One Day at a Time

Despite being diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma and going through many trials with loved ones, Patty Lynn remains grateful and blessed by JENNIFER JORDAN

hen it rains, it pours.” Many of us feel the “W weight of this adage occasionally, as accidents, illnesses, and last-minute difficulties present themselves all at once. We muddle through the flood and move on to more restful days. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

For hair salon owner Patty Lynn, the rain has been pouring since December 2021. Patty is naturally a doer who would rather focus on others than herself. She has always taken great care of her grandparents, her daughters, her husband, and her pets. When Patty began having some health issues last December, she did not realize the serious nature. Although she experienced some blood in her urine and went to the doctor, the tests yielded normal results. Patty figured that the stress of purchasing an older building downtown for her salon, combined with her grandparents’ COVID, was causing her symptoms. During this period, her husband, Wesley, suffered from a bleeding ulcer, and then Patty contracted COVID in January.

Health issues for Patty and Wesley’s family members continued to mount. Wesley’s mother was diagnosed with lung cancer in March. The cancer had spread to her bones, and Wesley’s mother decided against treatment because the disease had advanced so much. Also, in March, Patty’s grandfather, Sam Allen, was hospitalized for congestive heart failure. As a diabetic, he had been going regularly to the wound care clinic. Patty and her family were very worried as Sam grew weak and had difficulty walking. They chose a skilled nursing residential facility for him. In May, after Wesley’s mother was moved to a skilled nursing facility, Patty was diagnosed with a sinus infection. She began a course of antibiotics. By the third day, severe pain attacked Patty’s stomach, wrapping around to her back. Patty and her uncle, Christopher Allen, thought she might have a kidney stone, as she had experienced tiny ones in the past. Patty returned to the health clinic, and the nurse practitioner conducted a CT scan, which revealed a large mass on her left kidney. The report indicated that the mass highly suggested renal cell carcinoma.

Patty was in shock and in denial. She was 46-years-old and did not expect her pain to result in anything so serious. An MRI was scheduled to further test the mass. However, the day after her CT, Patty needed to compartmentalize this news and put it on the back burner. She had to take her grandmother, Marcy (Sam’s wife), to have a knot under her armpit tested. Marcy was diagnosed with Stage 3 triple negative breast cancer, a very aggressive form of the disease. The oncologist told Marcy and Patty that surgery was not an option, but that immunotherapy could provide a 40% chance of shrinking the tumor, which was growing rapidly.

At the end of May, Patty’s MRI revealed that the suggested diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma was accurate. The tumor was taking up most of her left kidney. Patty recalls, “The technician who ran the test told me that his father-in-law had the same cancer, and 20 years later, he was doing well. This gave me some hope.” Yet, she still remained in denial that she had a malignant form of cancer. As summer arrived, Patty’s salon, Beekman Place, required repairs, which added some stress. “Little things happened because it’s an older building,” Patty remarks. “The air conditioning broke in June and flooded. The lights went out in the bathrooms.” On June 24, Wesley’s mother died from her cancer. Then Wesley, who had issues with his hips, was sent to a surgeon. He was told that he needed a hip replacement at the age of 44. The surgery occurred on July 6, and Patty helped Wesley recuperate while she awaited her own surgery date of August 12. When Patty scheduled the kidney surgery at UT Southwestern, she learned that her insurance would not cover the cost because the surgeon was out of network. Friends and family members came to her aid, as Patty’s daughter Zoe set up a GoFundMe. Patty appreciates their graciousness as well as the assistance of a grant from the Angel Fund Foundation.

Following the surgery, Patty returned home. Wesley was still recovering from his hip replacement, and Marcy was receiving infusions. “When I returned home, Mema was so happy that everything was okay with me,” Patty states, “I missed her next infusion visit because I could not get around yet, but her wonderful caregiver took her.” On September 7, Patty spent the day with Marcy, and brought her male blue Pit Bull, Kyzer. “She loved that dog. He’d follow her when she got up and

jumped on the bed when Mema got ready for bed.” Patty styled Marcy’s hair. “She wouldn’t take a nap because she wanted to visit,” Patty explains. “Finally, I said, ‘Woman (that’s what I called her sometimes), I have to go and give Wesley his dinner.’ Mema required a hug and kiss, and I leaned down while she was in the bathroom.” The next day, Marcy died. “She wanted to live,” Patty comments. “She wasn’t ready, but I guess someone was ready for her.”

Patty continues to heal, still caring for her family but also letting them care for her a little bit. Marcy’s passing was kind of a trigger for Sam, who is still at the residential facility. “He will be fine, but then he will want to go home, pack everything, and drive to his hometown.” Patty is thankful for her daughters, Reagan and Zoe, who have each helped in their own way. Zoe stayed with her at the hospital, taking turns with Wesley at night. “They were my tag team,” Patty comments. Reagan helped in Texarkana, and will soon give birth to her first child in December, which will bring joy. Patty still finds it difficult to have people take care of her. “We call her ‘Little Mama,’ Christopher explains, “because she takes care of everyone else.”

The follow-up to Patty’s surgery revealed that her tumor’s stage was T1, which is the least aggressive malignancy. “There is less chance for it to return, and this is where I feel fortunate,” she says. “Kidney cancer likes to spread to the lungs, so I will need a scan in November, and depending on that, I might need them only yearly.”

Patty believes that she should feel more grateful because her cancer “could have been so much worse. I do have gratitude, but it’s overshadowed by everything else.” Therapy is helping Patty get through the deluge of the last nine months. “I tend to bury feelings and things because there’s too much to do,” she reflects. “I’ve never been a writer, so I found a cheater’s journal, recommended by my therapist. It has three daily sections in which I write every night: one positive moment, one stressful one, and something I’m looking forward to. When I am ready, my therapist says that I should read it aloud to myself. The visual and the auditory actions will help me process.”

Right now, Patty is taking it one day at a time. Christopher has served as an incredible support to her. Even though he is her uncle, “he treats me like a daughter,” Patty smiles. Christopher avers, “She’s been my heart and soul always.” For this lovely woman with a heart of gold for others, a year of struggle is hopefully nearing its end, and a calmer forecast is on the horizon. Patty puts it best: “I’m ready for ‘23 to bring goodness.”