Team Michaela Cancer Healing

My childhood friend known to me as Kala, and to many others as Michaela is on a journey we hope we never have to take. In January 2020, she thought she had a Pilates injury because she was experiencing pain between her ribs, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping.  Off to urgent care to see if they could shed some light on her healing. Immediately after examining her , they sent Michaela to the ER.  X-rays of her chest showed a pleural effusion in the right lung (fluid build up in the sac surrounding the lung).  The hospital admitted her for 4 days performing daily scans and an MRI.  Shockingly they found tumors and spots in places throughout her body (bone, brain, lungs). Frightened and alone, Michaela had to absorb this information daily.  Her daughter in Florida, her husband waiting anxiously at home.  Following a biopsy and genetic marker tests, she received a fancy name diagnosis 10 days later - metastatic adenocarcinoma of lung origin with a positive EGFR gene mutation (Stage IVa). This shocking news was devastating and scary, and yet, Michaela’s mindset, attitude, and faith have lifted her throughout this entire journey.  
 
My friend’s healing journey began with conventional oncology treatments such as gamma knife radiation on the brain, a surgical procedure, chemical pleurodesis to prevent the pleural effusion from returning, and taking an oral pill daily that specifically targets the EGFR gene mutation. These were followed by regular monitoring of her blood, and MRI’s every two months on her brain and CT-Scans on her chest, abdomen, and pelvis every 3 months. For the past 18 months, Michaela’s MRI and scans have shown a consistent decrease in tumor size and no further metastasis. The last scan revealed a change; the one tumor that had been decreasing steadily, actually showed an increase. The suspicion is that the tumor is becoming resistant to the medication. 
 
And now, Michaela feels the best course of action for her is to support her body in the healing process rather than weakening it through conventional radiation or chemotherapy. Although these traditional therapies have some success, the quality of life is diminished throughout and following treatment. Many of the alternative treatments show promise in getting control of the cancer cells while strengthening the body’s natural immune system. These uniquely customized treatments are expensive and not covered by insurance. 
 
Your kindness and generosity will allow her to consult with the treatment teams and undergo full assessments to determine the right course of treatment unique for her.  Please consider a donation. Any amount will help reach the initial goal of $50,000 which will subsidize her travel costs, assessments, and cancer treatment. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! 
Love and blessings to you!