Michelle's Fight For Life
Donation protected
I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone for visiting this page, and for following Michelle's journey.
In March of this year, a month after experiencing a sudden onset of illness, Michelle was diagnosed with the development of neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors. Jaundiced, fatigued, and in extreme discomfort, she patiently waited for the team of doctors to determine the proper course of action for treatment.
What the doctors were seeing with Michelle was rare, to say the least, and little was known about successfully managing what she was developing at her age. It took weeks to get to a place where the proper course of action would be determined, and a ton of patience from Michelle. She spent months sleeping upright in a recliner unable to lie flat, waiting for a prognosis and treatment plan.
Finally, the team determined that Michelle needed to have a series of surgeries to reroute her digestive system and remove the tumors. Sadly however, just a few days before the surgery was to be performed, a scan showed that there had been even more tumor growth, which meant that surgery was no longer an option. Alternatively, chemotherapy had to begin almost immediately.
For a while, the chemo seemed to be giving her relief. On the days she felt good, she wanted to be back in her familiar environment at Musi’s. Discussions were had at great length about risk factors of working even in a limited capacity, but ultimately, she wanted to be back in her familiar environment doing what she had always done. You may have been able to chat with Michelle from time to time as she came in to do tasks on a limited basis for the store. For the most part though, other than doctor's appointments or a short trip to the store, Michelle spent most of her days just wishing and hoping to get back to her normal self again.
Fast forward to the beginning of September this year. Michelle had completed 4 rounds of chemotherapy. She lost the bulk of her hair, got a haircut, and was even sporting a cute little wig from time to time. Watching her lose her hair was hard, but she dealt with losing her long mane with the same grace, courage and acceptance she's always shown.
It was about this time that she developed unexplained pain in her abdomen which prompted a trip to the ER. A scan showed tumor growth was now in her liver.
Mid/late September: a post chemotherapy scan was done to see how effective the treatment was. It showed some shrinkage/movement, but not nearly as much as they had hoped for. It was at this time that she was told there is no cure for what she has and that, unfortunately, she will have this for the rest of her life.
The good news is, they have not ruled out remission! And they plan to continue experimental treatments to see if they can stumble upon something that will be effective. They’ve also assured her that they are committed to extending her life as long as they can, and to keeping her pain under control.
So, with this latest development, she continues to move forward. As of last week, she began a new form of chemotherapy called Folfox. The goal with this experimental treatment is to decrease the size of these tumors, and pray for a more promising prognosis. So far, the new chemo (although seemingly effective) is causing some side effects that are hard for Michelle, and may have to be replaced with immunotherapy.
So, a lot is uncertain right now. What is certain though, is that Michelle is one of the most loyal, hard-working and gracious people many of us have had the opportunity to get to know. And her quality of life is important to so many people who love her. So with that, we’d like to convey a few requests and concerns that are top of mind for Michelle right now.
Her first request is that her son and her husband not be burdened. Yes, that’s who Michelle is, if you hadn’t already known. Someone who puts the needs of others before her own! She’s worried about the medical bills, her husband being over-worked, and her family taken care of as she battles this. Since she became ill, her husband Scott unfortunately has had to work overtime to meet their expenses, and I know that has put a huge strain on them.
Finally, I’d like to close with this…
Our prayer for her and her family is that their life is as worry-free and unburdened as possible, and that they are able to have help where and when they need it most. Getting the best possible medical care and results through alternative treatments is essential right now.
All donations received will go towards paying for the following:
-Deductibles met for both 2021/2022.
-An adjustable bed purchased for Michelle, since sleeping lying flat is difficult.
-Alternative medications & treatments currently being used for pain/health that are not covered by traditional medical.
-Meeting daily living expenses due to suddenly having one income.
Let’s surround Michelle and Scott with as much love and support as we can. Let's enable them to minimize their worries, and to focus on healing, positive energy and beautiful memories with each other! If you'd like to leave a message of encouragement for Michelle or follow her medical journey, we've set up an account at Caring Bridge for those interested. We cannot thank you enough for your support!
