How I survived lung cancer brain metastases and found my strength again
Living with Cancer Part 2 - Donna’s Story
“What helps patients thrive after a metastatic brain cancer diagnosis?”
In Part 2 of her personal journey, Canadian lung cancer survivor Donna shares how unexpected neurological symptoms led to an emergency brain scan during the early peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing lung cancer metastases to her brain. She reflects on her Gamma Knife radiation treatment, physical rehabilitation, and thriving through daily movement and a positive mindset.
Takeaways:
Sudden motor skill issues, loss of grip, or a shuffling walk can indicate neurological involvement or brain metastases.
Lung cancer frequently metastasizes to the brain; routine monitoring and prompt ER evaluation for neurological changes are critical.
Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a targeted, non-invasive treatment option that can treat multiple brain lesions over time without traditional open surgery.
Emotional expression—including crying without guilt—is an essential part of healing and thriving for both patients and caregivers.
If you missed the first part of Donna’s story, you can catch it here:
I will fast forward… to a place no one thought we’d be! In a pandemic…
It is the beginning of April 2020…. Right smack in the middle of this COVID pandemic. My sister is just arriving home from a trip…. Over the next few days she is noticing a few strange things that are going on with me… I’m having difficulty trying to figure out how to turn off the kitchen faucet, forgetting to turn off the stove, having difficulty holding a dinner plate, without having everything slide off and then there was a very clear and distinct shuffle to my walk. Of course I didn’t really see any of this as a problem. We saw things differently and she felt I needed to have mini neuro done… a family member came over ( yes, she is a doctor) I did not do well with the very simple tasks she asked me to do…. I knew there was something wrong… I actually thought I was experiencing onset Alzheimer’s… she said I could go to the ER for a scan… just incase…. I didn’t… however that evening I was holding a glass and it fell out of my hands, smashing…. I looked at my sister and said “ tomorrow morning we need to go to the ER”
Emergency room visit and unexpected diagnosis
✗ April 17, 2020
I was dropped off at the ER doors… no one can accompany me.. alone.. terrified. Once I was triaged and brought to my room, my ER doctor did a few neurological tests… ordered a brain CT…
When the results came back, I was in shock! What??? Cancer again! There was a 4.5 cm mass frontal lobe . As well as a small mass in the cerebellum. I could not comprehend any of this and needed to call my sister, and my daughter.
All I can remember of this is the ER doctor giving the details …by FaceTime to my sister … I felt so alone. I could not even imagine what I was going to do! Before I knew what was happening, I had an appointment with a neurologist and a surgeon.
This was the longest 10 days of my life. I could not believe that after everything I just went through, I now had to deal with brain cancer! However, I now know that the most likely place for lung cancer to metastasis is to the brain…
Gamma Knife radiation treatment and finding stability
✗ April 27, 2020 surgery day!
The further surgeon would reduce the mass to under 4cm… which is the best suitable size to radiate. And the radiation they would do was state of the art Gama Knife radiation..( no knives or surgery is actually involved). I had to endure 4 more visitation days to the Gama Knife clinic over the next year, because if new lesions popping up. This December 2021 is one year since my last brain radiation…. I can now attribute all this stability to my attitude… walking now up to 5 km daily… and I’ve even joined A Pickleball club… being active for me right now is key… still a day doesn’t go by that I don’t remind myself how fortunate I am to be alive and have a great life…. For me, I am thriving and living with cancer…. From my original diagnosis in 2017… I’ve lived beyond… I also know that it is so important to allow the cancer patient to cry with out guilt and okay for a loved one to also cry without guilt …..I will continue to thrive! And this is, and continues to be my journey!
xo
Donna
Learn more about navigating post-treatment fear and emotional health by reading our guide on how to set meaningful goals after cancer treatment.
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