What a beautiful Easter Sunday it was today! I think it might finally be safe to say that spring has officially arrived. Thank goodness for that. When the sun is shining and I can feel the warmth on my face, it immediately boosts my spirits. As I sat in church this morning and celebrated this holy day, I also couldn't help but reflect on how grateful I was to even be there. Three years ago, I laid in bed for days - including Easter Sunday because of how awful I felt after my very first round of chemotherapy. Sometimes it seems like yesterday - and other times it seems like another lifetime. Last month I celebrated my 32nd birthday and two days later, I celebrated my 3rd cancerversary. It's always a very emotional time for me - full of reflection, gratitude and heartache. I can't believe all I have endured - physically & emotionally - and although it's rare for me to ever give myself a pat on the back, I will say that I am so proud of myself for all I have been able to get through. Some days are harder than others - but I have managed to get through each and every one of them. Here is what I shared on facebook on March 23rd. "Three years ago today, my world was changed forever after receiving news of what felt like a death sentence. These past few years haven't been easy but I can truly say that I have experienced more joy and happiness than I ever thought would be possible again. I've learned to never give up hope and to make a difference with my life. "Life is too short" sounds like a cliche until circumstances force you to realize how true it really is. So make it count! Thank you to my incredible family & friends for being there for me every step of the way. And to my amazing husband, Mike...thank you for never leaving my side- through the good and the bad. I couldn't do this without you and I thank God for you every day. Thank you so much for all of the birthday love! I am truly grateful to be celebrating another year and growing older...a privilege denied to many." The day before my birthday, I also had an appointment with Dr. F. We discussed a lot of different things, primarily related to a few different side effects I have been experiencing from my treatments. Nothing major - but of course it ended up in scheduling something like 10 appointments in the next 12 weeks. Ugh! I have had some drama since with a hematologist regarding my platelet count, but I'll fill you all in on that another time.
We also ended up scheduling my next round of scans, which will be Monday, June 2. I will then get my results on Thursday, June 12. So, start firing up those prayers. :) I have lots of other updates including great improvements I am helping make at the Detroit Race for the Cure this year to recognize women with metastatic breast cancer and young women facing breast cancer, information about this year's Ride for the Cure, as well as information I am hoping to share after attending the Living Beyond Breast Cancer's Annual Conference for Women Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer which will take place next weekend in Philadelphia. I will definitely try to update more soon. For now, thank you so much for your constant love, support and prayers. I am truly grateful and blessed to never walk this road alone. xoxo, Meghan
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I find that I come to this safe place - my safe place - to bear my soul and shed my tears during some of the toughest times. It is my way to cope, to attempt to lift some of the pain and heartache through pouring out my thoughts and emotions - and it helps build me back up through your caring and thoughtful words and messages. You will never know the depths of my gratitude for that. What I hope that others realize, is that I truly do have {many!} more good days than bad. I have had such a great year so far, filled with many great memories and fun times - despite all of the hard times and huge losses. It's just that I don't find myself coming to the blog as often when things are going so great. I am out living it up and packing as much into my days as possible. This passage sums it up best and truly resonates with my soul.... I realized I should try to take some time to write and share my thoughts on the good days too. I know that somehow this blog has come into the lives of so many others living with chronic disease, or those newly diagnosed and I want you all to know that life can truly be filled with so much joy and happiness despite the circumstances that we happen to be in with our health. The past few months have been packed with great times. Mike and I, along with Mike's Uncle Pat, joined my friend Kyle for the Susan G. Komen Mid-Michigan Ride for the Cure. Kyle and I completed the hilly 30 mile course, while Mike and Uncle Pat were rockstars completing the grueling 100 mile trek! It was a really fun day and I'm so grateful I was feeling well enough to do this. Thank you to everyone that donated to our team or cheered us on from afar. Mike and I have had a blast at a few of our friends weddings, we have been loving our new home & neighborhood (and renovated kitchen!), and staying busy with working a lot - while we each continue to take on new projects. {A quick little before & after shot of the kitchen. I put an entire album of pics on my facebook page if you want to see more of our remodel.