A note:
i will try to post something every few weeks and then my tumor fighter updaters will let you know when it is up. please share this log-in info with friends and family, i will leave the judgement up to you who is right to share with. i do not mind sharing information about my condition with others without my permission but would prefer it not be shared in large groups except for in the facebook group of my friends i have asked to pass on that info. If you would like to pass this log-in info onto a couple friends and family members please feel free! I do not want everyone with a belly button to know what’s going on though. I hope that makes sense. That is why I did not make updates public. Thank you for understanding my need for some privacy and control over my information. You should also know that I am no longer on facebook at all. Please email me hello@marcydavy.com or you can send snail mail to me at 530 Osband St. Ypsilanti MI 48198. I am still on Instagram and plan to be back more but needed a break to get ready to start treatment. Sometimes I still have to sneak on Facebook for business reasons, please don’t be fooled, and send me messages I am not checking them! For now email works better than text for me or keeping track of messages. Thank you so much!
WHY I AM CALLING MY CANCER FRUIT SALAD
Not all brain tumors are alike. Mine has some slower growing parts, some faster growing parts, some little weird bits, all of which have to be figured out and treated correctly. When this was first explained to me it reminded me of a gloriously vintage and somewhat disgusting fruit salad-- think pastel whipped cream, a random pea here,a cubed carrot there, a blue marshmallow over there. Now picture me obliterating this lame ugly fruit salad with lasers. (Ps 97% of this fruit salad was removed a month ago) Now you know. :)
SOME TECHNICAL INFORMATION
here’s the technical version of how i am doing kicking cancer’s ass at the moment: really well.
Part of the challenge I have learned over the last month that I did not expect is watching you all recover from this news, which has been heartbreaking and left me wanting to tell you IT IS GOING TO BE OK. I wish I had written one of these before the surgery but I didn’t have time! It will be ok friends. Please don't take up destructive behaviors over my health.
In short,I am the fourth person I know with this type of brain cancer. Many of you know this. I know the statistics are scary to look up, but things are different when you are diagnosed in your 30’s. I have been researching it since my father in-law was diagnosed with it five years ago, and amped that up when my mom was diagnosed in August. Several years ago my sister’s father in law was also diagnosed with it. What I am trying to say is that its really the only cancer I know anything about, I know the particulars of my tumor really well at this point, and a lot about my options, many of which I am taking at once. That’s partially my endless optimism but it is also science. Younger people in particular are doing this every day. Complete strangers are sending me emails to tell me so on a regular basis because this is a tough cancer. But I am tougher and smarter than it so please keep that in mind.
I do not plan to discuss this cancer in terms of how much time I have left or any of that garbage because there are way too many variables to predict that with where I am at. I plan to kick it down over and over again using the best tools available and I plan to do that until they figure out how to cure it. :) Younger people with all kinds of aggressive cancers are doing this every day, in the year before I received this diagnosis I watched several of them do it with very aggressive breast cancer. Cancer is a scary (the scariest) word but it can also be another thing you make room for in your life and learn big lessons from and that it what I am here for.: personal development.
EVEN MORE TECHNICAL INFO
There are a few really major ways you can improve your prognosis from this cancer. The first is being young and healthy and making a commitment there. That part has proven to be pretty easy so far. I was diagnosed at roughly half the age most people are I have already made lots of dietary changes to starve this cancer of all of its favorite foods and feed it things it does not appear to like (like THC) and more are to come as I begin treatment.
The second way is acting fast and getting a great resection surgery. I had a 97% maximal resection with a really great surgeon using pretty much the best technology available in the country. Done. Now I am on to treatment, where there are lots of options and lots of hospitals. I did not expect to stick at U of M originally to be honest, but their team has impressed me beyond measure and they are ready to jump on treatment in the next week. My The treatment team is full of younger doctors with smart ideas who feel very positive about my future. They are so smart it has (figuratively) blown my mind (my mind is very much in tact) and allowed me to see medicine in a new and more creative way.
