Doreen McGinley
Lung cancer patient
Doreen shares her story of her lung cancer diagnosis and why she is taking it in her stride.
Five years ago, I went to see my GP about a cough I’d been living with for over 12 months. There didn’t seem to be anything wrong, but I was referred to a chest specialist anyway – just in case.
The lesion in my lower right lung was discovered after I had a CT scan, and further tests confirmed it was cancer. They also confirmed that the disease had already spread from my lung to my brain.
I was amazed. Even though I felt so well and have never even smoked before, I was being told I had stage 4 lung cancer.
Nothing much has changed
After radiotherapy, to tackle the tumours in my brain, I was put on a targeted cancer drug which I’ve been on ever since.
Strangely, my father had also been diagnosed with lung cancer when I was younger. This was in the ‘70s and he’d lived for ten years, so I was hopeful treatment would have greatly advanced since then – and it has!
Being on targeted treatment has kept me fit, healthy and symptom-free for which I am so grateful. Cancer is just part of my life now.
My current treatment is brilliant. Nothing much has changed since my diagnosis. I have always felt well, and I still do.
Being on targeted treatment has kept me fit, healthy and symptom-free for which I am so grateful. Cancer is just part of my life now.
I take cancer in my stride
I can still go out walking all the time. I’m lucky that my treatment lets me, quite literally, take cancer in my stride.
Since being diagnosed, I’ve walked three Caminos, the Hadrian’s Wall Path and the Cleveland Way, and I am continuing to complete other long-distance walks in stages.
My disease will eventually progress – I know that – but I don’t tend to dwell on it. Charities like The Institute of Cancer Research, London, are working hard to stop cancer developing resistance to drugs, and I hope that they will find a way to outsmart it.
At the moment, I’m just enjoying feeling healthy and well, and I’m very much living in the present.
