Decisions About My Treatments

My fellow lung cancer survivors have asked me if I make decisions on my treatment. I would say "yes and no", but my husband is also involved in making decisions.

Facing a diagnosis and fighting for a future

So, let's start from the beginning. I was diagnosed back in 2014. November 20, 2014, to be exact. The worst news of my life was very scary because my children were still young.

I knew I didn't want to die; I was only 46 years old and still had so much to live for. I wanted to see my children grow up, graduate from high school and college, watch them succeed in their careers, get married, and become parents. There was just so much I wanted to experience.

So, my husband went to work and searched for everything he could. Even to the point of staying up past midnight, he was determined to learn as much as possible. At the time, I couldn't; I was in such a bad place, so he stepped in.

That day, the hospital allowed my husband to spend the night with me, and I remember he brought his laptop and started doing his research. The next day, my doctor came in and told us I needed to see a local oncologist.

But my husband told him he wanted to take me to a cancer center in Illinois or a teaching hospital in Chicago. He told my doctor he was looking into that with my sister.

Making a tough decision

By the time I was discharged from my local hospital, my sister had already called a cancer center in Illinois, and I had an appointment to go see them the day after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, my husband had learned about biomarker testing and had questions to ask at our appointment.

At our appointment, they mentioned biomarker testing and said that I would probably need a few bronchoscopies to get enough tissue to have it tested for a specific gene mutation. But they suggested that I should start chemo and radiation because it'll take some time to get the diagnosis.

We weren't happy about me doing chemo or radiation because I saw firsthand what it did to my dad. But my husband and I discussed it and decided to go for it. I figured I was still young, and I was very fit and in shape, and I should be able to get through it, which I did.

After 6 weeks, I found out I was ALK-positive and started targeted therapy. I was so happy that I could now take a pill daily instead of doing chemo and radiation. It'll be 10 years for me this November, and I'm so thankful that all I have to do is take pills to manage this awful disease.

Living longer and taking control

It hasn't been easy with the side effects of these targeted therapy pills, but I'm living longer and seeing more milestones than ever before. I'm even traveling and going to places I've dreamed about.

Since then, I've been on 3 different targeted therapy pills, and with my oncologist's expertise and advice, my husband and I are doing our own research. We, as a team, decide what's best for us and pick the best treatment option.

I trust my oncologist and my team; they truly do go above and beyond for me and their other patients. But remember, you, too, must do your own research, educate yourself on that treatment, and ask many questions. Make sure it's the best option for you.