I remembered it was back in May 2023 that I was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer after I sought medical attention for a persistent cough. Since then, I have undergone surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Fortunately, I was declared cancer-free in November 2023. My name is Maria, I live in the UK and this is how cancer became part of my life story.
After experiencing a persistent cough for a few weeks, I went to see a doctor. After undergoing a few tests, I found out that I had stage 3 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), specifically squamous cell carcinoma.
Even though I was diagnosed with cancer, I remained optimistic. I was determined to fight it.
I trusted my doctors 100% and followed their recommendations, opting for lobectomy (removal of the entire lobe), lymphadenectomy (removal of lymph nodes), chemotherapy and immunotherapy. I was optimistic about this, primarily because of the optimism of the medical team. I started with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, having 8-hour sessions every three weeks. This went on for 3 rounds over a period of 3 months, followed by surgery three weeks after the last round of treatment. Eventually, I was declared cancer-free in November 2023.
In terms of medical costs, I was covered by the NHS.
I experienced several side effects from my treatment, including hair loss, fatigue and a loss of appetite. However, I didn't let it affect me. My theory was that it was a small price to pay for curing my cancer. I knew that these side effects would pass when the treatment ended so I did not do anything to manage them.
I plan to enjoy every day, look after my body, exercise and eat well. It’s a second chance, so I will take it and enjoy it all.
The most challenging aspect of being a cancer survivor? Maybe a little bit of survivor guilt. I hear of so many stories of people much younger than me who didn’t have the same outcome as me. I tell myself it’s for a reason and one day I will find out why. Meanwhile, I will keep giving encouragement to others. I think my cancer experience has made me more emotional and reflective.
My greatest fear would be of the impact of my cancer on my family or relationships. To cope with this, I have been concentrating on physical recovery and staying active while focusing on positive thinking and gratitude.
Despite everything that happened, I am still optimistic today. I am alive, I am well and I am lucky to have survived through it.
Staying positive is the most important thing to do. I personally feel it’s half of the battle won. Try to remember that this will get better. Even bad days will end and good days will follow. This is a blip, not forever. Eat healthy and stay active. Maintain this as long as possible.
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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