Seven Years With Stage 4 Cancer: A Hoosier Survivor Story
GREENCASTLE, Ind.–Getting a cancer diagnosis is frightening. But, getting a diagnosis that you have stage 4 cancer, and that you have tumors all over your body could be devastating. Seven years ago a Greencastle woman was told just that. Butm she’s still here, and she wants to help other people who hear the word “cancer” from the doctor.
“I was drying my hair and in the mirror I noticed a lump,” said Smith, a patient at Hendricks Regional Health. “This happened to be on Friday 13th, in May 2011.”
Smith went to the doctor.
“I was diagnosed as stage 4. It was there already. It had already metastasized throughout my chest and my neck and throughout my body.”
Smith’s doctors went to work treating her with surgeries, chemo and radiation.
“When you have metatstatic cancer you’re not really cured. Well, there’s always that hope for a cure. But, it’s a matter of taking medications to control the cancer,” she said. “For these last seven years I have been on ten different rounds of different combinations of chemos. Five of those have been clinical trials.”
Audio titled DEBS DIAGNOSIS PART 1 by 93WIBC
Smith said she believes the experimental drugs may have been responsible for her survival. She is now on an experimental treatment, just approved for a trial for breast cancer.
“I’m in the 17 percent this is working for. It’s an immunotherapy and it’s been for me the best quality of life I’ve had in seven years,” said Smith. “All those other chemos I’ve been on have gotten me to this point. This was not even available two years ago.”
Smith said some of the treatments have made it tough for her to maintain a positive attitude.
“I’ve had surgery. I’ve had four rounds of radiation, one to my brain because the cancer has metastasized to my brain. The cancer is causing problems within my lungs,” said Smith, who added that she had to have a tube to drain the fluid from her lungs.
But, she said she keeps a positive attitude for the most part, by praying and the practice of mindfulness.
And, she’s thankful for all the people who have participated in clinical trials that make new treatments possible.
PHOTO: RTV6
