Jump to content

LaurenH

Administrators
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    795

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    27

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by LaurenH

  1. LaurenH

    Rose Vining's Story

    By LaurenH,

    I was diagnosed with lung cancer in August of 2011 out of the blue, totally unexpected. I went for a regular checkup after experiencing some gastric reflux and abdominal pain. The doctor suggested an abdominal CT scan. He called me back into his office and told me that, although the scan was of my abdomen, a part of my lung had been included. A little shadow had shown up there that concerned him. He asked me to undergo a second CT scan, this time of my lungs. That scan revealed a prominent area of masslike consolidation in my left lower lobe. The next day I saw my pulmonologist, who scheduled me for a needle biopsy. At the time, he didn’t think that the scan findings really indicated a lung cancer. I was not concerned either, as I had never smoked and had little history of cancer in my family.
    I was traveling home from a visit with some friends when I got the call from the hospital. The emotional voice on the other end was cracking. I didn’t even realize that it was my pulmonologist. He said, “We got the results from your biopsy. You have a very large tumor taking up most of the left lower lobe of your lung. We have to get this right away. We’ll get through this honey.” It was surreal. I thought it was a mistake.
    I was diagnosed with non-small cell adenocarcinoma. They scheduled surgery right away to remove a lobe of my left lung. That was followed by chemotherapy. It was a very tough time. After I recovered from that surgery and the chemo, I just wanted to go back to my life. I’d been very happy with my life. I was a volunteer chaplain. I didn’t know any other survivors and I didn’t want to think about lung cancer anymore. They said I only had 15% chance of the cancer coming back so I wasn’t going to worry about it.
    A year later, the cancer came back. Looking at the scan, I felt like I was in a nightmare. The second surgery to remove the rest of my left lung was easier, because I knew what to expect. But after that surgery and treatment, I knew I needed to get plugged in and started searching online for an organization that could help.
    I liked that LUNGevity Foundation was constantly posting helpful information and seemed focused on survivors. Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I had enjoyed the experience of mentoring, so I applied to be a LifeLine support partner. Nikole from LUNGevity reached out and invited me to attend the HOPE Summit survivorship conference. One of my friends went with me and we had such a wonderful time. HOPE Summit changed my life.
    Before that time, I had been pretty isolated as a survivor. When I walked in and saw that many survivors, I was amazed and overwhelmed. Hearing others share their experiences changed my whole attitude. The main thing I came away with after HOPE Summit is “be your own advocate.” My amazing friends that I met through LUNGevity connected me with my current doctors at UT Southwest.
    Any time that you need support from LUNGevity, it is available. I am a LifeLine mentor to other survivors, but I also have LifeLine mentors who have helped me through two recurrences of cancer. They’ve really inspired me and kept me looking forward. Mentoring is a two-way relationship. If they’re feeling down, I can help them and if I’m feeling down, they can help me. It is so rewarding. I’m also a LUNGevity Social Media Ambassador.
    I’m a big believer in the power of connection. If we isolate ourselves, we focus more on the negatives and everything that’s wrong. But if you’re out there connecting with other survivors, you’re sharing the ups and the downs, you’re not alone. It really helps. The advice I like to share with other people who have lung cancer is if you don’t like what one doctor says, it’s very important to be your own advocate. It’s your life!

