Michael McMahon Melanoma Fight
Donation protected
Michael’s Story -
A few weeks after Michael’s wedding late last year Michael discovered a lump on his shoulder.
Fearing the worst after a melanoma diagnosis a few years ago, he got the new lump investigated. This was removed and confirmed to be Melanoma. Peter Mac ran some more tests and on Christmas Eve received the results that there are lumps in the Lung and Chest Wall. This was compounded on New Years Eve that there was also one located in the Brain.
Early in the New Year Peter Mac decided to move forward with an Immunotherapy /Radiation Treatment Plan. This involves a drug treatment which activates the bodies own immune system to locate and destroy the cancer cells by putting it into hyperdrive.
Unfortunately this comes with a wide range of potential side effects which affected Michael after the very first round of treatment. A full body skin rash and seizure landed him in hospital.
With the help of some medications he got through two more rounds of immunotherapy before discovering that the immune system had mistakenly decided to think that his liver is cancer and had caused hepatitis inflammation stopping all treatment for now until this is under control. This has included a recent week long stay in Peter Mac hospital to control the liver levels which are yo-yoing up and down. As of today I am heading back to Peter Mac hospital for more treatment.
This has been a very stressful few months for Michael and his Husband Matt.
Michael is unable to work while he deals with this. Relying on any sick leave available to survive. He isn’t even allowed to drive at the moment thanks to the Brain lump.
Matt has been required to take unpaid time off work to escort Michael to all of the various appointments.
As we live up to 2 hours away from Peter Mac every appointment means fuel, food, parking, medications and include hotels for hospital stays. This has caused a financial drain with extra expenses while also receiving less pays each week and added to the stresses we have had to deal with.
Thankfully Peter Mac have been amazing and are the best in their fields. The staff and Doctors are extremely friendly. Their prognosis for my future is very positive once all the speed bumps are over.
Any help you can offer would be very much appreciated by the both of us. With any leftovers we would like to give back to Peter Mac so they can help others with treatment and research for cancer in the hope that someone else will not have to go through what we are going through for a future that is cancer free.
A few weeks after Michael’s wedding late last year Michael discovered a lump on his shoulder.
Fearing the worst after a melanoma diagnosis a few years ago, he got the new lump investigated. This was removed and confirmed to be Melanoma. Peter Mac ran some more tests and on Christmas Eve received the results that there are lumps in the Lung and Chest Wall. This was compounded on New Years Eve that there was also one located in the Brain.
Early in the New Year Peter Mac decided to move forward with an Immunotherapy /Radiation Treatment Plan. This involves a drug treatment which activates the bodies own immune system to locate and destroy the cancer cells by putting it into hyperdrive.
Unfortunately this comes with a wide range of potential side effects which affected Michael after the very first round of treatment. A full body skin rash and seizure landed him in hospital.
With the help of some medications he got through two more rounds of immunotherapy before discovering that the immune system had mistakenly decided to think that his liver is cancer and had caused hepatitis inflammation stopping all treatment for now until this is under control. This has included a recent week long stay in Peter Mac hospital to control the liver levels which are yo-yoing up and down. As of today I am heading back to Peter Mac hospital for more treatment.
This has been a very stressful few months for Michael and his Husband Matt.
Michael is unable to work while he deals with this. Relying on any sick leave available to survive. He isn’t even allowed to drive at the moment thanks to the Brain lump.
Matt has been required to take unpaid time off work to escort Michael to all of the various appointments.
As we live up to 2 hours away from Peter Mac every appointment means fuel, food, parking, medications and include hotels for hospital stays. This has caused a financial drain with extra expenses while also receiving less pays each week and added to the stresses we have had to deal with.
Thankfully Peter Mac have been amazing and are the best in their fields. The staff and Doctors are extremely friendly. Their prognosis for my future is very positive once all the speed bumps are over.
Any help you can offer would be very much appreciated by the both of us. With any leftovers we would like to give back to Peter Mac so they can help others with treatment and research for cancer in the hope that someone else will not have to go through what we are going through for a future that is cancer free.
Organizer and beneficiary
Sharon Porter
Organizer
Michael McMahon
Beneficiary