Rachele's Life
- Lives in Northern California with her husband and twin teenagers
- Has been with her husband for 23 years, married for 17 years
- Works as a marketing manager for a local family resource guide
Rachele's NSCLC Journey
- Diagnosed with Stage 4 non-small cell adenocarcinoma
- Treated with chemotherapy before biomarker testing revealed more treatment options
This Is Living With Lung Cancer: in Rachele's Words
Be an advocate for your own healthcare.
That’s my advice to somebody who’s been recently diagnosed with lung cancer. I absolutely felt comfortable voicing any concerns that I had to my healthcare team. That’s one thing that I would recommend to anyone: Speak up for yourself, be your own advocate. Find out more about how to play a part in your healthcare team.
Prioritizing mental wellness.
I think it’s really important to do that. I did find a counselor who I see on a regular basis to talk about challenges and things that are going on in my head. I really believe that it’s a good tool for anybody. Find out more about managing mental health while living with lung cancer.
Spoil yourself.
Treat yourself to something nice right after scans . . . your favorite cup of coffee or something you like to do. Find out more about facing scanxiety.
Be in the moment.
In hindsight, just to save myself a lot of grief, it would have been nice to know more of the positive outcomes that lung cancer patients may have.
Connect with others.
You just never know what will come out of it. People are pretty amazing and they will support you and help you and lift you up. Find out more about support groups.