Support for Melissa's battle against Cancer

Melissa's fight to beat cancer starts NOW! 

They say your first best friends are often your cousins…I know this to be true because one of the best is mine. My cousin Melissa is a single mom of three amazing girls. Chloe (19) Paige(14) and Avery (11). About a month ago we found out that a regular pap that came back normal was actually not what it appeared. Thankfully a concerned nurse noticed and revealed that although its appearing normal something seemed unusual about her cervix thus prompting further testing. This was the day that changed everything for her girls and all of us who know her. After many tests it was confirmed; she has Stage 3C1 advanced cervical cancer. It has also spread vastly into her cervical lymph nodes. Sadly, surgery is not an option as the cancer is too far spread. Melissa starts her first round of intensive radiation (internal and external) along with chemotherapy treatments on Tuesday which will require her to stay in London all week. They are estimating 8 weeks to start and we are hoping for the best possible outcome! Her days will involve back and forth between the hospital and hotel. Sadly, there are very little resources available to help her. Leaving behind her beautiful girls and her home and her job to take on the fight to kick cancers ass wont be easy. Please help me help Melissa and her girls so they can focus on her fight and not worry about the financial burdens this is going to take on them. The added expense for meals and unforeseen added costs, Weeks or months of staying away from home, hotel costs, gas to get home when she can on weekends, keeping her place for her girls and for her to return to, and relying on family and friends to support the girls while she is doing treatments. We are reaching out to all and any who can in any way help to ease this burden for melissa and her family. Melissa is strong and if anyone can overcome this; It is her. Let’s show her she’s not alone.

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Update Sat. May 8th: Melissas Battle

First and foremost there are not enough words to express the love and gratitude that is felt by our family as Melissa navigates through this journey. The outpouring of love and support from friends, extended family, members of the community, co-workers, both school communities and even complete strangers has been nothing short of amazing. Through emails, messages, phone calls, donations, offers to help with meals and/or grocery shopping, help with things at home, or just to take the girls for a night out. We are overwhelmed with all the positivity, words of encouragement, the support and the amount of love everyone has expressed for Melissa and her girls.

These messages of hope and encouragement have also offered Melissa the much needed support she needs during a time filled with so much uncertainty and being forced to face this during this COVID pandemic without having someone there to help take in all the overload of information or even to just hold your hand. Reading these messages makes her feel a lot less alone and have given her the strength to fight this battle one day at a time.

Cancer is ugly and anyone who has been through it themselves or watched a loved one go through it can tell you. Melissa has just finished up her first week of chemo and radiation treatments. She went into this week feeling very positive and ready to kick cancers ass but between the medications, chemo drugs, radiation and all the new and unknown she has already been met with the first round of side effects. Unfortunately, due to these side effects she was unable to attend her radiation appointment Friday. She will have to catch this appointment up at the end. This is Melissa’s new reality and its only just begun. Home now until her next treatment starts monday. For now she is letting it all go as best she can...just enough to enjoy her daughters birthday and get in some much needed rest and snuggles with her kids. Mothers Day this year will be even more special then usual.

Week one is a wrap

UPDATE MAY 15TH 2021

Week TWO has come and gone! The week started off well. Melissa was driven back to her "not so homey" weekly home in London on Monday for her first treatment of the week that afternoon. Tuesday is chemo days so radiation followed by chemo which always makes the days feel so drawn out. Not the nicest way to spend 4 hours. Wed and thurs went by about as slow as a snails pace but she made it. Four more treatments in the bag! Anticipating gardening and sunshine with her girls on the weekend helped guide her through a very hard Friday. Thankful that week 2 is done. This will not break her! Strength! Determination! Support!

Thank you again to all those following, supporting and just being there! Melissa and her girls and extended family cannot even express in words how greatful they truly are.

God Bless

UPDATE: MAY 21st 2021

Melissas missing the comforts of home...her own bed..her girls ..gardening...everything that screams normal but there is a light that is shining this week as she finds herself now having faced this new reality with more calm and less storm this week. Monday and Tuesday were as they always are...harder..sadder...longer days...But as the weeks progressed we find a new sense of strength felt. That of a woman whose battle is now headed into week 4 on Monday and we are full of hope. This hope for an end as we sit half way through her treatments. Two more weeks of chemo and radiation then the internal radiation will begin. Hope for good news to come as the weeks pass and we get closer to the end goal. Kicking cancers ass!

UPDATE: MAY 31ST 2021

Four weeks down!! This past week was full of hurdles but she braved through them all. The side affects continue to make Melissa tired and with every treatment there continues to be that lingering question in us all- Is the cancer shrinking? Unfortunately this question wont be known fully for some time yet. The waiting is definitely the toughest part! Please continue to show your support with messages emails and phone calls ..Melissa and her girls continue to feel overwhelmed with all the love and support they have been given during this difficult time.

OK WEEK FIVE, HERE WE GO!!♥️

UPDATE JUNE 6TH 2021

Week 5 is wrapped up! Melissa is still feeling tired and the side effects from treatments are not getting any easier but she continues to manage week after week with strength and determination. This past Tuesday also marked a huge milestone for her; The LAST chemo treatment is a wrap! Hopefully she wont need further chemo! Today Melissa began week 6 early as she has been admitted to the hospital for two days of brachytherapy treatments. (Internal radiation) which will follow with two more days of outpatient external radiation. And this means she gets home a little sooner this week too! Hopefully its goodbye to her long weeks away from home! Next up will be another round of brachytherapy treatments. Keep those positive vibes coming everyone!

