8 year 5 month lung cancer survivor…but who’s counting?
It all began in 2008 when I was enjoying my 35th year of working as a flight attendant for a major airline. Flying has given me many fond memories, including meeting my husband, a pilot, on my third flight in 1973. Together we traveled the world and were known as the “Flying Wortmans”.
Meeting people from around the world taught me the value of mindfulness. I had a successful career in the airline business and was eventually appointed Government Affairs Chair. In this position, I had the opportunity to walk the halls of Congress in our nation’s capital advocating for the safety and health of passengers and crew members, all while I continued to fly on an international schedule.
In late 2007, I was standing at the boarding door greeting passengers just like any other day on the job, when suddenly, I started coughing and couldn’t stop. I remember thinking, am I going to choke to death? My worst health scare up until this point was a shattered wrist that put me into reconstructive wrist surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Little did I know that I was going to embark on a whole new journey that would change my life forever.
It all happened so fast…
In January 2008, during a routine physical at the Mayo Clinic, I mentioned my weird cough and mild shoulder pain. I ended up getting a cautionary CT scan and within two days I was being wheeled into thoracic surgery to have my upper left lung lobe removed where a 3cm tumor had taken residence along with a wedge in my lower left lung lobe. Non-small cell adenocarcinoma lung cancer, Stage 1A, was responsible for my cough, shoulder pain and fatigue.
Following the operation, I did not know where my next breath would come from. My husband stood by my bedside and had to tell me to breathe, breathe, breathe. If you can imagine, for me the pain was 10 times greater than giving birth. It hurt to move and recovery took months. The toll it took on my family was even more exhausting. Each of my family members dealt differently when they heard the words: “Mom has lung cancer”. They each reached their breaking point at different times and reacted in ways that changed our lives forever. It is heartbreaking to see tears, anger, and fear in your own children’s eyes.
The 5-year lung cancer survival rate is only 17%, and this #1, silent cancer killer takes more lives each year than colon, breast, and pancreatic cancers combined. With the prevalence so high, how could I not know that anyone can get lung cancer, even never smokers?
For two years, my private practice doctors thought I was a normal, healthy and athletic mom, and never recommended a chest x-ray for my cough, in fact they suggested it was perhaps psychological.
When my husband and I returned home, I doubted I could walk our flight of stairs. Months later he lovingly tied my cross country ski shoes (it hurt to bend over) and put my skies on and said, “Let’s go!” What once took 80 minutes to complete 12 kilometers, now took over an hour just to creep 200 feet. I could not catch my breath! I was fortunate to participate in a study that taught me how to breathe again with voice guided meditation practice, which I live and run with today, eight years later. I now have two of four kids practicing meditation and our daughter teaches it.
Three years after surgery, we were enjoying the Clarksdale Spring Blues Festival in Mississippi. I saw a sign promoting a 5K walk/run in honor of a little girl with cancer. The morning of the race, I decided to participate. I ran and finished second in my age group, without wearing proper running shoes. I wanted to test my endurance. Running, quickly shifted to a means for me to raise awareness about lung cancer.
On Mother’s Day 2014 my husband and I completed the 2-year goal of running a 5K race in all 50 states. We then began embarking on the goal of running a 10K in every continent. Our mission is to let others know with proper diagnosis, CT scanning and proper treatment, there can be hope after a lung cancer diagnosis. Research is making advancements with genetic research and targeted therapies and I want to do everything that I can to support funding for more research.
We were celebrating my fifth year of survival in Washington, D.C. My husband and I stopped by the American Lung Association offices unannounced. As a lung cancer survivor I was welcomed into the offices with compassion and understanding, the staff understood the importance of getting people out of the lung cancer “rut”. The Lung Association supports research, the importance of writing letters to congress, and requesting policies that protect the health of every lung cancer patient, survivors, their love ones and future generations.
I was so happy to learn about the Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE, which is an army of lung cancer survivors and loved ones that are bravely taking a stand to fight lung cancer’s growing numbers. It is the voices of “heroes,” as we call them, that will change the perceptions of lung cancer so research and treatment options are successful and quality of life with determination can beat this devastating disease. To get involved and join the conversation check out LUNGFORCE.org.
*This is a guest post. The opinions expressed are that of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect my own. There was no compensation. I posted this to educate readers about Lung Force.
Natalie says
I am amazed that she and her husband ran a 5k in all 50 states after all she has been through!
Linda Wortman says
Lung cancer is anyone’s disease. Even never smokers and non smokers! Let’s save lives and create lung cancer awareness together. Let’s talk about this disease and break the stigma !
John Blangiardo says
Linda, your the best…a true role model for anyone who had to overcome incredible obstacles to reach goals seemingly unattainable…all of which you have achieved, and then some!!!