Michelle's Fight Against Cancer
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I would like to start off this story by saying thank you to everyone who took the time out to read this. We all appreciate any amount of a donation, and if you’re unable to donate please share this with friends and family. You never know who might be able to contribute.
Michelle started having pains in her stomach in April of 2015. She was in and out of the hospital three times that year telling her she probably has colitis and was sent home with antibiotics. On the third visit they started to run more tests and found a mass in her colon. They told her most likely it was not cancerous given its size. She was immediately prepped for surgery to have the mass removed in December of 2015. It was intended to be a routine removal via microscopic incisions. Unfortunately, during surgery they discovered the mass was much larger than anticipated and they had to open her up. They removed a 14cm long tumor from her colon. After a few days of bedrest at the hospital she was told the tumor was cancerous and she had a perforation in her colon which meant it could have spread. After visiting with her oncologist, she was told everything was looking better and she should start chemotherapy as a precaution in January of 2016. Michelle completed over 6 months of chemotherapy having to cut one short due to a bad allergic reaction she was having from one of the medicines. We felt okay about stopping early because we were told after all it was only as a precaution. The last treatment was in July of 2016.
Since she finished treatments she continued to see her oncologist on a regular basis. Everything was looking fine until one visit something was off on her bloodwork. After further review it was seen that her lymph nodes in her breast were enlarged. So our next plan of action was to have them biopsied. This was in September of 2016. A few weeks later the results were in and they were both free from cancer, great news! We finally felt some relief after a year of fighting this.
Unfortunately, it was short lived. During another checkup a couple weeks later, she showed a mass in her pancreas. This time her oncologist suggested we see a specialist in Orlando in order to see if surgery could be our next step. After meeting with the new doctor and trying to catch him up on everything, it seemed to him things weren’t making sense. He didn’t believe she had cancer in her pancreas. He ordered for her to get a new MRI done by his team and to send the results of her upcoming PET scan to his office. This occurred in October of 2016.
Two weeks later, her results were in. Unfortunately, we were told the cancer in her colon is back and it has spread to her pancreas and lymph nodes. This was on November 3, 2016. Up to this time Michelle has paid her copays and deductible. Her oncologist along with her family really wants her to go to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa but her insurance won’t pay for it and the only alternative is self-pay for the best course of treatment. As stated before, she had a bad reaction during her last treatments because her body won’t tolerate the 5FU which is the primary chemotherapy for this particular cancer. At the Moffitt Cancer Center, they work with the patients to find the best treatment for each individual, which is why we are striving to get her in there. We are trying to switch her insurance at this time but we are still needing help as we enter the New Year. She has used up all of her vacation time for all of the doctor visits she had to go to along with her chemotherapy treatments. She has shown she is a fighter, trying to miss as little work as possible, which included her going back to work right after her chemotherapy treatments.
This past year has taken a toll on Michelle and her family not only physically but also emotionally. There have been a lot of ups and downs. She has been told she has cancer, then told everything is looking good, and now, it’s back and has spread, all within one year. We are all standing behind her to support her and fight with her so she knows she is not alone! We started this GoFundMe simply because we are running out of resources. Michelle lives on her own and has supported herself throughout the past year, doing whatever she could to manage the bills coming in. We are at a point where taking more time off work and paying for everything medical on top of living expenses is just not possible. With the new road ahead of us, we are preparing for the new medical bills we are about to face. Money should be the last thing on anybody’s mind while fighting cancer. We need Michelle to focus on her journey ahead. Any donation is greatly appreciated, and if you’re unable to donate all we ask is for you to share her GoFundMe page. One share leads to another and we would like her campaign to go as far as possible. We all know how powerful social media is. Thank you again for taking time out of your day to read this.
#FightOnMichelle
#GoBeyondGiving
Michelle started having pains in her stomach in April of 2015. She was in and out of the hospital three times that year telling her she probably has colitis and was sent home with antibiotics. On the third visit they started to run more tests and found a mass in her colon. They told her most likely it was not cancerous given its size. She was immediately prepped for surgery to have the mass removed in December of 2015. It was intended to be a routine removal via microscopic incisions. Unfortunately, during surgery they discovered the mass was much larger than anticipated and they had to open her up. They removed a 14cm long tumor from her colon. After a few days of bedrest at the hospital she was told the tumor was cancerous and she had a perforation in her colon which meant it could have spread. After visiting with her oncologist, she was told everything was looking better and she should start chemotherapy as a precaution in January of 2016. Michelle completed over 6 months of chemotherapy having to cut one short due to a bad allergic reaction she was having from one of the medicines. We felt okay about stopping early because we were told after all it was only as a precaution. The last treatment was in July of 2016.
Since she finished treatments she continued to see her oncologist on a regular basis. Everything was looking fine until one visit something was off on her bloodwork. After further review it was seen that her lymph nodes in her breast were enlarged. So our next plan of action was to have them biopsied. This was in September of 2016. A few weeks later the results were in and they were both free from cancer, great news! We finally felt some relief after a year of fighting this.
Unfortunately, it was short lived. During another checkup a couple weeks later, she showed a mass in her pancreas. This time her oncologist suggested we see a specialist in Orlando in order to see if surgery could be our next step. After meeting with the new doctor and trying to catch him up on everything, it seemed to him things weren’t making sense. He didn’t believe she had cancer in her pancreas. He ordered for her to get a new MRI done by his team and to send the results of her upcoming PET scan to his office. This occurred in October of 2016.
Two weeks later, her results were in. Unfortunately, we were told the cancer in her colon is back and it has spread to her pancreas and lymph nodes. This was on November 3, 2016. Up to this time Michelle has paid her copays and deductible. Her oncologist along with her family really wants her to go to the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa but her insurance won’t pay for it and the only alternative is self-pay for the best course of treatment. As stated before, she had a bad reaction during her last treatments because her body won’t tolerate the 5FU which is the primary chemotherapy for this particular cancer. At the Moffitt Cancer Center, they work with the patients to find the best treatment for each individual, which is why we are striving to get her in there. We are trying to switch her insurance at this time but we are still needing help as we enter the New Year. She has used up all of her vacation time for all of the doctor visits she had to go to along with her chemotherapy treatments. She has shown she is a fighter, trying to miss as little work as possible, which included her going back to work right after her chemotherapy treatments.
This past year has taken a toll on Michelle and her family not only physically but also emotionally. There have been a lot of ups and downs. She has been told she has cancer, then told everything is looking good, and now, it’s back and has spread, all within one year. We are all standing behind her to support her and fight with her so she knows she is not alone! We started this GoFundMe simply because we are running out of resources. Michelle lives on her own and has supported herself throughout the past year, doing whatever she could to manage the bills coming in. We are at a point where taking more time off work and paying for everything medical on top of living expenses is just not possible. With the new road ahead of us, we are preparing for the new medical bills we are about to face. Money should be the last thing on anybody’s mind while fighting cancer. We need Michelle to focus on her journey ahead. Any donation is greatly appreciated, and if you’re unable to donate all we ask is for you to share her GoFundMe page. One share leads to another and we would like her campaign to go as far as possible. We all know how powerful social media is. Thank you again for taking time out of your day to read this.
#FightOnMichelle
#GoBeyondGiving
Organizer and beneficiary
Ashley Keenan-Hood
Organizer
Melbourne, FL
Michelle Keenan
Beneficiary