Alex (part 3):

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would that be and why?: “I travel for a living, so there haven’t been many places I wanted to go and haven’t already. I would say Sardinia. It’s an island off the coast of Italy. It’s very nice and relaxing.” – Alex

Four years ago, Alex was involved in a serious car accident, after which he saw a pain management doctor. With time, Alex continued to experience pain, which prompted his pain management doctor to suggest a full body CT scan to check for any non-visible abnormalities. The CT scan revealed a nodule in Alex’s right lung, and he was referred to an oncologist. The initial biopsy of the tumor was inconclusive as to whether the tumor was malignant or benign, and it was three months later that Alex had the lower right side of his lung removed. After several biopsies and CT and PET scans, it was finally determined that Alex had Adenocarcinoma, a cancer that originates from glandular tissue. Alex was a non-smoker and did not surround himself with second hand smoke, and so his diagnosis came to him as a surprise.

Following his lobectomy, the removal of a lobe of his lung, Alex experienced physical changes such as lower energy levels and difficulty breathing. He had to take time off from work, which required much traveling and would therefore take a toll on his body. Luckily for Alex, he did not have many issues with receiving insurance and maintaining his coverage while away from work.

Like many other young adults diagnosed with cancer, Alex found that the majority of cancer patients he encountered at the hospital to be elderly patients, and that there were few people who understood the idea of being young and supposedly healthy and then being diagnosed with cancer. Alex sought out SeventyK, which supports adolescent and young adult cancer patients, in hopes of meeting and speaking with other young adult cancer survivors. It is also Alex’s hope that SeventyK spread the word and inform the public that there are adolescents and young adults (AYA) battling cancer that need support from family, friends, physicians, and other health care professionals. Through personal experience, Alex dealt with his cancer diagnosis through the support of his family and not much from his friends.

In the end, Alex said that were it not for the car accident, he might not have discovered his tumor until much later. He feels very lucky to be alive today.

SeventyK’s take and its Bill of Rights:

Alex, like countless of other AYA cancer patients, did not have adequate psychosocial support from other cancer patients, friends, or family of the same generation or age range, from 15 to 39 years of age. SeventyK’s 7^th Right wants to ensure that AYA patients have the help and resources to receive the necessary psychosocial support during and after the patients’ treatment of cancer. Contrary to what many may believe, the battle with cancer lasts long after the cancer has been removed and treated, and for some patients, it is after the completion of their cancer treatment that the most psychosocial support is needed.

Written by Stacy Tsai