Yes, welcome to the club no one wants to be a member of.

My story had started with annually participating in the American Lung Association's Fight for Air Climb since 2015. I started raising money for the ALA after a dear friend died of lung cancer. I thought it was quite ironic that I, myself, was diagnosed three years later. I was 58 at the time, and, yes, very shocked!

I've raised so much money in eight years of fundraising, ALA sends me research updates. Non-smoker's lung cancer is the most quickly growing type of lung cancer and now forms 20-25% of new lung cancer diagnoses. Sheesh! Who knew? Fortunately, there have been large gains in treating this form of cancer, and life expectancy has risen significantly within the last five years.

I had my upper right lobe removed robotically, but my margins were not clean. I had 33 rounds of radiation and 4 of chemo. I have a registered dietician friend who recommended a lot of fruits and veggies for the phytonutrients. Today, I follow the Mediterranean diet.

As an athlete, you may need the advice my psychiatrist friend gave me which is that, following all the treatments, you'll need to give yourself permission to rest. Your body will need time to recover. That doesn't mean you need to become a slug. I climbed the equivalent of 87 flights of stairs four months to the day after I finished chemo, setting a personal record for slowness in the process. Lol! I mentally removed any time goal. When I was winded, I rested. I had also found a physical therapist who focused on releasing the fascia, emphasizing the M.E.L.T. method and myofascial release. I still practice MELT. She also encouraged me to eat at least a small green salad every day. The greens help to reduce inflammation.

I still work full-time as a NASA rocket scientist. Also, my wife and I just bought a new house with a plan to pay it off in 12 years. So I'm expecting to be around for a while! Hang in there! Lung cancer is no longer a death sentence. Stay positive! I wish you all the best!