} Two weekends ago, my wonderful friend Brinley and her sweet little Andrew came to visit from West Palm Beach. It had been over a year since I had seen them and our little reunion couldn't have been more perfect! We packed in so many fun things, enjoyed amazing fall weather, and shared tons of laughs - just like we always do when we are together. It seriously does my heart so much good when I am with them, and I couldn't be more grateful that they made the trip up here. (We missed you, Andy!) Here are just a few shots from our weekend together... Another cool thing that has happened recently is that I was asked to be included in a panel of some of the top cancer researchers and oncologists in Michigan, for Ambassador Magazine's cancer awareness issue. I was honored to be representing cancer patients on this panel of clinicians, and it was a very interesting conversation to be a part of. The magazine was recently published (with none other than Jennifer Aniston on the cover!) and I received my copy in the mail last week. Pretty cool, huh?! On the medical front, I have had my usual injections every 4 weeks and have continued to see Dr. F every 8 weeks. Things continue to look pretty good, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. We have scheduled my next round of scans, which will be the first week of December. I am hopeful that I will still be N.E.D (no evidence of disease) and can enjoy the holidays (and our recently planned trip to California!) to the fullest.
As we are in the midst of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I could (and probably should) devote an entire post to my thoughts about awareness vs. action, "Pink Washing" and all sorts of other thoughts about what is great and not so great about this month. But for now, I would just like to honor my amazing friend, Jen Smith who passed away last month. Take a minute to watch her video or check out her books to learn how to "live legendary" despite the hand that is dealt to you in life. Lastly, and definitely most important, I would please like to ask all of you amazing prayers warriors to extend those prayers to my Aunt Bev and her family. My mom's older sister, Bev has been dealing with lots of medical appointments and tests recently, and today underwent major surgery which also helped to confirm what she is dealing with. We know it is cancer, likely ovarian, and has spread throughout parts of her abdomen. After she recovers from this surgery, she will be starting chemotherapy. Please keep her, my Uncle Herm and cousins in your thoughts and prayers. I am also requesting prayers for my entire Daley family - my grandma, my mom and all of her siblings, and my cousins. It just seems like everyone has such serious things going on right now and major tragedies to deal with, and it breaks my heart for everyone. I'm just thankful we all have each other to help get through. xoxo, Meg Over the past year or so, this has become one of my favorite quotes...."Gratitude turns what we have into enough." I will be the first to admit that it's not always easy to live by, but I try my best to remind myself of this mantra as often as possible - especially during those toughest times. If you would have told me a year and a half ago that I would soon be diagnosed with cancer, then find out that it was the most aggressive and advanced stage, learn that I cannot have children, and all the other emotional and physical obstacles that have come along....I would never have believed you if you told me I would reach a day where I would be grateful to hear the words "stable disease"...but I truly am. I will never forget the shock I felt during my first meeting with Dr. F, when he explained there was a stage of breast cancer that was no longer curable. I didn't understand - couldn't comprehend it - and didn't even worry about it too much since I figured there was no way that could apply to me. Well, fast forward to today and here I am living this seemingly entirely new life and I find myself grateful for stable, stage IV cancer. It's just crazy how much your life can change- how much you can adjust to, and what your definition of "good news" can become. Although I will always have hard days and there will always be aspects of my life that are difficult, I am so thankful that I am able to have the outlook that I do. I attribute a lot of that to your prayers. I really do believe that through your prayers and well wishes, God has helped me learn how to cope with this life and how to continue to see my blessings and be grateful for them, amidst the pain and heartbreak that comes along with living with this diagnosis. Since my last post when we received our great news from my scans, life has continued along at our usual busy pace. I have had a jam packed schedule of photography clients and I am loving growing this business. Mike and I just spent the weekend in Chicago visiting some of my best friends and it was a blast, as always. This upcoming weekend is the Susan G. Komen Ride for the Cure in Ann Arbor and I will be there cheering on Doug and Kyle as they bike 30 miles to raise awareness and funds for this cause. This is a great event and my dear friend Kyle is still trying to reach her fundraising goal, so please consider donating whatever you can to her efforts. Please click here to donate! Also, please consider supporting the "Meghan Malley Rally" 3 Day team. They are working hard to raise the necessary funds required to participate in this event in