  2. LaurenH

    Ruthe Cain

    By LaurenH,

    In 1998, Ruthe Cain was living life in California and enjoying being close to the fresh air and the great outdoors. She was in her late fifties and loved living an active lifestyle, but that year she would face a diagnosis that would change her life: she learned that she had lung cancer. More than 15 years and three surgeries later, Ruthe is still a survivor, and she’s still enjoying life in every way she can.
    Ruthe first suspected something might be wrong with her health when she had trouble with her vision. “All of the sudden, it looked like a black veil over my eyes,” she says. She went in to see her doctor, and after a series of tests, she was surprised to hear that the problem might be not with her eyes, but her respiratory system. “I didn’t think a thing about my lungs. So they sent me in for a chest x-ray, and that was the beginning of it.” Ruthe was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer, and soon after, she underwent an operation to remove one of the three lobes in her right lung.
    “After that first lobe was removed, I had no side effects at all. I was totally fine,” she says, and she continued to live an active life, snow skiing, and water skiing and getting outside throughout the year. She also kept up with regular lung exams in order to check for a possible recurrence. It wasn’t until a decade later, in 2008, that a new problem was discovered.
    On a trip from Maine to Pennsylvania to visit her son and daughter-in-law, Ruthe felt a pain in her chest. “We went to the hospital, and they did a chest x-ray, and sure enough they found another node,” she says. With this second diagnosis of lung cancer, surgeons removed another lobe of her lung, and they also noticed some suspicious findings that indicated changes might be happening in the remaining third lobe. A year later, when a growth was detected, they removed the last part of her right lung, leaving only her left lung intact.
    “I was really lucky,” says Ruthe. “I have never had [to use] oxygen, I’ve never had any radiation or chemo. But this last surgery, it was definitely a life changer.” With her whole right lung now gone, Ruthe had to cope with more serious side effects, such as an increased danger from chest infections and a noticeable amount of fatigue. It also meant some of the outdoor activities she had always enjoyed were simply no longer possible. However, she has found lots of ways to stay positive – and stay moving. “We got a dog a few years ago, so I am able to take her on the trail at the dog park,” says Ruthe. She also loves spending time in the pool with her two grandsons and recently enrolled in a water aerobics class that she attends with her husband.
  3. LaurenH

    Mary Spencer

    By LaurenH,

    Time is supposed to heal our wounds, that’s what people say; but when you lose your best friend you realize that no amount of time will heal that void that is left.
    My mother was diagnosed with non small cell lung carcinoma three months after I turned eighteen, only weeks after what would turn out to be our last family portrait. The day the test results came back the only words I heard during the meeting were “cancer” which meant someday I’d be burying her. I don’t recall anything else; but she heard something very different she heard “cancer” and thought how do I fight this and win.
    She had an amazing oncology team that outfitted her with an aggressive and varied game plan and a thing called a port; but the most important thing they both shared was an optimistic attitude. When they gave her the port in her chest where she would get her chemotherapy , she was not upset that she had to get a port or that she was having chemicals placed in her body and hoping they would work; nope she was upset she was not the first person to get the port , she was number two. When they decided on radiation she got her long beautiful brown hair cut off into a short cute style and donated it for other people to get a wig; after all hers would grow back when she was in remission. She had an amazing belief that God would not have given her this to battle if she were not capable. She believed it was given to her because she was supposed to teach someone, somewhere, something and it may not be during her battle or during her remission it may be long after her death ; but if one person was saved or one person learned something than the fight was worth it.
    We took the time we were given and made amazing memories going to see our favorite places like Red Rocks or the buffalo herd, we also made memories and new traditions when we spent time in the hospital. If we were there during football season we ordered pizza and had it delivered to her room and then invited her nurses to come have a snack and catch up on the score. We enjoyed watching animated movies and we even got her a Gameboy to play the mind teaser games while she sat for hours getting chemo. In January, we received word our dad had suddenly passed, my parents had divorced when I was two. Her concern while she was in a hospital bed was not herself, but was us , her kids. Several months later we got a phone call that her father had unexpectedly passed away. She was a daddy’s girl and was unable to travel to his funeral so we filmed it for her. When we were in another state, our “sister from another mister”, her friend from work who was like a daughter to her, stayed with her while we buried our dad. It was on this trip we almost lost her, her blood pressure was so low they said they didn’t know how she was awake and talking. She persevered.
    As she grew weaker we made final plans, it was an enormously painful task asking her to decide where she wanted to be buried, what songs she wanted played and writing her will and her making the decision to not be resuscitated. Her wish was to die at home and we wanted to give her that. She had sacrificed her life for us, given us everything we could have ever wanted. She fought incredibly hard, she was my superman and I was watching her die and there was nothing I could do about it. She said that her goal was just to make it to January, so that her kids didn’t lose both their parents in the same year, but she would not make it. I remember begging God to either heal her or take her but I was not fair to make her stay just for us. It was not fair to make her suffer when she gave us such a wonderful life, after all we had each other to lean on. She deserved to be at peace.
    Fifteen days after her fifty-fifth birthday we made the calls to have everyone say their goodbyes. She was aware of where she was so we brought photographs and blankets and loved on her, the nurses said she knew we were there but she couldn’t respond or open her eyes or anything. I gave her a kiss and told her it was okay to go, that she didn’t have to stay here in pain for us, she deserved to be happy and at peace with the family in heaven.
    I stayed with her and she passed on October 18, 2007.
    This year marks ten years since she has been gone, she has missed so much. I enlisted in the military, my brother is dating a wonderful woman, my sister got married and her and her wife have an adorable son. I got married and have a now five year old step son, bought a house and will complete my college degree this year. She gave us life and taught us about everything from friendship to how to do laundry but most importantly she taught us to never give up because even cancer can be beaten. It was not a physical victory, but victory for the soul.
    No matter what happened through her illness she never let it define her as a person. She was able to complete one last thing on her bucket list when she earned her wings: she was able to be an organ donor and donate her eyes to someone who needed them. Even in her death she was able to put someone else before herself ! Please if you are fighting this illness know that there is hope, it may not end up being a physical victory but if you keep your sense of humor and your love of life than cancer can never truly be victorious. God bless you on your trip down the yellow-brick road!
    In loving memory: Patricia Fay Hartlep (October 3, 1952- October 18, 2007)
    Thank you to all those who care for those fighting! Bless those who love those struggling and rejoice for those who have earned their wings!
  4. LaurenH