This is my Oncologist: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/neurology/yoshie-umemura-md
This is my Radiation Specialist: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/radonc/michelle-kim-md
They are both zero bullshit which is exactly what I want and need and we get along great. Plus they have resumes that make me wonder what I have been doing with my life, lol. What I also like about these two is that neither of them have career-long ties to U of M. I plan to send my tumor pathology out to other hospitals while having treatment at U of M including Sloan Kettering, Henry Ford, the Cleveland Clinic and Northwest. These are all hospitals that seem to do a little better in specialized care and/or Neurology than U of M in national measurements, which would be a good option for the future. Repeated surgery is also an option for the future and frankly I kicked that craniotomy’s ass and could do it again next weekend if I had to. These two women at the beginning of their careers are the right ones to take that path with. I am very sure.
Worth nothing at this time also is that my tumor is in a ‘favorable’ and highly operable place on my occipital and parietal lobes. My main losses in function are incredibly minor compared to many brain cancer patients, and I know what to expect in the future in terms of losses as well.
THINGS I AM NO LONGER GOOD AT AND NEED HELP WITH
Vision wise, I am still figuring things out. I lost some peripheral vision, which makes it a little hard to navigate the outside world (I think its seeing eye dog time?) and need to get my Rx evaluated for some regular vision changes. As most of you know I have lost my ability to drive, which I am not super sad about most days. I live in a highly walkable area surrounded by friends who are happy to take me anywhere and I work from home.I think my eyes are actually sharper for drawing now, though they do need to rest more (which was probably a good idea anyway, as I can and will draw until my neck bends in half if uninterrupted) --the best/worst part has been light. My eyes get so much more light now, which i love- i have been complaining about them for years! but it does still mess with my ability to concentrate, shop, and be outside for too long at the moment. They say this will even out and it has somewhat, but I am following up with neuro-opthamology soon to get my eyes back in total (or better?) working order.
COMPLICATIONS
So surgery went AWESOME. Except for some mojor complications, which is why this update has taken so long. There were some errors made during the intubation portion of the surgery that have been unexpected and are currently under investigation. When I came out of surgery, and for most of the last month, I have been in an incredible amount of pain due to what appears to be negligence, and have been on a liquid diet ever since. Getting to the bottom of the complications (we might not even be there yet?!) has been so hard. Chris and I have been in and out of the ER (once for 12 hours) dealing with all of this over the last several weeks-- sometimes the days have just blended together in different kinds of headaches and nerve pain that never seemed to end. It has easily tripled the number of appointments we have needed to attend. It was compounded by a host of doctors giving me and or restricting narcotic pain meds per very confusing laws (that part is now under control as well) which has complicated everything even further. The last of these intense nerve head aches I had earlier this week was almost 40 hours long for this reason. When I have this TN pain I cannot even look at the phone or computer or really do anything at all.
A couple of weeks ago part of my tongue that was injured during the surgery was removed in the ER in the middle of the night and it was traumatic to be honest. After weeks of trying to figure out even more intense pain following what should have made my tongue feel better I was diagnosed withTrigeminal Neuralgia (TN) last week in the ER: https://www.healthline.com/health/trigeminal-neuralgia --it appears as though the nerves that connect my face to my brain were also injured during the surgery which is what is causing so much pain. Almost everything triggers very severe headaches with TN. Eating, brushing your teeth, moving your jaw for for too long, sound and light. Figuring out how to diagnose and manage this debilitating pain while recovering from surgery on a liquid diet (also caused by these complications)while ALSO trying to eat right for tumor blasting AND make it to the starting line of treatment healthy has been my single minded goal for the last month and almost all encompassing and incredibly frustrating while I work on putting my life back together during this critical time. Speaking makes this condition more painful, so I have been limiting social interaction for now and mostly staying at home. We have had just a few people over at a timeshare and there.