just a couple of weeks. They are participating in this event on August 17 -19th in order to help spread awareness that this disease does impact young women, and also to help generate awareness for metastatic disease and the critical importance of research in order to help find a cure. I would sincerely appreciate any donation you are able to make so that my friends can participate and further advocate for the issues that mean so much to me, and to each of them. Every dollar does make a difference! Please click here to visit the team page and click on any team members name to donate to that person specifically. As if I haven't asked for enough already...I have one more request. Our good friend's little 3 year old daughter was diagnosed with Wilms Tumor (a type of kidney cancer) just a couple weeks ago. They have since found out that the cancer is Stage IV and has spread to her lungs, vena cava and is approaching her heart. Sweet little Cecylia has a long road ahead of her as she just began chemo in the hopes to shrink the cancer enough to have surgery to remove her kidney. This will then be followed by a heavy course of radiation treatments. Our friends are optimistic and very hopeful that this treatment will be effective for their baby girl, but of course this is a terrifying time for them. Mike and I have been so blown away by the outpouring of love and prayers for us and we are confident in the fact that it has made a positive impact on my health. So, I figured I would ask for all of you to add Cecylia to your prayers because I just know it will help. Please specifically pray that she stops coming down with fevers that repeatedly land her in the hospital. Please pray she is able to heal in the comfort of her own home with her parents and 2 year old sister, and that she becomes stronger each and every day so that her body is best equipped to battle this cancer.
Thank you so much! I hope everyone has a great week ahead. xoxo, Meg I am being 100% truthful when I say that there has not been one moment throughout these last 15 1/2 months where I have asked, "why me?". I have never said, "this isn't fair", or had a huge pity party for myself. I have had my fair share of sad (okay, even devastated) moments, or times where I felt a little angry, frustrated or discouraged but I have never let it suck me down that big black hole of despair for very long. I have held tight to the faith that God has a plan for me, and although I may never understand it, He is watching over me and wants the best for me. I have spent more time working on my relationship with God since the day I was diagnosed. We had a little heart to heart where I said, "Hey, remember me?! I could really use your help right about now!" There have been many "coincidences" along this road which I now don't believe were coincidences at all. There have been people that have been brought into my life for very specific purposes at seemingly the exact perfect time I needed them. There have been so many scary and stressful moments where I have been shocked at the sense of calm and peace that I felt come over me. It is in these times especially, that I know God is with me. Although I was raised in the Catholic church, I found myself distanced from it the older I became. What always seemed to cause me frustration and confusion, and ultimately my lack of participation within the church, was the question of, "if we have an all knowing and all loving God, how does he let such bad things happen to such good people?". I have struggled with this thought since I was a little girl and it has always been a huge source of internal turmoil for me. I am truly thankful for a few very special friends that help me work through these thoughts, and who share with me their thoughts and beliefs which have helped me understand that God does truly want whats best for me. He is not punishing me through this cancer. But, bad things do happen - and that is just life. I have been finding more peace lately by putting my trust in God and I am sincerely grateful for that. With that said, it doesn't mean that my faith doesn't waiver. Traveling this road ultimately leads to many moments where it is hard to have faith, where it is hard to remember that God is with me, and where it is a challenge to focus on my blessings. The past week or so has been an true example of this. Aside from having my scans completed last week and knowing those results are looming over my head, there have been a few other things going on in my personal life that even on their own would be devastating and difficult to get through - let alone all combined at the same time, on top of everything else we have already been dealing with. I had a few days of deep sadness, frustration, and confusion as to why so much could possibly be piled onto our plates right now. Why have I been through so much already at just 30 years old - more than many people go through in a long lifetime? These thoughts led to an impromptu pity party where I was the guest of honor. But, ultimately I needed to throw that party. I needed to let myself break down, release the tears and cries, and with that, release my worries, frustrations and fears to God. I have come to truly detest the saying, "God doesn't give us more than we can handle" - I just don't believe that. I believe so many of us go through times where it is too much to handle, and that's when we need to rely on Him. As