Prayers, good vibes, and positive thoughts needed!

BAMFMeredith
BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've taken this post from part of my personal blog, so friends of mine have probably already read this. But I'd like the rest of the MFP community to please keep this young woman, my friend, in your thoughts and prayers. I thought I was the one who needed moral support for my first marathon, but I don't. My marathon is NOTHING compared to her battle with cancer. She is only 26 years old, married to the love of her life, and fighting every day.

This coming February, I'm running the 2013 LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon in honor of a brave young woman named Kate, who I met while we were both attending college. Kate epitomizes what it means to live strong and be a cancer fighter, and I am honored to run each mile in honor of Kate and her fight.

After having melanoma removed from her shoulder in 2004 and removed from her scalp in 2008, Kate was diagnosed with stage four melanoma in February 2009 when melanoma was found in her liver and right adrenal gland. She was 22 years old.

Now 26, Kate continues her relentless fight against cancer. The past four years have included five more diagnoses of melanoma (left adrenal gland, heart, sacrum, back and hip), a number of resection surgeries, biopsies and countless scans. After undergoing interferon, investigational treatments and radiation, Kate began her seventh cancer treatment, an oral chemotherapy called Zelboraf, in June 2012. Recently, she discontinued that treatment, as it was unsuccessful.

Melanoma currently remains in Kate’s liver and left adrenal gland, and has recently spread to her brain. In addition, cancer in her sacrum has resulted in a fracture of the bone, forcing her to avoid any high-impact activities, including her absolute passion: running. Doctors say it’s a wildcard as to whether Kate’s sacrum fracture will ever fully heal and, as a life-long runner who aspires to participate in ultra marathons, Kate finds her inability to run the most challenging part of her cancer fight yet.

It's easy to find reasons not to get out the door and run, but we should all remember that running is a privilege. If Kate can't run this one, I, along with the rest of Team Kate, am going to run it for her. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she fights for her life, and cheer for us on February 17, 2013 as we run that race for Kate.

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