Three Lives.....Part Two: Michelle
Courage.
There was a call on Saturday. Yeah, one of those ones..... Lynda's friend Michelle had finally succumbed to cancer. Michelle was a trooper, endlessly optimistic, doggedly determined, never-say-die kind of gal.
She'd had a mastectomy 5 years ago, then chemo and radiation therapy. Spent a year recuperating and then was advised to have her other breast removed as a precautionary measure. Got better, back to living and enjoying family activities, back to work, involved. Feeling good and living a mindful, healthy life style.
Shocking news 20 months ago when at a regular screening there were spots showing on her lungs - she had never smoked. Further testing showed cancer on her liver and brain. Into an aggressive regimen of treatment and for a time things looked like they might turn around. The various tumours growth was arrested, then the size began to diminish, there was cause to be hopeful. In time though it became evident that the treatment was failing - new tumours were showing up where there had been none.
Michelle offered herself up as a guinea pig for any new treatment option without the hope that anything would ultimately make a difference for herself. She knew the value of clinical trials - eventually someone may benefit from her experience as she had benefited from others.
Michelle was 51 and leaves a husband, a son and daughter. RIP
There was a call on Saturday. Yeah, one of those ones..... Lynda's friend Michelle had finally succumbed to cancer. Michelle was a trooper, endlessly optimistic, doggedly determined, never-say-die kind of gal.
She'd had a mastectomy 5 years ago, then chemo and radiation therapy. Spent a year recuperating and then was advised to have her other breast removed as a precautionary measure. Got better, back to living and enjoying family activities, back to work, involved. Feeling good and living a mindful, healthy life style.
Shocking news 20 months ago when at a regular screening there were spots showing on her lungs - she had never smoked. Further testing showed cancer on her liver and brain. Into an aggressive regimen of treatment and for a time things looked like they might turn around. The various tumours growth was arrested, then the size began to diminish, there was cause to be hopeful. In time though it became evident that the treatment was failing - new tumours were showing up where there had been none.
Michelle offered herself up as a guinea pig for any new treatment option without the hope that anything would ultimately make a difference for herself. She knew the value of clinical trials - eventually someone may benefit from her experience as she had benefited from others.
Michelle was 51 and leaves a husband, a son and daughter. RIP
posted by Norm at 8/20/2008 03:40:00 AM
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