I second that!

On Tuesday Michele had her second chemotherapy treatment at UT Southwestern oncology center here in Dallas. Scott and I accompanied her, again prepped with plenty of entertainment and ginger ale.

Michele took the treatment like a champ, sleeping for most of the time, and we were in and out of the treatment center faster than during the first round!

We learned a few things since the initial treatment that were slightly adjusted this round:

• Her overall chemotherapy dosage was slightly lowered, in anticipation of reducing side effects while still maximizing effectiveness
• She was given an IV yesterday when her pump was removed and will be given another IV today to help stay ahead of dehydration

In addition to the chemotherapy treatments, we are still awaiting final genetic testing results from Foundation One and continually exploring possible clinical trials, supplements, and targeted therapies to insure we constantly stay well informed and to keep our options open.

During this second treatment, my mom got quite the dosage of Ativan which needless to say, left Scott and me with some pretty funny stories. One of my favorites had to have been when in the middle of treatment, my mom blurted out, “summer squash!” After asking if she was in fact hungry, she told us she had no idea what she was talking about.

Also upon telling my mom how good of a job she did during the treatment she informed me, “I deserve two M&Ms, but I shouldn’t have those now so you can put them in my bank.” Two M&Ms it is!

Again, thank you for all the calls, texts, emails, and visits. We are overwhelmed by the level of support and can’t tell you how much it means to us.

Michele continues her fight every day and will be recuperating over the next two weeks from the second round of treatment.

I couldn’t be more proud of my mom. She is taking this head on – step by step, moment by moment, and her strength is inspiring. It’s not always easy but we welcome the chemotherapy as another tool in this fight that breaks down your body in order to help build it back up.

My niece Caroline made some awesome “Team Michele” purple bracelets (pictured below). If you are interested in ordering one, please let me know and we can see about getting another batch.

Finally, I’ll end with an amazing quote we recently came across:

“You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live. So live. Fight like hell. And when you get tired, lay down and let someone else fight for you.” 

Together, we fight.

Much love.