go to and medication I had to buy. I just shook my head. I filed for my social security. I wanted to have it in place before my unemployment ran out. I was under a tremendous amount of stress by now, both emotionally and financially. I knew unemployment was not going to be very much or last long. I applied to companies for work, but most applications that I filled out considered me handicapped, because I had gone through cancer treatment. I am still going through treatment, and I do have three or four issues such as lymphedema in my right arm and neuropathy in both feet, however that does not limit me from working. I am still trying to get a job. I still have various doctor appointments and tests to undergo. I am still taking medication. Hopefully, I will finish my treatments in 2025.
It is 2023 and I just had another cataract removed. This time it was my left eye. I have been able to weather the storm with all my medical issues and bills. It has been one thing after another. At this point, I am reaching out and asking for help. My left upper bridge needs removing, and a lower jaw tooth needs pulling. I feel tingling in both. Once this happens, I will not have any teeth on either side of my mouth. My front teeth are cracking, chipping, and breaking. I do not want my teeth to negatively affect my health. I need to take care of this before it gets worse. If I could borrow the money, I would, but I cannot because I am on a fixed income now. I am asking you to please help me. I want to smile and laugh again without covering my mouth. I will feel so much better. I would really like to get implants, so please donate.
Thank you for allowing me to share my story with you.
Thank you for your donation. I receive it with a grateful heart – Kim.
paypal.me/KimB0407