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Our Survivor Michaela Welcome to Michaela's very own web page! Michaela was born in October of 1996. She is a big sister, she's beautiful, smart as a whip, and quite the talented artist! She was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, stage III on 6/30/00. She completed chemotherapy treatments 4/19/01.
To give a brief history on Michaela, she was a perfectly healthy 3 year old until 6/30/00. She had a persistant stuffy nose that we chalked up to good 'ole Minnesota allergies. When the stuffy nose just seemed to get worse without relief from over the counter meds, we took her in to the doc. The physicians assistant on duty in urgent care noticed a small growth in the back of her throat, just behind her tonsils. We were told she had a sinus infection and she was put on anti biotics. Again, of course, she didn't get any better. She sounded very congested. We brought her back at which time she saw a differant doc, who thought the growth was very strange. He referred us to the local ENT specialist. That doctor thought he was looking at aednoid tissue. His plan was to do an aednoidectomy, but he referred us to a pediatric ENT specialist at the U of MN hospital for a second opinion. When this doctor, Dr Frank Rimell, looked at the mass in her throat, he knew immediatley that it was some type of cancer. She was admitted into the hospital that day and a biopsy that night confirmed that it was cancer. An orange size tumor was removed from behind her nasal passage. What remained was the size of a plum. After a week of tests, we learned the type of cancer, the stage it was in, and her prognosis, which is 70%. Michaela has completed 6 weeks of proton beam radiation therapy and 42 weeks of chemotherapy. The "plum" which was left behind has been reduced in size by approx 95%. It is now just a tiny mass of dead tissue. If we can help a family going through this treatment in any way please feel free to email us at the address below.
Journal
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 1:53 PM CST Another year has passed and I haven't posted a message. That's a good thing for us, because it means there has been nothing to report. Michaela is doing great! She has been in remission for almost 8 years now (*wow*).
To anyone who reads this, believe me when I say I never thought the last day of treatment would come, let alone 8 years later. I struggled with the pain Michaela went through. Watching her suffer through treatments, through surgeries. I would see other 4 year old children, and actually be resentful, wondering why those kids just got to be kids, and my daughter had to fight a life threatening illness. I often wondered how much it would effect her personality in the long run. I wondered how she would deal with the traumatic memories.
A few days ago we went to the hospital to visit my Mom. We passed a room that used to be an oncology clinic room in our local small hospital. Michaela, her long blond hair flowing, cell phone in hand, texting like the tween she is, looking cute in her gaucho's, long sleeved t-shirt, and puffy sleeveless vest, look's over at the room with mild interest, then look's me and says, "Did I used to go in there?"
I got a flashback of the at least weekly outpatient chemo treatments she had in that room. The blood count checks in that room, the platelet replacement, the tranfusions, all in that room. We practically spent more time in that room than we did at home. I pictured her frail little body, bald head, painfully pale complexion, sunken eyes looking up at me, sitting in a chair with multiple tubes and machines attatched to her. All in an effort to keep her alive, to fight this horrible disease.
"Ya", I said, "We used to go in that room". She looks up at me for a moment and honestly asks -- "What was that for again?"
That was the greatest question I'd ever heard. Wishing a happy, healthy 2009 to all.
Read Journal History
Hospital Information: Fairview University Medical Center
2450 Riverside Campus
Minneapolis, MN 55454
612-672-6000
Links: http://quiltsoflove.com/quilt/michaelaK/michaelaK.html Michaela's quilt made by Quilts of Love
http://www.makeawish.org What a great organization for our kids.
http://www.customplayhouses.com Michaelas Make A Wish wish.
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