Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Please Help

You guys. Do you like this picture?


How about this one?


In October 2013, I went to a Star Wars themed wedding for my great friends Sean and Robyn. It is because of them that I dressed up like this.


Turns out life is a real piece of work sometimes. They recently had a baby, and just after that were hit with some pretty awful news. I'll let Robyn tell the story:

Our Story
We were fortunate to welcome a beautiful, healthy baby boy this summer. After I delivered our son Seth, I was being monitored for some unresolved health issues. My doctors all thought my symptoms were related to standard postpartum issues, however, it turned out I was dealing with something much more serious. I was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. They started me on chemo right away while we awaited further test results.

So on top of a newborn (who, btw, is happy, healthy, and thriving) our family has been dealing with my diagnosis and treatments. Once they determined my exact lymphoma (it's complicated of course) my doctor prescribed an aggressive treatment program. The only way to treat lymphoma is through chemotherapy and I'm on very aggressive chemotherapy drugs. In January, I'll also be receiving what they are calling "super chemo" where they wipe my white blood cells out almost completely and then give me a stem cell transplant. That process  will obviously be intense and I will be in recovery for a minimum of 3 months.

The Good News
My treatments are working and showing significant, positive results. My latest scans look fantastic compared to the initial scans and my doctor is very pleased with the progress we're making. I'm even able to work part-time for the next two months, which is really helping me keep occupied. While I'm facing a lot more down the road, I know that in the end all of this will be worth it. And if nothing else this experience is getting me over many of my entrenched fears of hospitals, procedures, and the general unknown!

The Reality
While I am very fortunate to have excellent medical insurance, it cannot cover all of our expenses. Added to that my inability to work starting in January for an undetermined period of time has left us worrying a bit financially. 

Normally, we would not even ask for this kind of support but we've had some inquiries as to setting up something like this and decided to put it out there and see what happens. If this experience has taught me (us) anything it's to not be afraid to reach out and ask for help!! 

Our Gratitude
First, we can't thank our friends and family enough for all the positive energy and thoughts. We have an incredible support system and are truly touched by the outpouring of love we have received when someone finds out what we are going through. I really believe that attitude is everything and all of us here in the Doughty household are approaching everything with positivity that the outcome will be great in the end. 

We'd love it if you can donate, but certainly don't expect it. We will take positive thoughts and energy anytime! Mostly, we want to just thank you for your positive thoughts and love. I spend a portion of my morning reaching out and receiving that energy daily!!

 Love,

Robyn, Sean, Molly, and Seth

Basically, if you like the pictures of me dressed up as Mara Jade, please donate to their fund. Any sort of donation will help - even just $10. And if you can't donate, maybe share this blog post or the link to their donation page?

Here's the link: http://www.gofundme.com/gmy6xg

Lots of love to everyone out there right now.

Thank you in advance, and sorry for the break from the usual ridiculousness. I just thought this was definitely worth mentioning.

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