Pastor Talks About Her Recent Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Stories from Survivors
Written by Travis Rodgers | Edited By Amy Edel
Dr. Berlinda Love, a pastor and podcaster, just received a diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma in June 2024. The 71-year-old spiritual leader went to her doctor because of a nagging cough she’d been dealing with for quite a while.
“I had been having really bad coughs and wheezing and it had been going on for a while,” Berlinda tells us. “I had gone to the doctor and they said it’s probably just allergies. We have a lot of cases of allergies here in Georgia this time of year.”
She knew something wasn’t right, though. Despite exams and test results that didn’t find anything, she says the coughing continued and a feeling in her throat she couldn’t quite identify.
“My relatives said to me you need to dig a little deeper because that cough is getting pretty bad,” she recalled.
Berlinda’s doctor suggested a D-Dimer Test. The test measures the amount of a specific protein in the blood that’s made when a blood clot dissolves. Higher levels can mean someone has a blood clot or blood clotting problems. Blood clots are rare but can be a serious mesothelioma symptom.
“Within an hour of taking the D-Dimer Test, I was called back with the results,” Berlinda said.
Her levels were high, so her doctor advised her to go to the emergency room immediately. South Georgia Medical Center near her home didn’t have the necessary equipment for her, so doctors sent her to UF Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. That’s where Berlinda underwent a biopsy and was then diagnosed with the epithelioid mesothelioma type.
Berlinda’s Mesothelioma Treatment Options
Berlinda hasn’t yet developed a mesothelioma treatment plan with her doctors. She has an appointment coming up soon with an oncologist to discuss the best options for her.
“They’re looking at whether or not they can treat it without surgery, possibly with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. If they have to do surgery it is a major procedure,” Berlinda shares.
After speaking with Patient Advocate Dr. Snehal Smart at the Mesothelioma Center, Berlinda says, “I’m hoping for immunotherapy. According to what Snehal said, immunotherapy goes straight toward the cancer, targeting it directly so that would be wonderful.”
Berlinda says she’s encouraged immunotherapy typically has fewer and more manageable side effects compared to chemotherapy or an intense surgical procedure. She says she hopes this may allow her to continue her ministry work and podcast while undergoing treatment.
“I would really like to be able to continue my work pastoring 2 little churches here in Valdosta, Georgia,” Berlinda explains. “I really would like to have whatever treatment will allow me to continue that. They’re working with me now and already I only have to go to one place to make things easier. I just really hope I can do immunotherapy instead of surgery.”
Berlinda’s Plans for the Future
Berlinda says ministry work and her family will always be her top priorities. No matter what else is happening in her life, she says they’re her focus.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” she says. “I’ll continue to do ministry work because it’s always in my heart and I’ll continue to serve people. I’ll also continue helping my family. My nieces and nephews are at the core of my heart.”
Despite not knowing what her mesothelioma journey will have in store for her, Berlinda is staying positive. She says her belief in God directs her path even when she’s not sure exactly what may be ahead.
“I don’t know what’s in my future, but I know who holds my future,” she explains. “Whatever doors God has for me to go through at this stage in life, He’ll reveal that to me.”
She adds, “I’m not quite sure what God is saying to me right now or where I’m going next. But I know right now that I have a health issue and He’s saying to me right now: ‘I need you to get through this period that I have you going through.’ Hopefully God will bring me through it relatively soon and we’ll see where I go from there.”
