Lung Cancer Survivor Shares Her Journey After a Stage 2B Diagnosis

Vicky’s lung cancer journey began unexpectedly in May 2022, when her primary care physician encouraged her to undergo lung cancer screening, which can help detect the disease before symptoms appear. Two days later, Vicky received a phone call she never expected: She had stage 2B lung cancer, meaning the disease had progressed beyond its earliest stages.

“I do not want to die, and I will not die,” she said.

Vicky underwent surgery and described the following three months as a difficult period when she struggled to participate in everyday life as she had before. During her recovery, she reached a turning point.

“I need to learn how to take care of myself all over again,” she recalled.

That process led Vicky to learn more about lung cancer and seek out organizations and resources for people affected by the disease. She eventually connected with LiveLung, a nonprofit organization that provides education and support for people affected by lung cancer.

Through the community she found there, Vicky’s experience with lung cancer began to take on a different meaning. She became involved in advocacy, sharing information with others and encouraging patients to educate themselves, ask questions and take an active role in their care.

Her perspective on what life after a lung cancer diagnosis could look like also changed.

“Just because you have a diagnosis of lung cancer, it is a beginning of a new life,” Vicky said.

Today, Vicky continues to advocate for people affected by lung cancer and hopes her experience can reach others navigating their own diagnoses.

“I am a survivor, and you can be a survivor as well,” she said.

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