Support Alisha Merriman's Medical Journey

My name is Alisha Merriman, and I’m raising money for my medical expenses.

In May, I had pain in my neck. I thought that I’d just slept on it wrong. That Monday, my neck was swollen up like a bullfrog. Then, on that Wednesday morning, I had a bruise on my neck and my chest. I went to the ER at Integris on May 22nd. They did bloodwork, an X-ray, and a CT. They referred me to an ENT.

The CT scan said that I had a bleed from my parathyroid. They didn’t know what caused it since I haven’t had any trauma.

My CT scan 3 weeks later, on June 17th, showed that I have a mass on my parathyroid, one on my pituitary gland, and one on my lung.

I got an MRI on Thursday, June 20th.

I got an ultrasound of my thyroid and neck on Tuesday, July 23rd. I do not need a biopsy.

I went to the pulmonologist on June 26th. She said that it is a small nodule on my lung near my spine. I got another CT scan, this time of my chest, at Zoom Imaging on July 10th. My chest CT and bloodwork show a reduced risk of cancer in the tumor on my lung. However, I have a nerve sheath tumor as well.

I went to the neurologist on July 1st. I saw the images of my brain. My pituitary gland is enlarged, so it's called a macro-adenoma. I have a tumor in the right ventricular atrium of my brain. The initial bloodwork indicated that it’s not cancer.

I went to my PCP on July 16th.

I told her about everything. She had bloodwork done. I have high triglycerides. I’m now taking Fenofibrate for that. I take it with my evening meal so that it doesn’t make me nauseous.

I’m exercising 30 minutes each morning and watching my diet. I’m controlling my portions and eating more vegetables and less sugar.

I met my neurosurgeon on August 20th. He is currently working on scheduling my surgery date. He referred me to an endocrinologist.

Yesterday, due to being in the right place at the right time, I was able to see the endocrinologist months early. So we talked about all the things. She’s going to have a lot of lab work done for the hormones with the pituitary and the thyroid. I could have hypoparathyroidism and possibly with the pituitary mass it could be MEN-1. So after the lab results come back, she could give me a referral to genetics if it looks like I have hypoparathyroidism. I made a follow-up appointment to see her the day before Thanksgiving.

Today and overnight I have to do a 24-hour urine test, an overnight salivary test, and fasting bloodwork. In the morning I must return these tests to the lab and have the blood work done, fasting, by 9am.

I still don’t have a surgery date. The scheduler went home sick yesterday.