Yovana’s Stage 1B IMA Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Story

Yovana was diagnosed with stage 1B non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma (IMA), an extremely rare subtype. In her story, Yovana talks about surgery and recovery, being a self-advocate, and her new normal after cancer.

Cry if you must. Feel your feelings, but know that the sun will shine again tomorrow.

Don’t take a single breath for granted. There is light at the end of the tunnel. There is hope.

Yovana P.

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This interview has been edited for clarity. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider for treatment decisions.

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What happened with the pulmonologist?

It took me a few months to get in to see her because as a new patient, you don’t get high priority for an appointment. For a few months, I was just thinking, ‘What’s in my lung?’ 

Then 2 months later, I saw her. She told me that because of the location of the mass, there was nothing she could do. It was on the lower-left area area near my heart, so she referred me to a surgeon. She did request a PET scan at that time, but I didn’t realize what a PET scan was. 

You saw the cardiothoracic surgeon next

A couple of weeks after that, I saw the surgeon, and she confirmed that the scan showed activity. Again, I didn’t realize what that meant. 

She took everything to her tumor board and see what they recommended. When she came back from that, she said they recommended that I have a CT-guided biopsy just to check it out.

How did your doctor tell you about the diagnosis?

I wasn’t living in town, so my doctor called me. She said, “We found the last thing we thought we would find, which is cancerous cells.”

I heard that, and I thought, “Oh, I have cancerous cells. No biggie.” I messaged my sister and told her, and my sister asked if I was okay. I was like, “Yeah, why would I not be?”

She said, “You do know what that means, right?”

How did you process the diagnosis?

I think I experienced a moment of denial. I thought, ‘She didn’t come out and say I had cancer. She said I have cancerous cells.’ It took me a while to process.

I had a follow-up appointment the next week, and I got a pamphlet that said ‘lung cancer.’

That’s when I really knew.

It took me a while to put everything together because I thought the only way you could get lung cancer was if you smoked. I had never smoked, and it didn’t make sense to me at all. 

How did you break the news to your loved ones?

I had a family text thread going on. I was keeping them updated. Once it was confirmed, I sent a text to that thread. It consisted of siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, and everyone. 

Everyone was in shock because of the stigma around lung cancer, but everybody was very supportive.

»More: Breaking the news of a cancer diagnosis

The moment she suggested I get a second opinion, I was like, ‘No, let’s do it. Let’s get it done.’

She was so open, and that just made me feel so comfortable. She sold me on her plan.

Did you have to take care of anything before surgery?

I contacted my HR department and told them what was going on. I told them not to worry and that I would be gone for about 2 weeks. They were like, “That’s a big diagnosis. Don’t worry about it.” 

I ended up moving back into the Phoenix area at my sister’s house. In a matter of about 10 days, I had moved back into town, situated myself into my sister’s house, and notified my work.

Did they have to run tests before surgery?

The day before surgery, I went in for some tests. They drew blood and stuff like that. At that point, I signed a release.

Somebody came and asked if I would be open to my tumor being taken to a lab so they could do research on it, which of course I agreed to.

How was surgery recovery?

I was in the hospital a few days. The worst pain I’ve ever experienced was having them pull the chest tube out. I’d like to think I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but that was horrible. 

I got discharged and went to my sister’s house. Life was very different. I couldn’t find a comfortable sleeping position. I had never had that issue before. Walking around the house and the neighborhood was very challenging and tiring.

I don’t know what I was thinking. I had never had a major surgery before, so I guess I didn’t know to expect recovery to be hard.

It would take me an hour or more to walk a mile. It depressed me a bit. I ran 2 half-marathons before my surgery, so once it hit me mentally, it was hard. I was trying to get to December. I had been notifying the Peace Corps of my progress.

What was your follow-up appointment like?

At my first follow-up, my surgeon said she still wanted to refer me to an oncologist just in case he recommended chemotherapy or radiation. She told me I’d have to be under observation for the next 5 years. 

