Having just retired at 64 years old I was looking forward to traveling with my wife. My AFIB had been getting progressively worse, so I decided to have an ablation done to relieve the symptoms. I was floored when the CT scan revealed a tumor in my right lung. I have struggled to understand how this could be. I was a runner my whole life and maintained a healthy diet. I do not smoke so where could NSCLC have come from? Looking back at my family history there is no cancer. The only conclusion I can come up with is that as kids our house in North New Jersey had a lot of radon.
I am trying hard to move past the anger and fear, but it is not easy. I fall back into negative thoughts repeatedly. I am grateful that the CT scan for the ablation caught this tumor early but still the fear persists. I am also incredibly fortunate to have met a physician who is a leader in this type of tumor and surgery. In a week I undergo minimally invasive, lung tissue preservation, robotic assisted surgery. Sounds positive yes, still I find myself hiding in my house as I cry with fear and anxiety. I can't ignore this or go around it. I have no choice I have to move forward to surgery. I am trying to focus on the overwhelming directions for care and will do my best to follow them. I am scared but hope I can live a normal life following this surgery. Following recovery, I will definitely get back to those travel plans.
