I know that everybody is wondering what is going on with Michelle. We are definately not good at blogging and sending updates. It seems there is not enough energy in the tank to stay on top of things. That being said, we have felt a huge amount of support, love and concern as Michelle goes through this challenging process. The latest news is a mixed bag. Michelle has metatastic breast cancer, meaning that the cancer has spread to her bones and other parts of her body. The most recent case is a tumor that is sitting on the front part of her brain. The grape size tumor has been determined to be malignant and has been causing her quite a bit of discomfort. Thanks to Randy Phillips and Dave Loeffler with AEG Entertainment ( Dave being my brother in law and Randy a close, family friend) she has been seeing one of the top breast cancer doctors in the country, at The City of Hope Hospital in California. She has also been seeing a neurologist who has been watching her for the past few months and monitoring the growth of the tumor. Our last trip to L.A. has determined that the tumor has grown and some options were given to Michelle to either radiate or do brain surgery. After meeting with her oncologist, we decided to wait on taking any action until we go back on December 14th to have another cat scan and to see if the tumor is getting more agressive. However, Michelle has been feeling pretty good because she is also going through a hormonal treatment that seems to be giving her some of her energy back. Her oncologist says this is a really good sign and that she is confident the treatment is working. the problem is that hormonal treatment and chemotherapy don't work on the brain. Thus, we have to weigh out what our next course of action will be and try to deal with the tumor in the brain. Most likely we will go with the radiation because technology has made it so the treatment can target the tumor without radiating the whole brain. Now there are a lot of positives, because the site of the tumor is in the best possible place that it could be. The neurologist said that if it were anywhere else, Michelle would not be functioning at all. When you are dealing with the brain, it can be scary, but we are confident in the care that she is receiving and we feel we have the best team possible looking after Michelle. Michelle is amazing and she is determined to beat this thing. She is strong and looks great. She isn't letting any of this distract her from being the best wife and mother anybody could ask for. Well, that is the latest and again we want to thank everybody for all their thoughts and prayers and concerns on our behalf.

Doug and Michelle Corpuz

Update on Michelle Corpuz

It has been a while since we have given an update on Michelle's progress. We know that we have many friends and family who are checking to see how Michelle is doing. We can't believe how the time has flown by and it seems like things will never settle down. Michelle is feeling good and from the photo, you can see she is beautiful as ever. Her resilience and positive attitude are amazing and we remain optimistic about her health. The last few months have taken us on a roller coaster ride of emotions and we have been through a lot of ups and downs. Although some of the scans she received haven't given the most positive news, we are grateful that she has had very limited pain. Michelle has always made her health a priority and is very strict about what she takes into her body and continues to focus on exercise and nutrition.. She continues to keep on top of the regimen given to her in Mexico and has added a few more nutritional supplements as well as some pharmaceutical grade IV therapies targeted to strengthen her bones. She continues to spend as much time with Trinity and Tayja and even manages to schedule a little time for me ( Doug). Our family has a learned a lot over the past two years and we are grateful for the love that we have felt for everybody. It is impossible for me to express in words how we feel about friends, family acquaintances that have supported us through this whole process. All we can say is THANK YOU, your selfless donations, prayers and expressions of concern have helped us more than you know. We apologize for our inefficiency on providing information and getting updates out.

Michelle isn't sure if she is going to pursue any more treatments in Mexico. She wants to take some time off and let her body rest from the many therapies, treatments and surgeries she has had to endure. She has been through so much and those who know Michelle know that she isn't one to complain about her situation. I have seen her quietly suffer and have felt helpless in my attempts to make things better. She is my hero and I am proud to be her husband. Please continue with your prayers and support. She needs it more than ever!
Love, Doug

Thanks for Believing

I want to personally thank everyone who participated in Michelle's fundraiser on August 1st. We raised enough money to pay for her next round of treatments in Mexico. Our goal was to raise money to take some of the financial stress off the family, but we also wanted Michelle to feel loved. She felt so loved and so did her family. The amount of volunteers, donations, generous checks and friends and family who showed up was amazing. About 300 people showed up. The park was sprinkled with green balloon art and people wearing the green "Believe" t-shirt. We sold every last t-shirt. Our family was so touched. I don't think Michelle will ever forget all the amazing support. There are too many names to mention, but you know who you all are, thank you, thank you, thank you. You will never be forgotten. We will keep the "donate" button up for anyone who didn't get the chance to donate, it is linked to paypal. We will always keep Michelle's fund open at Wells Fargo under the Michelle Corpuz Fund. Donators need to specify that it is a donation account that was initially opened in Denver. Thanks you for everything.

