Hello Again! It has been quite a ride the last 2 1/2 years and I feel the need to re-hash what all has happened.
First I had my first child!!!
Then 6 months later I am diagnosed with a deadly cancer.
I complete my chemotherapy, have a double mastectomy, then have a maximum life dose of radiation. During this time my cancer returns... not good but not as bad as it could be because it is still stage III and not stage IV - which is considered uncurable.
After radiation I had 6 months of oral chemo.
Then 3 months later my cancer returns yet again. This time the news is very bad... the cancer had spread to my liver. This now makes me stage IV... the doctor gave me 6 months to live in October 2010. I am now at the 6 month mark and I am still fighting my butt off to beat this cancer.
After receiving the news of my shortened life schedule a friend told me about a clinic in Georgia that integrates traditional and non-traditional treatment. Since my oncologist did not have any hope to offer me and pretty much told me they could only continue chemo until my body shut down and could handle it no longer... more or less I'd die from the chemo before the cancer, I felt I had to try something else!
I went for my first treatment in January 2011. I was there for 6 weeks (an eternity without my baby girl!) During this time my white blood count plummeted and I was pretty sick for a couple of weeks. However, when I returned I had a PET scan and the treatment worked!!!! While receiving traditional chemotherapy with my oncologist my cancer was growing. In December I had 2 spots in my liver and one in my lung. After this treatment the 2 spots in the liver shrunk drastically and the one in the lung shrunk by half!
My oncologist decided to change the type of chemo to the ones I was receiving in GA since it was working. Of course I can't receive any of the other treatments since a traditional oncologist can not do anything natural.
5 weeks after the first GA trip I went back for 2 more weeks of treatment. The doctors in GA added an extra chemo and another item. I had an allergic reaction to one of them and then my red blood count was practically depleted. What was to be my last day in GA I was extremely sick and ended up in the ER with blood levels at critcal level. I was admitted to the hospital and given 3 units of blood. My mother and I drive to GA... but obviously this made my driving home impossible so my dad flew down and helped my mom drive us home.
Now 2 weeks later my blood levels have returned to normal and I will continue with the planned chemo here at home. After this round of treatments I will be scheduled for another PET scan to see what is going on with the cancer.
While I was in GA this last time a friend had a fundraiser at the Pizza Ranch. (There are also 2 more in the works.) In a couple of weeks another friend is having a Brat fry/garage sale for me and a neighbor is working on something too. The donations have definitely helped. Especially since we have a large deductible and out of pocket... and the treatment in GA is being completely denied by insurance. Cancer is a very expensive ordeal.
Thank you all for your prayers and donations. We sincerely appreciate everything! I have been asked to re-post where people can mail donations.
Melanie Decker
C/O Marine Credit Union
P.O. Box 510
Waupun, WI 53963
Also in an earlier post there is a link to my paypal account.
Thank you all again!
