Help Melissa Beat Cancer!

When the unimaginable happens, we look to our friends, family, and community for help and together we ask that you join us on our journey to Help Melissa Beat Cancer!

Melissa is an employee at Manatee Memorial Hospital.

This was Melissa’s most recent facebook post.

This is my most difficult post yet.

I had a PET scan on Thursday and the results are all bad. The liver lesion is larger and more hypermetabolic. The lymph node, although less hypermetabolic than on the last PET, is larger in size. The lung nodules have grown in size and are more hypermetabolic; there are even a couple new active nodules. Even the breast tumor, although it hasn’t grown in size, has developed a solid area with increased hypermetabolic activity. So basically, there is overall progression of metastatic disease which confirms that this is now the third chemo that has stopped working.

I saw my Oncologist yesterday about the results. She explained that there are other chemotherapies that I haven’t tried, but since my cancer is proving to become resistant so quickly, she does not believe any other chemo we could try would be effective. She believes the best course of action at this point is clinical trials.

Fortunately, my Oncologist has been working closely with my Oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center and she has found several clinical trials that I may qualify for. That is the most hopeful and encouraging information I have right now. Honestly, I’m terrified because this cancer is so aggressive and fast growing that any amount of time without working treatment will allow it to take over pretty quickly. But I am holding onto this glimmer of hope that we will find the right clinical trial that will work for me.

First I need another brain scan since any METS to brain could make me ineligible for some clinical trials. Then I have my appointment with my Oncologist at Moffitt. Then I will be whisked into the world of clinical trials and we’ll see what happens from there.

Now, more than ever, I need all the prayers, good vibes and positive energy sent my way. Thank you all so much for the constant support and encouragement. It means the world to me to feel all the love.