By Francesca Karmiri, 45 years old, patient<\/p>\n
\u00a0I have been used to living with cancer for many years now.\u00a0 When I was 20, my father was diagnosed with lung cancer in a routine check-up. He was 65 back then. Things got even more painful, as my young niece “passed away”, after been diagnosed with osteosarcoma which led to lung metastasis.<\/p>\n
In 2018, my mother was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Hope was pretty limited. According to doctors, she only had 10-15 more months to live. Five years have passed, my mother is still with us and that to me is the loudest message of hope.<\/strong><\/p>\n Around the same time as my mother’s diagnosis, I started having breathing difficulties. I felt short of breath and after a CT scan, I was diagnosed with eosinophilia in my lungs. I immediately started immunotherapy and the symptoms stopped. I could breathe better. Naturally, I developed cardiac arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation, due to this condition.. But I am often on oxygen, I continue immunotherapy and cortisone treatment, according to medical instructions.<\/p>\n I am trying to cope. But it is too hard. Some years ago, I felt like I wanted to quit living. How can you live when you can’t breathe? How can you enjoy your family, your friends?<\/p>\n I’ve been living with this disease for several years. Just like my mother. It’s not easy but I hope the best is yet to come.\u00a0 Treatments have side effects, but I feel like I have more physical and emotional energy than the years before. I receive psychological support, which I find essential in navigating through lung cancer. I met FairLife L.C.C.’s team and I really appreciate the work they do alongside patients and caregivers, living with lung cancer.<\/strong><\/p>\n Sure, there are moments, when I feel overwhelmed by fear. Especially, when I have upcoming checkups. I am terrified. I’ve been living with fear for so long. I feel I’ve wasted so many years of my life.<\/p>\n I’ve been a heavy smoker and so was my mother. But I was determined to quit and so I did.\u00a0 Besides, it was impossible to smoke, as every cigarette literally took my breath away. I imposed it on my mother too and now she is feeling so much better.<\/p>\n And yes, I have felt the lung cancer stigma,<\/strong> associated with smoking. I remember every disapproving glance, every word implying: “You asked for it!” I remember everything.<\/p>\n And I know, I’m responsible too. I know it better than anyone.<\/p>\n But I wish to leave it behind. I don’t want to answer for something I did in the past.<\/p>\n I’ve learned my lesson and I want to move forward. Enough with the stigma!<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0 March 14, 2023<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Francesca Karmiri, 45 years old, patient \u00a0I have been used to living with cancer for many years now.\u00a0 When I was 20, my father…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33199,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patient-stories","category-95","description-off"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n