Lung Cancer Patient Stories

I’ve never smoked, and I didn’t have any other risk factors. Still, in 2022, I was diagnosed with lung cancer. 

I was home sick with COVID when I coughed up blood. When it happened two more times I called my doctor. She said, “That’s not COVID — I want you to go to the hospital today for a chest X-ray and scan.” 

My experience at Fox Chase Cancer Center began during my retirement, a time when most people look forward to relaxing and pursuing hobbies.

I was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2015. The year before, I’d been diagnosed with diabetes, and I was trying to manage it through diet and lifestyle.

At 76, I’m in my 27th year as the pastor of Saint Christopher Church, a Roman Catholic parish in Northeast Philadelphia. Recently, you might say I had an experience of biblical proportions.

My cancer journey began in late 2021 when I began experiencing feelings of sickness, most often after eating. One night in February 2022, however, it became clear food was not the issue.

I’m the kind of guy who can sleep anytime, anywhere, so when the pain in my abdomen got so bad that I couldn’t sleep, I finally told my wife I needed to go to the ER. The doctors there did some testing and scans, but all they found was an infection, so they gave me an IV and antibiotics. After a few days, when I felt better, they sent me home.