My Battle With Stage 4 NSCLC

My story begins in April 2016. I was experiencing pain on my right side. The pain would radiate thru my side into my back and on the right side of my chest. I had shortness of breath as well as sweating, passing out, fatigue and nausea.

My doctor as well as urgent care doctors kept telling me I had pulled a muscle and would just prescribe pain killers and muscle relaxers.

I would tell them it was difficult to breathe and they would tell me my lungs were clear so there was no need for a chest x-ray.

During this 5-month period of pain, getting dizzy, pain with every breath I took, I knew something else was wrong but the Dr.s just wouldn't do anything for me.. I finally went to the ER after 5 months of pain.

The first thing they did was a chest x-ray and EKG.

A few hours go by and I get an IV and was told they found a spot on my lung and wanted to admit me for observation and more tests.

I thought this was weird but OK.

The next morning while in the hospital, I receive a visit from an oncologist, a hematology DR, and a pulmonary specialist.

They tell me they are a team of specialists that come to see patients with tumors on any organs.

In the back of my mind, I was thinking, "wow," that is very sweet of these Dr.s to take the time to come and see me.

I still was thinking everything was OK nothing serious, but thinking the reality is something bad is wrong or these specialists would not be coming to see me unless it was something serious.

The next 2 weeks inpatient included 5 thoracentesis because I had so much fluid that the wall lining of my right lung literally leaked fluid.

Ct scans, MRIs, lung biopsy, and a port placed in the right side of my neck; and of course the bad news that I had stage IVnon-small cell lung CANCER that was metastasized.

I was released and waiting for all of my testing to be completed to see what treatment was best for me.

A week later I go to CITY OF HOPE for my first appointment. I was told I had 3 to 6 months to survive and 24 months depending on what therapy was best and if my body had positive reaction to the treatment. They were still waiting to get all of my slides back etc.

The following week I go back to City Of HOPE for my chemo orientation and was told they had received my slides and test results and that I was a candidate for IRessa, a pill form of chemo.

My first Pet Scan showed my pleural effusion had decreased as well as my tumor.

Second Pet Scan showed another decrease in tumor (from 23 cm down to 7 cm) and all my pleural effusion is GONE.

This is great news RIGHT..

So I got complacent, and started eating the wrong foods and went off of my eating primarily all organic foods, stopped juicing, slacked off on some holistic remedies I had been so faithful about and I receive my PET SCAN results from a few weeks back.

I was devastated as my tumor that had shrunk down to 7 cm was still 7 cm. No increase or decrease.

I also have another cancerous tumor that appeared that is 1.7 cm.

Now I am waiting on my liquid biopsy results to see what treatment is next.

I have faith and I believe in miracles.

I stay positive even though it is hard at times.

I have trust in my oncologist and trying to be patient as I wait for the results to come back.

Meanwhile, I am still taking the Iressa as I wait for my next treatment plan.