I’m not sure how long I will live with these conditions (both could be chronic)and managing them is another challenge on my plate that I’m not super happy about to to be honest. I have loved so much of the staff at U of M and their treatment plan I have decided to stay, but leaving my mouth in this much pain has been unacceptable and a threat to my health and professionin a number of ways. I am trying to keep in mind it was one individual at U of M who did this to me in an act of negligence and not the incredible team of doctors and surgeons who I have come to trust with my life.
WORK
These complications and making sure I can manage them AND cancer have involved taking some bold moves over the last month. I will go into this level of detail only because I know I am talking to so many other brilliant business minds here. and many of my colleagues. Many of you who are waiting very patiently on emails from me :)
I have decided to reimagine my company in some big and small ways due to the ongoing complications. Being diagnosed with cancer has also called me to continue my work to use this company to help others and to step that up in a major way. In many ways this progression feels very natural just on a faster timeline than I anticipated. I have made very conservative moves for my last ten years in business and I am curious what some big ones will produce. :)
We are currently in the process of expanding our team. I will be stepping away from operations to act as the Creative Director at All Things Grow. This will give me so much more time to figure out everything involving my health, especially the complications and draw things I like and not be stressed out about running a small business.
Here is the rest of our new team:
Chris Haywood: Production Director
Katie Whitehouse: Studio Director
Tonya Harris: Community and Communications Director
Kattee Forche: Giving Director
We also have several collaborations and projects in place for this year and a few major changes in product selection I am really excited about. I plan to work more with the incredibly talented friends I have to keep things off my plate and see what shakes out! I think these will be really great changes, especially for my retail partners and collectors of my work. I already have no many new ideas and there will be a lot of big and small shifts going forward in the content of my work too as my perspective has changed so much.
GIVING
I have been dreaming of a charitable arm of All Things Grow for a long time and have made a few steps toward it over the years. I hope to change this noticeably in the coming year. I have been BLOWN AWAY by the hands that have reached out over and over again to help me in the last couple months. The cards that arrived at just the right moment,my incredible family and wonderful friends , the kindness of strangers. Chris has been incredible and the best nurse a girl could ask for while going through such a scary time, please give him a hug for me.
My friend Joel set up a food fund that literally kept me alive through some terrible eating and paintcomplications I did not know I would have and this turned out to beyond instrumental in my recovery. I cannot even imagine what this last month would have been like otherwise. It is amazing to have fresh food on your doorstep in the middle of a 40 hour headache. Thank you so much to everyone who donated, I really appreciate it. You are all so thoughtful and I feel more loved than at any other point in my life right now.
I have neem the recipient of so many fortuitous messages and gifts, so many kind words, so much help, it has brought me to tears over and over again. I see no other choice but to create projects that will help pass that on. Since I ((maybe still have your ear (this is a long update!) here is the first one.
As shit luck would have it, I know a 10 year old with a condition called NF2 who lives a few blocks away from me. I have known him and his parents for over a decade. NF2 is a terrible and rare condition that causes repeated tumors of the brain and spine. The parents of this ten year old are awesome folks, but like many of us, don’t want a handout, like their privacy and shouldn’t have to share their entire story in order to get a little help. Now that I know what its like to be in and out of the hospital, and cannot imagine doing it at 10 years old let alone going through even more treatment than I am, II would like to do just a little something to help them out during this awful time. Actually I would love to do a lot but this is a start.
I would like to buy this guy a Nintendo Switch and some games. I gifted Chris one of these before our stay in the hospital and it helped him deal with all of the transitions, hurry up and wait, anxiety and so on. Honestly it was a lifesaver. I also think they are likely better for children than smartphones or tablets (but did not test this theory as Chris is a grown man)--- certain parts of the hospital have these systems to use but I think our friend with NF2should have one of his own to use whenever he wants. His next brain surgery is2/27 so we don’t have much time! :) I plan to launch this on the internet next week if we don’t make the $ but wanted to give you an opportunity to pass along the good vibes with a small donation now if you’d like.