If the oncologist didn’t feel like he needed to take me on as a patient, she said she would take care of my follow-up appointments. I did become a patient of the oncologist, though.

I told him about my plan for December as well, and he said, “As long as we can get a CT scan at the year mark, it’ll be fine.” 

He said I fell into a gray area. People who are diagnosed as 1A don’t get chemo or radiation. People who are diagnosed as 2A do. I was 1B, so I had a choice.

He said that with my age and overall health, he felt like the side effects of treatment would be more harmful than beneficial in my specific situation. I appreciated that honesty. 

After my diagnosis, my tumor was labeled a mucinous adenocarcinoma. After my lung surgery, I’ve never had the bloody phlegm. Had I not equated lung cancer with smoking only, maybe I would’ve looked into it.

Also, for years before all this, I had pain in the exact spot they went in to take the biopsy. I always thought I pulled something. I never thought much about it. I don’t know if it was related, but I wish I would’ve known to speak up about it.

Thankfully, I got into a car accident and found it early by chance. That’s one of the things you think about after the fact. Hindsight is 20/20 when it comes to first symptoms. Your body talks to you, and most of the time, you think it’s not a big deal. I wish I would’ve been more aware. 

She was so supportive. She was like, “Honey, you just had lung surgery. Be kind to yourself and let yourself heal.” That helped me get back to a new normal.

How important was it for you to have a support system?

It was extremely important. They were so helpful. I come from a Hispanic background, and we are a close-knit family. That’s how my mom raised us.

Just to have that and know that I could rely on them meant everything to me. I don’t know how I would’ve been able to cope with it otherwise. 

My sister is one of my best friends and closest confidants, so that was amazing. Roles reversed for us a bit because I’m the older sister. She kind of became like a mom to me during recovery, and she still acts that way. 

Was it hard for you to ask for help?

It was hard because I was very independent. I’m used to doing everything for myself by myself. I didn’t rely on anyone. I told my sister I was going to be moving back into town and ending my relationship, and I said, “Can I just stay here for a week or 2 until I find a place?” 

She said, ‘We have the space. Yes, you can stay here, but you don’t need to leave. Come stay here, and let’s figure everything out.’

Can you talk about self-advocacy?

Other than pushing for still being able to go to the Peace Corps, I was mostly just letting everything soak in. I was coming across all these new terms I didn’t know, and I would write them down and research them. 

Once I started going to lung cancer support groups, I realized that we become our own advocates. Then I’d have questions for my doctor at my next appointment.

I gained a sense of empowerment, and I needed to make sure I was taking care of my body.

When you’re first diagnosed, the terms are new, the feelings are new, and everything is new. Find people who have gone through what you’ve gone through, and they’ll be able to help guide you. They might not have all the answers, but it helps tremendously. 

»More: Self-advocacy as a patient

What is your “new normal”?

I’m back at work full time. I have a very active social life. I’ve been able to resume the activities I enjoyed beforehand, which are hiking, yoga, and running.

My new normal is that I do have to be kind to my body and know my limits. I know I can’t do that yoga pose I could do 5 years ago, and that’s okay. I can keep on working, and maybe I’ll be able to do. If not, it’s okay. There are other poses. 

It’s about realizing that I’m not where I was before, but I’m still able to do so much. My new normal also includes a lot of advocacy because I was so in the dark at the time I was diagnosed. It can affect anyone. 

How was the financial aspect of treatment?

I applied for FMLA, and I was approved. I was out of work for about 9 weeks. When I did resume working, I came back slowly. My sleep had been altered, so I was tired a lot. I worked for 4 hours a day the first week, increased to 6 hours, and then went back to full time.

My job was great. My supervisor and coworkers were awesome. I was getting messages and cards. Knowing that’s what I was going to go back to when I went back to work was nice.

My insurance was great. I didn’t realize how good they were until I needed them. That was great. I had been at my job at that point for a little over 9 years without really needing my insurance. 

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Lung Cancer (Non-Small Cell) Stories