23/12/2025
ICYMI...U know...cause Facebook be facebooking sometimes. Much Love. 💜
Eye Injections, vascular issues in feet, upcoming surgeries (still) - all on pause like chemotherapy til further CT scans are done. Meanwhile, they are worried about depression & my mental state while navigating all of this along with a cold kicking my tail.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/dr-funkenberry-cancer-battle-continues
Welcome to phase one & two - or is it phase 3,121 in this Art Official Age? These truly do not get easier to write. I have not been updating U all as much or being there for U as much as I would like to be during this time. Yet when tragedy & sadness hit true purple family, U have to navigate things and be mindful. I want to thank everyone who has been donating and sharing and during all of this as it helps me tremendously for my physical well-being along with my mental well-being. Thank U. Thank U. Thank U!!!!
I am not sure where to begin so I might as well dive in & tackle things. Cancer is a battle in itself. When U have pre-existing conditions & complications, it just makes things that much harder in every aspect U can imagine. So diabetic eyes are quite a thing, having to keep your blood sugar in check for your feet & eyes is extremely important. The steroids in chemotherapy & the medicine raised my blood sugar to ridiculous levels but the chemotherapy was needed. It did affect my eyesight, especially in my left eye, to where I am going to need eye injections to get some of the vision back. I’ll also need to get shots in the eyes every 3 months over a 2-3 year period to restore vision. I was all ready to & was prepared for injections round 1. Ahh. Did it happen? Nope! It appears that some of the chemotherapy chemicals(?) they use are also used in the injections & they are being cautious since my chemotherapy might be returning depending on the next couple of CT scans at least. This is a trend with all the surgeries I need. These surgeries are needed yet the threat of having further chemotherapy, makes all the doctors only discuss surgery instead of having the surgery pushing me back further. If it was up to me, I have the eye injections tomorrow & one foot surgery the next day & another needed surgery the following day. It isn't up to me though so they are using extreme caution for everything.
I had a diabetic foot exam a few days later. I could only feel one touch for both of my feet which alarmed the nurse to set up a referral for a vascular surgeon to meet with me to see what can be done. Now already having neuropathy in my feet before the chemotherapy, it obviously made it worse along with neuropathy in my hands. So we will see what can be done with the vascular surgeon. If it is just now another surgery I will need but can't be done at this time -that adds on to the length of help that I need. Now while checking my foot, she didn't like how my toe is looking on my left foot. The chemotherapy gave me hammer toes on the big toe & the 3 toes next to it on my left foot & a few on my right but not as bad as the left foot. I had to move up my appointment to see the podiatrist for the toes. My fingers from time to time have issues with neuropathy making it hard to text or type on phones or on a keyboard.
The wound on the heel is still good but yes, the toe is having some bleeding underneath the callus and other things. Until we at least have surgery on the hammer toes, this is going to be a serious problem. I am pushing to at least have that minor surgery. While there we did x rays on my foot. Even though my foot is flatter than flat, if U can believe it, the foot is even flatter since chemotherapy & collapsed further. Also in the x rays, I have a bone spur close to where the wound has been healing. So along with having to remove the implant that collapsed in that foot a few years ago to try & give me an arch, we will need to open up the foot to remove the implant and screws. He is still worried about trying to do reconstructive foot surgery as if it doesn't take or I do back on chemotherapy, I will more than likely lose the foot. I am pushing for the hammer toes surgery for the left foot to be done because by not doing it, we are creating foot wounds that could get worse & cause amputation of the toes. Let's stop waiting & do something. Please!!!!
So here it is. At least 3 foot surgeries needed & the doctor wanting to wait 3 months between each surgery so that would put me fully recovered by November 2026 now? Remember we were talking about March 2026? Yea...not anymore. That's just for feet. I do not know anything about this vascular issue yet.
The doctors are also worried about my mental health & depression through all of this. I think with the holidays they are asking more questions and I am checking all the boxes because I am going to be honest about all my struggles. No I am not enjoying watching tv & am behind a lot on what I like to watch. No I am not enjoying reading and getting easily distracted so I won't read. No things are not enjoyable right now & yes I am frustrated. I do give myself projects but not being able to have physical activity & challenge myself mentally is problematic. Let me say this as I wanted to be there for people during this time; it is OK to not be OK. It is OK to acknowledge things are not going as planned. I am not an expert but sometimes people think others are doing great & then U read about them taking their own lives. Then U also hear about people being open with their struggles & taking their life as well. I do not know the balance but I am going to be open & honest with U because that is my courage. To be open and honest with all of U. It is what makes these updates so hard to be so open when others who meet me, I am so guarded they get the wrong interpretation of me. It is OK to NOT be OK but get help. Be honest. Look...I am not going anywhere. I am not going to tell U things get easier but these are my days.. Life is lifing as I say. I have been a fighter since day one & if U all knew my story U would know how true that is. I didn't just lose my job. I didn't just lose the girl. I didn't just lose my health. I lost EVERYTHING. I didn't sell my soul though & use one of those as an excuse for doing things. I cannot wait to tell U all when I am back. Trust me...I will be fully back. There is a LOT of work to be done. Despite what others want, I am not going anywhere. I have plenty of people to still upset and to help a legacy that isn't about me, but I am part of. I don't know if I am ready for every challenge that comes my way but I am not running from it. I never have. That hasn't changed. I feel I am in this battle alone & that is OK but I know there are many of U that haven't met me that are rooting for me. I appreciate it. I also know there are people in my life rooting for me as well. I am heavily guarded. I have to continue to be protect my heart and to protect myself from future betrayals.
I thank all of U again for donating and sharing and just being there. It means a lot to me. I am trying to have all these surgeries and be cleared of everything on these CT scans so I can stop needing help but these things are out of my control. I am controlling what I can & advocating for myself . I will never give up. I never tap out. This is my journey. The journey of a fighter. I thank U to those that allow me to be me and all I can be without judging or not knowing all the details. Much Love always and thanks. Also....
https://www.gofundme.com/f/dr-funkenberry-cancer-battle-continues