FUTURE GIVING THOUGHTS + THE FUNDRAISER
I have had a dream team of five of my besties working together to throw me a fundraiser. Please save the date its April 20th. I did not want a fundraiser originally, but am worried about mounting medical expenses. As many of you know, I care deeply about the state of health care in America. As a self employed person I have purchased Affordable Care Act plans since they were introduced. These plans have eroded over the last several years. As a result the ACA plan I am currently on carries a high premium and a steep deductible. Every year since Trump took office my ACA plan has eroded in these ways. On top of that my condition occurred over two calendar years, which complicates matters more involving bills. That said, I plan on bringing my company back and have always been financially independent. I want to get through this time (and so appreciate the help!) but would never feel right lining my coffers with it.
What I would like to do is attempt to raise the exact amount of my deductible during this event in order to highlight the current cost of getting cancer in America and how money should not have an influence on health. For some people even this cost could mean bankruptcy and financial ruin. Anything donated over my deductible will be going to a very important cause: shutting down Line 5.
It is becoming clear to my doctors that my diagnosis was the result of an environmental poison of some kind. This is why other people who lived near me (including my own mother) were diagnosed within the same short window. We are not the only two to have lived in the same geographical area during the same years and have this disease at a much higher rate than the national average. In fact, my brother in law Brad lost his dad to the same cancer just one year ago. We all lived in the same town together for years in the 90’s. No one is sure what might have caused this disease at this point, but that’s just a fact and honestly it has left me with terrible feelings about just how bad off our environment might be.
When I started thinking about the most imminent threats to our environment here in the Great Lakes Region Line 5 is the first thing that comes to mind. https://www.miclimateaction.org/shut_down_line_5
In addition to posing threats to the natural beauty of the Great Lakes, a leak in Line 5 could cause inimaginable health consequences, environmental calamity, and a public health emergency. At this point its a bi-partisan issue and thanks to the last election we might finally be at a place where political will to find a solution is on the table. I hope we raise a lot of money to shut down Line 5 on 4/20 and that I can continue to donate to this cause in the future.
PS If its not obvious I am in therapy and doing well emotionally :)
Love you all,
Marcy
i will try to post something every few weeks and then my tumor fighter updaters will let you know when it is up. please share this log-in info with friends and family, i will leave the judgement up to you who is right to share with. i do not mind sharing information about my condition with others without my permission but would prefer it not be shared in large groups except for in the facebook group of my friends i have asked to pass on that info. If you would like to pass this log-in info onto a couple friends and family members please feel free! I do not want everyone with a belly button to know what’s going on though. I hope that makes sense. That is why I did not make updates public. Thank you for understanding my need for some privacy and control over my information. You should also know that I am no longer on facebook at all. Please email me hello@marcydavy.com or you can send snail mail to me at 530 Osband St. Ypsilanti MI 48198. I am still on Instagram and plan to be back more but needed a break to get ready to start treatment. Sometimes I still have to sneak on Facebook for business reasons, please don’t be fooled, and send me messages I am not checking them! For now email works better than text for me or keeping track of messages. Thank you so much!
WHY I AM CALLING MY CANCER FRUIT SALAD
Not all brain tumors are alike. Mine has some slower growing parts, some faster growing parts, some little weird bits, all of which have to be figured out and treated correctly. When this was first explained to me it reminded me of a gloriously vintage and somewhat disgusting fruit salad-- think pastel whipped cream, a random pea here,a cubed carrot there, a blue marshmallow over there. Now picture me obliterating this lame ugly fruit salad with lasers. (Ps 97% of this fruit salad was removed a month ago) Now you know. :)
SOME TECHNICAL INFORMATION
here’s the technical version of how i am doing kicking cancer’s ass at the moment: really well.
Part of the challenge I have learned over the last month that I did not expect is watching you all recover from this news, which has been heartbreaking and left me wanting to tell you IT IS GOING TO BE OK. I wish I had written one of these before the surgery but I didn’t have time! It will be ok friends. Please don't take up destructive behaviors over my health.
