Support Michael Johnson's Battle Against Osteosarcoma

Hello everybody! My name is Michael Johnson and I was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in May of 2023. It has been a long battle to get to where I am today. My first treatment experience went as smoothly as it could have gone: 30 weeks of chemo, 30 days of radiation, and 5 surgeries to remove the tumors I had in my leg, my mesentery, and lungs. The radiation came at the very end of my first course of treatment, and in April of 2024, I was done and able to ring the ceremonial bell that signified that I was done with treatment.

At this point, I was finally able to give my full effort into PT and begin to strengthen everything I had lost in that year. I began hiking a couple of times a week on my own and with my now-fiancée, Lindsay. After a couple of months of steady progress, I got to the point where we were even able to go on a short backpacking trip to LaPush. Soon after this trip, it was time for my first 3-month checkup. The scans appeared to be all clear at first glance, but a few days later, upon further inspection, they found that I still had one small tumor in my lung that they had missed in the first thoracotomy. So, I required a second thoracotomy to be done on my left side to remove that small tumor. My surgeon, Dr. Riehle, did an amazing job but my lung was being very stubborn about healing so Lindsay and I had to stay in the hospital for two weeks and go home with a chest tube for another week. After this recovery, I was back to hiking and enjoying the great outdoors.

My PT was going great, and I was making sure and steady progress in my physical strength. Before my next 3-month scan came along, however, I noticed a key lime-sized lump in the back of my knee and another little lump right under my belly button. I let my doctors know, and we got another couple of surgeries on the books soon after. Just like my last surgery, Dr. Roberts and Dr. Riehle did an amazing job, and the recovery went very smoothly. He ended up removing a small bit of calf muscle in order to get negative margins around the tumor. It wasn't enough to significantly hinder me, so I was back to hiking and camping and enjoying life, hardly skipping a beat.

In February of this year, I got my most recent set of scans. In these scans, they found several small 'micro-nodules' in several different locations around my body, mostly in my legs and abdomen. Due to the small size and the number of these tumors, more surgery would likely do more harm than it is worth. Seattle Children's suggested a more systemic approach to targeting the cancer, taking a chemo drug called Cabozantinib. When I went home to do research on the pros and cons of this drug and how effective it was, I stumbled upon a clinical trial that I think will be great for me and could end up in what is called a 'complete response' in the oncology business, which is what we want. The study uses oral Cabozantinib in combination with the test drug in IV form, Atezolizumab.

The downside of this clinical trial is that it is based in Houston at MD Anderson Cancer Center, which means A LOT of travel. Unfortunately, these expenses are not covered in this particular trial due to the rarity of Osteosarcoma and, as a result, a lack of funding toward Osteosarcoma research. This is where you all can come in; I will be needing to fly to Houston every 3 weeks to receive the trial drug. There are lots of resources that will help with travel and lodging through MD Anderson and organizations like Angel Flight, but the majority is going to fall on me. I am currently in school at TCC pursuing a nursing degree and looking forward to my wedding this summer. My plate is full, and my budget is very low at the moment, so any help will be hugely appreciated!

Thank you all for reading, and thank you to everybody who donated to my first fundraiser in 2023 and those who are donating now. Love and peace be with you all!