A Chicago woman was weeks away from giving birth when a Painful cough A shocking medical revelation
MaKenna Lauterbach, who was 26 at the time, began experiencing severe coughs over the past three months. Her pregnancy.
“They would be so intense that I would get nauseous and nauseous until I vomited,” she told Fox News Digital.
A pregnant woman suffering from brain cancer refused to have an abortion.
Lauterbach, who lives on a farm. Washburn, IllinoisWhile rearing her horses and goats, she also felt short of breath.
“I feed the horses every morning and notice how much air I’m coughing up,” she said. “My body felt as if I had only run two miles, when, in fact, I had only walked to the barn and back.”
MaKenna Lauterbach, pictured with her husband, Parker, and new baby, Coulter, was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. (Northwestern Medicine)
Some doctors dismissed Lauterbach’s symptoms, she said, repeatedly telling her, “It’s because you’re pregnant.”
Eventually, though, when the coughing led to vomiting, doctors performed a scan and discovered a large tumor the size of a grape in his middle chest cavity and right lung, completely blocking the right pulmonary artery. was
A pregnant mother with cancer rejects doctors’ advice to have an abortion
“It is extremely rare to see this type of tumor invading the major blood vessels of the heart,” said Chris Mehta, MD–A. Cardiac surgeon Northwestern Medicine with the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, which specializes in complex heart reconstruction — in a press release.
“It is extremely rare to see this type of tumor invading the major blood vessels of the heart.”
“We might see something like this once every few years.”
The tumor left Lauterbach and her child with respiratory problems.
‘in real trouble’
Lauterbach was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where a large medical team awaited him.
“MaKenna was in real trouble, and we had to act immediately — it wasn’t something that could wait until Monday morning,” Lynn Yee, MD, said. Maternal medicine Northwestern Medicine Specialists in Release.
Although he was born three weeks early, little Coulter is a thriving, happy boy today. “For me, I’m still recovering emotionally and physically,” Lauterbach said. (MaKenna Lauterbach)
“When you’re pregnant with a baby that’s almost full-term, your lungs aren’t working at full capacity already, and when you put a huge tumor on top of that, you have trouble breathing. risk of collapse and heart attack.”
The baby was not tolerating contractions well and Lauterbach’s Blood pressure was falling
The Year in Cancer: Progress to 2024, Forecasts to 2025
The team performed an emergency caesarean section – and on Easter Sunday, a healthy baby boy, Colton, was born.
‘Blinding news’
After delivery, it was time to deal with the tumor.
“The tumor was sitting above McKenna’s heart and extending into the right lung, affecting all three lobes and the entire main trunk of the pulmonary artery,” said Calvin Ling, MD, a thoracic surgeon at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute. was done.” release
Doctors performed a biopsy and diagnosed Lauterbach. Stage 3 melanoma.
The Lauterbach family lives on a farm in Washburn, Illinois. Makina Lauterbach first encountered severe coughing and shortness of breath while raising horses and goats. (MaKenna Lauterbach)
Doctors believe she may have developed melanoma on her skin at some point, and that “a cell or two” broke off and started growing inside her body.
“It was really blinding news,” Lauterbach told Fox News Digital. “When I was first diagnosed, I went through a A roller coaster of emotions“
“I was grieving the birth plan I had spent months preparing while dealing with the news of my unexpected diagnosis.”
After initially feeling relieved to have an answer, she said she felt a little angry that her symptoms were already gone. Then there was fear. Cancer itself.
“Because of the tumor, the delivery happened so quickly. I was devastated over the birth plan I had spent months preparing, as well as dealing with the news of my unexpected diagnosis,” she said.
“My condition was serious, and while my Clinical team While working on my cancer treatment plan, it was comforting to know that the NICU nurses [at Northwestern] Taking such good care of our son.”
Taking life-saving action
Northwestern’s team recommended going through Lauterbach. Three cycles of immunotherapy before surgery, which helped shrink his tumor by 30 percent.
Dr. Lung and Dr. Mehta removed Lauterbach’s entire right lung, part of the main pulmonary artery and his lymph nodes.
The Lauterbach family is pictured, left to right, with Dr. Calvin Ling, Registered Nurse Mary Schuessler and Dr. Lin Yee. (Northwestern Medicine)
“This surgery was risky compared to other cancer surgeries because of the need for cardiopulmonary bypass and the need to repair the main artery going to both lungs, but it was highly effective with well-proven techniques,” Dr. Lung said. It was done under safe conditions.” Fox News Digital.
“We were concerned with that as well. Extent of surgerywe won’t be able to remove the tumor completely,” he said.
Click here to get the Fox News app.
If the tumor has grown a little further into the main artery leading to the lungs, or if The heart is involvedit would have been a different outcome.
But the surgery was a success, and Lauterbach’s latest scans showed no evidence of metastatic melanoma.
Colter Lauterbach is pictured with Santa before his first Christmas. (MaKenna Lauterbach)
“The outcome was very good,” Dr. Ling told Fox News Digital. “She has almost fully recovered from the surgery, and her main problem is shortness of breath, which is a result of only having one lung.”
“In terms of cancer prognosis, we expect it to be quite good, given that the entire tumor responded. Immunotherapy treatment He received.”
‘The New Normal’
Today, even though he was born three weeks early, little Colter Lauterbach is a thriving, happy baby.
“For me, I’m still recovering emotionally and physically,” said Makina Lauterbach. I’m doing it.”
“There are days when bad memories and unknown things haunt my thoughts.”
Looking ahead, Lauterbach will continue the immunotherapy treatment for a year, and doctors will continue. Monitor CT scans. To make sure the cancer doesn’t come back.
Click here to sign up for our health newsletter.
Doctors say her cancer is currently considered a “stable disease,” meaning no new tumors have appeared.
The new mother, who turns 27 in October, said she is looking forward to her son. The first Christmas On the form
McKenna and Parker Lauterbach are pictured with their son Colter after he was born via emergency cesarean section. (MaKenna Lauterbach)
“Emotionally, I try my best not to let reality weigh on me, but there are days when bad memories and the unknown haunt my thoughts,” he said.
“Coulter and my wonderful husband, Parker, are the ones who have given me the strength to succeed in everything I do.”
For more health related articles visit www.foxnews.com/health
For other women, Lauterbach emphasized its importance.Get to know your body”
“If you know something isn’t right, don’t take ‘I don’t know’ for an answer,” she advises, “find someone who takes your concerns seriously and instead disappear.” Will do additional testing in case something is fatal.”