Anna Krawczyk

COLLECTION FOR:

treatment not reimbursed

DREAM:

The disease surprised me greatly, because half a year earlier, in March 2022, I had a mammogram, ultrasound and cyst biopsy. Then all the results came back normal - no cancer cells. Already in September of the same year, my breasts grew and became inflamed, so I urgently went for tests. In December 2022, I received the diagnosis - breast cancer. The diagnostics had to be extended and checked for metastases. Fortunately, only the axillary nodes were involved.

In January 2023, I started chemotherapy. The first half a year after receiving the diagnosis was the worst period of my life, and it had already been very difficult for me... In August 2023, I underwent surgery to remove my breasts and lymph nodes.

Until then, I tried to be brave, but after the surgery, I lost the point of continuing to fight. It was very difficult for me - I couldn't sleep because of the pain, the drugs brought short relief, then radiotherapy and more pain. Now, after rehabilitation, I am better, but I still feel pain. In such a situation, it is easy to become depressed...

Apart from the physical and mental burden, illness also involves significant financial outlays. Although systemic treatment is reimbursed, there are a lot of additional expenses - medicines needed during the entire treatment, alleviating all side effects of treatment, post-operative medicines, commuting, private visits to specialists, rehabilitation. So far, my family and I have coped with this challenge, but my further treatment is a non-reimbursable drug - Abemaciclib. Its cost ranges from PLN 6,500 to even PLN 13,000 per month of therapy, which I should use for two years, so it is a huge amount for us.

At first, I wanted to stop taking this drug because of the costs, but the oncologist convinced me that it was necessary and that I had to do everything to live because I had someone to help me. My disabled son, who is on the autism spectrum, needs me most of all. He often goes with me to the doctors because I have no one to leave him with and I have often heard questions about whether I will die... My illness has affected us mentally - me, my husband, my son.

My dreams? – Live as long as possible so that your son has a mother. And although life will never be the same as before the disease, although I feel like an old woman, I dream that the sun will shine for me again. I still dream that all my onco-sisters will also regain strength and health. This is what I want most. They, the girls I met during my illness, are my greatest support! The only advantage of this terrible disease is that I met so many wonderful women.

Please help me on my path to health!