PENDLETON — She lost part of her tongue, some of her taste buds, most of her appetite and she constant taste of metal in her mouth.
A feeding tube, chemotherapy and radiation treatments have been staples in her life since August, following a diagnosis of oral cancer.
Before that, Christy Buck, 56, of Pendleton had been living like many wives and mothers, working a part-time job while raising two daughters with her husband, Chris.
Then she began experiencing discomfort in her tongue.
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After a trip to the dentist and then the doctor, tests revealed she had oral cancer, something she never expected.
"I wasn’t sure what the problem was, but it never even occurred to me that it would be cancer," she said.
Doctors ended up removing part of her tongue, as much as they could without affecting its functionality.
Early detection caught the oral cancer before the disease spread into Buck’s lymph nodes area. She’s done with weeks of chemo and is more than halfway through radiation treatments, Buck she is far from putting the issue behind her.
The family now is facing thousands of dollars in mounting medical bills.
Owners of a small auto body shop business in Anderson called Concepts in Motion, Buck said she and her family had dropped their medical insurance for financial reasons.
While they regret that decision now, she said they felt it was the only choice they had at the time.
Buck’s mother is a breast cancer survivor who is now facing leukemia, but Buck said she never thought she would be dealing with her own cancer diagnosis at this point in her life.
Family and friends have started a GoFundMe page to help Buck raise $70,000 to cover the medical expenses and help the family get back on its feet.
Buck moved to Indiana in the 1990s to attend graduate school at Ball State University. She met her husband and got married in 1994, and they started their life in the area, settling in Pendleton.
Members of the Anderson Church of Christ, which Buck and her family attend, have helped out by providing meals for the family, praying for them and otherwise helping where they can.
But financially, they’re on their own.
Buck hopes to be cleared soon to head back to her part-time job as an activities assistant at Rawlins House and Fall Creek Retirement Village.
But a donation of any size would be appreciated to help the family dig out of its financial hole, Buck said.
Doctors have said her prognosis, because of her age and response to treatment, is good.
Now her main worry is taking care of the medical bills and being there for her husband and family, which includes two daughters Mackenzie, 20, and Natalie, 16.
Anyone wishing to donate to the Buck family can do so at gofundme.com/christys-cancer-treatment.
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U.S. oral cavity and pharynx cancer rates
Estimated new cases, 2018
51,540
Estimated deaths, 2018
10,030
Incidence rates, 2010-2014
11.5
Average annual rate per 100,000, age adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population
Death rates, 2011-2015
2.5
Average annual rate per 100,000, age adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population
Source: American Cancer Society
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