Written by: Lana Jalabi
Waterlootimes Newspaper
December 18, 2021
Life is beautiful, yet fragile, and in a blink of a second can change the way one lives for the rest of their life. This happened to Doctor Sarah Mahmoud, a dermatologist from Cairo who was diagnosed with a rare disease, Lymphangiomyomatosis (LAM). The rarity of this disease for woman is 3-5 cases for every one million women, with a life expectancy of 8-10 years after diagnosis, although there are reports of 20-year survival rates.
This disease is caused by a mutation in the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) 1 or TSC2 genes. It causes swelling in the lungs and leads to chronic respiratory failure. She was also diagnosed with left pneumothorax with recurrent lymphocytic pleural effusion. Confined to a bed in a hospital, with the inability to breath without oxygen, Doctor Sarah’s life was turned upside down.
Doctor Sarah was a successful practising doctor that has been deprived of her dream which was to help others in her profession as a dermatologist. Her social life was severely impacted due to her being unable to leave the hospital. Her life has completely changed.
The hope is for Doctor Sarah to receive a lung transplant as soon as possible because the disease is in its last stage and her condition is rapidly deteriorating. Lung transplants and the treatment plan for her condition is expensive. With everything going on, Doctor Sarah is an inspiration to us all. Being in a very difficult situation, she tries her best to stay positive and strong, not giving up hope, but rather fighting and staying positive that she will recover from this rare disease.
Her story touched my heart, we all pray for Doctor Sarah for a recovery and hope all the best for her.
