The 1% Chance Side Effect

Side effects: you know, those warnings on the medications we take. All of us are guilty of not really heeding those warnings. We convince ourselves they only occur in 1% or less of those who sampled the medication. We naively believe those side effects will never happen to us.

Anne* will tell you otherwise. She’ll tell you, “I am the 1% chance side effect.”

* Her real name, used with permission.

A Tumor the Size of an Orange

After a fun night out with a friend, Anne woke up with intense pain in her chest. Her thoughts raced to the idea that she was having a heart attack. Knowing she needed to be examined, she went to the Emergency Room.

X-rays showed a cloudy area near her lungs, so a CT scan was ordered. The radiologist saw a tumor the size of an orange on the left side of Anne’s chest. She remembers not being worried about the tumor.

Anne decided to keep her plans for that night. At dinner with her friends, a woman who had survived brain cancer was there and shared her incredible story. After dinner, she felt God saying, “You’re going to be okay.”

 

Didn’t Dominate My Thoughts

A month later in January of 2001, a needle biopsy confirmed Anne had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The doctor told her this form of cancer was easily cured, but she opted to treat it holistically as she was afraid of the side effects of chemotherapy. She began juicing, eating fruits/raw vegetables, taking shark oil, and exercising regularly.

“I was living life as if the cancer didn’t exist. It didn’t dominate my thoughts,” Anne remembers.

Because she’d been laid off from her job due to her health struggles, she no longer had health insurance. Holistic treatments were expensive, so she quit taking them and focused on healthy eating and exercise instead.

Concerned about her health, Anne’s parents paid for her to have another CT scan to check the status of the tumor in March of 2003. When comparing it to the first image, Anne learned it was about the same size. So again, she did not panic.

In April of 2003, Anne met Brett. By May, Anne felt close to Brett and shared her cancer diagnosis with him. She remembers how upset he was when he said, “I can’t believe we just met and I’m going to lose you.”

 Doubled in Size

While visiting the Tennessee Aquarium, Anne felt a lump on the right side of her neck. She didn’t share this with Brett, but she was concerned and had another CT scan completed. It showed the tumor had doubled in size – in just 1 month. With her parents living nearby and Brett in her life, she felt God telling her it was time to address this cancer.

Then in December of 2003, Anne experienced stomach pain and would get out of breath when she walked. A visit to the ER confirmed her left lung had collapsed due to the large build up of lymphatic fluid, which also pushed her stomach down and out of place.

Tumor Began Shrinking

The ER doctor referred her to the cancer center at an Atlanta hospital. In January of 2004, Anne had a lymph node biopsy done and started a chemotherapy regimen that consisted of four different medicines. Anne felt very hopeful.

The tumor began shrinking, and at the end of the eight months of treatment, 99% of the tumor was gone.

Unbeknownst to Anne, one of those four chemo drugs had already begun damaging her lungs. (The 1% chance side effect of chemotherapy is permanent lung damage.)

 

 

25% Chance of Survival

Three weeks of radiation would address the remaining portion of the tumor. Additionally, Anne underwent a stem cell/bone marrow transplant to completely eradicate the cancer. This treatment made her hurt all over, because all the cells in her body died. She began losing her hair. [Anne remembers the doctors telling her she would become infertile as a result of the intense treatment of the transplant.]

A side effect of the radiation treatment was that her skin began peeling off at the front and back of her neck and chest. “It looked as if I’d been in a fire, ” Anne remembers.

Because the transplant destroyed her immune system, as well as the open wound from the radiation burn, Anne was given a 25% chance of survival. Her risk of infection was great.

Thankfully, she did survive and went home after months of recovery in the hospital. About this time, Anne quit taking the inhaled steroids she’d been prescribed to prevent chronic coughing as a result of the damage to her lungs.

 She Said Yes!

Brett’s unwavering support during Anne’s health struggles caused her to realize how much she loved him. So in April of 2005 when Brett proposed, she said yes! Brett and Anne were married four months later.

Brett would be adopting Anne’s daughter in August of 2006, but Anne wanted children with Brett, so she saw a fertility specialist in July. “Your hormone levels are low,” the specialist told Anne.

She began taking progesterone pills in August, hoping to improve her chances of having a baby with Brett.

