Christy Smalla's Lymphoma Battle

Matthew 21:22

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith"

If you know my sister, you know she's one of the most giving people there are - giving of time, giving of healing, and giving of love! We (myself and my parents) are fundraising on her behalf, so that we can give back and help support her through this difficult time.

Christy has dedicated her life to serving God and blessing others' with the gift of healing He has given to her - if you've ever been lucky enough to receive massage therapy or treatment form her, you know what I'm talking about!

In the first week of November 2023, Christy's medical provider found growths on her thyroid and encouraged her to see an Endocrinologist. In the two months it took to get into the Endocrinologist and get the testing she needed, one of the growths became very large - compromising her trachea and esophagus, and pressing down into her chest.

When she met with the Endocrinologist on Thursday, January 25th, he immediately sent her for a CT scan which quickly led to 11 biopsies, a PET scan, and extensive bloodwork - by Friday January 26th, we would learn that she has Non-Hodgkin's Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, and she would be taken into surgery on Monday January 29th for placement of a port to begin chemotherapy. That surgery, which is typically an hour long procedure, was complicated given that her airway was so restricted by the tumor - it took 3 hours, 3 anesthesiologists, a general surgeon and a vascular surgeon to place the port. But she survived!

Unfortunately that surgery also resulted in a pneumothorax - which landed her in the hospital with a chest tube on Tuesday January 30th... where she has been since (going on 6 days tomorrow). In the days that followed, we would meet with oncology, radiologists, and a nephrologist who would share the details of her treatment plan:

A series of 8 rounds of chemotherapy - in a concoction known as r-Chop:

Because of the severity of her condition and the rapid tumor growth, they decided she would need to receive chemotherapy under strict supervision in-patient at the hospital. She underwent her first round of treatment Wednesday night, January 31st. Despite encountering some life-threatening side effects, God saw her through the treatment, and her faith remains strong.

Christy has 7 chemotherapy treatments ahead, all of which, they anticipate will also be administered under the care of a medical team at the hospital - each round will require between 2-5 days at the hospital. There will be 21 days between each round of chemotherapy where she will visit the infusion clinic 2x each week for lab work and infusions to encourage her body to make the blood cells it needs to stay strong. Upon completion of her chemotherapy we will find out if radiation will be required.

As you can imagine, the costs of her care will be immense, additionally, Christy's work as a self-employed massage therapist is very physical, and because of the side effects of chemotherapy, her ability to continue to work will be very limited, making it difficult for her to maintain her living expenses over the coming 6-8 months of treatment.

The prayers, support and love we have already received have sustained us this past week! As her journey continues, we seek to help ease her stress over how she will pay her bills, so that she can focus her energy on getting well. We humbly thank you for anything you feel led to give - every dollar will help!

In Christ,

Sarah Jazwiecki with Scott and Barb Smalla