In short,I am the fourth person I know with this type of brain cancer. Many of you know this. I know the statistics are scary to look up, but things are different when you are diagnosed in your 30’s. I have been researching it since my father in-law was diagnosed with it five years ago, and amped that up when my mom was diagnosed in August. Several years ago my sister’s father in law was also diagnosed with it. What I am trying to say is that its really the only cancer I know anything about, I know the particulars of my tumor really well at this point, and a lot about my options, many of which I am taking at once. That’s partially my endless optimism but it is also science. Younger people in particular are doing this every day. Complete strangers are sending me emails to tell me so on a regular basis because this is a tough cancer. But I am tougher and smarter than it so please keep that in mind.
I do not plan to discuss this cancer in terms of how much time I have left or any of that garbage because there are way too many variables to predict that with where I am at. I plan to kick it down over and over again using the best tools available and I plan to do that until they figure out how to cure it. :) Younger people with all kinds of aggressive cancers are doing this every day, in the year before I received this diagnosis I watched several of them do it with very aggressive breast cancer. Cancer is a scary (the scariest) word but it can also be another thing you make room for in your life and learn big lessons from and that it what I am here for.: personal development.
EVEN MORE TECHNICAL INFO
There are a few really major ways you can improve your prognosis from this cancer. The first is being young and healthy and making a commitment there. That part has proven to be pretty easy so far. I was diagnosed at roughly half the age most people are I have already made lots of dietary changes to starve this cancer of all of its favorite foods and feed it things it does not appear to like (like THC) and more are to come as I begin treatment.
The second way is acting fast and getting a great resection surgery. I had a 97% maximal resection with a really great surgeon using pretty much the best technology available in the country. Done. Now I am on to treatment, where there are lots of options and lots of hospitals. I did not expect to stick at U of M originally to be honest, but their team has impressed me beyond measure and they are ready to jump on treatment in the next week. My The treatment team is full of younger doctors with smart ideas who feel very positive about my future. They are so smart it has (figuratively) blown my mind (my mind is very much in tact) and allowed me to see medicine in a new and more creative way.
This is my Oncologist: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/neurology/yoshie-umemura-md
This is my Radiation Specialist: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/radonc/michelle-kim-md
They are both zero bullshit which is exactly what I want and need and we get along great. Plus they have resumes that make me wonder what I have been doing with my life, lol. What I also like about these two is that neither of them have career-long ties to U of M. I plan to send my tumor pathology out to other hospitals while having treatment at U of M including Sloan Kettering, Henry Ford, the Cleveland Clinic and Northwest. These are all hospitals that seem to do a little better in specialized care and/or Neurology than U of M in national measurements, which would be a good option for the future. Repeated surgery is also an option for the future and frankly I kicked that craniotomy’s ass and could do it again next weekend if I had to. These two women at the beginning of their careers are the right ones to take that path with. I am very sure.
Worth nothing at this time also is that my tumor is in a ‘favorable’ and highly operable place on my occipital and parietal lobes. My main losses in function are incredibly minor compared to many brain cancer patients, and I know what to expect in the future in terms of losses as well.
THINGS I AM NO LONGER GOOD AT AND NEED HELP WITH
Vision wise, I am still figuring things out. I lost some peripheral vision, which makes it a little hard to navigate the outside world (I think its seeing eye dog time?) and need to get my Rx evaluated for some regular vision changes. As most of you know I have lost my ability to drive, which I am not super sad about most days. I live in a highly walkable area surrounded by friends who are happy to take me anywhere and I work from home.I think my eyes are actually sharper for drawing now, though they do need to rest more (which was probably a good idea anyway, as I can and will draw until my neck bends in half if uninterrupted) --the best/worst part has been light. My eyes get so much more light now, which i love- i have been complaining about them for years! but it does still mess with my ability to concentrate, shop, and be outside for too long at the moment. They say this will even out and it has somewhat, but I am following up with neuro-opthamology soon to get my eyes back in total (or better?) working order.
