STORIES OF STRENGTH
“We have chosen to live each day with hope and great joy”: Sara Whitlock
In late September of 2010 I noticed a lump right above my left collarbone. I’m a nurse practitioner by trade so I knew that was a weird place to have a lymph node pop up and after watching it for a couple of days and showing it to a colleague of mine, I went to my primary care provider for his opinion. He kept asking questions and I kept saying no. Fever? No. Cough? No. Weight Loss? No. Recent illness? No? Fatigue? This one was harder to answer-what working mother isn’t fatigued? At the end of the appointment he suggested a chest x-ray. I got the call the next morning.
The x-ray showed a mass in my right upper lobe. What? How could that be? I was leaving on vacation the next morning at 6am. I didn’t feel bad. Further testing revealed that I, a 48 year old healthy, athletic, woman with two young children who had never had a cigarette in her life had Stage 4 Lung Cancer. To highlight how great I felt, you should know that I was out running three miles when the call came that confirmed my diagnosis.
The next week was a blur of doctor appointments and surgery to place a port for the chemotherapy I would be receiving. The scans we saw were scary. My chest lit up like a Christmas tree when they did my PET scan. My mom cried. JD and I were stunned. Fortunately, I only had a couple of nodes high in my abdomen but no other distant metastasis. After seeing my local oncologist and consulting with the excellent doctors at the Cleveland Clinic I began chemotherapy on our 14th wedding anniversary in late October. I had a great response to the initial chemo therapy except for the nodes in my abdomen. I followed that first round of chemo with radiation and am now receiving more chemo in hopes of taking care of the abdominal spread.
I am fortunate to have a wonderful oncologist that has believed in me from the start. He is always looking at new options for me and has been a constant optimistic presence. It does not hurt that he is the cutest oncologist in the world with eyelashes OUT TO THERE. I have had opinions from some of the top doctors in the country and feel that I’m getting the best treatment available to me.
Soon after my diagnosis, we were made aware of a NLCP “Free to Breathe” event in our area. In the five days before the event we were able to raise more than $7000 dollars to contribute to ongoing lung cancer research. I was able to see that money in action when I was chosen to attend the NLCP Advocates Summit in April of 2011. There I met fellow survivors and advocates. I visited the labs at the University of Colorado Medical Center and saw firsthand just where the money goes and met some of the doctors and staff doing incredible live saving research. Within the last five years they have been able to identify about half of the genetic makeup of lung cancer cells. Before that? Zero percent.
A couple of years before my path changed direction with this diagnosis, I had been writing a blog, which now documents my family’s journey with this illness as well as with life in general. It just seemed natural to use it as a way to spread the word about my illness and to keep people up to date on what was going on. I had no way of knowing how much it would become a source of support for the people in my life. The comments that people leave are a constant source of encouragement. Please feel free to read about our journey at www.tablegrace.net.
Lastly, I would have said that I was a woman of faith long before my diagnosis. However, I had no idea how that faith would hold up under such challenging circumstances. I am humbled to say that we have been given strength beyond our greatest hopes. My marriage and my children are thriving and we remain realistically optimistic. There are moments of sadness, sometimes they overwhelm us. But we refuse to let cancer rule our lives. We have chosen to live each day with hope and great joy. This, above all else, is my source of strength.
Comments
Posted By: Teri Anderson on 02/27/2012
This is to Macky, don’t live in fear, live each day with joy and always think positive that it won’t come back, do not let it beat you, you beat it. I am a healthy 14 months out from surgery. Amazing doctors at university hospital in denver. For everyone;
What cancer cannot do
Cancer is so limited
It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot supress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer spirit
Posted By: Terisa on 02/22/2012
Hi- I was diagnosed stage 3b aug 08, when my neck swelled up. I went to dr and did X-ray and there it was. I was 44, a healthy active swing dancer/instructor and non-smoker w no family history of it. The tumor had wrapped itself around my heart so it’s inoperable. And the radiation cloud that’s left is huge. I am now stage 4, maintenance work. My left lung pretty much doesn’t function anymore. I am still kickin along after 3 different types of chemo’s. I’m on break now, ‘stable’. Our bodies and our minds are just amazing things. Had fluid in right lung and had tapped it several times. This meant plueraldosis- stickthe plural sac to the lung so no fluid will build up again. Prednisone makes my head a puffy alien while my body has dipped below 100’lbs. Eat eat eat, walk stretch, etc. Crazy thing now is after dealing w the cancer, treatments, keeping positive, do what I gotta do. I have now reached the issue of money. All was great til I went thru my taxes and my expenditures, it’s all dr bills, rent, food. Where’s the fun, I don’t fit my clothes but can’t buy new. Church activites help for free fun and connection, without the steak dinner w drinks. There’s only sommuch tv to be done til u want to write one that’s better. People are Amazing caring beings.
