1Instead of starting a new life abroad, Manley's second home became Massachusetts General Hospital, where she had to endure numerous treatments.
Along the way, costs piled up: $25 co-payments, $3 Tobin Bridge tolls, $7 parking fees in Boston.
Manley survived the ordeal — medically and financially. Now, the 43-year-old has put together an inspirational calendar to raise money for cancer patients going through the same thing.
"This money is specifically for families' financial problems," she said. "Insurance only covers so much. Even when you're fully insured, like I was, it's still expensive. There has to be more money raised for non-medical expenses."
Manley said that when she was undergoing radiation, out-of-pocket expenses such as gas and co-payments cost her about $100 a day. While Massachusetts General has non-clinical programs in place, she said there isn't much money in them.
"One of the people I met during radiation was from Spain and had come to Mass General alone to get treated. Insurance didn't cover the six weeks he had to stay at a nearby hotel while he was getting treatment for spine cancer," she said. "There was also a guy at Mass General who couldn't even afford to use the phone to call his family."
Although she had been involved with fundraising within the community and at the women's crisis center, Manley never thought she would be raising money for cancer. Even when she was first diagnosed, she was in disbelief. She had just been offered a job as a recruiting manager in Switzerland; her family was ready to go. As a precaution, she brought the family to the doctor to get checkups and shots.
"The doctor thought something was wrong and suggested I get a colonoscopy," Manley said. "When they said, 'You have cancer,' I was like, 'What are you talking about? No I don't; I'm moving in a week.'
"I was in disbelief. I had to call my dream job the next day and tell them I wasn't coming. The job offer was a blessing in disguise — if I wasn't moving overseas, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor. It saved my life."
Manley, a medical recruiter, said women don't usually think about cancers other than breast cancer. She urges them to seek every test and be conscious of unusual symptoms.
After being diagnosed, Manley became overpowered with a sense of grief. Luckily, her twin sister went to work for her, pretending she was Manley and making calls to doctors and surgeons for second opinions and to insurance companies for information. Along the way, her sister also gave her a journal.
"I'm not a writer, but writing gives you a chance to express in a horrible time," she said, "even if just for a minute."
One of the poems in the journals was to her son.
"My little boy was 2 at the time, and I didn't know how I was going to take care of him and protect him," she said. "About three weeks into treatment, my power came back and I started fighting it. Having a child is a blessing; it forces you to get up. He needs a mom whether I'm sick or not."
The journal, as well as cards that Manley received during her treatment, provided inspiration for the calendar. Over the last year, since she's been out of treatment, Manley has also been meeting with other cancer patients. In addition to sharing their stories, the patients gave her cards, notes and poems they've received for use in her calendar, and Manley paired the writings with local art.
In addition to providing encouragement and support, the calendars, which are being sold for $20, will help cancer patients with the secondary costs they incur during treatment. Proceeds will go to MGH Cancer Center.
"Hopefully it'll sell, because it's so needed," Manley said. "I was scheduling my next three-month checkup when a MGH administrator came over and said 'thank you' for making the calendar."
"He told me about a guy from Colombia who is getting treatment. He's in a clinical trial, stage four, which doesn't pay for anything but the drug. He's come all the way here for care, had to find housing and didn't even have money to take a taxi to his treatment. It reminded me why I was doing this."
¢¢¢
The tax-deductible calendar is available in Newburyport at Flippin' Out, Aurora, Grand Trunk and Newburyport Lighting, and online at www.cancercaninspire.com.
