Kimberly L., MA

Eight years ago, I was diagnosed with stage 3 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. I was a 42-year-old married mother of five daughters, ranging in age from 9 to 24, and working full-time caring for a severely disabled gentleman. Life was hectic, to say the least. I started a six-week chemotherapy treatment, followed by eight weeks of radiation, and ultimately had the upper right lobe of my lung removed. After that, I underwent a four-week adjuvant chemotherapy treatment to reduce the risk of the cancer returning. This experience was a significant upheaval for me and my daughters.

One day that will forever stand out was when I told my then-14-year-old daughter about my diagnosis. She was about to go out with a friend when I called her over, saying I had something important to share. I explained that she had been so busy that I hadn’t found the right time to tell her, so I just said it: "I found out that I have lung cancer, and we're not really sure yet if the doctors can remove it until after chemo and radiation." My children knew what cancer was, as my mom was battling her fourth cancer at the time, and we had lost my dad to lung cancer just three years prior. After I told her, my poor daughter Bailey looked at me with a pleading expression, her lip quivering. She fell to her knees at my feet, sobbing uncontrollably. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. Like any mother, I always do everything I can to shield my children from pain, and in that moment, I felt like I had shattered her heart. It was awful. I vowed to get through whatever was ahead and to do everything in my power to overcome lung cancer. I made countless promises to live a healthier, more fulfilling life for myself and my kids.

Unfortunately, my battle with cancer ultimately led to the demise of my marriage. Having cancer opened my eyes to how precious life is, and I realized I no longer wanted to spend it in a loveless marriage with a man who had no zest for life or desire to share it with me. Since recovering from the treatments and surgery, my daughters are, of course, ecstatic that I came through it all with a curative outcome. Two years ago, I remarried a wonderful man, and we now live a happy, healthy life together. Life is still busy, but I am in the best physical shape of my life and, fortunately, have no physical limitations.

I am immensely grateful to every staff member at the hospital I was treated at and to my pulmonary surgeon for all of their effort and care. They played a crucial role in my journey to a curative outcome, and I will forever be thankful for their dedication to my recovery.