Nurse Maureen‘s Health Show

Stage 4 Lung Cancer Diagnosis to Advocacy: Bev M's Inspiring Story

• Maureen McGrath

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Bev M:

I was given six months to three years to live, I realized if I wasn't going to be here very long. I wanted to enjoy my life. My name is Bev and I was diagnosed with lung cancer. I had a lingering cold and felt a little off, so I thought I better book an appointment with my family doctor. That appointment changed the trajectory of my life.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Good evening and welcome to Nurse Maureen's Health Show podcast. I am Nurse Maureen, a registered nurse, nurse continence advisor, sexual health educator and host of this podcast. Thank you so much for tuning into this segment. Tonight can almost leave me breathless. To be honest with you, I was so surprised at what I learned about lung cancer. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, with nearly 88 Canadians diagnosed every single day. Alarmingly, over 50% of cases are detected at stage four, when survival rates are the lowest, highlighting the critical need for early detection and awareness.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Tonight, I'm honored to share the story of a woman whose strength, advocacy and determination are making a real impact in the fight against lung cancer. Bev M, a Toronto-based advocate, spouse, grandmother and avid golfer, knows this reality firsthand. Diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2019 and given just six months to live, Bev has defied the odds. Six years later, she is not only here, she is thriving. Her journey is a testament to resilience and she is using her second wind to spread awareness, encourage others to listen to their bodies and prove that there is life after a lung cancer diagnosis. Today, Bev joins me to share her story, challenge misconceptions about lung cancer and remind Canadians why proactive lung health matters. Let's dive in. Thank you for joining me, Bev. First and foremost, how are you?

Bev M:

I'm doing really well, thank you. I've defied some odds. I'm very proud of that, and I live a very high quality life.

Maureen McGrath RN:

That's just amazing after a stage four lung cancer diagnosis.

Bev M:

That's a good question. I have a healthcare background and I think that gave me an edge. It gave me an advantage in terms of focusing on my physical and mental health, and I think that that's been very, very helpful. I have a positive attitude about life. I keep myself very active. I do a lot of exercise. As you mentioned in your introduction, I golf, so I'm I'm out there enjoying my life and not feeling sorry for myself or feeling sick, if you will, so I think that does help. I've responded really well to therapy, which also is a boost.

Maureen McGrath RN:

That is awesome, Bev. Can you take us back to your diagnosis? What led you to seek medical attention and how did you feel when you first heard the news? It's shocking news, really news really it was shocking.

Bev M:

So what happened is I had two colds that lingered for three to four, five weeks. They were six months apart. The first one happened December, early January when it is hard to track down medical attention over the holiday period and the cold was going around the office so I didn't think as much about it. But six months later my husband and I returned from a European cruise and we were traveling four of us traveling together three of us picked up a cold that was going around on the ship, but the other two got better and I had this lingering cold and I was coughing and coughing and I had very sore throat and I thought, aha, maybe I have strep throat. I'll book an appointment with my GP. She'll give me an antibiotic and send me home. Thankfully, that GP was on top of things. She did give me an antibiotic but because we'd been in Europe, she thought possibly I'd picked up a different version of bugs than what's here in Canada, maybe. I had pneumonia and she ordered a chest x-ray which revealed that I had metastatic nodules in both of my lungs.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Oh, it just must have been just such a shock to you, thinking you had a cold. You're enjoying life, you're traveling, and what was that like when you heard and you're in healthcare, so you understand a stage four lung cancer diagnosis. What was your reaction?

Bev M:

I've always been really healthy, always really active. So when I got this news it really was a gut punch. My husband and I were together in the room when the doctor informed us. It was totally shocking. I know I was in disbelief and I may. I just could not imagine that it was me who had this devastating disease and this devastating illness. And when they told me six months to three years to live, I just had had a lot of trouble swallowing that and accepting that this was really me.

Maureen McGrath RN:

And it turns out it wasn't really you, because you're here today to talk to me and I'm delighted and so happy for you. Many people associate lung cancer with smoking. Now I know you told me you've never smoked, so what misconceptions about the disease do you hope to challenge? Was that your automatic response? I've never smoked. How can I have this lung cancer?

Bev M:

It certainly went through my mind, but I can tell you, when I told colleagues, people around me, clients I was working with, I would say 99% of people asked me did you smoke? Or indirectly asked me the same question.

