My name is Arman, and this is my story about lung cancer.

I received my diagnosis of Stage 0 lung cancer at a hospital. My family has a history of health issues, including my father's long-standing diabetes and my mother's respiratory difficulties. Once I noticed signs like persistent coughing and shortness of breath myself, I decided to assess my health, leading to my diagnosis. My doctor reassured me with a 100% chance of survival over 5 years. Throughout my treatment, I faithfully followed the prescribed chemotherapy regimen.

The diagnosis was mainly prompted by concerns based on my family history. More specifically, my father has been diabetic for 35 years now, and my mother had problems with shortness of breath and wheezing. On top of that, I had noticed some similar issues myself, such as persistent coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing. This made me want to evaluate my own health, which ultimately led to my diagnosis.

In response to my diagnosis, I made significant lifestyle changes, focusing on what I ate and how often I smoked. I committed to a healthier diet for 3 to 5 days a week and cut down on my smoking habit. I wanted to improve my overall well-being as well.

Throughout my treatment, I followed the prescribed chemotherapy regimen recommended by my doctor. Despite the challenges, I followed the treatment plan faithfully.

Thankfully, I went through chemotherapy without any side effects.

After my treatment journey, I had to make some permanent changes to my lifestyle, particularly in terms of exercise. I found myself needing to exercise more often.

Other changes in my life came in the form of my personal relationships. Ever since learning about my diagnosis, I’m talking to my parents more frequently even though I can’t visit them as much as I used to and we can’t take as many family trips. One way that cancer has negatively impacted my relationships is my intimate relationship with my partner; ever since I was diagnosed with cancer, our sex life isn’t as active anymore.

Looking ahead, I remained committed to setting and achieving goals for both myself and my family. I planned meticulously for big milestones and adopted a proactive approach to ensure progress and fulfillment.

My personal dreams revolve around achieving my life goals. In terms of family, I aspire to support my loved ones and to always be able to provide them with a comfortable life.

Throughout my recovery, my biggest fear was having a difficult and slow recovery. For this reason, I was impatient and constantly hoping for recovery to be quick. In my quest to overcome this fear, I kept my mind busy and occupied by reading books and watching television.

Right now, I feel rather neutral about having lived through cancer.

To those facing their own battles with cancer, I urge you to stay motivated, courageous, and fearless in the face of adversity.