 Shock Wave of Pain

After taking the progesterone pills, Anne experienced an unpleasant upset stomach. When she tried using the restroom, she strained to release her bladder and a momentary shock wave of pain jolted her. It started at her left foot and then went up her left leg. She felt numbness and tingling that did not subside.

An ultrasound confirmed her numbness was not from a blood clot, but the test couldn’t identify why she now had these sensations.

She immediately stopped taking the fertility medication. In addition to the left leg numbness/tingling, she began experiencing weakness in her right leg and pain in her lower back upon standing during the next couple of months. Not being able to run and noticing changes in her bladder functions added to the unexplained symptoms.

One night in November of 2006, Anne took a shower before bed and could not lift her right leg out of the tub. She lifted her leg with her hands, got dressed, and went to bed. “Something’s wrong,” she told Brett. They decided to have an ER doctor evaluate her.

The 1% Chance Side Effect

The ER doctor assessed her and admitted her so tests could be run. Two days later – Anne could not walk. She was then tested for meningitis and Multiple Sclerosis, as well as having consultations with oncologists and neurologists.

Anne discovered she could not sit up unassisted. The ‘waiting and seeing’ where the paralysis would stop was difficult. It was finally determined the paralysis stopped at her chest with her mobility and sensory at different levels.

The MRI detected swelling on her spine, so high doses of steroids were given to reduce the swelling. By process of elimination, radiation necroses, a burning of the spine, was given as the cause for her paralysis. (The 1% chance side effect of radiation treatments.)

[Although the doctors attributed her paralysis to the radiation, they were not interested in exploring the idea that the progesterone pills she took could have also been a contributing factor.]

Suddenly not being able to walk was very scary.

During her treatment in the hospital and for in-patient PT/OT rehab, Anne dove into reading her Bible  and watching episodes of Joyce Meyer’s teaching as a way to stay connected to God.

Adjusting to Being in a Wheel Chair

When she went home in January of 2007, Anne began adjusting to being in a wheel chair and figuring out her new life. Her mom, who is a nurse, stayed with her during this transition.

In just a few short weeks, Brett noticed Anne was not eating and was very sluggish. “Something is wrong with her,” he told her mom, so they took her to the ER.

“You need to have the family come say their goodbyes. She’s dying,” Brett was told. When her sister, who is a nurse, came to say her goodbye, she asked if they’d checked her blood sugar levels. The test results showed extremely high levels of blood sugar (690), which was addressed with insulin.

It was determined the spike in her blood sugar fell into the 1% chance side effects of the high doses of steroids she was given to reduced the swelling in her spine.

Medications were prescribed to her during this hospital stay that caused intense confusion. Anne refused to take several of them and her clarity returned. When Brett took her home, he was told she would need round the clock care. Her mother helped for the first two weeks, but Anne did not need extensive care after that as she began regaining her strength and caring for herself.

Driving Again

In February of 2008, Anne started driving again. An MRI in 2009 didn’t show any radiation necrosis on her spine. She has continued physical therapy to get stronger.

She began volunteering for an after school tutoring program at her church in 2012. In addition to the tutoring at church, Anne serves in the kids ministry and sings in the choir. “My life is rich and full of joy,” Anne shares.

In August of 2014, ten years after she stopped taking the steroids, Anne blew up a balloon. Her lungs may still be damaged, but overcoming this challenge filled her with hope. “God is the great healer,” Anne shares.

Outcomes From the 1% Chance Side Effects

Anne has experienced horrible outcomes from the 1% chance side effects of chemotherapy, radiation, and high doses of steroids. However, even after all Anne has struggled with, there is always a smile on her face. Especially when Brett is by her side.

I asked Anne to share how her struggles have impacted her faith in God. She said, “Even though I was new to my walk with Christ when I was first diagnosed, the fight against cancer and the challenge of losing my ability to walk strengthened my faith and drew me closer to God.”

She is thankful to God for healing her and for being true to His word according to Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

She went on to say, “I know God is in control. Whether I walk again on this earth or not, it’s all temporary. I will walk, because I know what the future holds (heaven). I know He’s with me.”

Leave a reply (below): Inspiration writer Caroline Naoroji states, “Your testimony is richer, when the test is harder.” After hearing Anne’s story, I KNOW her testimony is richer because of all she has overcome. Please leave her a comment if her story inspired or encouraged you.