the dust has settled over the last few days, the clouds of that deep sadness have lifted a bit, but I know I am headed straight into another potential storm on Thursday. I am praying (more like begging) for good news. I could really use a break right now - I need it more than ever. Thank you for your continued prayers and words of encouragement. That is what helps me get through these difficult times. And thank you to those of you that have prayed for my Aunt Helen. She was taken off life support on Friday but is continuing to hold on. I am asking for prayers that she is able to let go, give her body the rest it deserves, and return to her family in Heaven who await her. I will post on Thursday after my appointment with hopefully nothing but great news! xoxo, Meg ***REMINDER - There are TONS of great fundraising events happening to benefit the 3 Day team as they each try to raise at least $2,300 for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day For the Cure. Please check out the details and attend if you are able! First up, Zumba this Friday night.... THIS WEEKEND - HUGE Garage Sale at Becca's house. Lots of great stuff - not your average garage sale finds! Please visit 367 East Saratoga Street in Ferndale from 8-3pm on Saturday and Sunday. Next Thursday, July 19th - Fundraiser at Rosie O'Grady's in downtown Ferndale. Please join us starting at 6pm for all you can eat pizza and salad buffet out on the front patio for just $15. There will also be a silent auction and 50/50 raffle. Please pass this invite along to all your friends and family - it will be a great time! The following week, come join us for some yoga!..... We are also continuing to sell the adorable kids apparel as well! Please contact me for orders or you can place an order directly from Brinley's website at http://littleonesforacure.blogspot.com. The onesies are available in 12, 18 and 24 months (special order at no additional cost, 3, 6 or 9 months) and the t's are available in 2T, 3T and 4T sizes. If you would rather make a donation directly to the 3 Day team, please visit the link here.
and pick a team member to donate to. Thank you for your support! Last but not least, my dear friend Kyle is once again participating in the 30 mile Ride For the Cure in Ann Arbor on August 4th. Please consider helping her reach her goal by donating here. It was hot and humid without any sort of breeze to give relief. The route weaved in and out of towns, and up and down steep hills throughout the greater Ann Arbor area for 30 miles. She rode completely by herself, for nearly 2 1/2 hours, after spending weeks raising over $2,000...because that's the kind of friend she is. Kyle is the kind of friend that would do anything she could to help you, to be there for you, to show you that she cares. She has been there for me in every way possible throughout this journey - from a simple call or text to say she was thinking of me, to spending hours creating the most thoughtful and meaningful gifts, to photographing such intimate and emotional moments like when I shaved my hair. And then she goes and does this...the 2nd Annual Susan G. Komen Ride For The Cure. It was a great event with a wonderful turn out of supporters in which $250,000 was raised to stay within the mid-Michigan chapter of the Susan G. Komen organization. We met a lot of wonderful people, including many survivors that were eager to share their success stories with me and offer hope and encouragement. I was interviewed on camera for a Komen promotional video, and it turned out to be a much more emotional experience for me than I ever imagined it would be. As my voice cracked and I got choked up while speaking, Kyle hugged me a little tighter and helped me get through it. She is just that type of person - the kind that will stand beside you, hold your hand, and help you get through anything, without looking for any recognition or attention for herself. Kyle did an amazing job and blazed through those 30 miles. Check out some of the images I captured from Saturday's event... Photo credit: Kyle Dorcey Kyle, I couldn't be more proud of you and grateful to have you as one of my very best friends. You completely touched me heart by doing this in my honor and I was so excited to be there to cheer you on! Thank you for your constant love and support - it means the world to me! I would also like to give a huge thank you to all of you that came out to our last 3 Day fundraiser on Friday night. We had a blast doing a Zumba workout and a relaxing yoga cool down. Thank you so much to my mom's co-worker Lori for giving us this great idea, and to her sister Maggie who taught a super fun and energetic class! Maggie, thank you so much for donating your time for our fundraiser - I had such a fun time. It felt so great to feel a little bit more like myself again and to workout with everyone - although I will admit that I have paid for it a bit since with fatigue and some soreness....but it was well worth it! Thanks to everyone that came and spent their Friday night with us for such a good cause. Sorry we missed some of you in our group shot. Well, I can't believe it but the Susan G. Komen 3 Day For A Cure is now upon us. I am so excited to have so many friends and family gather together this weekend to support me, support the Meghan Malley Rally team, and support this cause. It will mean so much to me to see so many of you there throughout the