I felt like something was wrong when I started to experience breathlessness and discomfort in my chest. I saw a doctor and to my dismay, I was eventually diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer.

I sought a second opinion as I wanted a more experienced doctor and because my previous doctor did not give me enough information.

After I got my diagnosis, I tried to improve certain aspects of my life. I exercised a little more frequently and ate healthier most days of the week.

I opted for all of the treatments recommended to me by my doctor. This includes:

• Lobectomy (removal of entire lobe)
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Immunotherapy

Currently, I’m still on immunotherapy.

When I decided on my treatment plan, I was mostly just anxious and scared.

Because of the cancer treatment, I suffered from fatigue and the loss of feeling in my fingers and toes.

I improved my nutrition and took medication (both prescribed and self-medication) to cope with these side effects.

I did, unfortunately, face some financial challenges as my insurance plan doesn’t cover some medication.

During my treatment, I became more disciplined and improved my diet by eating healthier every day of the week.

Since having cancer, I make it a point to text or talk to my parents more often.

Personally, I don’t have any big plans at the moment because of my cancer, but I do plan on traveling home to Oklahoma for the holidays with my family.

My biggest aspiration is moving to Paris for work. I also wish to be able to care for my parents and family.

I was kinda worried that radiation wouldn’t work because my doctor mentioned some cancer spread to lymph nodes.

I’m waiting to review my progress after immunotherapy ends to see if the cancer is controlled right now.

Now that some time has passed, I feel neutral about the whole situation.

It’s really a rollercoaster, some days look good and some days are bad. But have some trust in yourself, believing is half the battle done.