Lung Cancer: 7 Ways this Librarian is Surviving a Shocking Diagnosis

Many of you know that I was diagnosed with lung cancer in April 2025, and I underwent a segmentectomy surgery in May 2025. This diagnosis shocked me, as I’ve never smoked, never lived or worked around smoke, and thought I was leading a fairly healthy lifestyle. The only symptom I had was a slight shortness of breath, and I’m so blessed that my primary care doctor ordered the chest X-ray, chest CT, and PET scan that led to my biopsy (bronchoscopy) and diagnosis.

My doctors have told me that lung cancer diagnoses unrelated to smoking are increasing, and they believe it’s due to environmental factors. I wanted to share with you the changes I’m making in my environment to try to keep my body healthy and cancer-free. I want to make clear that I do follow my doctors’ instructions, in addition to implementing these changes based on what I’ve read from other cancer survivors.

Listen to your Body

I’ve learned that most people don’t find out that they have lung cancer until the later stages because the symptoms (shown on the graphic at right) are so subtle. All I had was a slight shortness of breath and I truly thought maybe it was my fault for not exercising enough. But I found a primary care doctor, went to my primary care doctor, and she listened to me and ordered the tests. If you feel something is off with your body, talk to your primary care doctor and get the tests.

Reading

Surprise, right? I’ve loved reading all of my life, I made it my job, and when I heard my surprise lung cancer diagnosis, I drove to my public library right away. I’ve found so much information, inspiration, and connection, that I’m writing a newsletter on Substack called “Reading Through Cancer,” where I share how books are helping me on this healing journey.

The book I’m currently referring to most often is Chris Beat Cancer (aff link). He chose to reject chemotherapy for his Stage 3 colon cancer diet and pursue diet and lifestyle changes instead. Although I’m not choosing to reject what the doctors recommend for me, I am following his advice for building up my body to be healthier and stronger to fight cancer.

Snake Plants and Air Purifiers

Air purifiers with HEPA filters can remove fine particles from the air, which can help improve lung health. This is especially important for those with lung cancer or other respiratory challenges, but we all need to protect the system that distributes life-giving oxygen throughout our body. I bought 2 Blue Air HEPA air purifiers, (aff link) and have one in our living area and one in our bedroom. I did buy them at Costco, rather than Amazon, because the price was lower.

I’m also working to add a snake plant to every room in the house. They are easy to grow, only need watering every 2-6 weeks, and NASA studies have shown that they are a top reducer of indoor air pollutants. If I were still working in a school library, I would add air purifiers and snake plants in my library space as well, to protect the respiratory health of myself and my students.

Rebounding

Have you heard of this? Rebounding on a mini-trampoline lets you jump longer than you can on solid ground, positively stresses every cell, strengthens your musculoskeletal system, and moves lymphatic fluid which helps detoxify your body. I’m starting with the gentlest version, called the “health bounce,” where you bounce up and down but do not let your feet leave the mat. I do this for 10 minutes at a time for 3 times a day on this rebounder (aff link). It has a handle for stability, and I can watch TV or listen to a podcast as I bounce.

Going Gray

Before my lung cancer diagnosis, I had 2 skin cancers surgically removed from my scalp and my nose. The process was painful, with plenty of stitches, and I don’t want to repeat it any time soon. Although I loved my brown hair with highlights, it just wasn’t worth it anymore to let that hair dye soak into my scalp every month. Scientific studies about hair dye and cancer seem to show mixed results, but I decided to go gray and enjoy my natural hair color.

Organic Thin-Skinned Produce

By now, we (should) all know about the health benefits of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Do you know what “plenty” means? 5-10 servings per day! I am working my way up to this goal. At the same time, I’m being careful to choose organic when I buy thin-skinned fruits and veggies (like berries, spinach, bell peppers, peaches, apples). If I allow pesticides into my body, my systems would have to work hard to detoxify the pollutants I’m eating. I want to eliminate the toxins that I can so that I don’t overburden my immune system.

Berries are the strongest anti-cancer fruits because they protect and repair damage and inflammation as well as slowing down or stopping cancer cell growth for many types of cancer. I’m developing new habits of regularly adding organic strawberries and blueberries to my whole grain cereal and to a cup of Greek yogurt, and I’m enjoying these delicious, healthy snacks!

Lung Cancer Updates

I will continue to update this page as my lung cancer journey continues and as I find more helpful information to share. I pray that anyone reading this and living with a cancer diagnosis will know that they are not alone, and that their life is worth fighting for.

Happy reading and healthy living!