On April 15, 2024, Megan was diagnosed with metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma (aka thyroid cancer). This news came as a shock to everyone.

Megan's care team at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago determined that a full thyroid gland removal, and removal of multiple lymph nodes in her neck where the cancer had spread was necessary. On June 18, 2024, she underwent an almost-eight-hour surgery.

Post-op pathology report and labs provided a mix of positive and negative news. During the surgery, the entire thyroid gland, three parathyroid glands, and 63 lymph nodes were removed. The surgeon and pathologist declared clear margins (meaning all of the cancer was removed from the neck). However, post-op lab results told a different story. Megan's cancer levels are elevated, indicating that there is a likely spread (however microscopic) of cancer elsewhere that the surgeon would not have been able to see.

Because of this, Megan's care team is taking an aggressive approach to her treatment. She will begin Radioactive Iodine (RAI) therapy with a partial dose of RAI on 9/23 and a full dose on 9/26. After which, Megan must quarantine from people and her beloved dog Murphy for 10 days total.

Unfortunately, because radiation takes time to kill the remaining cancer cells, the follow-up scans will not happen until March 2025. This allows the treatment six months to take hold and do the work. The follow-up scans will indicate how to proceed with treatment. In the meantime, her care team will monitor everything else, including regular bloodwork.

As you can imagine, this information feels very scary and overwhelming. And anyone who knows Megan knows that isolating for 10 days is going to be very difficult because she loves being with family, friends, and Murphy. The most important thing right now is for Megan to do whatever it takes to fight this cancer.

Due to the extent of the surgery, treatment, travel expenses, and often having to kennel Murphy when she goes to appointments at Northwestern in Chicago, Megan has been left with a significant financial burden that comes with this diagnosis. In light of this, she is hoping to raise $10,000 to help cover some of these unplanned medical expenses and the residual expenses incurred as well. Any bit helps toward covering these costs and relieving that stressor for Megan.

Megan feels so blessed for the support she has received from everyone in her life—family, friends, colleagues, and students. She could not do it without you all.

Thank you for your love, prayers, and support!