Here's hoping week 6 goes by fast!

 

UPDATE: JUNE 11TH 2021

Week 6 DONE♥️This week was a shorter one but seemed like the hardest one to date. Melissa began with being admitted Sunday which began two days of hospital stay. Her first round of internal radiation. These two days were painful and almost sleepless. She experienced severe nausea and vomiting from the morphine shot they gave her when removing the brachytherapy rods on Tuesday and this also delayed her being discharged. It was not until she was able to stand up on her own and her worst symptoms had subsided that she was finally discharged to return to the hotel as an outpatient. Wednesday she went back for two treatments of external radiation (am and pm) . The side effects continue to cause her fatigue and she is feeling affects of after treatment pains but there is a sense of relief too...in this moment..as she has been able to return home for a few extra days this time for some much needed family time! She returns for her next and hopefully last round of Internal radiation on the 16th! Prayers needed as we head into the end zone! Positive vibes always! Fuck Cancer!

UPDATE: JUNE 21ST 2021

WEEK 7

This past Thursday Melissa's brachytherapy treatment went so well that they did her second treatment right away while she was still under general anesthesia which meant she could go home sooner! This also would keep her from doing another MRI and instead of having rods in for 24 hrs..it was only 6 hrs. Sadly as she was being discharged and doing her last vitals check; it showed her heart rate was elevated and she needed a CT scan and some blood work which confirmed the doctors suspicions. They found a blood clot in her lung. She stayed the night and the next day was told she could finally leave on blood thinners. The best news is coming...Melissa; although many obstacles were thrown her way; has made it through her 7 weeks of treatments! The bell was rung and her smile said it all as she finally could say she was headed home... Hopefully for good! We cannot wait to get confirmation that this all worked in her favour to get rid of the cancer! We will have these answers in the months to come. Please continue to pray and send positive vibes to Melissa and her family♥️ Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive and generous in every way throughout this process. Although her journey is far from over as she begins her recovery; we are hopeful that the worst of it has been put behind her.

Melissa is overwhelmed by the abundance of kindness that has been shown. Through messages, emails, donations, helping with her girls, and more....she is truly greatful!

UPDATE...JAN 23 2023

Another battle begins...

My cousin Melissa is a strong woman as all those who know her already know and for those who have known her battle the past few years then you have seen her highs and her lows and her greatest and worst moments unravel. Melissa is now knee deep into her third fight against cancer. Chemotherapy has begun. A few weeks ago she was denied immunotherapy therapy despite being told her tumour markers were a good solid match for it BUt as of TODAY she was finally accepted and immunotherapy will infact commence shortly. The details are yet to be announced however it is probable that she will need to travel to London for this ongoing therapy and if it goes accordingly then it will expand for up to two years. We are so elated that there is hope again but it is just the beginning...Again. With all this said..Melissa is still unable to return to work at this time and this continues to present many obstacles for her and her family. Please join me and lets pull together and pray for a miracle...Again. The world needs more miracles!

In Melissa's words..

"In April of 2022, I had reached a point that my side effects were manageable enough that I could try to return to work on a gradual basis but then I discovered a blood clot in my arm. My worst fears had returned. By doing further testing to make sure there wasn't another one in my lung, they discovered lymph nodes in my chest that were bigger than normal. By June I was sent to a thoracic surgeon for a biopsy which revealed that the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes. A CT scan revealed there were several cancerous lymph nodes in my chest and neck. By August I was starting my first out of 6 rounds of chemotherapy which continued until November of 2022. Then faced with severe side effects from the chemotherapy including neuropathy of my legs and feet, I started the painful journey of trying to recover from treatments once again. But I saw another glimmer of hope and i was hopeful again for the future....

Then...In November of 2023 again attempted to return to work and after having some neck pain followed by some tests. I got that phone call again that it has returned slightly worse than before. Several lymph nodes in my neck and abdomen are enlarged. A biopsy reveals once again the cancer has returned. Treatment once again includes 6 rounds of chemo. This time they tell me it will be harder to treat.

Immunotherapy was an option that gave me hope but it was denied and thus created a downward spiral of some hopeless emotions...But today that decision was overturned and my hope is somewhat restored for a better fight ahead..i will not stop fighting for my girls and for myself. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy and all your love and support is what i cling to!. It is hard financially, emotionally and physically but i truly believe in the power of a village and ask for you to pray for me and my girls so that one day Cancer is but a distant nightmare of the past. Thank you for all those praying and supporting in every single way. I appreciate you all

UPDATE...FEBRUARY 20th 2024

Today was a tough day...Being a single mom and fighting cancer is hard enough but having to deal with extra stressors and her daughters accident today too. Some days iare heavier then others but as always her strength and determination never ceases to amaze me. Despite it being mentally and emotionally and physically a tough day there is an enormous sense of hope as Melissas tumour markers continue to be followed and we see this process is working. Keep those prayers coming everyone..See Melissas latest update below....