Bev M:

So, that is one of the biggest misconceptions that has to be challenged. We tend to think of smoking as the cause, but there are many other causes of lung cancer. There's radon gas, there's asbestos, there's industrial exposures such as noxious chemicals. With all the wildfires across Canada, we're realizing that firefighters are at increased risk. There's also family history. People who have lung cancer in the family. Sometimes it passes to other people, and my doctor, when I was trying to understand why did I get this diagnosis, he said bad luck. And what I realize now is it's not uncommon for a gene, when they're replicating, to replicate with an error.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Right, right, exactly. I also wanted to mention secondhand smoke too. A lot of people grew up with secondhand smoke and that places people at risk for lung cancer as well. So I just wanted to make the point that you know, we have to remember instead of automatically thinking or asking, like you said, the question did you smoke? Because I remember that was part of Dana Reeve, who also died. Christopher Reeve's wife died of lung cancer and you know, I remember in the documentary people asked her, they made a point and you know, and she never smoked and but they never went beyond that. So I'm glad that you are challenging some of these misconceptions. And lung cancer, basically, can affect anyone with lungs but awareness around risk factors remains low. What do you think the audience needs to know about the causes and risks of lung cancer?

Bev M:

So I think it's important that everyone be aware that anyone with lungs can be diagnosed. It's not just older people or smokers. Young, younger people are being diagnosed, and never smokers are being diagnosed and, with awareness so low, we're not watching for it. Related to the younger, there appears to be an emerging cohort of people, 50 and younger, like as young as late 20s, early 30s, who've never smoked and are being diagnosed with lung cancer, and I coincidentally just returned from an international lung cancer conference and one of the specialists had a label for this emerging group of people, young lung, young lung cancer. Wow, wow, yeah. So things are changing and I feel it's really unfair that lung cancer is stigmatized with the association of smoking.

Bev M:

That's old, the new anyone with lungs can be diagnosed.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Yes, now you talked about getting the diagnosis and being devastated, and you know giving this six months to live information, but you've also managed to find a second wind after your diagnosis. So how has your outlook on life changed? And I know you worked in healthcare and you also worked in wealth management and you ultimately got the best wealth, which is good health, since your diagnosis. But how has your life changed? You know, every day that you get up and you know, has gratitude entered more so than in the past? And what does your new purpose mean to you?

Bev M:

So when I was first diagnosed, got over the shock and started to feel a little bit better and my energy started to return. I really developed a renewed appreciation for life and it didn't take long to realize that life can go on and it's possible to live a high quality of life. I don't take things for granted. I savor every moment. It deepened our relationships between my husband and I as well. What I'm happy. Initially I thought how can one be happy with a diagnosis that doesn't have a good outlook? But I am and it has made my life better.

Maureen McGrath RN:

And I think it's tied to that gratitude. You know, realizing the gift of life after it's nearly, you know, taken from you. I've heard that from patients myself where they say you know, I never appreciated anything. Nothing was ever good enough for me in my life until my stage four cancer diagnosis. And then I realized, you know, I had so much to be grateful for and I didn't need this perfection. You know a lot of people talk about just a very different attitude as they move forward in life after a stage four lung cancer or cancer diagnosis. You're passionate about encouraging people to listen to their bodies and you know we try and get that message out to people, even as health care providers. But what are some of the subtle symptoms of lung cancer that people should pay attention to?

Bev M:

I think it's important, when we're talking about the subtle symptoms, for people to realize that the lungs do not have pain receptors, so the symptoms are very subtle. When there's pain, it means the cancer has left the lungs. So things that people should be watching for or alert to is excessive coughing. They could have shortness of breath, they could have frequent and lingering colds, such as I have had. Unexplained weight loss can be common, but also it can be as subtle as something feels off. And I'll give you an example of a woman I met fairly soon after my diagnosis young woman, she noticed on several evenings that when she lay on a particular side to go to sleep at night she felt just something was a little off. And thank goodness she was proactive and she had a GP that paid attention because she was diagnosed with stage one lung cancer.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Wow.

Bev M:

Yeah, so it's. It's very, very subtle and um, we we tend to take our lungs for granted, and I certainly learned that we can't do that. We have to pay attention to our health and we have to be proactive.

Maureen McGrath RN:

That's right, and if something is niggling, you know, think about it, get it checked out. No harm in getting it checked out. I love the fact that you've turned your experience into advocacy. How has sharing your story and raising awareness impacted you personally?

Bev M:

So it has brought me a lot of pleasure, if you will, and brought meaning to my life. It gives me a chance to give back to others who are living with lung cancer and it just, I think, my healthcare background. It makes me feel good to speak with fellow lung cancer patients and try to share stories and help each other, offer support, and it's really important to me and matters to me that I try to raise awareness. You mentioned smoking and that stigma has held lung cancer back. It's underfunded, it's underprofiled. So I just feel that I'm one of a growing number of voices that has the opportunity to speak out and raise public awareness, raise funding for lung cancer and try to drive change.

