DebbiD's Journey:

There are some dates I'll never forget. March 15, 2011. No sooner did I get home from a chest x-ray that my doctor called and asked me to come in. He said I'm sorry they found a spot. I couldn't even fathom the word cancer. I came home, laid on the floor and screamed so much so I scared my dogs. I felt as though I had entered another dimension.

The doctor went in to remove the lower right lobe where the cancer was. He went on to remove the middle lobe as there were two more different lung cancers.

I had an aggressive chemo that made me progressively worse. At the end of the 4th treatment I was in bed for 2 weeks.

Every side effect I could possible get I got. They tried three different anti-nausea medications and nothing worked. I was still nauseous for weeks after my treatment.

August 17, 2011-1:35 p.m.

Cisplatin and Alimta. I had 4 treatments of both. Cisplatin is an aggressive chemo and every side effect I could possibly get, I got. My doctor said each treatment would get worse. My last treatment I couldn't get out of bed for two weeks. After my third treatment I ended up in the hospital for a few days due to dehydration and very low anemia. I honestly thought on the way to the hospital this was the end.

I was nauseous throughout and after trying 3 different anti-nausea medicine nothing worked. Had severe pain in my bones and joints. Ringing in my ears, My vision got blurry. Anemia. Trouble getting out of bed. I'm sure there was more but I can't think of them right now.

They found a spot on my chest x-ray March 15. Going through many tests to confirm it was lung cancer (I already knew) I was diagnosed April 15. Had lobectomy of my lower and middle right lung May 2. Started chemo June 18 (my birthday) and last treatment was August 17. I never had time to really digest that I had lung cancer although the pain from surgery and the side effects of the chemo were very real. Cancer and survival became my life during that time. Now I get to cry - now that it's sunk in, I had cancer.

I was on oxygen for five months. I finally got mobile oxygen tank I could carry around with me and I did, when I could I would get out. So many people stared and I wanted to say, this is lung cancer on oxygen. My goal was to get off the oxygen before I went back to work. I was out of work for five months and I accomplished that.

Coming up on my 2nd year of being of lung cancer survivor I found out I had metastatic brain cancer and thoracic bone cancer. I went into a deep depression when I was told the mets would shrink but I would always have cancer. 15 rounds of radiation (full brain and bone) and chemo...again. I am now on medication management and told the cancer can come back. With the help of a oncologist social worker and lots of support I live each day the best I can. I'm still not the happy person I was but I am trying to live my life.