Community Spotlight: James (Part 2)

James Petzing has been living with lung cancer since 2017. After everything he's been through first with his neck cancer and now his lung cancer, he is dedicated to telling his story and providing support to anyone faced with the uncertainty of cancer.

Read the first part of James's story in Community Spotlight: James (Part 1).

Finding my voice as advocate for lung cancer awareness

I have chosen to be very public about my lung cancer journey, due to the success I had in being public about my neck cancer fight. I’m a big fan of Facebook and use it to keep my friends and acquaintances regularly updated on my status, treatments, test results, and how I’m generally feeling. I continue to receive amazing support and inspiration, which fuel me. It’s like I have an army behind me, helping me to fight the fight and not give up!

I also have kept a blog on CaringBridge during both cancer battles. After receiving such amazing feedback on my neck cancer blog, I converted it into a book to help others better understand the difficult cancer journey. Currently, I’m in the copy edit stage of my second book, which follows my lung cancer battle.

As it’s therapeutically proven to be healing, I would recommend that others keep a diary or blog where they can write about their own experiences with their journeys. I also think it’s important to honestly share with others how you’re feeling physically, mentally, and spiritually, rather than keep it all bottled up. Your loved ones want to help and be there for you! Don’t be afraid to ask for help...even if it’s just to chat about your struggles.

Lung cancer can happen to anyone

I wish people understood that lung cancer just doesn’t happen to smokers or those exposed to second-hand smoke over time. Lung cancer can happen to anyone, even those like me who have never smoked!

I also wish that others understood that not all lung cancer is the same. One size does not fit all. Different drugs and different treatments work differently for different people.

Give yourself permission to feel sadness

What helps me through those bad days? This is a tough question because there are a lot of bad days. For me, it’s giving yourself permission to feel bad and experience sadness...and not be embarrassed or guilty about it. If you need to sleep, then sleep. If you need to cry, then cry. If you just want to lay on the couch and watch TV, then do it. If you don’t feel like taking a shower, don’t. You’re sick. Do what you need to do for you and don’t let others make you feel bad about it.

I also think it’s helpful to have a few household tasks or small projects/hobbies to work on when feeling bad. Something to get your mind off of things.

Lastly, calling a friend for a chat or doing FaceTime or ZOOM! is always good for helping me feel better, at least mentally. It’s good to feed your soul with caring, love, and support from others.

Learning to live in the moment

I’ve realized that I have very little control over anything, except how I react to information and situations. It’s so frustrating not knowing or having a clear timeline for how much quality of life or longevity expectancy I have left. Planning for the future is virtually impossible, especially when you add on the current pandemic. I feel locked in with nowhere to go and not sure when/if I’ll ever be able to travel again to see my family and loved ones.

I think I’ve also learned to live in the moment a lot better and appreciate every day I wake up!

Editorial Note: The book James was working on at the time of this post, "BREATHE: Living My Best Life with Chronic Lung Cancer" is currently complete.

If you are living with lung cancer and would like to share your story like James, you can by going to LungCancer.net’s share your story submission page. Tell us your diagnosis story, treatment experiences, and what advice you would give to others facing lung cancer.