I Went To The Hospital With Asthma And Found Out I Had Melanoma

Have you been wondering where Local Mom Scoop has been?

If you subscribe to my emails then you may remember in August, I was complaining of breathing problems, allergies and trouble swallowing.

One evening my breathing got so bad that I decided I should go to the emergency room. After taking a Covid test and getting all the blood work done, they realized my sodium was low. So because of that, they checked me into the hospital.

After the first day, a chest x-ray was ordered because I still was having trouble breathing.

Well, the results were rather shocking actually quite unbelievable as they saw a tumor on the lymph nodes between my lungs and behind my esophagus. There were also subcutaneous nodules found around my abdomen. One of these would soon be biopsied to find out that I have Metastatic Melanoma.

Now, I had Melanoma at 21. It was a small mole on my back that I had removed. No other problems. I did my routine dermatologist check-ups.

But Melanoma inside my body. How can that be?

How can I have Cancer?

Well, I disappeared from October to December living in the hospital. This tumor created a bunch of problems that left me weak and unable to work, think or even text.

I didn’t want to tell any friends or family about the Melanoma because who could possibly handle any more bad news as virtual school was starting and the Covid numbers were rising and just 2020 in general. I kept it quiet until we got the results from the biopsy.

Finally, my close neighbor and friend was told who was a true advocate and kind of a spokesperson for me. It was great to have her support as she started a meal train with close friends handling all of the details. This saved my family after long days visiting me at the hospital or trying to run virtual school. But when my husband’s work found out, then it was out.

I may have missed my kids’ birthdays, Thanksgiving even Christmas, but thank goodness for close family and friends reaching out and taking care of me. Thank goodness for my husband and parents who stepped up to be my advocates keeping up with all of the Melanoma medical stuff and taking care of my girls. I never realized how many people I know or what an amazing community we have that has supported my family. Thanks to all of you. I love you for all your support.

I’ve now decided to share it with the local mom scoop family. Many of you already know who follow me but some of you may not. I’m sorry I disappeared during one of the most important times of the season. But I feel strong enough now to write and share some of what’s been going on.

SOME GOOD NEWS

I’ve been doing chemo daily and the good news is the tumor has shrunk. The bad news is the tumor has created some health problems like pneumonia and some other problems.

However, I’m here!

I’m not going anywhere.

This is a journey I will be on for the rest of my life now. But many of my friends have told me that I’m a warrior. The crazy thing is I’ve found a few Melanoma Warriors come to my rescue who have gone through this kind of Metastatic Melanoma. So I’m not alone. Never thought of myself as a warrior, I really just want my life back. But I’m going to be a warrior for my girls, my family, my friends, and myself.

I’m doing my best to answer DM’s and texts which can get overwhelming with all of the love and support. So please don’t get upset if I don’t respond right away. I know you are there.

I will be sharing the scoop the best that I can. It’s something that keeps me going. I’ll also be sharing my journey as much as I can. It’s pretty fresh and new, so some days I may not want to share. You can follow some of my journey on caringbridge.org.

XOXO

HEATHER