The Pink Chestnut — Denise Irwin

When I learned that I had Stage Four Lung Cancer, I started the hard battle to survive it. What I knew then could have fit into a thimble. There was a tumor in my lung along with its partner in my brain. Life had to change quickly for Fred and me because we weren't sure where our path was leading us to. During the surgeries and treatment phases, I could not do simple tasks such as laundry and do the grocery shopping. Blessed with good friends and family members we were able to live an almost normal life. Fred set up a white board in the living room for scheduling my trips to the hospital. Calls came from friends and family to sign up and Fred would put their names on the board so that I never had to worry about who was picking me. Grateful for the medical teams who walked us through brain surgery, thoracic surgery and treatment, which included fifteen sessions of whole brain surgery along with four months of chemotherapy. We listened to what they told us to do and how to live in our own home. A bond develops between the medical staff and the patient, as well as with friends and family. There are no secrets to conceal from them; our medical team saved my life because we told them everything.