Strength is no longer a term I take lightly. The dictionary defines strength as;
1. the quality or state of being strong;
bodily or muscular power; vigor.
2. mental power, force, or vigor.
I define strength as something much more. Strength comes from within and becomes all encompassing. It becomes like another sense. It takes over without any provocation, but it only lasts so long before it too begins to weaken. The fear paralyzes the strength. It's terrifying. All I can do now is take life one of day at a time. Some days are worse than others. I hope I can hold on long enough to get the treatment I need. I can't deny that I'm scared. Each day gets harder. I'm blessed to have friends and family in my life to lean on for strength I no longer have. I need it now more than ever.
*The following is an article written by an amazing journalist Amanda Lutey associated with the local news publication in my hometown. I am honored to share it on my blog.*
**Special shoutout to Emily West for all the work she put into getting this article published and setting up the fundraiser! Thanks Em!**
A woman fighting cancer is staying with her family in Beaver Dam while waiting for the opportunity to get a bone marrow and stem cell transplant.
Megan (Farrell) Kleinman said since she began having health issues, she has been to more than 25 hospitals and cancer centers, has had more than 60 surgeries or procedures and been treated by more than 100 doctors.
Born and raised in Beaver Dam, the daughter of Kevin and Sandy Farrell and the sister of Danielle, Kleinman attended Washington Elementary School, Beaver Dam Middle School and graduated from Beaver Dam High School in 2003. She attended Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich., for two years before transferring to Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Ill., where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature and communications.
Kleinman said her health concerns began while still a senior in high school when she had her gallbladder removed in March 2003. In January 2004, she received a diagnosis of endometriosis. It is a condition where the tissue that forms the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterine cavity, which causes pelvic pain and menstrual irregularities. In March 2004, she had her appendix removed.
After college, Kleinman said her health problems continued – with worsening symptoms but no answers from doctors.
“I was getting shuttled from one doctor to the next,” Kleinman wrote. “By 2008 I had no clear diagnosis and I had a couple deaths in my family that were unexpected. I was at a breaking point. I knew I needed a change, so I decided in one day I was going to move across the country.”
A week later, she packed her car and moved to Arizona, after securing a transfer from her job in retail.
“I really didn’t know anyone in Arizona,” Kleinman wrote. “I had one friend out there from high school. I just felt numb in the beginning. I was just going through the motions but not really living. That all changed when I landed a dream job. I was hired at a nanny agency to help place nannies with families. I loved it because I was able to work with both the nannies and the families. I got to have relationships with both groups. I also revamped the website and was putting my degree to use. I was on track to becoming a partner in the company. I had a wonderful relationship with the owner of the company. We became fast friends.”
Her friend introduced Kleinman to the man who would become her husband.
Things were looking up, but she was still experiencing health issues.
“I tried my best to ignore them. I hoped they would resolve themselves,” Kleinman wrote. “I was ready to be happy and prosperous again. My job was heading in a fantastic direction and I had met an amazing guy. I thought my luck was changing.”
Not even one year after landing her perfect job, and only two months into dating Jeff, whom she calls the man of her dreams, Kleinman was diagnosed with cervical cancer in April 2009.
Doctors changed the diagnosis to endometrial cancer. Kleinman went through multiple rounds of chemo and radiation and underwent a full hysterectomy in May 2010, followed by more radiation.
The cancer continued to spread, complicated by infections, problems with scar tissue and anemia.
“I have soft tissue sarcoma, parathyroid lesions and aplastic anemia,” Kleinman wrote.
Kleinman said her parents, sister and brother-in-law have gone above and beyond to help her financially and emotionally.
“I am extremely lucky to have an incredibly supportive family, and that the amazing guy I was dating when I got diagnosed stuck around,” Kleinman wrote. “I was sure he would walk away. I practically told him to, but he never left my side. In fact, he married me.”
The couple will celebrate their sixth anniversary in September.
“He works tirelessly just so we can pay our bills. My parents have taken on second jobs when they should be retiring so they can help with my medical bills,” Kleinman wrote. “My sister has organized a few fundraisers over the years to help pay for medical bills and procedures/surgeries I’ve needed. We are still buried in bills.”
Her friend, Emily West, who also graduated from BDHS, organized a pop-up shop as a Chloe + Isabel merchandiser and is donating 100 percent of her commission to help Megan.
“It’s people like Emily that give you the hope to keep fighting,” Kleinman wrote. “Emily and I have know each other since we’ve been around 12 years old. No matter how close, or far apart we have lived, we have always stayed in touch. She is a beautiful person both inside and out.”
Kleinman has been in Wisconsin, staying with her parents in Beaver Dam since a few days before Christmas.
“My health has put me in a position in which it is dangerous for me to be home alone. I often faint due to blood loss,” Kleinman wrote. “I have so much swelling due to the lesions in my throat I have a lot of trouble swallowing. I choke on the medications I need to take daily. Since I’ve been home, my dad has had perform the Heimlich maneuver four times.”
She will return to her home in New York with her husband soon. Kleinman has been waiting two years for a bone marrow transplant. She said her donor match is the doctor who first diagnosed her in Arizona.
“He is retired now and lives in Colorado, but we have maintained a friendship over the years. He’s a great man. I don’t have any grandparents left living, so he is not only a former doctor, and a friend,” Kleinman wrote. “He’s like family to me.”
Kleinman said they need to pay down some of their current bills before going forward with the transplant, because her insurance will only cover half the cost. She worries, because if her body rejects the transplant, the insurance will cover none of the transplant costs.
Kleinman maintains a blog and offers advice to others there.
“Don’t let life pass you by. Don’t assume you’ll have one more day. Stop pushing back all of the things you’ve been waiting to do. Embrace life while you still can. I know that I regret not doing more while I was in better health,” Kleinman wrote.
West opens pop-up shop in March
Emily West, who graduated from BDHS with Megan in 2003, is helping raise funds for Megan through an online boutique.
After graduating from BDHS, Emily graduated from Marian College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in accounting, economics and finance. She went to work in Milwaukee as a mutual fund accountant, but joined the Navy after the market crashed in 2009. She served in the Navy until last August, and then moved to her husband’s hometown of Hailey, Idaho.
“I decided to become a merchandiser for Chloe and Isabel in February because I wanted to have a way to financially contribute to those in need,” West wrote.
West typically donates 50 percent of her commissions, but is donating 100 percent in March to help Megan with her medical expenses.
“Megan has been a true source of inspiration for me - her strength, courage, tenacity, and continued positivity in the face of her extremely unfortunate circumstances,” West wrote.
West said March is customer appreciation month, so customers who spend $200 will receive a $50 credit for future purchases.
To shop this month and help Megan, visit https://www.chloeandisabel.com/boutique/emilywest.
