A pregnant woman and infant were rescued. After doctors found a tumor the size of a grapefruit

A Chicago woman is just weeks away from giving birth. When a nagging cough leads to a startling medical discovery

MaKenna Lauterbach, who was 26 at the time, began suffering from a severe cough during the last three months of her pregnancy.

“They would be so intense that I would wind up and get nauseous and vomit,” she told Fox News Digital.

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Lauterbach, who resides on a farm in Washburn, Illinois. She began to notice breathing difficulties while caring for her horses and goats.

“I give the horses hay every morning. And I noticed that I felt very windy when I had a dry cough,” she said. “My body felt like I had run two miles. But in reality I just walked to the barn and back.”

MaKenna Lauterbach, photographed with husband Parker and new baby Colter, has been diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. (Northwestern Medicine)

Some doctors dismissed Lauterbach’s symptoms and repeatedly told her “it’s because you’re pregnant.”

However, eventually, when the cough causes vomiting, Doctors then performed a scan and found a large, grapefruit-sized tumor in her middle chest cavity and right lung. This completely blocks the artery to the right lung.

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“It’s very rare to see a tumor like this spread into the major blood vessels of the heart,” said Dr. Chris Mehta, a cardiac surgeon at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute who specializes in complex heart reconstructions.

“It is very rare to see this type of tumor spread into the major blood vessels of the heart.”

“We probably see something like this every few years.”

The tumor affected Lauterbach and her baby. have difficulty breathing

‘Really in trouble’

Lauterbach was flown to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where a large medical team was waiting for her.

Dr. Lynn Yee, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine, said, “MaKenna was in serious trouble. And we need to act quickly. This is not something that can wait on Monday morning.”

Although he was born three weeks premature, little Colter is a thriving and happy baby today. “For myself. I am still healing emotionally and physically,” Lauterbach said. (Makena Lauterbach)

“When you are pregnant with a baby that is close to full term, Your lungs aren’t working at full capacity. And when you add a large tumor on top of that, You risk respiratory failure and cardiac arrest.”

Babies do not tolerate contractions very well. And Lauterbach’s blood pressure dropped.

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The team performed an emergency cesarean section. And on Easter Sunday, a healthy baby boy, Colten, was born.

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After childbirth, it’s time to deal with the tumor.

“The tumor was sitting on MaKenna’s heart and had extended into the right lung. It affects all three lobes and the entire main trunk of the pulmonary artery,” Dr. Kalvin Lung, a thoracic surgeon at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, said in the release.

Doctors performed a biopsy and diagnosed Lauterbach with stage 3 melanoma.

The Lauterbach family lived on a farm in Washburn, Illinois. MaKenna Lauterbach first developed a severe cough and difficulty breathing while caring for horses and goats. (Makena Lauterbach)

Doctors believe she may have had skin cancer at one point and “one or two cells fell off” and began growing inside her body.

“It was really news that couldn’t be hidden,” Lauterbach told Fox News Digital. “When I was first diagnosed, I faced a rollercoaster of emotions.”

“I regret the birth plan I spent months preparing. At the same time dealing with the news of my unexpected diagnosis.”

After feeling relieved when he received the answer. She said she was angry that her condition had been previously overlooked. And then there is the fear of cancer.

“Because of the tumor. Childbirth happened very quickly. I regretted the birth plan I had spent months preparing. At the same time dealing with the news of my unexpected diagnosis,” she said.

“My situation is serious. And while my clinical team was planning my cancer treatment. It is comforting to know that the NICU nurses (at Northwestern) took such excellent care of our son.”

lifesaving operations

The team at Northwestern recommended that Lauterbach receive three rounds of immunotherapy before surgery. This reduced the size of her tumor by 30%.

Dr. Lung and Dr. Mehta operated on Lauterbach’s entire right lung, part of the main pulmonary artery. and her lymph nodes removed

Lauterbach family photo, from left to right, Dr. Calvin Lung, registered nurse Mary Schussler, and Dr. Lin Yi. (Northwestern Medicine)

“This surgery has risks compared to other cancer surgeries. This is due to the need for a cardiopulmonary bypass. and the need to repair the main arteries that go to both lungs. But it is done under very safe conditions using proven techniques,” Dr. Lung told Fox News Digital.

“We are worried that even though we have to do a lot of surgery, We were not able to remove all the tumors,” he continued.

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If the tumor grows slightly larger in the main artery that goes to the lungs Or if it’s related to the heart The results will be different.

But the surgery was a success. And Lauterbach’s latest scan found no evidence of metastatic melanoma.

Colter Lauterbach takes pictures with Santa before his first Christmas. (Makena Lauterbach)

“Her results are very good,” Dr. Lung told Fox News Digital. “She has recovered from most of her surgery. And her main problem is difficulty breathing. which is the result of having only one lung.”

“In terms of cancer prognosis We expect it to be quite good. This is because the tumors all responded to the immunotherapy treatment she received.”

‘New normal’

Today, even though he was born three weeks premature, little Colter Lauterbach is a thriving, happy baby.

“For myself. I am still healing emotionally and physically,” MaKenna Lauterbach said. “My lung capacity is approaching. It’s a ‘new normal’ for me. And I’m finally starting to get back to some sort of normal routine.”

“There are days when bad memories and unknowns haunt my thoughts.”

Looking ahead Lauterbach will continue immunotherapy treatment for one year. And doctors will continue to follow up with CT scans to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back.

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Her cancer is currently considered to be “Stable disease,” the doctor said, which means no new tumors have formed.

The new mother turns 27 in October. Said she is looking forward to her son’s first Christmas on the farm.

MaKenna and Parker Lauterbach pose for a photo with their son Colter. After he was born by emergency cesarean section (Makena Lauterbach)

“Emotionally I try my best not to let reality get the better of me. But there are days when the memories are bad. And the unknown haunts my thoughts,” she said.

“Coulter and my amazing husband, Parker, are what gave me the strength to get through it all.”

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For other women, Lauterbach emphasizes the importance of “Knowing Your Body”

She advises, “If you know something isn’t right, don’t use ‘I don’t know’ as an answer. Find someone who will take your concerns seriously. And would like to do additional testing just in case. Instead of being lost Something life-threatening.”