Cancer Survivor - Jamie Young
Cancer survivor
(This is a very dear friend of mine...thank you lord!)
November 29, 2005
Young
As part of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Grenada native Jamie Young is hoping her fight with cancer will inspire and give hope to others in the same battle.
Fortunately, the 35 year old has the support of a loving family which includes her husband Jon, her three year old son, her parents, James Cummins of Holcomb; Mary Ann Moss of Grenada, three sisters, Tammy Hutchinson of Grenada; Kelli O'Rear of Holcomb and Beth Smith, who lives in Arkansas.
"I know the impact that my disease has had on them," Young said. "I can only imagine the struggle that many families are going through because of this terrible disease. My hopes are that through awareness and activism, progress can be made in the field of research. The survival rates for lung cancer are staggering and sometimes it's hard for survivors to find hope."
In September of 2004, Young was teaching middle school band students in Memphis City Schools from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
"After leaving school, I would pick up my little boy, go home, cook supper, clean house on occasion, give the little one a bath, and get him to bed," Young said, "very similar to the lives of most working mothers. The only difference was that I was so exhausted in the afternoons, I could barely stand up. I had developed a terrible cough and had lost weight. I was actually trying to lose weight and thought I had found the perfect diet for me. Anyway, I went to my doc and they gave me antibiotics for about 3 months- increasing the strength each visit."
When that failed to help, her doctor ordered a chest x-ray which revealed a mass on her lungs.
"At first, I was told it was sarcoidosis or scar tissue and that lung cancer was at the bottom of the list," Young said. "The pulmonologist scheduled a biopsy and lo and behold, he called me with the results. What a shocker. Well, after the initial shock wore off that I had Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, I started preparing for the treatment that lay ahead. I ended up getting second and third opinions and another biopsy because of the stage (IIIB)."
After the biopsy, she was told that she was inoperable, which came as a huge blow because she had been told that surgery was the only cure.
"I could not believe what was happening to me," Young said, "I mean, 35 years old, I still feel like a little kid. Anyway, during treatment I met many wonderful cancer survivors and stopped feeling sorry for myself."
Young had quit smoking before her diagnosis.
"When I went to get a second opinion in regards to my diagnosis, the oncologist at M. D. Anderson in Houston (Dr. Katherine Pisters) said that smoking did not cause my cancer," Young said. "I was a smoker but had quit before I was ever diagnosed. However, at the time of my diagnosis, I had the cancer for at least a year or two years. I feel smoking did play a role with my cancer but was not the sole cause.
After Young completed the very difficult treatment, tests showed that the tumor had shrunk 75 to 90 percent and the nodes had shrunk at least 50 percent.
"I almost kissed the oncologist," Young said of Dr. Arnel Pallera at West Clinic. "Life had changed so much since diagnosis. I began to realize what was truly important in my life. I developed a very close relationship with God and felt so clean and worthy. It is a really hard feeling to describe but it's one you will never forget. I felt I was truly blessed to have had the opportunity to finally know how to live."
Her follow-up reports have been good, Young said.
"At this time, I am on Tarceva and am doing great...stable scans each time I have gone to the clinic."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Room for Blame
By JAMIE YOUNG
Lung cancer is the Number One killer cancer. That sentence scared me to death when I was diagnosed.
Along with the statistics and the negativity that surrounds Lung Cancer. From speaking with numerous people, I have found that the negative stigma, namely smoking, has a lot to do with the perception some people have of Lung cancer patients.
Some people honestly feel that these patients deserve what they got. Give me a break.
In my opinion, it's extremely unfair and unkind for anyone to say they brought it on themselves. I haven't met a lung cancer patient yet that had any idea what they would go through if they got lung cancer from smoking.
Believe me if you knew what it felt like to have chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, you would definitely re-evaluate the smoking issue. If you truly understood what it was like to not be able to walk through a big store because you were totally exhausted and out of breath? Or, if you had to get a feeding tube because the radiation burned your esophagus and nerves at the base of your brain so badly that you couldn't eat for about two and a half to three months, you would definitely want to quit smoking.
I can promise you that I didn't bring this on myself and I wouldn't wish this terrible disease on anyone. Smoking is a terrible addiction and a hard habit to break.
Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and we are not a perfect people and of course, "hindsight is 20/20". But, I can tell you this. The Lung cancer patients that I have met have been some of the most considerate and caring human beings that I have ever crossed paths with in my whole life.
These wonderful people don't deserve what they got. They don't deserve the physical pain and the anguish of not knowing whether or not they will be alive tomorrow or the next day.
Nobody deserves that.