Maureen McGrath RN:

And you're doing amazing work, and this year you've partnered with Merck on the Listen Close campaign. Can you tell the listeners more about the campaign and why this initiative is so important?

Bev M:

So I was delighted to be involved because we share the same goal of raising awareness in the public about lung cancer. So that's the purpose of the campaign is to raise public awareness and encourage people to pay attention to their health, to their lungs, to their breathing, to their lungs. And if something feels off to be proactive, Don't just oh, we'll go away. If something is persistent or they're worried enough, just take action immediately and get to their doctor and don't take no.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Exactly and because, as we know, one's breath is the foundation of one's health and we don't think about our lungs. But I also wanted to mention that the listenclose. ca, which is the website for Listen Close, you can take a lung check assessment and learn more about your lung health. And I actually went on and did that lung check assessment and it even said you know, you have reported no symptoms, you haven't smoked, but, you know, do have this conversation with your doctor, and so it's just so great to raise awareness about this. Merck has also launched a phone line where people can listen to lung cancer patient stories, including your own, Bev. What do you hope listeners take away from hearing these personal stories?

Bev M:

I definitely want them to be more aware and realize that even though they maybe never smoke, they feel perfect health. It can happen to anybody. So I want them to pay attention to themselves, to people in their life, and realize that anybody with lungs can be diagnosed. Do not take one's health for granted, and it's really important for people to be persistent and proactive if they feel that something's off.

Maureen McGrath RN:

And I love the fact that people can talk to other people or hear other people's stories, because often times people feel alone in their cancer journeys and they think why me, you know? Why hasn't this happened to other people who maybe have smoked? For example, somebody with lung cancer might be thinking that that somebody else they know lived to 95 who was a smoker. But, as you say, I think one of the key messages of this episode is that it is not necessarily associated with smoking and that has certainly held lung cancer back. If someone is navigating a life-changing diagnosis right now, somebody out there is listening to this, what advice do you have for them, who may have just been diagnosed, who are maybe still symptomatic, maybe still getting treatment? It's maybe not responding all that well. What would you say to them?

Bev M:

I think it's really important that they take as good quality, good care of their life as possible. So sleep, diet, exercise, drinking enough water are all really important. I think it's also important that they realize that, just because they've been given a serious diagnosis, science has been making incredible advances. I'm an example, and there are many others that are thriving with our diagnosis, thanks to our therapies. So they should not wallow or feel sorry for themselves, but take charge. This is my life. I want to live it.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Don't give up and really be proactive in rising above it, because it can be very distressing and depressing and discouraging, especially when people have the diagnosis or get the diagnosis from their doctor and they might be shocked by it. But your advocacy work is admirable, Bev, I really appreciate you coming on the podcast and sharing your story and I'm delighted that you're doing well and experiencing such great wealth at the moment.

Bev M:

Thank you so much. I'm really pleased to have the opportunity to speak with you and to share with others that there's increasing hope.

Maureen McGrath RN:

There certainly is. There's a life to be lived after a stage four lung cancer diagnosis. Thanks so much for joining the podcast, Bev.

Bev M:

Thank you very much.

Maureen McGrath RN:

You're welcome. That was Bev M, a Toronto-based advocate, spouse, grandmother and avid golfer, and she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2019, given six months to live. But she's here today to tell the story and she's sharing her story. She's also advocating for lung cancer in Canada and it's such important work. She's also partnered with Merck on the Listen Close campaign. The website is listenclose. ca, and Merck has also launched a phone line where people can listen to lung cancer patient stories.

Maureen McGrath RN:

So I encourage you if you are suffering at the moment, if you've been diagnosed with lung cancer, it's a great option for you to speak to others who are sharing their stories and can certainly help you. And I'm Maureen McGrath. I'm a registered nurse, nurse continence advisor. If there's somebody that you feel could benefit from this podcast episode, feel free to share. It's available on iTunes, google Play, spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. And, as always, thank you so much for tuning in.

Bev M:

Despite a challenging diagnosis, ron and I realized that we were happy and we were savoring life, and we want to continue doing that. I'm happy, I am so grateful. I'm happy, I am so grateful that I'm here two years longer than was anticipated, and I'm hopeful for the future.

Maureen McGrath RN:

Thanks so much for tuning in. I'm Maureen McGrath and you have been listening to the Sunday Night Health Show podcast. If you want to hear this podcast or any other segment again, feel free to go to iTunes, spotify or Google Play or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. You can always email me nursetalk at hotmail. com, or text the show 604-765-9287. That's 604-765-9287 or head on over to my website for more information. Maureenmcgrath. com, it's been my pleasure to spend this time with you.

Maureen McGrath RN:

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