On Sunday, December 12, 2010 Michelle Long was diagnosed with a very rare ovarian cancer. Only being 20 and the cancer already being in stage 3 makes it even rarer.
She will have to go through aggressive chemo beginning January this year. It will consist of 5 days a week then 1 day a week repeating for 9 weeks. She will loose her hair by the end of January 2011.
More updates are posted on the blog as we hear after 12/23/2010.
About a week before she was diagnosed she complained of a bloated stomach, and pressure in her lower abdomen. She assumed she had a bladder infection and tried to rest until she felt better. The stomach pain continued. A visit to the Minute Clinic told her that she was absolutely healthy and just needed rest.
That Sunday the pain was unbearable and her mom took her to the ER. Worst case scenario, Michelle thought she had kidney stones. Ultra sounds showed cysts on the ovaries, but surgery showed that the tumors were actually cancerous. She was taken to Dr. Mike F. Janicek, Gynecologic Oncologist, who diagnosed her cancer and removed one ovary and her appendix. Within 8 weeks of having her cancer it had already spread to her lymph nodes and abdomen. The intense pain was due to the fact that the tumors had actually ruptured her ovaries and Michelle was experiencing internal bleeding.
More updates are posted on the blog as we hear after 12/23/2010.
