In June 2014, after developing a cough that would not go away, I was diagnosed with inoperable non-small cell adenocarcinoma lung cancer. I began chemotherapy treatments a week after diagnosis which continued until April 2015. In May 2015, I had CyberKnife radiation...
October of 2018 At age 52, I was diagnosed with advanced inoperable non-small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma stage 3B. My tumor was the size of a baseball, and surgery was not an option as the tumor appeared to be attached to my trachea and possibly had invaded my...
In January 2012, I walked up five flights of stairs to our seats at DPAC, and my lungs felt off, not like they usually did after walking five flights of stairs. I thought, "I wonder if I have lung cancer." I dismissed that thought quickly because of how far-fetched an...
It was Christmas Eve in 2018, and as I was on my way home from last-minute Christmas shopping, I received a call from my pulmonologist. While I knew she would call any day now, just as soon as she received my lung biopsy results, I pulled my car over, took a deep...
2023… WOW! What a year it has been! It is now that I publicly share my story with the intention that I may be of service to others, if only to offer hope. In August, I was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer, as someone who has never smoked, with metastasis to the...
Run a 5K. 3.1 miles. Don’t worry about time. Just cross the finish line. This was the benchmark Jerry Walton set for himself after the removal of half of his left lung due to lung cancer. At the age of 52, missing half a lung, Jerry Walton completed his first race....
Crystal's StoryCrystal Stophel had just turned 40 when she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2019. A single mom and professional career woman who had worked with both breast and OB/GYN surgical specialists, she understood the inner workings of the medical...
My inspiration comes from a network of friends family and many prayer warriors in my corner. The outpouring of hope and strength coming my way was incredible and I am forever grateful. Also a book that a friend of the family wrote regarding her journey with an...
In May of 2014, I was told something no one should ever hear: “You have cancer.” The path to writing this 10 years later was not linear; it was filled with challenges, from my diagnosis of Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to negative thoughts such as...
On August 22, 2022 I was just loving life. I was 63 years old and my husband, Bill and I had just returned from a 21 day vacation in Italy.