Help Lyndsay and Family Through Leukemia Battle

Day 19 AML update:

It’s been 11 days since Lyndsay’s last Lumbar Puncture. Every minute since, of everyday she has been suffering debilitating headaches. Laying completely flat helps, but makes eating and getting up to use the restroom difficult.

We have been working with her doctors, doing everything we can to push for a blood patch. (This would essentially heal her headaches)

Things kept popping up like fevers, low platelets, possible infection, diarrhea, etc..

Doc called for another MRI for last night. We just received the results.

MRI Findings:

    1. New Subdural Hematomas (bleeding around the brain):

There are new collections of blood (called hematomas) under the outer layer of the brain (subdural space) on both sides:

    ◦    Left side: up to 7 mm thick

    ◦    Right side: up to 9 mm thick

These collections are pressing slightly on the brain surface (causing sulcal effacement), but they are not pushing the brain off-center (no significant midline shift). Their appearance suggests the presence of blood, with no signs of active leakage.

    2. Possible Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (bleeding in a different space):

There are signs of blood in the space around the upper parts of the cerebellum (back part of the brain), likely a small subarachnoid hemorrhage. There's some subtle signal abnormality, but nothing dramatic or definitive.

    3. Pachymeningeal Thickening and Enhancement (brain covering abnormality):

The outer lining of the brain (dura mater) looks abnormally thickened and lights up with contrast (enhances), which can suggest:

    ◦    Inflammation or infection

    ◦    Possible cancer (especially considering the patient's history)

This abnormality extends around both sides of the brain and to the area near the inner ears (internal auditory canals).

    4. No Stroke or Major Brain Damage:

No signs of an acute stroke or abnormal enhancement inside the brain tissue itself. The brain's midline is in place, and the fluid spaces (ventricles) are normal in size.

    5. Bone Marrow Changes:

The marrow inside the skull bones looks different compared to the prior MRI — this may be related to the patient’s known history of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or could be from natural changes in marrow composition.

    6. Small Lesion in the Nasopharynx (upper throat behind the nose):

A 5 mm lesion is seen in the nasopharynx, likely a Tornwaldt cyst (a benign cyst filled with protein-like material). There's no clear sign of active contrast enhancement, but it may need to be visually confirmed with an ENT exam to rule out anything concerning.

In Plain Terms:

    •    The patient now has new bleeding around the brain (likely subdural hematomas and possibly some subarachnoid bleeding).

    •    There are changes in the brain’s outer lining (meninges), which could be inflammation, infection, or cancer-related.

    •    No stroke was found.

    •    Bone marrow signals are abnormal — could be due to leukemia or bone marrow recovery.

    •    A small benign-appearing cyst is seen at the back of the nose.

The neuro team just came and spoke with us. They are moving forward with the blood patch.

On April 19, our world changed forever. My sweet daughter Lyndsay was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) — an aggressive and fast-spreading cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. She has been thrust into the toughest battle of her life. Her treatment began immediately with a four-week hospital stay for her first round of chemotherapy. Because her immune system is so compromised, her two young daughters aren’t able to visit, which has been one of the hardest parts for all of us. Jeremy, her husband, is doing everything he can to keep their family strong, juggling care for their girls, supporting Lyndsay, and taking time off work as needed. As you can imagine, this journey comes with deep emotional and financial strain. While our goal is to raise $75,000 to help with medical bills, household expenses, and daily needs, we are first and foremost choosing to stay rooted in Christ. We believe there is power in prayer, and we are leaning into that more than anything. If you feel led to give, we are grateful. But more than anything, we ask for your continued prayers, for strength, healing, and peace. Thank you for walking with us, for praying with us, and for loving our family through this.

Again, we love and appreciate each of you. Todays update:

Day 5 Update – AML

I’ve developed something called Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS) – it’s a serious side effect that can happen when a lot of cancer cells die quickly from treatment. When that happens, all the stuff inside those cells gets dumped into the bloodstream, which can throw off my body’s balance and affect things like my kidneys, heart, and even cause seizures if not managed. It’s intense, but the team here is on it.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what’s going on:

  •  LDH (a marker for cell breakdown) is really high. Normal is around 200, mine was 1,700 when I came in, and now it’s 3,000. Lots of fluids should help bring that down.

  •  Phosphorus: Normal is 2.4–4.5. Mine is 7.1.

  •  Chloride: Normal is 98–109. Mine is 112.

  •  CO2: Normal is 22–31. Mine is low at 19.

  •  BUN/Creatinine Ratio: Should be 10–20. I’m at 50.

  •  Magnesium: Also running high (again, fluids should help).

  •  Potassium: It’s okay for now but trending up, so they’ve started me on meds to manage it.

  •  Uric acid: A bit low at 3.0 (normal is 3.4–7.2), but that’s the least of our worries right now.

The bottom line: this cancer is aggressive and so is the treatment – and with that comes some intense side effects. But the doctors and nurses are working hard to keep everything under control. I’m getting constant fluids, meds, and labs drawn every 6 hours to stay ahead of it.

I’m also on continuous heart monitoring to make sure my heart rhythm stays steady with all these changes. They’ve got me on Lasix (a diuretic) to help flush out everything through my kidneys, which helps protect my organs from the chemo.

Thanks for all the love and support.