No matter what they have done in the past, they deserve the chance to live and be cured just as much as the next sick person.
We may not be a perfect people, but we can be forgiving and we can definitely be empathetic.
When I taught school, one of the most important things that I tried to instill in my kids was empathy.
Caring for others and looking at the world through someone else's eyes without judgment.
We, as adults, can learn a lot from children. My three year old teaches me something new everyday and he is one of the most empathetic people that I know. He loves everyone and has a true concern for their feelings. It doesn't matter what they look like, what they do for a living, what their bad habits are or how old they are. He wants them to be happy and feel good. I sure wish we could all see the world that way. What a carefree and happy group of people we would be.
Cancer patients in many ways have been blessed. Although the statistics are not a welcoming figure for people diagnosed with this terrible disease, we still have the chance to use what time we have left to our advantage. If we live one year or 50 years, we have learned to cherish each day like it was our last. In this respect, we are very blessed. Life looks totally different through a cancer patient's eyes. When you can look death in the face and say, "Go away, I'm not finished yet, you are ready to live"!!! More funding for research would give us encouragement and hope.
Many Lung cancer patients give up hope and don't have the will to survive. New medicine, therapies, treatments and young people wanting to focus on this illness as a lifelong career is the only way to beat this disease and give the 160,000+ that are diagnosed every year the hope they need to look forward to the future.
Some people may ask the question. What about those people that continue to smoke after being diagnosed?
My answer to that is, "What about those people that never smoked and were diagnosed? There are no clear answers and why point fingers. Help should be given to anyone that needs it and asks for it.
That's what God wants to do. Help your neighbor.
Lung cancer has changed my life for the better in many ways. Now, I cherish each day I have with my family. I have a very intimate relationship with GOD and I know why I am here.
I have many things to be thankful for and I definitely can't complain. My hopes and prayers are that every person can reach an inner peace with the understanding that helping our brothers is one of the greatest commandments.
Having a purpose in life gives you something to live for. Find your purpose and keep living.
I would love to invite you to visit the www.lchelp.org website and see for yourself the dynamic individuals that have been touched by cancer in one way or another.
I am so fortunate to have this group of people to keep my spirits up and who truly care for me. They love you for who you are. I visit the site everyday and anxiously wait to hear good news. The good news gives you hope and with hope you have faith.
(This is a very dear friend of mine...thank you lord!)
November 29, 2005
Young
As part of National Lung Cancer Awareness Month, Grenada native Jamie Young is hoping her fight with cancer will inspire and give hope to others in the same battle.
Fortunately, the 35 year old has the support of a loving family which includes her husband Jon, her three year old son, her parents, James Cummins of Holcomb; Mary Ann Moss of Grenada, three sisters, Tammy Hutchinson of Grenada; Kelli O'Rear of Holcomb and Beth Smith, who lives in Arkansas.
"I know the impact that my disease has had on them," Young said. "I can only imagine the struggle that many families are going through because of this terrible disease. My hopes are that through awareness and activism, progress can be made in the field of research. The survival rates for lung cancer are staggering and sometimes it's hard for survivors to find hope."
In September of 2004, Young was teaching middle school band students in Memphis City Schools from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
"After leaving school, I would pick up my little boy, go home, cook supper, clean house on occasion, give the little one a bath, and get him to bed," Young said, "very similar to the lives of most working mothers. The only difference was that I was so exhausted in the afternoons, I could barely stand up. I had developed a terrible cough and had lost weight. I was actually trying to lose weight and thought I had found the perfect diet for me. Anyway, I went to my doc and they gave me antibiotics for about 3 months- increasing the strength each visit."
When that failed to help, her doctor ordered a chest x-ray which revealed a mass on her lungs.
"At first, I was told it was sarcoidosis or scar tissue and that lung cancer was at the bottom of the list," Young said. "The pulmonologist scheduled a biopsy and lo and behold, he called me with the results. What a shocker. Well, after the initial shock wore off that I had Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, I started preparing for the treatment that lay ahead. I ended up getting second and third opinions and another biopsy because of the stage (IIIB)."
After the biopsy, she was told that she was inoperable, which came as a huge blow because she had been told that surgery was the only cure.
"I could not believe what was happening to me," Young said, "I mean, 35 years old, I still feel like a little kid. Anyway, during treatment I met many wonderful cancer survivors and stopped feeling sorry for myself."
Young had quit smoking before her diagnosis.
"When I went to get a second opinion in regards to my diagnosis, the oncologist at M. D. Anderson in Houston (Dr. Katherine Pisters) said that smoking did not cause my cancer," Young said. "I was a smoker but had quit before I was ever diagnosed. However, at the time of my diagnosis, I had the cancer for at least a year or two years. I feel smoking did play a role with my cancer but was not the sole cause.