    Alisa Brenes' Story

    By LaurenH,

    Hello there …. my name is Alisa Brenes and I am a 16-year Stage 3 lung cancer survivor.
    I guess you can say my lung cancer journey started before I was born.  My mom, my maternal grandfather and many of his siblings all died of lung cancer.  I am motivated to do my part to end our family history now.
    I have been a lung cancer advocate for over ten years, most of my work behind the scenes, but little by little I’m coming out and sharing my story.  I hope to follow this introduction with more blogs, sharing hope and spreading awareness.
    I was diagnosed in July of 2000, just a few months after my mom passed away from lung cancer.  It still boggles my mind that I was taking care of my mother while the same cancer was growing inside my lung.  I had a third of my lung removed and followed up with chemotherapy.
    I am a single mother of twin boys who were 10 years old at the time.  They were in fourth grade and I didn’t even know if I would be there for their elementary school graduation.  Thanks to God and my amazing doctors, I lived to see my twins graduate from college.  My next goal is to see them happily employed
    I was diagnosed before social media and message boards were around,  the world wide web was fairly new and there wasn’t even google yet.  I felt lost and had never met another lung cancer survivor.  Within a few months the internet started becoming more popular and all that changed.  Somehow (thank you Universe!) I found Katie Brown’s original message board and through that I not only connected with other Survivors, but I was introduced to the first Walk for a Cure (now called Breathe Deep NYC) and have been volunteering ever since.  And if that wasn’t enough to keep me hopeful and connected (and it was …) I was introduced by Katie and LUNGevity to Hope Summit!  If anyone wants to know what it is like to be in a room with hundreds of survivors (but no one ever gets lost in the crowd, somehow we end up like one big family) just come to Hope Summit.  The energy is amazing and you leave the Summit with life-changing knowledge, friendships and Hope.
    This is not a journey I chose or one that I would wish on others, but the truth is I've grown so much through this and have such an appreciation of every day and the friends I now call family that I've met through lung cancer have enriched my life beyond words!  As strange as it might sound to some, I can actually say that my cancer diagnosis brought me many blessings.
    It is my desire to share hope and friendship with other survivors and help spread awareness so one day we will live in a world where no one dies of lung cancer.

