Ellen S. is a three-year survivor of stage 4 (IV) non-small cell lung cancer. She retired two years ago after a 22-year career as an occupational therapist in New York. She loves to travel and hike and has visited Ecuador, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Morocco, Iceland, and many states in the U.S. She loves spending time with her husband, three children, and extended family. Ellen finds great comfort in staying active, having recently taken up pickleball and weightlifting.
My life-changing diagnosis
November 16, 2020 is the day that changed my perspective on life forever. I went to a pulmonologist because I was experiencing shortness of breath when engaging in my regular exercise routine (hiking, biking, and running). The doctor had me take a chest X-ray, which revealed a large tumor in the mediastinum area (a space in your chest that holds your heart and other important structures). Without hesitation, they told me I had lung cancer.
Wow! To say this diagnosis was unexpected is an understatement, to say the least. I always thought that I was the one who would live to be at least 100! I exercise regularly, eat healthy, never get sick, and never smoked cigarettes. Even now, over three years later, I still can’t believe I have stage 4 (IV) NSCLC. But I now know that if you have lungs, you can get lung cancer, no matter how healthy you are.
My treatment
I was lucky to be able to start treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City. Initial testing revealed that I have the HER2 mutation, which made me eligible to go on targeted therapy with Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan). I have been on targeted therapy for two years without any negative side effects.
A new mantra
From day one, I have been determined to not let this diagnosis define my life. In many ways, being diagnosed with lung cancer has been both my greatest challenge and my most valuable life lesson. This crushing news lives within me and has been an emotional rollercoaster, but it has also embellished who I am in many ways. The old saying “live each day as if it were your last” has become my mantra.
We all have choices to make every minute of every day. Having a stage 4 (IV) cancer diagnosis has been a gift to me in the sense that it has expanded my awareness of how truly beautiful this life can be. To spend time with those we love, to listen to the birds chattering in the morning, to watch the ocean waves roll in and out with the sun reflecting off their silky surface, to see the sun setting on a clear night… these miracles have no beginning and no end—and I believe this energy is true for us humans as well! I am so much more aware of the beauty in the world now and appreciative of its presence in my life.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with lung cancer, our support team is here to help. Please contact GO2 for Lung Cancer’s HelpLine team by phone at 1-800-298-2436 or email us at support@go2.org.
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Raju Reddy MD, Pittsburgh 
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