BALTIMORE — Christine Marchessault had her life planned out — medical school, a healthy lifestyle, no common risk factors for breast cancer. Then she found a lump.
"I've been healthy my whole life, eating healthy, exercise, none of the common risk factors that you associate with breast cancer. I had my life planned out, going to med school, you know, and then felt a breast, felt a lump in my breast," Marchessault said.
After a second mammogram, she was diagnosed with stage three inflammatory triple negative breast cancer.
2,600 miles from home for cancer treatment — Hope Lodge made it possible:
"They wanted to do the chemo first before surgery because they have to get that cancer down and then had a left-sided mastectomy and took out all the breast tissue that was involved and a bunch of the lymph nodes that had some involvement as well. And then I went to my radiation oncologist in Klamath, and he told me, honey, I feel like I would be doing more harm to you than help. I have some contacts at University of Maryland have sent some of my younger women down there for proton therapy. Would you be willing to," Marchessault said.
Now, just months shy of a year later, Marchessault is a third of the way through her treatment in Baltimore — more than 2,600 miles from her Oregon home — with her mother, Debbie, at her side.
The cost of traveling for cancer treatment is a challenge many patients face.
"Yeah, no one ever plans cancer into their budget, so it's always, no matter what your income is, it's always on top additional cost," Marchessault said.
She is staying at the American Cancer Society's newly renovated Hope Lodge Baltimore, which opened June 3. The facility serves guests who live more than an hour away and are in town for cancer treatment. The original Hope Lodge, built in 1987, sits directly across the street.
Therese Gustitis, General Manager of Hope Lodge Baltimore, said the new facility has already seen strong demand.
"We got very busy very quickly, which is fantastic that we're able to serve so many guests here. One of the things that we did was we increased our capacity by 30% up to 34 rooms," Gustitis said.
"Folks are loving the new lodge. The atmosphere, the brightness is another thing that folks have commented on, kind of bringing, you know, brightness and healing, a great healing environment," Gustitis said.
Hope Lodge Baltimore is one of 31 such facilities across the country, all operated through donations.
For Marchessault, the free housing has made her treatment possible.
"I'm so grateful that they have this housing facility and I wouldn't have been able to have this treatment without this being available to me," Marchessault said.
"I feel like I'm taken care of, you know? Yeah. I feel so spoiled. Kind of a resort," Marchessault said.
"Yeah, it is. It's a resort for sick people," Marchessault said.
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