I was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer two days before my 46th birthday in 2022. It was a surprise to me because it was caught during CT scan for another issue, I was having, and they just happen to see the bottom of my right lung. When the doctor had called me in to let me know that they saw something, she said she wasn’t sure what it was but to get checked soon. At this time, I was in the process of moving across the state.
The doctor had said it could be possible it was a collapsed lung or scar tissue, before I left for my drive, I went to the emergency room to double check if it was a collapsed lung. I was driving hours, and I had my son with me, who was 9 at the time. I was told that there wasn’t anything to worry about.
I did not see a doctor for a year after that because I had no symptoms and nothing alerted me until, I got really sick and could not get better. I went into Ear, Nose and Throat and they found a tumor on my voice box. It was removed and came back negative for cancer. My grandma was also diagnosed with lung cancer, 2 years before and was also a non-smoker. I did not think anything about Cancer being in the family.
When I finally went to see an Oncologist, he had gone over my scans as well and said, he didn’t think it was anything to worry about but will still preform a biopsy to make sure. They doctor called me for the biopsy results, it was positive for cancer. He said you have Non-small cell Adenocarcinoma Lung cancer. My heart dropped to the floor.
You see… I’m a single mother to a young child. I’m all this child has. He said it was nothing to worry about! It
brings me to tears to write this memory. He then scheduled me for surgery to remove the bottom of my right lung. I was Stage 1, he said and all I needed was surgery and I will be good. After the biopsy they performed a PETSCAN, if it lit up, I had cancer in other places, It only lit up on the bottom of my lung. My surgery was May 5th, 2022, it was the scariest time in my life, because I had no idea what to expect with this surgery. and I had to do this alone.
I just remembering having this horrible headache waiting to go into this surgery. and then waking up with an epidural and a chest tube. It was so painful. My lung had collapsed during surgery. I ended being in the hospital for 7 days due to complications. On the 5th day there, my surgeon came in to tell me that the biopsied 10 lymph nodes and 2 came back suspicious and they got the results back and they had cancer. I now had advanced to stage 3 lung cancer just like that. It then spread to my lymph nodes and my media sternum.
Stage 3a is my diagnosis. After surgery, I started chemotherapy and then radiation.
I was then told I was a candidate for target therapy because I had a gene mutation called Exxon19. I can take this medicine for 3 years to help keep the cancer from coming back. Come to find out, it was the same mutation my grandmother had.
What I am worried about most is the fear of death from cancer but leaving my kids with nothing behind. I am a single mother with three kids: Briana, age 29, Rae, age 27, and Sylis age 11. They are my life and get me out of bed every single day.
Right before I was diagnosed, I was in a custody battle for years and finally got full custody of my child. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with the cancer. I still have not had time to stop and understand I have a limit on my life. Recently, they found a tumor on my shoulder bone, and we are in the process of seeing if it’s metastasized to my bones.
I have undergone quite a few treatments of chemotherapy and radiation and removed the part of my lung, and the pain has caused me to be unemployed. The target therapy medicine has severe side effects as well that hinder my day-to-day life. I haven’t even had the space to process my diagnosis.
I don’t want my son to see me cry nor feel my pain. I just want him to have a normal childhood. I have survived single motherhood twice, I have survived custody battles, and I keep my faith every day that I will survive this cancer.
I don’t have much support as I haven’t talked to my immediate family in a few years. My Aunt and my closest friends put me in touch with Baron at Kicking-Cancer and reading the stories of others makes me feel less alone.
The power of community in Kicking-Cancer is inspiring as some of your stories have brought tears to my eyes. I only want a chance to survive this and be financially stable. I can’t afford this diagnosis, but I have faith and hope. Thank you and blessings.
Roxanne