After Young completed the very difficult treatment, tests showed that the tumor had shrunk 75 to 90 percent and the nodes had shrunk at least 50 percent.
"I almost kissed the oncologist," Young said of Dr. Arnel Pallera at West Clinic. "Life had changed so much since diagnosis. I began to realize what was truly important in my life. I developed a very close relationship with God and felt so clean and worthy. It is a really hard feeling to describe but it's one you will never forget. I felt I was truly blessed to have had the opportunity to finally know how to live."
Her follow-up reports have been good, Young said.
"At this time, I am on Tarceva and am doing great...stable scans each time I have gone to the clinic."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No Room for Blame
By JAMIE YOUNG
Lung cancer is the Number One killer cancer. That sentence scared me to death when I was diagnosed.
Along with the statistics and the negativity that surrounds Lung Cancer. From speaking with numerous people, I have found that the negative stigma, namely smoking, has a lot to do with the perception some people have of Lung cancer patients.
Some people honestly feel that these patients deserve what they got. Give me a break.
In my opinion, it's extremely unfair and unkind for anyone to say they brought it on themselves. I haven't met a lung cancer patient yet that had any idea what they would go through if they got lung cancer from smoking.
Believe me if you knew what it felt like to have chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, you would definitely re-evaluate the smoking issue. If you truly understood what it was like to not be able to walk through a big store because you were totally exhausted and out of breath? Or, if you had to get a feeding tube because the radiation burned your esophagus and nerves at the base of your brain so badly that you couldn't eat for about two and a half to three months, you would definitely want to quit smoking.
I can promise you that I didn't bring this on myself and I wouldn't wish this terrible disease on anyone. Smoking is a terrible addiction and a hard habit to break.
Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and we are not a perfect people and of course, "hindsight is 20/20". But, I can tell you this. The Lung cancer patients that I have met have been some of the most considerate and caring human beings that I have ever crossed paths with in my whole life.
These wonderful people don't deserve what they got. They don't deserve the physical pain and the anguish of not knowing whether or not they will be alive tomorrow or the next day.
Nobody deserves that.
No matter what they have done in the past, they deserve the chance to live and be cured just as much as the next sick person.
We may not be a perfect people, but we can be forgiving and we can definitely be empathetic.
When I taught school, one of the most important things that I tried to instill in my kids was empathy.
Caring for others and looking at the world through someone else's eyes without judgment.
We, as adults, can learn a lot from children. My three year old teaches me something new everyday and he is one of the most empathetic people that I know. He loves everyone and has a true concern for their feelings. It doesn't matter what they look like, what they do for a living, what their bad habits are or how old they are. He wants them to be happy and feel good. I sure wish we could all see the world that way. What a carefree and happy group of people we would be.
Cancer patients in many ways have been blessed. Although the statistics are not a welcoming figure for people diagnosed with this terrible disease, we still have the chance to use what time we have left to our advantage. If we live one year or 50 years, we have learned to cherish each day like it was our last. In this respect, we are very blessed. Life looks totally different through a cancer patient's eyes. When you can look death in the face and say, "Go away, I'm not finished yet, you are ready to live"!!! More funding for research would give us encouragement and hope.
Many Lung cancer patients give up hope and don't have the will to survive. New medicine, therapies, treatments and young people wanting to focus on this illness as a lifelong career is the only way to beat this disease and give the 160,000+ that are diagnosed every year the hope they need to look forward to the future.
Some people may ask the question. What about those people that continue to smoke after being diagnosed?
My answer to that is, "What about those people that never smoked and were diagnosed? There are no clear answers and why point fingers. Help should be given to anyone that needs it and asks for it.
That's what God wants to do. Help your neighbor.
Lung cancer has changed my life for the better in many ways. Now, I cherish each day I have with my family. I have a very intimate relationship with GOD and I know why I am here.
I have many things to be thankful for and I definitely can't complain. My hopes and prayers are that every person can reach an inner peace with the understanding that helping our brothers is one of the greatest commandments.
Having a purpose in life gives you something to live for. Find your purpose and keep living.
I would love to invite you to visit the www.lchelp.org website and see for yourself the dynamic individuals that have been touched by cancer in one way or another.
I am so fortunate to have this group of people to keep my spirits up and who truly care for me. They love you for who you are. I visit the site everyday and anxiously wait to hear good news. The good news gives you hope and with hope you have faith.
posted by Tempie | 6:52 PM
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