We all walk through hills and valleys, or good times and bad times. In August I was blessed to go on an Alaskan Cruise with my husband and good friends, celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary. While hiking up hill to see the beauty of the water below us, I had to stop and take a break, I mentioned to my friend Amy that I felt more labored in my breathing than normal. We rested for a moment and went about our hike, got to the top and enjoyed the beauty of the scenery and Alaskan waters. (pictured below) It was breathe taking and I was truly out of breath. We continued on with our day enjoying our trip.
We returned home from our amazing trip and I started to feel labored breathing as I walked up and down stairs, and slowly over time it continued to get worse, While in Alabama on my annual trip down south to drop my snow bird friend Michelle off in Florida, we went for a short walk (less than 1 mile) and I was so winded I could hardly talk and walk at the same time. From that day symptoms got worse pretty quickly, and I landed myself in the hospital in Florida for 3 nights while we tried to figure out what was wrong. Fluid in my lungs is all we really knew. Jeff flew down to be by my side, I received IV antibiotics to treat it should it be pneumonia then released to fly home where I could see my medical team!
A day later a CT scan confirmed that I had fluid in my right lung, likely to be malignant and also had signs of new breast cancer growth in both my right and left lung. My amazing oncologist called me within 20 minutes of my scan to schedule me for a thoracentesis to have the fluid removed (picture below) and he started searching for a new clinical trial for me to start. It was crazy how during the 4 days between my CT scan and the thoracentesis procedure how difficult breathing got, walking to go the bathroom or showering made me feel like I had gone for a run.
Moments following the thoracentesis I immediately began to feel relief, was able to take deep breathes, walk again without having to catch my breath and as the days following went on, I continued to feel better and more like my usual self.
This week is filled with 4 doctor's appointments and the start of a new oral chemotherapy for me. I am so blessed to continue to qualify for clinical trials and have such an amazing care team.
Luckily, I wasn't in that valley for long and am starting the trek back up the hill. Confident the treatment will get me back to the top! God has got this! As always, so thankful for my medical team, science, my family and friends, church, life group and all the people praying for me! The prayers are working.
Don't take one day for granted, if you are healthy enough to do the things, do them! Go for the slow walk, run or bike ride. Visit your parents and grandparents, check items off your bucket list because one day you won't be able to do those things anymore. #getbusyliving
Below are a few pictures, Alaska, Alabama with Michelle, the nasty fluid in my lung, and part of my awesome family that often goes to appointments with me, my Dad and dear friend Becky Chase after my thoracenteses.
Family life is great! My son got married in June and I gained a beautiful daughter in law. Brooke is a junior at GVSU and Jeff and I got a puppy (picture below) Call us crazy, because we are!
Peace and Love,
Chris, Jeff and family.
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