Dear friends,
I look forward to being back at church tomorrow after some nice time away. I return with some unexpected news. I have a large tumor in the right atrium of my heart. The good news is that it is most likely a myxoma, which is benign. The next step is a cardiac MRI on August 27, which will give the doctor a clearer picture of what we are dealing with.
Even though a myxoma is benign, it is still dangerous. Right now my heart is functioning normally. But the tumor can block blood flow. Of more concern is that a piece of it could break off and cause an embolism, with potentially fatal results. For those reasons it will need to be removed, which means open heart surgery.
I have had zero symptoms and feel great, especially after my knee replacement. This journey began with my knee. When I went to my primary care doctor for her to sign off on that surgery I had an abnormal EKG, which meant the operation had to be approved by a cardiologist. He said the issue was minor, and cleared me for surgery, but wanted me to have an echocardiogram after I recovered. I did that last month, and it revealed the tumor and a moderately leaky aortic valve. So the knee surgery may have saved my life. Thank God for arthritic knees! That may be a prayer of thanksgiving that God has never heard before!
Recovery from open heart surgery takes about three months. Deborah Silver will fill in for me during that time. She will be here Sundays for both services and Sunday school. She’ll also be on call for pastoral care concerns, and will be in the office at least one day a week. Maggie and Colin will continue to be here on most Sundays, as they are now. You will be in good hands.
I had not intended to make this news public until I had some more definitive answers. But there is so much planning going on now for the fall and Advent that it didn’t feel right to make plans as if I were going to be here when most likely I will not be. I should have more answers by early September.
In the meantime, I’m here. I ask for your prayers, which will sustain me, as they have so many times in recent years. I will let you know as soon as I have more information.
With love,
Tricia