The awareness of non-smokers get it too just isn’t out there. Use me to sell the truth.
Posted By: Denise on 02/18/2012
I lost my mom Fannie in 2010 from Small Cell Lung Cancer she was a healthy woman who believed in Jesus very strongly, I am not writing to say that Lung Cancer is a killer but Jesus is a Healer,my mother died but I still believe that Jesus is a healer we must continue to pray and continue to fight and trust him with our life he is our father and he loves us more than we could ever love ourselves. JUST TRUST GOD HE IS A HEALER
Posted By: admin on 01/19/2012
Diana- We’re so sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis, but glad to hear that you have the joy of a loving & supportive family. We hope that the stories and information on our site continue to be useful as you continue your journey. Thank you for sharing, and we wish you all very best!
Posted By: Diana on 01/18/2012
I just got home from having a lung biopsy on a nodule found in followup PET scan after rectal cancer 2 years ago and it is cancer but I will find out the type next week. I’m trying to find things to give my family hope and myself some strength. I’m 62 and would like to be around to see all our grandchildren grow up. I have the most loving and supportive husband, 4 children and 6 grandchildren they are my reason for living. Until I found this site I was sure this was a death sentence. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. Please add me to any prayer tree you might have. God bless you all.
Posted By: D.J. on 11/28/2011
My 66 yr. old brother was just diagnosed with small cell lung cancer and it is out in his chest cavity, attached to his heart, involves major blood vessels and his windpipe. He is having his 2nd round of chemo as I am typing this. He will have some more scans and tests in a couple of weeks to see if it is in his bones, liver and lymph nodes. Of course, my brother and our entire family is scared to death and only our faith in God is getting us through each day. Anybody out there who can offer us any kind of hope would certainly be appreciated. We need all the prayers and support we can get.
Posted By: Macky on 11/22/2011
I was diagnosed with lung cancer in march 2011 I had no symptoms I’m 35 years old I had my surgery in June I’m scare the cancer might return I’m so scared and I don’t know what to do
Posted By: Jessie harris on 11/17/2011
I am touched by your story. My family & I are involved with Lung Cancer Alliance & we are hosting our 2nd Annual Shine A Light On Lung Cancer Vigil on November 28th in South FL. I would love and be honored to share your story! Thank you for giving me hope when I thought I had lost it all. I’d love to hear back from you. Thanks! .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Posted By: shellie Nichol on 11/16/2011
I have a son with a rare disease, and my father is in stage 4 melanoma. I have started a support group and non profit called “Hopes Not a Crime”. I shared your beautiful story on the Facebook page. Thank you so much for your story and keep up the Hope….
Posted By: Lisa on 11/10/2011
I’m a stage IV lung cancer survivor, also, just beginning my second round of treatments. We continue to hope and pray for a cure, but we are very open to helping to make that happen. Thank you so much for being so encouraging.
Posted By: Debra Burke on 05/11/2012
Hello Sara! I too am a lung cancer survivor. 2 years to be exact. Mine was upper right lobe with some lymph nodes on the left side. I have stage 3b adenocarcinoma. Nonsmoker. My daughter who was 25, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. She just finished with breast reconstruction. I did not have surgery. 4 rounds of chemo and 33 rounds of radiation. So far NED with just scare tissue. The day I was diagnosed was the day that I found out I was gonna be a grandma. That kept me fighting.If you ever go on facebook, we have a site called hearts of lung cancer. We are all family on there even though we have never met. Hope to see you on there and please take care of yourself. Debra