COMPLICATIONS
So surgery went AWESOME. Except for some mojor complications, which is why this update has taken so long. There were some errors made during the intubation portion of the surgery that have been unexpected and are currently under investigation. When I came out of surgery, and for most of the last month, I have been in an incredible amount of pain due to what appears to be negligence, and have been on a liquid diet ever since. Getting to the bottom of the complications (we might not even be there yet?!) has been so hard. Chris and I have been in and out of the ER (once for 12 hours) dealing with all of this over the last several weeks-- sometimes the days have just blended together in different kinds of headaches and nerve pain that never seemed to end. It has easily tripled the number of appointments we have needed to attend. It was compounded by a host of doctors giving me and or restricting narcotic pain meds per very confusing laws (that part is now under control as well) which has complicated everything even further. The last of these intense nerve head aches I had earlier this week was almost 40 hours long for this reason. When I have this TN pain I cannot even look at the phone or computer or really do anything at all.
A couple of weeks ago part of my tongue that was injured during the surgery was removed in the ER in the middle of the night and it was traumatic to be honest. After weeks of trying to figure out even more intense pain following what should have made my tongue feel better I was diagnosed withTrigeminal Neuralgia (TN) last week in the ER: https://www.healthline.com/health/trigeminal-neuralgia --it appears as though the nerves that connect my face to my brain were also injured during the surgery which is what is causing so much pain. Almost everything triggers very severe headaches with TN. Eating, brushing your teeth, moving your jaw for for too long, sound and light. Figuring out how to diagnose and manage this debilitating pain while recovering from surgery on a liquid diet (also caused by these complications)while ALSO trying to eat right for tumor blasting AND make it to the starting line of treatment healthy has been my single minded goal for the last month and almost all encompassing and incredibly frustrating while I work on putting my life back together during this critical time. Speaking makes this condition more painful, so I have been limiting social interaction for now and mostly staying at home. We have had just a few people over at a timeshare and there.
I’m not sure how long I will live with these conditions (both could be chronic)and managing them is another challenge on my plate that I’m not super happy about to to be honest. I have loved so much of the staff at U of M and their treatment plan I have decided to stay, but leaving my mouth in this much pain has been unacceptable and a threat to my health and professionin a number of ways. I am trying to keep in mind it was one individual at U of M who did this to me in an act of negligence and not the incredible team of doctors and surgeons who I have come to trust with my life.
WORK
These complications and making sure I can manage them AND cancer have involved taking some bold moves over the last month. I will go into this level of detail only because I know I am talking to so many other brilliant business minds here. and many of my colleagues. Many of you who are waiting very patiently on emails from me :)
I have decided to reimagine my company in some big and small ways due to the ongoing complications. Being diagnosed with cancer has also called me to continue my work to use this company to help others and to step that up in a major way. In many ways this progression feels very natural just on a faster timeline than I anticipated. I have made very conservative moves for my last ten years in business and I am curious what some big ones will produce. :)
We are currently in the process of expanding our team. I will be stepping away from operations to act as the Creative Director at All Things Grow. This will give me so much more time to figure out everything involving my health, especially the complications and draw things I like and not be stressed out about running a small business.
Here is the rest of our new team:
Chris Haywood: Production Director
Katie Whitehouse: Studio Director
Tonya Harris: Community and Communications Director
Kattee Forche: Giving Director
We also have several collaborations and projects in place for this year and a few major changes in product selection I am really excited about. I plan to work more with the incredibly talented friends I have to keep things off my plate and see what shakes out! I think these will be really great changes, especially for my retail partners and collectors of my work. I already have no many new ideas and there will be a lot of big and small shifts going forward in the content of my work too as my perspective has changed so much.
GIVING
I have been dreaming of a charitable arm of All Things Grow for a long time and have made a few steps toward it over the years. I hope to change this noticeably in the coming year. I have been BLOWN AWAY by the hands that have reached out over and over again to help me in the last couple months. The cards that arrived at just the right moment,my incredible family and wonderful friends , the kindness of strangers. Chris has been incredible and the best nurse a girl could ask for while going through such a scary time, please give him a hug for me.