  5. LaurenH

    Melissa Fosco's Story

    By LaurenH,

    Back in 2009, my mother-in-law, Sue Fosco, was diagnosed with lung cancer. It came as a huge shock to our family. Sue was a very healthy oncology nurse and non-smoker. At first, she thought she had a cold or sinus infection, but it wouldn’t go away, so she went in for further testing. The people administering the tests were her colleagues and friends at the Edward Cancer Center in Naperville. Sue was diagnosed with Stage IV bronchoalveolar adenocarcinoma in both lungs.
    Sue was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, friend, and nurse. When she passed away in 2011, my husband Dominic and I were in a fog. The day she passed, LUNGevity found us through an email from the Carlinsky family. Dominic worked with Mark Carlinsky, whose wife Lisa passed away from lung cancer in 2008. Lisa had been Sue’s patient at Edward Cancer Center. It seemed like there were a lot of connections drawing us to LUNGevity. We looked into LUNGevity and realized it was a great organization, so we set up a page for family and friends who wanted to donate money toward lung cancer research. In November, we decided to walk in Breathe Deep DuPage to help keep her memory alive.  We started a team in Sue’s memory, named “Steps for Sue.” Our team has been walking ever since.
    In 2013, the event coordinator Michelle Bowles was looking for someone to be a co-chair for Breathe Deep DuPage. Mark recommended me and Michelle sent me an email. As I read the email, I thought, this is my next calling. Michelle and I co-chaired the event in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Michelle was ready to take a step down, so I became the coordinator.
    Sue’s loss has inspired me to become involved with LUNGevity Foundation and to raise awareness to fight the stigma surrounding lung cancer. I want the question “Was she a smoker?” to disappear. No one deserves to get lung cancer. I want people to know that lung cancer isn’t just a smoker’s disease. Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer.
    The most rewarding part of being a volunteer event coordinator is seeing people come to the walk every year. We have had many teams walking for many years and for other teams, it’s their first year.  I want the event to be meaningful and impactful for each team that walks. It’s so important for people to come and see survivors and for people to celebrate the memory of the person they’ve lost. Seeing more survivors at the walks each year shows us that what we are doing is making a difference. I’m happy that more people are living longer with lung cancer because of early detection and targeted therapies and the work LUNGevity is doing.

    Sue Fosco with her granddaughters
     

    Melissa with her family
  6. LaurenH

    Ryan Gardenhire's Story

    By LaurenH,

    After losing my mother to lung cancer in 2010, I had been looking for ways to help raise awareness for the disease and educate people that lung cancer is not just a “smoker’s disease.” My mother's efforts at raising awareness were very important to her and I wanted to honor her life and efforts by continuing that community outreach.
    After participating in Breathe Deep Nashville in 2012, I indicated in a post-race survey that I would be interested in helping out the following year. One of the coordinators reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to join the planning committee and I’ve been involved ever since. This past November was my 4th Breathe Deep Nashville to help plan.
    We usually start working on our November event in March or April, so there is obviously a lot that goes into putting together an event like this. The reward for me after all that is honoring the same group of survivors year after year knowing that we are helping to fund a Foundation that supports them in ways no other lung cancer focused organization does. We are lengthening lives through early detection and focused therapies. We are providing survivors and their caregivers with the support and resources they need. We are making a difference.
    We are very fortunate in Nashville to have an amazing group of doctors at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center working on research and treatments to help end this disease.  I choose to continue volunteering my time for the LUNGevity Foundation because some of the funds we raise come directly back to Nashville. Dr. Jonathan Lehman was a recipient of the LUNGevity Career Development Award in 2016. Through that grant I can see our fundraising efforts impacting his amazing research.
    I hope our fundraising efforts will help us to realize a world where no one dies from lung cancer: a world where no one has to lose their mother too early like I did.
     

    Ryan is pictured sixth from the left. The theme of Breathe Deep Nashville is "Stache and Lash" so participants grow or wear fake mustaches and false eyelashes to add creativity and laughter to event day!
  7. LaurenH

