My mom had been having a persistent cough for several weeks. My sister insisted that she go see her doctor. A chest x-ray revealed fluid outside the lungs and a spot on the upper lobe of her left lung. Tests revealed stage 4 lung cancer. While waiting for further test results to come back in order to prescribe a treatment for her, she became weaker and more tired each day. By the time the results came back she was fighting pneumonia with three antibiotics. The tumor in her lung was blocking oxygen from getting in and the infection from getting out. My mom didn't want radiation treatment on the tumor to try to shrink it down in size. She knew the prognosis and fought a brave battle. In just 23 days from when she visited her doctor, she passed away. I can only hope to get the message out that if someone you know has a persistent cough for more than a couple of days, have them see their doctor about a chest x-ray. Also, everyone should have a radon test done on their houses, as radon gas exposure is a likely culprit of lung cancer.