My friend Joel set up a food fund that literally kept me alive through some terrible eating and paintcomplications I did not know I would have and this turned out to beyond instrumental in my recovery. I cannot even imagine what this last month would have been like otherwise. It is amazing to have fresh food on your doorstep in the middle of a 40 hour headache. Thank you so much to everyone who donated, I really appreciate it. You are all so thoughtful and I feel more loved than at any other point in my life right now.
I have neem the recipient of so many fortuitous messages and gifts, so many kind words, so much help, it has brought me to tears over and over again. I see no other choice but to create projects that will help pass that on. Since I ((maybe still have your ear (this is a long update!) here is the first one.
As shit luck would have it, I know a 10 year old with a condition called NF2 who lives a few blocks away from me. I have known him and his parents for over a decade. NF2 is a terrible and rare condition that causes repeated tumors of the brain and spine. The parents of this ten year old are awesome folks, but like many of us, don’t want a handout, like their privacy and shouldn’t have to share their entire story in order to get a little help. Now that I know what its like to be in and out of the hospital, and cannot imagine doing it at 10 years old let alone going through even more treatment than I am, II would like to do just a little something to help them out during this awful time. Actually I would love to do a lot but this is a start.
I would like to buy this guy a Nintendo Switch and some games. I gifted Chris one of these before our stay in the hospital and it helped him deal with all of the transitions, hurry up and wait, anxiety and so on. Honestly it was a lifesaver. I also think they are likely better for children than smartphones or tablets (but did not test this theory as Chris is a grown man)--- certain parts of the hospital have these systems to use but I think our friend with NF2should have one of his own to use whenever he wants. His next brain surgery is2/27 so we don’t have much time! :) I plan to launch this on the internet next week if we don’t make the $ but wanted to give you an opportunity to pass along the good vibes with a small donation now if you’d like.
FUTURE GIVING THOUGHTS + THE FUNDRAISER
I have had a dream team of five of my besties working together to throw me a fundraiser. Please save the date its April 20th. I did not want a fundraiser originally, but am worried about mounting medical expenses. As many of you know, I care deeply about the state of health care in America. As a self employed person I have purchased Affordable Care Act plans since they were introduced. These plans have eroded over the last several years. As a result the ACA plan I am currently on carries a high premium and a steep deductible. Every year since Trump took office my ACA plan has eroded in these ways. On top of that my condition occurred over two calendar years, which complicates matters more involving bills. That said, I plan on bringing my company back and have always been financially independent. I want to get through this time (and so appreciate the help!) but would never feel right lining my coffers with it.
What I would like to do is attempt to raise the exact amount of my deductible during this event in order to highlight the current cost of getting cancer in America and how money should not have an influence on health. For some people even this cost could mean bankruptcy and financial ruin. Anything donated over my deductible will be going to a very important cause: shutting down Line 5.
It is becoming clear to my doctors that my diagnosis was the result of an environmental poison of some kind. This is why other people who lived near me (including my own mother) were diagnosed within the same short window. We are not the only two to have lived in the same geographical area during the same years and have this disease at a much higher rate than the national average. In fact, my brother in law Brad lost his dad to the same cancer just one year ago. We all lived in the same town together for years in the 90’s. No one is sure what might have caused this disease at this point, but that’s just a fact and honestly it has left me with terrible feelings about just how bad off our environment might be.
When I started thinking about the most imminent threats to our environment here in the Great Lakes Region Line 5 is the first thing that comes to mind. https://www.miclimateaction.org/shut_down_line_5
In addition to posing threats to the natural beauty of the Great Lakes, a leak in Line 5 could cause inimaginable health consequences, environmental calamity, and a public health emergency. At this point its a bi-partisan issue and thanks to the last election we might finally be at a place where political will to find a solution is on the table. I hope we raise a lot of money to shut down Line 5 on 4/20 and that I can continue to donate to this cause in the future.
PS If its not obvious I am in therapy and doing well emotionally :)
Love you all,
Marcy
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