back in the hospital

in case you haven't heard the news michelle is back in the hospital today.

she has been having a hard time eating, her back is hurting, and has lost 15 pounds.

they found a tumor wrapped around her colon.

the plans are for her to stay there until she starts chemo and keep her on a liquid diet.

the chemo should help keep the tumor down.

the chemo was originally going to start january 3rd but may start sooner.

we will keep you updated.

keep praying.

love, nicole

waiting at the doctors to get her chemo port in...

UPDATE

Michelle had her chemo portal put in this morning...

GOOD NEWS!

doctor said her AFP level continues to drop.

She was at 1300 presurgery,

950 post surgery

and 500 today

non-medical translation:

SO FAR MICHELLE'S CANCER ISN'T GROWING BACK!!!

thanks for the prayers

xxoo,

jess

love for michelle.

i posted the exact same post on December 23rd from this blog on my blog today.

i was amazed that there is already so many people who are showing there love and support for michelle, some of these people she has never even met.

you can see what they have said here.

love, nicole

why?

there are a lot of people who are not aware of what cancer is and what different "terms" mean

if you are one of them, be thankful, there is a reason you are unaware.

when we give updates on the blog we want you to know what they mean as far as what the doctor says. unfortunately, i know a lot about cancer because my mom battled it from October 2000-May 2006. but thankfully i will be of help now because of what i do know.

and no i do not think i am a doctor. :)

Michelle's cancer type is Ovarian. Who would think it would develop in such a YOUNG woman's body!? You just don't think about these types of things. You can be diagnosed at a very young age, Michelle's doctor diagnosed a young girl at the age of 14. Before Michelle went to the doctor she was experiencing a lot of pain in her abdomen, then she started noticing a "pooch" and Jessica, being the dear sweet best friend that she is just told Michelle to stop drinking Diet Dr. Pepper, haha, this just shows their personality all the way, i love it. Neither of them, obviously, not knowing the extent of what was really going on.. When Michelle went to the doctor they did not suspect it was ovarian cancer. They first asked her if she was PREGNANT!? heck no, no chance. Then possibly a hernia? it wasn't that either. And shockingly enough it was stage 3 ovarian cancer that had started and developed in only 8 short weeks.. now, what does stage three cancer mean? there are 4 stages of cancer. technically the stages have either A, B, or C within the stages. now this shows you how intense her cancer is..

stage 3 means that the cancer involves one or both ovaries and one or both of the following are present: cancer has spread beyond the pelvis to the lining of the abdomen; cancer has spread to lymph nodes.

Now for Michelle's case, it has not spread down but it did go into her lymph nodes and he was able to save one ovary.

The cancer could always metastasize, which means spread. Stage 3 cancer is an active stage of the cancer cells, that chemotherapy can kill off. and it needs to kill every cancer cell to work. Michelle will be doing chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy works by killing fast-growing cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs can't always tell the difference between cancer cells and fast-growing healthy cells, including red and white blood cells. As a result, it makes you very weak, because your body needs to start back at square one to fight to keep up your energy level and beat out the cancer cells.. People who experience chemo are very exhausted because of how much the body is fighting to keep your fighting cells. Chemotherapy is not a comfortable thing. My mom told me it feels like you just have the flu 57390850823. Your body just aches... Michelle will be doing a cycle of chemotherapy which includes 5 days of it one week, then 2 days the next week, then 5 days, then 2, and so on for 9 weeks. after this they will keep very close tabs on her, for quite some time. checking her blood count and doing scans to see the progress of what the chemotherapy has done, and hopefully it does it's job properly.


Us girls are doing this blog, to show Michelle how much love and support she truly does have. One of Michelle's friends made a support box for her to show Michelle this, many people have already shown so generously the support that Michelle and her family does have.


On the right of our page is a way to donate through PayPal, which is a super safe way to donate. Since Michelle will be loosing her hair, she is going to rock a wig, and look fabulous in it! We would like to help her buy a wig so she feels beautiful! And we know she will be beautiful either way! Donating would be fantastic!


