From the community

I had just graduated college in 2013 when my dad was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Like most people diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, the discovery of his disease was a fluke. His car was rear-ended, which led to an x-ray, which showed a mass in his lung. He was given a 50% chance of living six months.

There are two mantras I repeat to myself and others: “Don’t count the days, make the days count,” coined by Mohammad Ali, and “Cancer didn’t bring me to my knees; it brought me to my feet,” said by Michael Douglas. Another mantra I like is one of my own creation: “My mind and soul can heal my body.”

What I like about these quotes is their positivity. I’ve always believed a positive attitude could help fight my lung cancer.

I was diagnosed with lung cancer in July 2020. I was stage IV non-small cell adenocarcinoma with metastases in my lymph nodes.

My diagnosis was devastating. I was experiencing such severe physical symptoms, such as intense coughing to the point of coughing up blood, that I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to lead a normal life again. It felt like everything was coming to an end and I would never be able to achieve my dreams.

Caregiver is a funny term to me. There have been times in this process I’ve felt like one, but most of the time, I haven’t needed to take that role. My husband, who is an advanced stage lung cancer survivor, doesn’t need care. He isn’t bedbound or sickly; he’s out biking and golfing on the weekends.

It all started innocently enough with a swollen lymph node above my collar bone. As a family nurse practitioner, I knew this was a bit unusual. When it persisted for a week or so, I thought it time to have it checked out.

A last minute decision by the provider I saw to do a chest x-ray most likely was the first, but certainly not the last time in this journey that my life was saved. That lymph node turned out to be stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

The first time I met with my representatives was in Washington, DC in 2018. It was part of a grassroots movement called Life & Breath Rally. We were each paired with another advocate and “cold called” our Congressional representatives, which basically meant we went to the Capitol and knocked on doors.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, a time to educate the public about the disease, take action for and raise awareness of lung cancer, and share stories of the people living lung cancer  and their families.   

LUNGevity is spreading the word this Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and we hope you will join us to make a difference! There are plenty of ways to participate - check out five ideas to get you started below.

I used to think support groups were for weak people. Then, I found LUNGevity and Lung Cancer Support Community – boy, did that change my mind.

I discovered LUNGevity’s message board, Lung Cancer Support Community (LCSC), right after they found a rapidly growing nodule in my right lung. At the time, I had just retired early to be a full-time caregiver for my wife, who was in advanced stages of dementia, and I already felt mentally strained.

Breathe Deep TOGETHER, LUNGevity’s nationwide walk, is back this fall! Join the entire Breathe Deep community on November 6th to help stop lung cancer.

After their childhood friend Jordan Christie was diagnosed with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer at the age of 25, friends Kyle, Jessica, Colin, Matt, Kellie, Julie, and Mike wanted to help. They saw first-hand how difficult living with lung cancer could be. The friends knew they could have an impact by raising money to help fund the two things that helped Jordan the most: new treatments and support programs.