    Lauren Humphries' Story

    By LaurenH,

    Nothing can prepare a man and his family for a lung cancer diagnosis. I remember the night five years ago when my mom called me with bad news. My uncle, Keith, had just been diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer.
    Keith is my dad’s youngest brother, who is always making everyone laugh and giving the best bear hugs. He is a husband, father, and small business owner who coached all of his kids’ youth sports teams and never missed a game. My grandfather passed away from paranasal sinus cancer when Keith was seven, so he grew up without really knowing his dad. Because of that experience, Keith is determined to never leave an empty seat at an important family event.
    The night we found out that our beloved uncle had lung cancer, my sister and I cried together and hugged each other for a long time. We started asking questions like, “How did this happen?” and “Why him?” and “What does this mean?” Then we realized there was only one question we could actually attempt to answer: “What do we do about it?”
    My mom was at our local farmer’s market when by chance, she met Cindy, the founder of Breathe Deep Baltimore, one of LUNGevity’s grassroots events. Cindy started the Breathe Deep Baltimore walk in 2008 in loving memory of her mom. The event was taking place in Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Monica Barlow, the Orioles’ former PR Director who had the same ALK-positive lung cancer as my uncle, was the keynote speaker. We had to be there.
    Our first Breathe Deep walk as a family was hopeful and somber as we celebrated survivors and honored those we’ve lost to this terrible disease. Monica spoke about the groundbreaking research that LUNGevity was funding and how important it is to be strong advocates. That was the first time that my uncle met other lung cancer survivors. Until that day, he didn’t have anyone to talk to who understood what he was going through.
    Breathe Deep Baltimore felt like my family was part of an important movement, and that we were accomplishing something together that was much bigger than what any one of us could have done alone. I had just finished grad school and all of my work and volunteer experience was in marketing and event management, including positions with Susan G. Komen and American Cancer Society. I decided to join the Breathe Deep Baltimore committee and help plan future events. I had no idea then that this group of wonderful people would become like family to me.
    This September marked my uncle’s fifth year as a survivor, a milestone we celebrated as a family. His first year of treatment included chemotherapy, radiation, and surgeries. He took Xalkori, a targeted therapy drug, for three and a half years and recently switched to Alectinib, both with very positive results. This September also marked my fifth year on the Breathe Deep Baltimore committee and my second year as a LUNGevity employee.
    Working for LUNGevity, first as a volunteer and now as a full-time staff member, is incredibly rewarding. As the Digital Community Manager, I interact all day on social media and our online communities with patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates. I am incredibly thankful for the people who are working to create a world where people with lung cancer live longer and better because of early detection and more effective treatments. I am grateful for the opportunity to know and work with these people and to help support others whose lives have been affected by lung cancer. By working together, I am determined and optimistic that we can stop lung cancer. There are always an infinite number of reasons to be hopeful.
     

  8. LaurenH

    Terry Gillespie's Story

    By LaurenH,

    Hi my name is Terry Gillespie.
    I am a 13-year lung cancer survivor.  I started my lung-cancer journey back in October 2003.
    In the fall, I am prone to sinus infections, so as usual I got one.  It just so happened this time that I let it go a little longer because I had just lost my job and had no insurance.
    When it got so bad and I coughed so hard that I had a little blood in my sputum, I called the doctor and made an appointment.
    My doctor prescribed the usual antibiotics, and when I mentioned that this sinus infection was worse than normal, and that I must have hurt my throat coughing because I saw a little amount of blood.  She said that she was concerned that I may have pneumonia or TB, so decided to run tests.  That was when my world turned upside down.
    At that time, there was very little information about lung cancer treatments and very grim survival rates.  I had very little support.  After my biopsy, it was confirmed that it was cancer. I told the doctors that I did not want to know what they thought my end date would be.  I was going to die at the ripe old age of 80, in my sleep.  So on we went with the treatment with no mention of a termination date.
    I had my left lung removed, and then I had radiation and chemotherapy.  I was bald and beautiful. I also had some pretty bad side effects.  During surgery, my surgeon accidentally hit my right vocal chord and I was without a voice for two years.  Let me tell you, I can now hit my target directly when I throw things to get attention!
    I have permanent sciatica on my left side.
    I am one of the lucky lung cancer survivors and I have not had a recurrence.
    People tell me that I look great for having lung cancer.  It makes me wonder . . . What do people think that cancer survivors look like?
    The reality is that many lung cancer patients are not so lucky. 
    I chose to be an advocate for lung cancer awareness as soon as I physically and mentally was able.  I decided that I can help make a difference.  My motto was “Nobody Deserves to Die from Lung Cancer.”  I still believe that today.  We have to do whatever we can to raise awareness, to educate people that this is NOT only a smoker’s disease, and to raise money for research to help eliminate lung cancer.

    (Terry, right, pictured with fellow survivor and friend Tommieanne Bolden, at National HOPE Summit)
  9. LaurenH