There is also a tab at the top of the page that shows how you can write a letter to Michelle! If you know her or not, the love will mean the world to her!


WE LOVE YOU MICHELLE.
This blog is for showing awareness that this can happen to ANYBODY, and being so young, and to show support and love to our best friend


love,
jules.

my point of view.

you all have probably read the post from Nicole and Jessica

so now it is MY turn.

this is quite difficult for me to do..

michelle is amazing.

i remember the first time i met her i was jealous of how skinny she was (and still is) and she was and still is so cute. i am mega lame i know, don't judge me i was in like... summer going into 10th grade.. this girl has been one of my close friends since. we always pick up from where we left off. i love our long talks in her truck and getting caught up on the latest news and gossip, and remembering back when she would drive me home from school and we would yell at little children, not mean things, just funny, and practically pee our pants laughing so hard. i love this girl.

it's very hard for me to really have it sink it that Michelle is being faced with this trial. never in a million years would i have thought this would happen, but then again, who would.. michelle is a very strong girl, and very optimistic. i am so proud of her.

(i'm sorry Michelle, this picture is perfect)

i will be posting more this week about the details with Michelle and what she will be doing for treatment and the details with treatment.

we are thankful for the support that Michelle and her family have been given.

i love you Michelle

you're going to rock this wig

love,

jules

(God blessed me with really cute friends)

(this is the original four of us)

I've heard it said..

that people come into our lives for a reason...

bringing something we must learn.

And we are led to those who help us most to grow,

if we let them.

And we help them in return.

michelle, remember this..

extraordinary things only happy to extraordinary people.

and just like our favorite song:

"There's no fight we cannot win.

Just you and I

defying gravity

With you and I

defying gravity".

TO EVERYONE: Being that in two days I will be a Utah resident and therefore cannot run my bff sodas at her beck and call, cannot bring her moms mashed potatoes,

or watch sappy movies on a mutual bad night and have a pity party,

PLEASE step in and take my place for the time being.

MICHELLE: i CAN text you back within one second. i can call you everyday. i can talk to you any bad night and have a pity party over the phone. i can send you care packages. we can ichat. and thanks to your parents i CAN be with you on your birthday (January 27th everyone). see...we still have all the important things about bffs going for us.

love, jessica

P.S.

I'm sorry this was too good not to post...

After the doctor left the room after breaking the traumatizing news of the chemo,

Michelle's first words, through tears and sniffling nose were...

"I really don't like him."

and shortly after...

"Well at least I can be a blonde again."




love,
jessica

i may not be queen elizabeth.

as long as i can remember my good friend michelle has been the happiest person ever. some of my greatest times with michelle are dancing to hannah montana and screaming it at the top of our lungs, driving around in her truck and yelling at jr. high kids (things like "we think you are so hott"), putting straight bleach on her hair to make her blonder, and frequent trips to window shop at the pet store. she loves life and i honestly have never seen her down.

On Sunday, December 12, 2010 Michelle was diagnosed with a very rare ovarian cancer. Only being 20 and the cancer already being in stage 3 makes it even rarer. She has only had the cancer for about 8 weeks and it has already spread to her lymph nodes and lower abdomen. One ovary has already been removed as well as her appendix. Her doctor is confident his method of treatment will be successful. She will have to go through aggressive chemo beginning January this year. It will consist of 5 days a week then 2 days a week repeating for 9 weeks. She will loose her hair by the end of January.

Michelle has never been the "woe is me" type and doesn't really like for the focus to be on her. so me, amy, jessica, and julianna have taken the reigns on this project. last week we had a secret meeting, without michelle knowing, and have created her a blog.

the initial purpose is to raise her money for a wig. jessica was in the hospital at the time when the doctor was telling michelle all that would be happening jessica said the only time michelle cried was when the doctor informed her she would be loosing her hair. we have already earned money and gave michelle a great christmas basket but with the next 9 weeks of chemo we know her fight has only begun.

i love you michelle, stay strong!

love, nicole