Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma: Julie's Survivor Story
This lung cancer diagnosis at a glance
- Stage at diagnosis
- Stage I
- Subtype
- Adenocarcinoma
- Sex
- Female
- Treatment
- surgery
- Outcome
- Survivorship / Completed Treatment
Treatment course, step by step
- Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) with removal of the right lower lung lobe; progressive walking and run/walk exercise during recovery.
What happened, in summary
Julie Jones was 55 when she was diagnosed with Stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Because the cancer was found at an early stage, she underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung. She had completed another half marathon about 3 weeks before the operation and wanted to understand whether running could still be part of her life afterward.
Julie began moving the day after surgery, walking around the hospital floor with a walker. The next day, she completed 14 laps to reach 1 mile. After leaving the hospital, she alternated about 15 seconds of running with 45 seconds of walking. At first she pushed too hard and ran until she coughed, so she learned to listen more closely to her body; an inhaler recommended by her doctor also helped.
Just 53 days after surgery, Julie completed a half marathon only about 10 minutes slower than her pre-surgery time. She had already finished 3 of the 6 Abbott World Marathon Majors and continued planning future races, while encouraging other patients to discuss safe, individualized exercise with their care teams.
Where this story comes from
This is a lay summary of an account first published by LUNGevity. Read the original in full
These are lay summaries of published cancer stories, for information only. No two cancers behave the same way, and nothing here predicts your own diagnosis or replaces advice from your oncology team.