Living with Lung Cancer

What is it like living with lung cancer? Well for me it can be hell on earth at times. I go to sleep and wake up every day knowing I have lung cancer but have been making the most of it. CT scans every three months, MRIs every three months, follow-up appointments with my oncologist, and radiation oncologist every three months. Getting my blood work done every three months has now become a part of my routine. At first, it was rough, but I’ve learned to manage it and just told myself this is my life now, embrace it and make the most of it.

Living life to its fullest

Living with lung cancer is just that, I’m literally living my life to the fullest with lung cancer. I’m not going to stop living because I have lung cancer. I’m not going to stop traveling, working out, going out, and enjoying life because I have lung cancer, I’m going to live because I have lung cancer! Yes, getting a lung cancer diagnosis is devastating, but it has taught me to live, taught me to fight, and it gave me strength and courage. I appreciate more, love more, am more grateful, and am more humbled, but I did NOT let it control my life or dictate it. My personal motto is “I take lung cancer by its horn and I ride that bitch.” Because I refuse to let it control my life, my goals, and my dreams.

When I was diagnosed with lung cancer back in 2014, I never dreamed that I will still be here! It’s been almost 8 years and I’m living fearlessly with lung cancer. Our lives, my husband and I are compacted, we do as much as we can in the time that we still have with each other. So, knowing that we sometimes plan and sometimes we don’t. We just go and do things spur of the moment. We spend as much time as we can with our granddaughter and make memories with her. So when my time is up she’ll have precious memories with me and I plan to do the same with my grandson that will be here in October of 2022.

Embrace every moment

Since my diagnosis I’ve lived the moment, I enjoy and appreciate the little things. My life is now more compact. I try to do as much as I can and do lots of spur-of-the-moment because you never know if your tomorrow will change! Every time I do a workout, travel somewhere, or do something fun and adventurous I make sure that when I post on social media my title is “living with lung cancer.” Because I want many to see that I can live and enjoy life with lung cancer.

So, go out there and live, love, and laugh! Enjoy life, live the moment and go do spur-of-the-moment things. Remember our tomorrow can change in a blink of an eye, so go live!