weekend. I truly cannot thank all of you enough for everything you have done to help make Team Meghan Malley Rally such a success - whether you have helped organize a fundraiser, donated your time or talents, come out to show your support, or donated online....it is all so very much appreciated! The 3 Day walk is more than a philanthropic event for me. It has given me something to look forward to, something to focus my energy on, and even more importantly, it has given me HOPE! I am so grateful to Brinley, Kara, Melanie, Amanda, Lindsay, Becca, Nancy, Stacy and Nikki for dedicating so much of your time and energy to this...as I have told you before, you will never truly know the depths of my gratitude. I hope to see many of you this weekend, especially at my mom's house on Sunday night. Please come by because I would love to give each of you that follow this blog and hold me in your prayers, a huge hug and heartfelt thanks in person. I truly don't know how I could do this without all of your love and support. Let the walking begin! xoxo, Meg I distinctly remember the moment when I realized that my group of girlfriends and I were unique. It was back at Miami University during my undergrad years and it dawned on me what a special bond I had with my best girlfriends from home. During my freshman year of college, I had pictures of my Beauts plastered all over my tiny dorm room walls. I remember so many people making comments to me like, "you still talk to your friends from high school?", or "I couldn't wait to get out of my hometown and get away from people I went to high school with!" Throughout my college years, I discovered that many of my Miami friends kept in less and less touch with their friends from home, while my friendship with my Beauts remained as strong as ever. Sure, maybe I didn't get the chance to see all of them as much, but it didn't matter - because we could go months without a visit and then once we saw each other, we could pick right back up where we left off. It has been 11 years since we graduated high school and I am so proud to say that my Beauts are still some of my very best friends. We have been there for each other through thick and thin and I am so grateful to have them in my life! Seven of us, plus one baby Beaut, were able to get together for a girls weekend getaway up to Nanc & Bob's place on beautiful Sage Lake. It was a perfect relaxing weekend with my girls - filled with sunshine, swimming, laughter, and lots and lots of food! I love you guys so much and I am so blessed by the amazing friendships I share with each of you. Jen, Kel & Chels - we missed you lots and I plan on photoshopping you into the pics! ;) Nanc & Bob - thank you so much for letting us invade the cottage for the weekend! We had a fabulous time and your lake definitely "sparkled" for us! Trying to get a little color on that bald head of mine :) Gorgeous sunset over Sage Lake After arriving back home Sunday, my mom picked me up about 10 minutes later in order to head out to Aretee' Day Spa for the fundraiser that Diana organized. What an incredible job Diana did putting this together! My mom and I were treated to mini mani's and pedi's and massages - it was wonderful. I am sorry that I missed seeing most of you there earlier in the day, but thank you to everyone that came out to support us. A huge thank you to Diana, the Aretee' Day Spa, and all of the therapists and technicians that donated their time and amazing services! I am so excited to head out to Ann Arbor on Saturday to cheer on my amazing friend Kyle as she bikes 30 miles for the Susan G. Komen Ride For A Cure. Kyle has been one of the most supportive and thoughtful friends throughout this entire journey, and cheering her on is the least I can do to say thank you. I am so proud of you, Kiki and I know you will do great! For anyone that wants to come support Kyle, please click here for more information, including a map of the route. The 30 mile ride starts at 11am at Forsythe Middle School located at 1655 Newport Rd, Ann Arbor, 48103. Our last fundraiser for the 3 Day walk is this Friday at Royal Oak High School. Come join us at 7pm to workout, have fun, and raise some money so we can reach our $30,000 goal! We are almost there! All fitness levels welcome and if you are worried about making it through the entire workout - just come hang out with me on the sidelines! I can't believe that the 3 Day is already next week! I am so excited for it but I will admit that I am a little nervous at the same time because I know it will be a very emotional weekend for me. I am so grateful to my wonderful friends that have decided to participate in this event and to all of you that want to come out that weekend to not only support them, but support me as well. I have put together a schedule of events for the weekend and would love to get the chance to cheer on the walkers with as many family and friends as possible. I apologize in advance if the small print is difficult to read - I had to fit it on one page. Feel free to email me if you would like me to send you this info in a word document. Lots and lots of fun happenings coming up in the next couple of weeks - not to mention the fact that Brinley, Andy and baby Andrew get here next Wednesday! Then my wonderful college friends and sorority sisters, Melanie, Amanda and Liz will all be here for the 3 Day as well. I can't wait to see everyone soon!
