Rylea's Surgery

In 2020, during the pandemic, Rylea was diagnosed with a giant cell granuloma of the jaw.  

Cancer.

The gold standard treatment was steroid injections.  She started receiving those but just a few injections in, she developed severe insomnia.  This led to a terrifying bout with mania and psychosis and she was hospitalized for two weeks.  She was subsequently diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder as well as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and PTSD.  

It was life-changing, as was the diagnosis of the tumor.

Rylea dealt with these new diagnoses (and the difficult task of figuring out which medications would best manage her symptoms) while also undergoing a new treatment plan for her cancer:  a weekly injection called Denosumab.  This medication is used for osteoporosis but had also shown some success in treating tumors like Rylea’s.  After the designated course of treatment, imaging showed that the Denosumab had aided Rylea’s body in growing new bone, which completely edged out the tumor and her oncologist declared it “NED”:  no evidence of disease.  We were elated.  Rylea’s treatment now consisted of observation and regular imaging.  And for a couple glorious years, each time we went in for the results of her imaging, there was no evidence of the return of the tumor.  Thank You, God!

But on July 29, 2024, we learned that her tumor was back and growing.  This was a devastating discovery because we were told at this point, her treatment options were limited.  After the tumor board at the cancer center convened and discussed her case, they felt that the only options were a surgical resection (a very morbid procedure) or a steroid injected directly into the tumor under very close observation to make sure it didn’t affect her mental health.  Neither of these options were ones we felt comfortable with.  

A friend of my parents in Colorado, who is the head of a cancer center there, graciously helped get a third opinion and the name of a very qualified surgeon in Salt Lake City who had worked with these rare tumors before:  A.J. Stosich.  After meeting with him and after he shared her case with a number of oral/facial surgeons, they all agreed that the best treatment for Rylea would be an enucleation procedure (the scooping/scraping out of as much tumor as safely possible, and then allowing the bone to regenerate and heal.  There is a 30% chance the tumor could return after surgery, but we feel like a 70% possibility of no tumor return is very positive.  

So, on July 30th, Rylea will undergo this same-day surgery up in Draper, Utah.  We are confident in the surgeon’s ability and his knowledge of Rylea’s complex medical history.  The only drawback is that he isn’t in network with her insurance.  It is for this reason that I am reaching out for help.

Many of you have followed Rylea’s journey, and have faithfully prayed for her and for our family as we travel this road with her.  Rylea will need care after the surgery, particularly as it relates to protecting her jawbone.  It’s fragile now, but after the surgery, because of the size of the tumor being scraped out, the remaining bone will be so thin that if it is bumped, it could easily fracture and that would require major surgery to repair.  

Rylea’s situation with her mental and physical conditions have kept her from being able to work, and she is currently in the long process of applying for Social Security Disability.  

I am humbly asking for help with the cost of the surgery itself, as well as travel costs and staying in a hotel the night before surgery (as my parents and Rylea will travel up there from St. George) and overnight after the surgery, so Rylea doesn’t have to be transported home immediately after having the operation.

My family is so incredibly grateful for the support you’ve already generously poured out, in faithful prayer and encouragement.  Thank you for considering also giving in this way.