After initially being diagnosed with COPD but feeling increasingly breathless and fatigued with unintentional weight loss, further tests revealed that I had stage 3 lung cancer.
I was originally diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) when I was 53, but I was still able to get by with medication. Then the lockdown hit and things got a lot harder. I couldn’t walk around the house without feeling breathless. I also felt tired all the time and was losing weight unintentionally.
The doctors did a CAT scan and wanted to do a biopsy to find out more. I didn’t know it was cancer but I already started to worry. 2 weeks after the biopsy I was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. There was a malignant tumor in my right lung.
Finding out I had cancer left me fearful and took me by surprise. I was frightened, helpless and confused; these emotions were compounded by the fact that I lost my mother to cancer. Moreover, I was worried how this would affect my job.
I didn’t make any adjustments to my lifestyle after learning of my cancer diagnosis.
I opted for chemo and radiation therapy, as per my doctor’s recommendations. After deciding on this treatment plan, I did feel scared and somewhat anxious and discouraged. I’ve since completed active treatment and am not taking any medication.
I was declared cancer-free in August 2023.
Some of the side effects I struggled with over the course of treatment include hair loss, nausea and vomiting, and pneumonitis, which I managed with the help of prescribed medication.
I also faced financial difficulties due to cancer treatment. I couldn’t sustain going for the treatments and having a job together at the same time, so I had to stop working. This affected my rental payments.
After starting treatment, I improved my nutritional intake by eating a healthier diet every day.
As for some of the plans I have for the near future, I plan to save up more and resume working full-time. I had to stop working when I started my treatment. My finances took a hit during my treatment.
Personally, I have no dreams, but I hope to retire within the next 15 years.
I was worried about being homeless and being able to pay rent. To cope with this fear, I tried to find a job as soon as I could and started working part time to manage the expenses.
Some time has passed since I was first diagnosed with cancer, and my emotions today are a complex mix of fear, worry and somewhat neutral.
Be brave. Take time to recover. You can do this.
This patient's story is published and shared with their full consent. Any personal data that can be used to identify the patient has been omitted.
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