xoxo, Meghan It is so easy to be scared - actually, to feel terrified by my diagnosis. Although I avoid statistics as much as I possibly can, I have read them. I know what the typical prognosis is for someone with my type and stage of cancer. To say it's "not good" would be a huge understatement. I know what I am up against and I am fully aware that I need to do all I can to be in that small group - that tiny percentage - of women that make it - and make it for a long time! However, I am no stranger to fitting into these unlikely groups. I am now part of the 10% of women that are diagnosed with breast cancer to have the Invasive Lobular form, the 6% of women that are diagnosed as stage IV right from the start, and the mere 5% of women that are diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40. If I can be part of these rare groups, who is to say I can't be part of the small percentage of young women with stage IV cancer that go into remission and lead a long, healthy, happy life! This is my ultimate goal and driving force behind everything I do! Lately, when I become scared, I have started to read the most current research in the area of metastatic breast cancer (aka stage IV). Sadly, this is an area that has been very underserved regarding research and clinical trials. In the past, the common medical opinion regarding treatment of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer was to begin palliative care and tell them to enjoy their life while they can - for the next year or so- and that was it. No aggressive treatment, no clinical trials, no cure = no hope. Thankfully, the approach and mindset of the oncology community in regards to metastatic breast cancer is finally evolving. More conversations have been initiated, more treatment is being attempted, and slowly but surely, more research is being conducted. The statistics regarding survival rates of those of us with "incurable", metastatic breast cancer are improving 1-2% each year - I know this doesn't sound like much, but it's a statistic that's moving in the right direction and I will take it! Oncologists aren't just shipping us off to hospice at diagnosis - we are being treated aggressively with the goal of remission. Even if we don't technically have a "cure" for metastatic breast cancer, there are many amazing stories out there of women (and men) living many years with this as a chronic illness - similar to managing other chronic illnesses such as diabetes. In addition to research for metastatic breast cancer, Susan G. Komen For a Cure is also invested in research regarding better diagnostic tools to allow for early detection of breast cancer. This is also an area close to my heart because Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer in particular is very difficult to pick up on imaging tests. It is often missed on mammograms and goes undiagnosed until it has become very advanced. It is so imperative that we find a way to diagnose this earlier and avoid the onset of metastases. And finally, research regarding young women diagnosed with breast cancer is another area which is often overlooked. I have already met way too many women under the ago of 40 diagnosed with breast cancer - there are too many of us! Yet, so much of the focus and research is geared towards older women. Young women like me are often overlooked, blown off, and misdiagnosed because we don't fit the typical profile of a woman at risk. Unfortunately, survival rates of young women with breast cancer haven't improved that much over the years - and this needs to be changed! We need more research in regards to genetic mutations, early detection and treatment of young women. My doctors are confident I have a genetic mutation that has caused this, but despite numerous genetic tests I have had so far, we cannot determine the mutation responsible. Although great strides have been made, we have a long way to go in order to get control of this devastating disease. This is why fundraising is so important to me. I am confident that we are on the brink of great discoveries, particularly regarding managing and possibly curing metastatic breast cancer. With each dollar we raise for the Susan G. Komen For the Cure, we are funding research that will help prevent, treat, and cure this awful disease. It is your generous donations that will allow this work to be continued for many years - and your amazing contributions that give me hope that a cure for metastatic breast cancer will eventually be found. I just need to fight hard enough to stick around to see that day. If you