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Thriving with lung cancer since 2006
Friends and Family,
How many times have you heard someone say, “They gave him six months to live” or something similar? How does that impact you as a survivor, and what can you do about it? To answer those questions, here’s my latest Thriving with Cancer Minute:
Love,
Dann
Friends and Family,
Choices in medical providers are not only critical for survival; they can also be entertaining at times. Here’s the latest Thriving With Cancer Minute:
Friends and Family,
I was part of an online lung cancer forum last week, where a woman said that she was just about to start taking Tagrisso (my drug), and wanted to know how long it usually works. Someone offered the statistical answer, which is ten months. Another person said that it had worked for him for five months before the cancer started growing again. This was a shocker to me, given the success I am having. My own comment? I told her I had been on Tagrisso for 39 months without growth so far, that I know people that have been on similar drugs for five to seven years, and that she is not a statistic. Don’t let anybody tell you how long this is going to work for you!
The randomness of how long this drug works for different people was on my mind when Genevieve and I flew down to San Diego this Tuesday to see my oncologist, and get my latest scan results. I told myself I was confident this time, but my blood pressure said I was lying. Even though objectively I feel good and have no symptoms, my emotions and my body apparently don’t care about being objective when the stakes are so high.
The worry turned out to be unfounded. Dr. Patel popped his head in the door and said, “You’re scan is fine! No growth!”
It’s incredible how Genevieve’s and my world can shift in five seconds. Relief! Excitement! More relief! It’s not a new lease on life, but a three-month extension on the old one is pretty good! (Sorry, I work in commercial real estate, so this is what you get.)
Usually after we get the CT results, the same question runs through my head: Why am I doing so well, and for so long, when most others do not? I frequently think about all the ways you helped me grasp this. See Your Thoughts on Why I am Still Alive for the full list. Spoiler alert: There are a lot of reasons!
One of the items from that list stuck out more than usual this time. It was having a purpose, a meaning in life. Often something will come up, and I’ll think, “That’s it. I just can’t leave Genevieve by herself. I absolutely have to stay alive.” It’s amazing how often this is in my thoughts.
But this time, I was thinking broader. I have a purpose in life beyond Genevieve that isn’t complete.
That purpose is to help others going through cancer, and hopefully, to provide plenty to think about even for others who are not living with cancer. I do it in little ways, like comments on online forums, where I am attempting to bring hope to those following after me. I also try to accomplish this goal with my blog. And the big one, which is on my plate right now, is getting my book out. I want other people to benefit, and maybe be able to take shortcuts to lessons I had to learn by trial and error over the past eleven and a half years. I can’t drop off the planet when there is still so much to do!
Right after seeing Dr. Patel, Genevieve and I had another appointment. Of course, they took my blood pressure again.
It dropped 28 points.
I guess the pressure was off. :-)
Love,
Dann
Friends and Family,
Sometimes, everything goes well. Or maybe it just feels that way. Life is a little more relaxing, and little things that might bother you a little bit seem like, well, little things.
Do you have any favorite old songs that pop into your brain under just the right circumstances? Beautiful sunrises sometimes bring “Here Comes the Sun” (Beatles) into my consciousness. But the one that keeps going around in my head lately, is Simon & Garfunkel’s 59th Street Bridge Song. If you want to feel what I’m going through right now, try listening to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWBvcJAXwu4. (Disclaimer: You may have to be of a certain age for this to mean anything for you.)
I could be feelin’ groovy because a couple of months ago, Genevieve and I started meditating every day. I visualize being cancer-free, and try to take that experience and feel it as if it is happening in the present. According to Joe Dispenza, whose workshop we attended, this will help you create your own reality. Quantum fields are involved. I don’t know about that, but I do know it feels pretty great anyway. I’m going to keep it up.
My mood could also be this good because we’re in Hawaii right now. Yesterday, Genevieve pointed out to me that I always look more relaxed while we’re out here, even if I am working at commercial real estate 3-5 hours a day. Five mile beach walks with very few people around definitely help. Sitting on the bluff at sunset taking pictures – counting this trip, about 842 million of the same scene so far – puts me in a relaxing mood. It’s just so beautiful and peaceful. Maybe the glass of wine helps, too. :-)
There is one other thing going well. It’s my marriage, which began exactly 21 years ago today. I’m calling this our champagne anniversary, and not (just) because champagne is cheaper than diamonds or silver. Our marriage is now old enough to drink! This relationship brings me a level of happiness that is far beyond what I imagined possible, right up until I was in it. Genevieve is simply wonderful, and we are both better people together than we were without each other. Life is so much richer with Genevieve in it.
The only thing causing me a little impatience right now is getting my book published. I could launch it myself within a week, but my brother Mike convinced me that, if I want this to be a success, I really need to have a book marketing firm involved. I have three names to contact and interview. After that, a book launch plan could take many months to do well. Since the goal is to get the word out to as many people as possible, I will have to at least ACT with patience. I will confess that there are times when I have wanted to get the book out ASAP, since I never know how long my health will remain stable. However, since I keep defying the odds and staying healthy, I’m willing to risk it.
The last thing to tell you is that I don’t have any scan results yet. That comes in two weeks. While my body goes into occasional panic mode, my brain reminds me that I have no symptoms, and I’m already the exception to how long this treatment usually lasts.
Hope that you’re feelin’ groovy, too.
Love,
Dann
