Hello Everyone!

I hope this finds you all doing well! I know it’s been a while since my last update, and a lot has happened since then. Some of it hasn’t been so good, but there has also been so much to be grateful for.

My last post left us with very few standard treatment options, so I was on the hunt for a clinical trial that might give me more options and, hopefully, more time.

The disease progressed pretty quickly during the 10 weeks I was off treatment. I was coughing regularly, and it was beginning to affect my everyday life. It was also hard for Dave and the kids to watch, especially since they see me the most. I prayed for something to come along that would give me more time.

Sometimes we take time for granted. We never seem to have enough of it!

I’m sure some of you busy moms and dads with little ones can hardly imagine a day that isn’t jam-packed with activities, schedules, and responsibilities. But as the saying goes, the days are long and the years are short. I haven’t met many parents of adult children who would disagree with that!

The last three months have felt like they were on fast-forward.

In August, I met with the clinical trial teams at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. At first, it didn’t look promising that anything would open up quickly. But during my second visit with the clinic team, two trials became possibilities, and I was eligible for both!

The catch? I couldn’t remain eligible for both and had just 24 hours to decide. One was an oral medication specifically targeting my KRAS mutation, so that was the one I chose.

We knew it would be competitive. There was only one spot available across four major hospitals. Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected. It was disappointing to go from having two possibilities to being back at square one.

But here is where things took an unexpected turn.

The very day I found out I wasn’t selected, a third trial became available.

This one involves an IV drug every three weeks. It is a targeted therapy designed to deliver medication to the cancer cells using a protein, with the goal of limiting the impact on healthy cells and reducing side effects. Dave likes to describe it as a Trojan horse, and honestly, that’s a pretty good way to explain it!

I’ve completed two rounds and recently had a CT scan. The results showed that the tumors are shrinking and responding to the drug!

That is encouraging news, and I am incredibly grateful to have this opportunity.

People often ask me how long I will be on this treatment. My answer is usually, “Forever” Or until another drug comes along that works better, or until I decide the treatment is no longer giving me an acceptable quality of life. I’m hoping we can stick with the first option for a very, very long time!

When you have metastatic cancer, the doctors are very clear that they cannot promise a cure. The question becomes how long they can keep the disease under control, and nobody can predict that with certainty.

It’s a reminder of why prevention and early detection matter so much. We have made incredible advances in treating cancer, but there is still so much we don’t know.

I also hope that by participating in this clinical trial, I can help open doors for other patients down the road. If what researchers learn from me helps someone else have another option, then that is something meaningful to come out of this journey.

One thing I really appreciate about this treatment schedule is the three weeks between infusions. It gives me a little balance between dealing with treatment and actually living my life. So far, the third week has been a pretty good one, and we have been taking advantage of it!

In September, we were fortunate enough to take a trip, and we have our Kent Fire family to thank for that. They gifted us funds that allowed us to spend time with our kids in New York City for a few days before Dave and I headed off on a cruise to Bermuda.

We battled a nor’easter along the way, because apparently, even Mother Nature wanted to be part of the adventure! But everything worked out, and I finally got to see a Broadway show in NYC. Bucket list item checked!

To everyone who helped make that trip possible, we can never thank you enough. What you gave us was so much more than a vacation. You gave our family time together, memories we will always cherish, and something wonderful to look forward to during a pretty uncertain time. We will never forget your generosity.

And that brings me back to my title.

What is a miracle?

When I was first diagnosed, I was doing everything in my power to make this cancer go away. I felt like there had to be something I was missing, and if I just researched enough, tried hard enough, or found the right combination of things, I was going to beat it.

I’m still determined. That part of me hasn’t changed!

But over the last two years, I have learned that miracles don’t always look the way we expect them to.

For a long time, I think I was waiting for the ultimate miracle, to hear those words, “No Evidence of Disease.” And yes, I will continue to hope and pray for that day!

But somewhere along the way, I have started to recognize the miracles that are already happening around me.

The people who pray for me, some of whom I have never even met.

The kindness and generosity people have shown our family over these last two years.

The opportunities that have come along when we thought there were none left.

The encouraging scan results that give us more time.

The trips, the laughter, the family memories, and the ordinary days that don’t feel quite so ordinary anymore.

And knowing that our story has touched other people in ways we may never fully understand.

Maybe miracles aren’t always about changing the outcome. Sometimes they are about changing the way we see the time we have.

Will I keep fighting and hoping to be NED? Absolutely, I’m not giving up that hope.

But I am also learning to be grateful for the time and experiences these last two years have given me. I don’t know how long this drug will work, and I wish I had a crystal ball that could tell me. For now, I will celebrate every scan that shows shrinking tumors or stable disease. I will celebrate the good weeks, the family trips, the time with Dave, and all the little things that make life so beautiful.

I may not know what the future holds, but I know I am surrounded by more love, prayers, and support than I could ever have imagined.

And if that isn’t a miracle, I don’t know what is.

Thank you for continuing to pray for us, love us, and walk alongside us on this journey. Your support means more than words can express, and it continues to make all the difference.

Peace, love, gratitude, and hope. ❤️

Michelle