No Gloom and Doom

By Melanie and John Balzer

No Gloom and Doom by Melanie and John Balzer is the story of Miss Melanie Balzer after her diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Her tenacity, perseverance, and unwavering positive attitude are described in entries posted on her CaringBridge site from October 2016 through December 2020.

Miss Melanie’s rollercoaster journey included bacterial fevers during chemotherapy, lymphoma of the brain, brain surgery, and plummeting blood counts. Through it all, Miss Melanie remained positive, focused on getting better and living her life as she had before her illness.

Download No Gloom and Doom here, the story of a remarkable woman who said, after her initial diagnosis, “If you can’t be positive and are going to be filled with doom and gloom, get out now; I do not want you around. We’ll take it a day at a time and I will be fine.”

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About the Author

John served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Following his military service, he worked for several companies prior to forming a strategic marketing firm that he operated for 28 years. After closing his business, he is busy with photography and bike riding. Melanie was a stay-at-home mom until her children returned to college when she returned to the classroom as a teacher's aide. Melanie loved helping animals and transported dogs from shelters where they would be euthanized to no kill shelters. Rescuing dogs was her passion. Melanie passed away in 2020 after battles with leukemia and lymphoma of the brain.