Because I’m a former smoker (a pack a day for 35 years), when I became eligible for Medicare, my provider made me aware that I could be eligible for a low-dose chest CT scan to determine any presence of lung cancer. This is a free service for any Medicare-eligible, current or previous smoker. The only criteria is you must have quit smoking within 15 years. Because I had been smoke-free for 13 years at the time, I was eligible.

The first chest scan revealed a spot in my left lung, lower-left lobe. A subsequent positron emission tomography (PET) scan determined this spot to be benign but warranted a follow-up chest scan in a year.

When the time for the next scan came about, I followed through with the testing. This new chest scan found a suspicious spot in the area of the original benign spot. The biopsy found the nodule to be adenocarcinoma and approximately 1.4 centimeters long — devastating news, yet in my mind, the very best of a scary situation.

So, appointments with a pulmonary specialist and oncologist quickly ensued. But I was grateful this had been found so early! Interestingly, one of the first things the pulmonary specialist said to me was “I am so sorry.” My immediate response was “Why?”

You see, I had no symptoms, before or after the chest scans. I felt and believed it was a miracle that my cancer was found at such an early stage. I had no coughing, no shortness of breath, and no loss of appetite or weight loss. So, if my health care provider hadn’t suggested that I have the low-dose chest scan, I never would have sought treatment.

It was determined that I was a good candidate for surgery, and I was quickly scheduled for a lung resection. Through the use of a robotic arm, the nodule and approximately 10 percent of my left lower lung and surrounding lymph nodes were removed. I tolerated surgery well, and in another stroke of good luck, the lymph nodes tested were all clear.

During surgery, the nodule was found to be very near the lungs’ pleural space, elevating the risk of recurrence. Both my surgeon and my oncologist recommended preventive chemotherapy to reduce the risks of recurrence. These four treatments took place toward the end of 2023.

One postsurgical PET scan was done in December 2023. I was found to be cancer-free, and another scan was scheduled for March. The scans will continue for the next five years to closely monitor my status.

I realize my encounter with lung cancer may seem overly simplified compared with that of others, and I would never intend to minimize the catastrophic events surrounding a diagnosis of lung cancer only to extol the benefits of early detection. Both my father and my first husband died from lung cancer, and having witnessed the debilitation brought on by the disease, I am ever more aware of how fortunate I am.

My father was first diagnosed in 1976, and his treatment included removal of his lung. Robotic surgery did not exist, making this a rather barbaric procedure. He lived about 2 1/2 years before passing away in 1978.

My first husband was diagnosed in 2003, and because of his advanced stage, surgery wasn’t an option. He lived for about nine months and passed away in early 2004.

As I sit here now, cancer-free, I am grateful for my situation and experience yet plagued by the thought “Why spare me? Why was I spared the devastating effects of this hideous disease?” No doubt, there are people more caring, more benevolent than I who have succumbed to this disease. Where was their repose? Where was their miracle?

If I can help one person — or 10 or 100 people — realize and understand the vital importance of early diagnosis, it would bring fulfillment. In our state of Arizona, according to my primary care doctor, less than 3 percent of eligible candidates take part in the lung cancer early-detection benefits provided at no cost through Medicare. Without this service, I would not have sought treatment until becoming symptomatic, which in most cases lands you in a significantly advanced stage.

No one ever wants to hear they have been diagnosed with lung cancer. But it is generally far more advantageous to hear those words when the disease is at stage 1 rather than at a further advanced stage. If you smoked, get early detection testing for lung cancer. It saved my life and may save yours or the life of a loved one.

Faith over fear.

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