Michelle Wallace back in chemo
Michelle Wallace's 7-year-old niece Hailey, who has had a special bond with Michelle since she was born, spends a little time with her during recent outpatient procedures.
ROYAL - Michelle Wallace, whose eight-year-long battle with cancer is well known in this community, has suffered a setback. She returned to chemotherapy on Sunday.
Michelle went to the University of Washington Medical Center, where she had a Hickman catheter placed for the third time on Monday. Chemo treatments began the same day.
As before, Michelle will live at grandma's in Everett and make daily trips to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance for blood draws and transfusions. The transfusions are to sustain Michelle until her body recovers and starts making blood, platelets and everything else people assume their bodies will do on their own.
"You know, getting that phone call for the third time now, it never gets easier," said Michelle's mother Kathie. "It's just as devastating as the very first time. The tears have been flowing' and dried, and it's been back and forth."
"It will be that way for a while," Kathie added. "This is a very emotional journey for everyone who is a part of our lives, which includes each and every single one of you out there. We are all picking ourselves up again and will continue to fight. There's a plan in place... kind of."
Wallace must have another bone marrow transplant, not from her father, as the first two. The doctors have started a search for an unrelated bone marrow donor and/or umbilical cord blood.
Eight years ago there wasn't a single match on the list of millions. Fortunately for the Wallaces, umbilical cord blood transplants are now performed in Seattle. Eight years ago, they would have had to travel to California or back east.
"This is the best option, at this time, to stop the leukemia cancer cells," Kathie said.
If anyone wishes to follow along with Michelle's treatment, you can go to the facebook page www.facebook.com/round2michellesfight. It will be updated as often as possible.
"We are very lucky and blessed to be living where we do," Kathie said. "We have an amazing world-renowned medical center for treatment and people (family, friends, acquaintances and people we don't even know) who support us and are willing to do whatever it takes, even the most selfless gestures, to get Michelle through this. We are truly grateful."
"There is a plan for Michelle," Kathie. "I guess she's just meant to fight to get there."