    Don Stranathan's Story

    By LaurenH,

    I am now on disability, fighting my cancer is a full-time job. In my past life I was the Business Development Manager for a technology company in Rohnert Park, CA. When not doing advocacy work you can usually find me in a spin class or out in Mother Nature hiking or biking with my friends.
    I was dx with Stage 4 Lung Cancer in June of 2009. Since then I have done radiation, six cycles of chemotherapy Taxol, Carbo and Avastin for the lung cancer. That was followed by six cycles of Genzar for metastases to my liver. In March of 2010 because I was non-small cell adenocarcinoma I was given a targeted therapy (Tarceva) to try.  At that time it was less expensive to try the medication and see if it worked than sending the tissue out for testing, Tarceva kept me stable for over six years.
    During those years I was given x-rays and CT scans that showed no change in the tumors in my lungs, so it was thought that since the Tarceva was working so well I had the EGFR mutation. As I became more aware of genomic sequencing and knew my tissue had been saved I requested that it be tested for the basic mutations EGFR, ALK, after checking I was told there was not enough tissue for testing.
    That was also about the time I realized Tarceva wasn’t going to work forever and I probably needed a plan B. Having more knowledge about genomic sequencing I knew high on that list should be a new biopsy to have my tumor tested.
    In November of 2015 I was working on my friend Tim’s ranch and after a long day of shoveling decomposed granite I notice when Tim and I retired for the night my left leg was swollen.  I post everything on social media, so when I posted a picture of my leg I received more than one suggestion it might be a blood clot and I should have it scanned. That scan triggered my Oncologist to order a CT scan the following week and that scan revealed a 1.2 CM tumor in my left lung.
    This is when my plan B kicked in. Before requesting a needle biopsy of the tumor I wanted conformation the cancer hadn’t metastasized to any other location. So first I requested a PET scan, followed by a bone scan and a brain MRI. It was an all-clear, so now I knew it was only the new ½ inch tumor in my left lung I had to confront. 
    In December of 2015 I had a needle biopsy performed. I asked to speak to the surgeon performing the procedure. He came in as I was being hooked up with an IV. I stated to him that when he was in there snapping away to please don’t be polite, take as much as you like. He shared with me he was just given the request for the biopsy and didn’t know my story. I explained the tissue was going to be for genomic sequencing and I needed as much tissue as possible. After the procedure he came into recovery room with a big smile and shared that I would be proud of him. I knew from my research genomic sequencing takes a larger sample so didn’t want to go back for a second procedure.
    I post my entire cancer journey on social media and have connected with doctors, scientist, nurses and bloggers, also concerned friends and family that all care about my wellbeing.  So I know if I post my treatment plans I will hear from someone if I am off track.
    I posted about my tissue biopsy and I received a private message from my friend Bonnie J. Addario the founder of the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, she asked if I was sending the tissue to Foundation Medicine? I said I didn’t think my healthcare provider would cover the cost. She gave me a person to contact and within a couple of days my tumor was on the way for testing. Foundation Medicine said they would bill my insurance and if there was an issue I could apply for financial assistance, but my wellbeing was there first priority.  
    I had the results within two weeks of Foundation Medicine receiving my tissue sample. I was very impressed with the report, over 24 pages. It discussed my alterations and statics about my alterations, and even ones that I had expression for that did not yet have treatment protocols. The report also listed FDA approved treatments for my alterations and all the clinical trials that were available.
    Since my girlfriend Penny Blume passed in 2014 from small cell lung cancer I have dedicated myself to advocating for lung cancer research and awareness. I became a Consumer Reviewer for the Department of Defense Lung Cancer Research Program in 2013 and advocate for Lung Cancer groups like the Lungevity Foundation, Team Draft and involved with Lungevity Foundation Lifeline support program which is one on one support for newly diagnosed patients.
    My connections with these groups have put me in touch with some of the top doctors, researchers and advocates in the lung cancer community. With my Foundation One report in hand I set out to look for a second opinion. I was shocked to find out after being stable on Tarceva for six years I had none of the common mutations, including EGFR. What showed up on the Foundation One report was NTRK1 without fusion and PIK3CA.
    I was able to connect with Dr. Jeffery Engelman at Mass General Hospital for a second opinion. Dr. Engelman reviewed my reports and agreed with my decision that Opdivo (Nivolumab) was my next best option; I am now on my eighteenth infusion and feeling great and again have stable disease.
    When I was diagnosed in 2009 with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer I was given 8-12 months to live. It is because of precision medicine that I am still writing my story almost eight years later, and still mountain biking and enjoying life to the fullest.
    Penny never had the opportunity to benefit from precision medicine or treatments like immunotherapy. Penny passed on 1-21-2014 at my home in California surrounded by her family.
    My last promise to Penny was I would continue to advocate for lung cancer research and awareness. This opportunity to share our story helps me keep that promise to her, so I thank you.
    Be well,
    Don Stranathan
    Stage 4 Lung Cancer Survivor
     
     
     
     
     

  10. LaurenH
    I first got involved with LUNGevity in early 2013. My husband had been recently diagnosed with lung cancer and I was looking to participate in a walk to raise the much needed funds for research.
    I chose to work with LUNGevity because I saw that they had many walk/runs throughout the country. Prior to my husband's diagnosis I didn't know much about lung cancer and like most people believed it was unlikely to ever touch my life as we both have never smoked. After his diagnosis I learned that it's the deadliest of all cancers yet the least funded. And LUNGevity is one of the very few that focuses on lung cancer specifically.
    I contacted LUNGevity asking if they had a walk in my area - Albany, NY. I first spoke with Diana Aldecoa, the Vice President of Breathe Deep Events, and she indicated that the closest was Syracuse and asked if I was interested in starting one. I organized the first Breathe Deep Albany that year.