would like to read more about the research efforts being made through your donations to Susan G. Komen For a Cure, please click here. I also wanted to share two areas of research reported on Komen's website that I am especially pleased about: Research Highlight: EARLY DETECTION We have provided more than $50M to support research to identify new screening tools, enhance the efficacy of existing screening tests such as mammography, and to improve screening delivery to find breast cancer early when it is most treatable. Impacts: Komen research explored the characteristics of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) as a screening tool and today MRI in addition to mammography is recommended for women at high risk for breast cancer – those with a family history or gene mutation. These women are at greater risk of developing breast cancer before age 40 and are more likely to have dense breasts, which can reduce the sensitivity of mammography. Komen research also led to development of new technologies like molecular breast imaging (MBI) which can detect three times as many cancers as film mammography among women with dense breasts. Exciting research: Our research continues to address important new challenges, such as:
We have provided nearly than $28M since 2006 to support research seeking to understand the processes by which tumor cells migrate to other parts of the body and to identify therapeutic targets for stopping this process. Impacts: Komen research supported early work by Judah Folkman, Nancy Davidson and others to understand angiogenesis, a process critical in metastasis by which tumors stimulate a blood supply for their continued growth. The first anti-angiogenic drug, Avastin, was approved for use by the FDA in 2004. Komen research also recently led to the discovery of a gene, metadherin, that promotes metastasis in 30 to 40 percent of breast tumors, providing an exciting potential target for therapy. Exciting research: Our research continues to advance our understanding of the types and sources of signals tumor cells receive that trigger cell migration, and how the area around cells, called the extracellular matrix (EMC), changes to allow cells to start migrating. Examples of important new challenges in metastasis being addressed through our research include:
My incredible friends that have devoted their summer to fundraising and training for the 60 mile, 3 Day walk have two additional events planned to raise as much money as possible - our goal is to hit the $30,000 mark! This Sunday is the spa day at Aretee Day Spa in Grosse Pointe Woods from 3-9pm. Don't worry if you haven't RSVP'd, please just come by and get pampered for a great cause! You are welcome to come by at any time - no need for an appointment. A week from Friday, please head over to Royal Oak High School to join us for a fun night of Zumba and yoga as we participate in our last fundraiser for the 3 Day For A Cure walk! We would love to see you there to help us reach our goal! If you are unable to make it to one of these events, but would still like to make a donation to the Meghan Malley Rally team, please click here. Another great event that I would like to share with you is the Susan G. Komen Ride For A Cure. My amazing friend Kyle is participating in this event on Saturday, August 6. She will be riding her bike for 30 miles throughout the Ann Arbor area in order to raise money for the Susan G. Komen organization. For more general information on this event, including the course map, please click here. If you would like to make a contribution to Kyle's fundraising efforts, please click here. Kyle, I am so proud of you and so grateful that you are doing this. I can't wait to come cheer you on! I can't thank you all enough for your donations and support of all of our fundraising efforts. I promise that once I am able to get my own health stabilized, I will focus a great deal of my time and attention to spreading the word regarding early detection for high risk young women, and to further promote research towards metastatic disease!
I am looking forward to these next two fundraising efforts and I'm especially excited for the 3 Day event which starts on August 12! It will be incredible. More details soon to come on all the festivities of that weekend. Have a fabulous weekend guys - I know I will! Can't beat spending time up north with some of my very best friends from high school. My girlfriends are seriously sunshine for my soul! We'll miss you Chels, Jen & Kel. ♥ xoxo, Meg |
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