Lungs and lymph nodes

I realize this is not the most aesthetically pleasing picture, but I wanted to get you all an update asap. Thank you for your messages and prayers- I haven’t been able to read them yet but I so appreciate all of you.

Let me back up, since this may be coming out of left field for some of you. In March 2020, I started to complain of shortness of breath, worsening fatigue and pain and pressure in my chest. I spoke with multiple doctors and we all thought it could be from my acid reflux, one of the medications I was on for acid reflux or that my anemia had returned. We really didn’t know what was going on.

Over the past year and a half, my symptoms have come and gone. I would have weeks and months where I could work out and my breathing didn’t even cross my mind. But then I would have periods where it felt like I couldn’t breathe, I would easily get winded, I'd wake during the night trying to catch my breath and I was constantly fatigued. That’s where I’ve been recently, on top of my stomach issues. So we decided to do a CT scan last week.

Friday, my oncologist called very confused with my results. My blood work looked great but I had 8 lesions on my lungs and swollen lymph nodes. With my history, they had to consider that it could be cancer.

This morning we met with Dr. R who did my Linx surgery this past February. He explained that my lymph nodes along my airway are very swollen (you can see them in the picture where he shaded in.) They are causing the shortness of breath and the pain in my chest.

Dr. R believes this could all be caused by something called “sarcoidosis”, which is a disease that involves inflammation of groups of cells. Sarcoidosis has a tendency to wax and wane (my symptoms have followed this pattern.) If it is sarcoidosis, they will refer me to a pulmonologist. There is no real treatment for sarcoidosis, but they could possibly prescribe steroids to help me.

If it is not sarcoidosis, it could be lymphoma, which Dr. R said is very treatable through chemo. The last thing it could be is breast cancer but he said that is the least likely of the three possibilities.

Dr. R will do a biopsy on October 8th. He will first do a minimally invasive biopsy, down through my wind pipe (under anesthesia). He will have someone look at the biopsy right then to determine if he got what he needs. If he hasn’t, then he will have to make an incision above my breast bone and go in that way. But he felt confident he could get it through the less invasive procedure.

While we are not out of the woods yet, Ricky and I left the appointment feeling encouraged. We are trusting God and we are continuing to pray for a miracle!

Prayer Requests:

• Please pray for Ricky and I to have peace as we wait for the biopsy and then as we wait for the results.

• Please pray that I handle the anesthesia well, that Dr. R is able to get what he needs from the less invasive procedure and that the results come back cancer free.

• Please continue to pray for my health-- that my gastrointestinal system would come into alignment (nerves firing correctly and things functioning as they should), that my breathing would improve (especially at night) and that the swelling in my lymph nodes would come down.

• Please pray for us to have wisdom as we navigate the days ahead.

Thank you for loving me and fighting alongside me! It means more than I could ever express.

All my love,