    I believe Breathe Deep Albany has been growing steadily in terms of participation and money raised over the last four years. It's been a welcome and much needed event in our community to support those bravely dealing with this disease. It's been a way for survivors to support each other and spread the word about lung cancer. It's a place for those who have lost someone to remember them and raise money in their memory to help those living with the disease and hopefully to find a cure so others don't have to go through what their loved one had to endure.
    I know Breathe Deep Albany is very much appreciated and supported by NYOH (New York Oncology Hematology). My husband's oncologist has been a lung cancer specialist for many years in this area and has said that this event has been needed in the community.

    I'm proud that we've built this event up year by year. The first year we raised $15,000, second year $22,000, third year $25,000 and this past year nearly $43,000. That's over $100,000 raised in our little community. I'm always very proud on event day when everything comes together. The program we hold before the walk is inspiring. We hear from brave survivors who are willing to tell their stories and the remarkable doctors in the area telling us all the new developments on the horizon.

    I hope our fundraising efforts raise enough money to find a cure or at least the next line of defense in terms of meds. I'd also like to see a test developed to detect lung cancer earlier for everyone so that it becomes routine like mammograms.

  11. LaurenH

    Ron Singleton

    By LaurenH,

    This story is about my encounter with cancer, which happened in 2014. I had a near-death experience, and was rushed to Kaiser Zion medical facility in San Diego, CA. My doctor, Dr. Tomssi met me in the ICU and let me know that my body was struggling with issues regarding the bowel. I was excreting dark colors, almost purplish in color, which indicated blood. I had lost about four pints of blood and it would have led to death. I think God saved me from that near-death experience. In February of 2014, Dr. Tomssi found evidence of cancer from lab tests and let me know about the results. Of course, I was very upset, I believed that my future was near its end. I was in shock, and to add more to it, I was required to use colostomy bag, receive radiology for chemo. All in all it was a shocking experience, and I naturally rejected the idea, because it was so uncomfortable. Dr. Tomssi encouraged me to explore those options because it would save my life, and prevent the cancer from increasing its stages. Dr. Tomssi mentioned that he had found something on my right lung that could be unstable later, so I should consider preventive measures. Dr. Tomssi encouraged that I lead a stress-free life and explore healthy lifestyle to prevent the stages from increasing. I naturally agreed. I had gone into bouts of depression and Dr. Tomssi’s office had tried to reach out to me for appointments and follow ups, to which I neglected. At one point I gave in and went to see the doctor, Dr. Tomssi was very humble and gave me positive spirits where he encouraged me to get a check-up for any cancer indications. Two days later the office reached out to me via phone and told me that I had indications of cancer in the rectum. I decided to proceed with radiation, chemo, and mental health counseling.
    I had regularly attended chemo therapy and saw Dr. Zimmer for the process, but my wife was controlling, and did not agree to the entire process. She did not believe the therapy would help fight cancer, my wife had the family move to Virginia then in Wisconsin during the process, so I lacked stability and support from home. My mind and body was equally weak and it felt like I was always in a body of water, my memory was always lapsing. My memory went away as did my body, it seems to be about sixty percent loss. In February of 2019, I moved back to San Diego, and Dr. Zimmer was my doctor again, and we had a scan again. It turned out that my cancer had progressed to stage four and instead of one spot, I now had six spots. I was encouraged to sign up for the LifeLine Mentor program and I was assigned with Melissa Crouse who is very humble and encouraging to me. My family is all very worried about me and is grateful that I have this kind of support from different agencies. This is especially important seeing as I had lost my son not too long ago due to suicide as a result of PTSD from the armed forces. I value the support I get from LUNGevity.org, and that place is where I feel at home, and safe.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.

  I accept