Michelle's "good news" trip

Michelle's good news

Hello everybody, I know it has been a long time since I have updated Michelle's blog, but to be honest, fundraising efforts and Veronica's ( Michelle's sister) car accident have really taken up a lot of time.
We have great news about Michelle!!!! After her last visit to Mexico the first week of July, new tests have indicated that Michelle is responding to her treatments. Tests have shown that the cancerous lesions in her bones have started to diminish. This, of course, doesn't mean that Michelle is in the clear, but it does mean she is heading in the right direction. Her last trip to Mexico, took a toll on her body. While her treatments are all natural, they still have side effects. Her energy has been very low. She will continue on the clinic's supplements and medications. Her next trip to Mexcio will be in January of 2010.
Michelle had hoped to go through reconstructive surgery in August, but docotors have postponed until her immune system has built up a little more. Apparently, Michelle's body is still rebuilding from the chemotherapy she finished in the Spring.
This is a side note, but just to update everyone about what has been going on with our family.....Veronica got in a near fatal car accident about a month ago. She broke her neck and hip. She will have a halo brace on her head for the next two months and will be working with physical therapists to rebuild her hip so she can walk again. Her hip had to be reconstructed with metal bolts and plates. The timing of this accident couldn't have been worse with everything going on with Michelle. Still, our family moves forward with hope and humor. That means we really need to celebrate, August 1st at Michelle's "Believe" fundraiser. Registration starts at 8:30 am at the Hidden Valley Park in Sandy 11700 S. Wasatch Blvd. 84092. We will be accepting any amount of donations. T-shirts, designed by Michelle's girls willl also be for sale. Come join us for some yoga, a walk, kids activities, and a light breakfast. Craig Bolerjack from the Utah Jazz has agreed to be our emcee. Please come support Michelle. Seeing how many people love her will help her to heal. Also, please give my parents lots of hugs, they need it too. Joana ( Michelle's sister)

Believe in Michelle Corpuz Fundraiser

Show your love and support for Michelle Corpuz at the "Believe" Fundraiser event. Michelle's breast cancer has recently spread to her bones despite radiation and chemotherapy. Michelle is now undergoing alternative treatments in Mexico that are very costly. We need your love and financial support. Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo nationwide to the "Michelle Corpuz Fund." If you would like to donate now, we have set up a paypal account to your right. We will also be grateful for any donations made on August 1st at the fundraiser event at Hidden Valley Park. 11700 S. Wasatch Blvd. Sandy, UT. 84092. The "Believe" fundraiser will include sunrise yoga and breakfast starting at 9am. A 1-mile walk and run will follow. There will also be plenty of fun acitivities for the kids. Also, if you look up above, Trinity and Tayja, Michelle's daughters, created the artwork on the race t-shirt. If you would like to purchase t-shirts, please indicate size(options down below) and name on the order and send to foxyfitness@comcast.net Make your payment to paypal of $17 per shirt, you may add any additional donations at that time. Pick up shirts on race day.Parking will be available at the LDS church just north of the park. Please try to carpool since parking will be tight.We need funding for Michelle's treatments,but more than anything we want her to feel loved. Let's have some fun and kick some butt.

T-shirt sizes and options.

Adult men or women-( standard t-shirt) Small-5X

Women's- (capped sleeve-tighter fit)- XS-XL

Youth sizes-XS-XL

Happiest Place on Earth

Jun 10, 2009- Doug writes.....

Hey everybody! Just wanted to update everyone on a great weekend we had in Disneyland. Uncle Dave suprised Michelle for her birthday with a wonderful break from her treatments. He coordinated, planned and provided a getaway to the happiest place on earth. We had a great time going on the rides and spending quality time with the family. The girls spent a lot of time with their cousins and had so much fun. We were able to stay at a wonderful hotel right on the property called Disney's Grand California Hotel. It was nice because Michelle was able to go back and rest while the girls were able to continue with the excitement of the park. Michelle wore a pin the whole weekend and every where she went she was wished a happy birthday. We celebrated at the Blue Bayou restaurant at the park where the food was fantastic. We are so grateful to the Loeffler family for making this happen for us. Here are some pictures of our adventure.