Night Sweats Aren’t Always “Just Menopause”

Did you know that night sweats aren’t just a classic symptom of perimenopause and menopause?

They can also be a sign of cancer.

I didn’t know that either.

When I contacted my doctor about ear pain, inflammation, and swollen lymph nodes, I honestly wasn’t worried about the night sweats. I had already filed them away in the “welcome to 50” category.

Hot flashes?Night sweats?Mood shifts?

Menopause. Obviously.

But during that appointment, the first thing my doctor asked me was: “Are you having night sweats?”

“Yes,” I said casually. “Because of menopause.”

He paused. “You’re done with menopause,” he said. “I need you to have some bloodwork.”

The bloodwork came back clear. For a moment, that felt like relief. But something still wasn’t right. So he sent me to an ENT. Then for a CT scan.

And that’s when the story changed.

Where I’ve Been

This explains my silence.

For the past nine months, I haven’t been writing here. I haven’t been showing up the way I normally do. I haven’t been talking about the chaos and beauty of turning 50 because I’ve been in an aggressive battle with head and neck cancer.

It was sudden. It was terrifying. It was physically exhausting. And it was spiritually stretching in ways I don’t even fully have language for yet.

What started as ear pain and swollen lymph nodes turned into appointments, scans, treatment plans, and the kind of decisions you never think you’ll have to make.

Cancer doesn’t care how busy you are. It doesn’t care about your plans. It doesn’t care that you just launched a new brand called So This Is Freaking 50.

It just shows up. And then you fight.

What No One Talks About

So few people talk about head and neck cancer.

We talk about breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer or prostate cancer. But head and neck cancer?

Most people don’t even know the early signs: Ear pain. Swollen lymph nodes. Sore throat. Night sweats.

If I had dismissed the question about night sweats… if my doctor had dismissed it… this story might be very different.

So this is your gentle nudge: Please don’t automatically chalk everything up to menopause. Ask questions. Push for answers. Advocate for yourself. Especially after 50.

The Spiritual Journey

There’s the medical side of cancer. And then there’s the spiritual side.

There were days I was strong. There were days I was scared. There were days I was angry. There were days I felt carried.

I met God in hospital rooms. I wrestled in the quiet. I learned what surrender actually means — not the pretty Instagram version, but the real one. When your body feels fragile, your faith either deepens… or gets very honest.

Mine did both.

Why I’m Telling the Full Story

Because almost no one talks about this, and because I don’t believe survival stories are meant to stay private, later this year, I’ll be releasing a book titled Leave a Light On in Heaven.

Coming Fall 2026

What began as a sinus infection became a cancer diagnosis that changed everything.

In Leave a Light On in Heaven, LB Anne shares her deeply personal journey through head and neck cancer—from delayed diagnosis and relentless treatments to learning how to advocate for herself, cling to faith, and survive the unthinkable. This faith-based nonfiction book offers an unfiltered look at pain, prayer, healing Scriptures, and the God who carried her when the future felt uncertain.

Leave a Light On in Heaven will tell the whole story — the good, the bad, the terrifying, and the sacred. The physical battle. The emotional toll. The spiritual journey that unfolded in the middle of it all.

I didn’t choose this story, but I am choosing to tell it.

And To You…

I’m sorry I disappeared.

I didn’t plan to leave for nine months. I didn’t plan to step away from this space. But sometimes survival requires silence.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for sticking around. Thank you for giving me room to fight.

We have so much more to talk about after 50.

And trust me… I have stories.

Fifty and fighting

💋 LB