Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Not great news--new cancer diagnosis

It's been a while since my last post and I have been trucking along. This is going to be a tough post that may not make a ton of sense since my brain is not functioning at 100%. On Tuesday last week I ended up having a seizure at a local water park while my brother and his family were visiting us. This hospitalized me for several days while we underwent testing. For the past year, I have been have strange symptoms in my left leg, where it sort of goes numb and then my foot begins spinning. This is actually what happened just prior to my seizure on Tuesday and is apparently a symptom of a very rare cancer, leptomeningeal disease, that can happen to 3-5% of metastatic breast cancer patients. It is a cancer of the brain and cerebrospinal fluid with an extremely poor prognosis. It is something none of my PET scans would have picked up, and although I mentioned it to my oncologists' office several times over the past year, no one has pursued it surprisingly. Since my hospitalization on Tuesday, I have had multiple brain MRIs and will also have a spinal cord MRI tomorrow to further diagnosis. Not only did they find cancer in the dural space of my brain and falx cerebri in the hospital, but they also noticed cancer that had metastasized to my cerebellum in my brain. I began whole brain radiation on Thursday last week and will continue for a total of 10 treatments. In addition, I have begun anti-seizure medications and other meds that have basically made me feel like a zombie. I struggle with walking, as my left leg feels very weak and numb. I don't like the way I feel and I honestly feel like I am dying. I am hoping and praying it is just from all the treatment and I really want to maintain hope of complete healing.

So I truly beg of everyone to not stop praying for a miracle. I homeschool our children and have so many plans for our home. I just can't imagine leaving earth already, but I am feeling very doomy right now (again hopefully part of this is from treatment).

I have appointments scheduled for various neurologists, scans and at MD Anderson coming up in the next two weeks and I am hoping I can find some sort of effective treatment for this. Due to the seizures, in Texas I am unable to drive for at least 3 months after my most recent seizure. Life is looking very different for me right now, as I have always been extremely energetic and active and my brain has worked well. Right now even trying to type this post is difficult. Thankfully friends have offered to drive me to my appointments that are nearby each day. Luke has his driving permit, and when he gets back from the mission trip he is on this week, his driving will be ramping up as well so that he can drive me to the store, errands and such while Drew works.

At one of my brain radiation treatments...





I beg of all of my friends and family to pray without ceasing. I know the Lord can heal if He wills and miracles are possible.  Here is another prayer request:

We have a rental property in Round Rock that tenants notified us they are vacating. If anyone has a good recommendation for a realtor that could do a listing for us to help us get it rented asap, that would be amazing. The timing is just really bad and we are feeling very overwhelmed. Thanks so much for your prayers and help during this very difficult time for our family.

22 comments:

  1. Cannon Corene KellyJuly 9, 2025 at 1:47 PM

    Heather, we are praying for your complete healing and that you will feel God’s peace that passes understanding during the treatment process!🩷🙏🙏🙏

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  2. Oh Heather, I'm so sorry to hear you are going thru this difficult trial.
    Please know I am praying for healing, strength, wisdom, and provision 🙏
    Has anyone started a meal train for y'all? Do you need anything else?

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  3. Lord, we are so thankful that you are a God of faithful covenant keeping. You promise that you are with us always, even to the ends of the earth. May Heather feel your Presence daily and know that you are Immanuel. Father strengthen and sustain her during these treatments. Thank you for being the God of Comfort and Peace. May she and her family lean hard into you during this time. Amen

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  4. Heather, I’m so, so sorry. We will be praying for you and your precious family.

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  5. Yes, absolutely praying for complete restoration! Jn 10:10 We must stop the robbing… we speak blessings of light and life. Life Abundant!!!! in Jesus Name

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  6. Heather, we have been praying since first hearing about this, and continue to pray for you and your beautiful family. Praying for a miracle from our Creator, Heavenly Father, The Great Physician, Savior!! We love you so much!!

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  7. Sending you so many prayers for healing, Heather!

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  8. Praying from Broken Arrow. May God heal your body. He formed you and He knows what your body needs.

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  9. Heather, will be praying for you! Working on what I can do to help get you an agent in Round Rock that will take good care of you guys!

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  10. “But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” Exodus‬ ‭17‬:‭12‬ ‭Heather, we are here lifting and holding you up!! In the Mighty Name
    of Jesus we ask for a miracle and complete healing within every cell of your body. Our prayers will not cease!!

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  11. I'm praying for you and your beautiful family, Heather.

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  12. Heather and family, I am praying for Jesus to fill you all with peace beyond your understanding, and healing that only He can provide - and we will all know it is Him who has healed you, and we will all praise His name and give Him the glory. Lord, Jesus, we come to you to declare healing over Heather, in your mighty name. Amen

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  13. 🙏🙏✝️🙏🙏

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  14. Sending you so many prayers and so much love for a full recovery!! I know a real estate agent who lists properties. I am happy to give you her info. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

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  15. Heather, I am praying for a miracle and will not stop doing so! Emily let me know last week and I have not stopped praying for you and your family. You are so strong! Keep fighting and we will keep praying for you!

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  16. Our whole family will be praying. God is good and faithful.

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  17. Heather, I will keep you in my daily prayers. You are so brilliant and one of the strongest women I’ve ever met (that’s no hyperbole - I’ve done CG with you). I believe in miracles and I truly believe that the Lord hears all of our prayers. My prayer right now is that you feel the arms of our Lord holding you tight and the weight of prayers lifting you up. Please keep us posted so we know how we can pray for your specific needs, like new tenants, personal drivers, and effective treatments!

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  18. Praying for you and your family. We love you guys and will cover you all in prayer. 🤍

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  19. Always in thoughts a prayers, Heather you have gone through so much and you've accomplished amazing things. GOD SPEED and HEALING !!!

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    Replies
    1. It's your brother Chris with above post

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  20. The Brandts are praying. May God be with you and guide everyone involved as you go through this. He is able!

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  21. I am friends with the Sapulpa Lusk Family. I will certainly add you to my prayer list. I pray for the beautiful Lusk’s and his father. What a wonderful family. God bless you.

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