On August 14th, 2008, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. The past three years have been a roller-coaster ride of fear and exhilaration. You see, I also got engaged in 2008, four months before my diagnosis… I’ve had two surgeries; one in NYC and one in Portland, Oregon; each followed by a recurrence within months. I then raised money for treatment at a clinic in Reno which put me into a temporary remission, I got married, started graduate school, and adopted a new puppy!

Now I have Stage IV cancer (that's the worst kind), with metastasis to the bones, and will likely be in treatment for the rest of my life. My cancer markers are above normal now, so I can't let up on the treatment protocol that has been working for me.

After much research, medical advice on both coasts, diagnostic testing, and soul-searching, I was treated last year at the Cancer Hope Center in Nevada, which is on the cutting edge of integrative cancer care. This treatment, along with the allopathic treatment I am receiving in Oregon, has surely saved my life.

Only some of my treatment costs are covered by insurance (none of the out-of-state or naturopathic costs), so I find myself needing to raise $30,000 (which, in the world of cancer treatment is cheap!) to continue my treatment. I hope to return to Reno for another round early in 2012.

I humbly request your assistance.

Please donate here online or send donations to the “Meg Patterson Cancer Treatment Fund”, c/o Clatsop Community Bank, 988 Commercial St, Astoria, OR 97103

If you would like to read my online journal and sign up for updates on my treatment, please go to http://megpattersonfund.wordpress.com

Thank you so much for your help. Because of the ongoing treatment costs, I am on a leave of absence now from Pacifica Graduate Institute, but I hope to resume the program next Spring. I am thankful that I was able to direct a production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM for Upward Bound at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, OR this past summer. I plan to continue directing plays (especially Shakespeare), teaching English as a second language to JobCorps kids, and stay alive as long as possible!

If you have any questions about donating, or perhaps setting up a raffle or other creative fundraising idea, please let me know. There have been some amazing fundraisers on my behalf so far, and I am so grateful to my friends and family for these.

And PLEASE, even if you can't give right now, forward this website link to all your friends and networks (facebook, schools, workgroups, churches) with a little note that says something like "I'm helping my friend Meg raise money for her breast cancer treatment. Will you please help?" Many people who don't even know me have given donations. It's easy to do with the "Tell a Friend" widget at the top of this page, above my picture. THANK YOU!

So, pay it forward, and be well.

All the best,

Meg