#michellesfightforlife
In March of this year, a month after experiencing a sudden onset of illness, Michelle was diagnosed with the development of neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors. Jaundiced, fatigued, and in extreme discomfort, she patiently waited for the team of doctors to determine the proper course of action for treatment.
What the doctors were seeing with Michelle was rare, to say the least, and little was known about successfully managing what she was developing at her age. It took weeks to get to a place where the proper course of action would be determined, and a ton of patience from Michelle. She spent months sleeping upright in a recliner unable to lie flat, waiting for a prognosis and treatment plan.
Finally, the team determined that Michelle needed to have a series of surgeries to reroute her digestive system and remove the tumors. Sadly however, just a few days before the surgery was to be performed, a scan showed that there had been even more tumor growth, which meant that surgery was no longer an option. Alternatively, chemotherapy had to begin almost immediately.
For a while, the chemo seemed to be giving her relief. On the days she felt good, she wanted to be back in her familiar environment at Musi’s. Discussions were had at great length about risk factors of working even in a limited capacity, but ultimately, she wanted to be back in her familiar environment doing what she had always done. You may have been able to chat with Michelle from time to time as she came in to do tasks on a limited basis for the store. For the most part though, other than doctor's appointments or a short trip to the store, Michelle spent most of her days just wishing and hoping to get back to her normal self again.
Fast forward to the beginning of September this year. Michelle had completed 4 rounds of chemotherapy. She lost the bulk of her hair, got a haircut, and was even sporting a cute little wig from time to time. Watching her lose her hair was hard, but she dealt with losing her long mane with the same grace, courage and acceptance she's always shown.
It was about this time that she developed unexplained pain in her abdomen which prompted a trip to the ER. A scan showed tumor growth was now in her liver.
Mid/late September: a post chemotherapy scan was done to see how effective the treatment was. It showed some shrinkage/movement, but not nearly as much as they had hoped for. It was at this time that she was told there is no cure for what she has and that, unfortunately, she will have this for the rest of her life.
The good news is, they have not ruled out remission! And they plan to continue experimental treatments to see if they can stumble upon something that will be effective. They’ve also assured her that they are committed to extending her life as long as they can, and to keeping her pain under control.
So, with this latest development, she continues to move forward. As of last week, she began a new form of chemotherapy called Folfox. The goal with this experimental treatment is to decrease the size of these tumors, and pray for a more promising prognosis. So far, the new chemo (although seemingly effective) is causing some side effects that are hard for Michelle, and may have to be replaced with immunotherapy.
So, a lot is uncertain right now. What is certain though, is that Michelle is one of the most loyal, hard-working and gracious people many of us have had the opportunity to get to know. And her quality of life is important to so many people who love her. So with that, we’d like to convey a few requests and concerns that are top of mind for Michelle right now.
Her first request is that her son and her husband not be burdened. Yes, that’s who Michelle is, if you hadn’t already known. Someone who puts the needs of others before her own! She’s worried about the medical bills, her husband being over-worked, and her family taken care of as she battles this. Since she became ill, her husband Scott unfortunately has had to work overtime to meet their expenses, and I know that has put a huge strain on them.
Finally, I’d like to close with this…
Our prayer for her and her family is that their life is as worry-free and unburdened as possible, and that they are able to have help where and when they need it most. Getting the best possible medical care and results through alternative treatments is essential right now.
All donations received will go towards paying for the following:
-Deductibles met for both 2021/2022.
-An adjustable bed purchased for Michelle, since sleeping lying flat is difficult.
-Alternative medications & treatments currently being used for pain/health that are not covered by traditional medical.
-Meeting daily living expenses due to suddenly having one income.
Let’s surround Michelle and Scott with as much love and support as we can. Let's enable them to minimize their worries, and to focus on healing, positive energy and beautiful memories with each other! If you'd like to leave a message of encouragement for Michelle or follow her medical journey, we've set up an account at Caring Bridge for those interested. We cannot thank you enough for your support!
#michellesfightforlife
Organizer and beneficiary
Musi Hill
Organizer
Lake Oswego, OR
Michelle Mays
Beneficiary