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Dear Friends of Chrissi Brunkow:
Our friend, Chrissi--who many of you know as the buyer and manager at Outlander men's store--a mainstay in downtown Healdsburg who has been dressing men in and out of town for the past decade, was recently diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. After several visits with Kaiser surgeons and oncologists she was told her options were limited. However research into the top physicians specializing in Mesothelioma, led them to Dr. Robert Cameron in the Thoracic department at UCLA who they were fortunate to meet with recently.
Dr. Cameron told Chrissi and her husband Bud, that because of her age and otherwise good health, she is a candidate for a less invasive surgery that would be performed without removing the lung. Others who have had the surgery have lived up to 3-10 years after the surgery. Depending upon further testing, she may also have to undergo radiation and/or pre-surgery chemotherapy. This specialized surgery and complimentary chemotherapy was developed by Dr. Cameron who says: "Mesothelioma is a cancer that so few know how to help. The patients are desperate and susceptible to people who don't know what they are doing. I really feel an obligation to my (mesothelioma) patients because there are so few people out there treating it correctly."
Due to Kaiser policy at this time, they cannot refer her to UCLA. In order for Chrissi to get the care she needs under Dr. Cameron, her friends and colleagues have set up a special fundraising campaign to help defray surgery and treatment costs. Time of course is essential.
For more information go to: www.asbestos.com/treatment/doctors/robert-b-cameron.php.