Hey everyone!

I wanted to give you all a quick update. I finished radiation on April 11 after an intense 6 weeks. It was rough, and my skin took quite a beating, which was really painful. In May, the manager of my business resigned, so I've had to step back into a bigger role while still trying to heal. I'm still dealing with a lot of fatigue, lingering cognitive challenges from chemo, and aches and pains all over. Going back to work more full-time has definitely made things tougher.

Cancer isn't a sprint; it's a marathon, and I'm gently reminding myself of that. But honestly, it's really challenging. Most of the time, I feel like I'm doing too much, and I just wish things could go back to "normal." The good news is, we're working on transitioning the studio to a non-profit, and that's going well.

We're keeping the GoFundMe going because we've accumulated about $5k in credit card and medical debt over the last year. I'm working hard to pay this off, but right now, it feels a bit like climbing a sand dune in rain boots. I just need a little extra support to get my feet back under me so I can keep focusing on healing. Any help is appreciated and makes a big difference.

Thank you all so much for your continued support!

January 2024 Update

The last 8 months have easily been the most challenging of my life. I have had to dig deeper than I ever thought possible. No one ever wants to hear the words “You have cancer.”

I am grateful for the support we have received so far. And as I was coming towards the end of chemo and into the new year I have been so very hopeful. 

However we have been met with more obstacles including, postponed treatment due to covid, pain and swelling in the lymph node sight leading to additional imaging, and our business manager having a health crisis of her own. Landing her in the hospital with a collapsed lung and requiring surgery.

We are hoping to fully fund this campaign in order to keep the business open, continue to pay our staff, and have a space for both our manager and myself to return to as we both heal. It has been a long road, and while the end is in sight we are not quite there yet. We are grateful for anything you can give. Thank you.

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On May 22, 2023 I was diagnosed with stage 1B ER/PR+ HER2- Breast Cancer. On July 25, I underwent a unilateral mastectomy. During this procedure they also removed two sentinel lymph nodes. Unfortunately cancer was found in one of the nodes as well as pre cancerous cells in the second node and in a second spot in the breast tissue.

Due to my age & having a positive node my treatment plan was decided on has been a more aggressive tract. On September 1, I will have a port placed and on September 7, I will begin 5 months of chemotherapy followed by a month long break and then 4-6 weeks of radiation.

As many of you know we have been working hard over the last several years to keep the doors of our small business open and accessible. During this time we blew through the small amount of savings we had. This year we have seen incredible growth in our business, it really feels like we are heading in the right direction.

Sometimes, however, just as we are gaining moment the Universe likes to throw us a curve ball, and this one is a doozy. I have been spending several hours each week teaching classes outside of LiveWell which have helped to supplement the income of the business, gain new clientele and continue to help us get on track. However, and very sadly, I will not be able to continue to do this as I enter into treatment.

We ultimately launched this campaign to help us (my family and our business community) be able to do the following:

I am doing everything I can to keep my spirits high, continuing to move my body, and sit in this experience with all of the positivity I can muster.

Thank you so much for you support and for helping me along on this (hopefully) short chapter of my life. Sending you endless amounts of love.