Remembering Michelle Edwards

Right now, I'm feeling ok about it. Although, I am FREEZING all the time now. I am cold natured anyway...shave my head and I'm chilled to the bone! I've discovered a few moles (or as my mother always said: beauty marks) on my head that I never knew about. I've been wearing some of my new hats and playing with my scarves...and there is always the wig that I bought to wear too. Keegan took a few days to warm up to the idea of his 'bald' mom...but now we are making bald jokes and moving right along.

At first, Logan was a little scared, and even though we had talked to him about losing my hair, I don't think he fully understood...but like most kids, he bounced right back and told me he would use his magic to help me grow my hair back...I believe him too.

Michelle Edwards wrote those words in 2012 during her second battle with cancer.

With those words, Michelle showed she did not intend to let her enemy take her easily. She fought her disease every step of the way, with every weapon she had- grace, faith,courage, and the writing skills that enabled her to share her battle with her followers around the world.

Michelle Edwards moved to the Webb City area in 2004, starting her business Sweet Something Designs, and rapidly making a name for herself with her knowledge and taste in fashion, furniture, and decorating. Her abilities took her far beyond the Joplin area. Michelle's blog, also called Sweet Something Designs earned her a wide following and her writing was also featured in national magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens.

But it was over these last two years that Michelle Edwards expanded the scope of her blog and opened herself up to her readers in a way she had not done previously.

At first, writing about her cancer concerned her, but it turned out that she drew strength from her readers in the same way they drew strength from her.

For two years, her roller coaster battle was detailed in her blog, the small victories and the many times that she received bad news from her doctors or learned that treatment was not working.

She continued to share her design ideas with her readers through September and had the strength for one last blog entry dated October 18:

Fittingly the entry was titled "Strong and Courageous" and included this passage:

The news is not good. CT scans revealed the tumors are larger...which means the trial drug isn't working. So it's over. Just like that.

I'm upset.

I'm very disappointed and quite devastated. I thought this was going to be IT!! I realize there is no cure for my cancer, but the drug promised to stop the growth so I can live with the cancer and it didn't.

I am still working on emotionally dealing with the let down and physically...well, it's a work in progress too. The part of my lungs that the cancer is pretty big is constricting my airways, so I get winded walking from one end of the house to the other...reading books to Logan aloud has become difficult too. I'm just going to have to take it slow(er) and start coping with what I can do now, not what I can't do any more.

So what are we doing next? I start chemotherapy again, next week, with a new drug. It's just one day a week for 3 hours (that includes, fluids, nausea meds, etc.). We will see what this drug does, it's got a laundry list of side effects that I'm not looking forward to, but gonna do it anyway.

So while God works on my broken heart and body, I appreciate your prayers. So many of you have emailed me and reached out on FB, thank you!

The emotions were raw. She never held anything back in her writing. Those were the last words she wrote.

Michelle's battle ended Thursday. She is survived by her husband Justin, and two sons, Keegan and Logan,

Michelle Edwards also left behind two lasting legacies- both of which can be seen in the words on her blog. She showed her readers how to improve their surroundings through her extensive knowledge of interior design and how to make their lives richer by living them to the fullest.

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Obituary information can be found at this link.