Episode 63: From Misdiagnosis to Targeted Therapy, Aurora’s Lung Cancer Story

The Patient from Hell (00:00.802)
Hi everyone, this is Samira Daswani, the host of the podcast, The Patient From Hell. I have a very, very special guest with me. I have Aurora with me, and she's here to tell you about her story navigating cancer. Now, Aurora, I've known her now for four or five, six, seven months, seven months? Aurora, what's it been? A while, right?

Aurora Lucas (00:20.112)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, about like I think six or seven months, but it feels longer than that. Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

The Patient from Hell (00:24.23)
It does feel longer than that. I had the pleasure of meeting Aurora in person this past week. Aurora, you want to start there? Like, what are we doing in Atlanta? What took you there?

Aurora Lucas (00:35.088)
Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (00:40.752)
Yeah. So I met you this past weekend in Atlanta. It was my second time going to the Hope Summit. Was it your first time? First time? Yeah. So I came back actually to the Hope Summit this time as a speaker. So that was very different. But I was like, don't let that get to your head. Let me just be a patient. So that's how I was navigating the summit.

The Patient from Hell (00:52.29)
time.

The Patient from Hell (01:10.274)
There are so many things to tug on. All right, let's start with what's the whole summit and what were you speaking about?

Aurora Lucas (01:13.136)
Mm-hmm.

You're right. So the Hope Summit is pretty much getting everyone together over the weekend, a lot of lung cancer survivors, patients, also their caregivers, right? And really just genuine people around you. I think just really caring people who actually care about getting lung cancer research funded and awareness out there and fighting stigma.

The Patient from Hell (01:41.474)
Okay, and what were you talking about there?

Aurora Lucas (01:44.336)
I was talking about navigating lung cancer as a young adult patient. And for me, I'm really all about talking about taboos. So I was like, let's talk fertility and how really nobody talks about that when you're a young lung cancer patient. And me being an Asian-American woman, that's such a hard topic, especially if the doctor is not talking about it. I'm like, should I talk about it? Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (02:12.642)
Hmm. All right, before we jump into fertility, can we go back to what happened? Like maybe roll back to a few days before diagnosis and tell us about it. That's okay.

Aurora Lucas (02:15.632)
Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (02:19.344)
Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (02:23.512)
Definitely. My first symptom that I had, I'm actually considered lucky for having a symptom. It was in August 2021, a few days after buying my first home. I remember sitting in a parking lot in a completely new different city and I was like, my chest hurts. I was like, okay, just like breathe. I thought it was anxiety

because me being an overachiever, I feel like anxiety is just a normal part of everyday life. And also adulthood, you're trying to achieve things that people are telling you to do. So I remember calling my sister and she's like, chest pain, that's really bad. You should go to the emergency room. And I said, girl, I just spent all this money. I'm not about to dish out another 250. I remember her just kind of trying to calm me down for an hour. And she said,

Well, if this lasts longer, you should really go. And I kind of just dismissed her because I thought my sister was just being a reactive person. I think for me, I was like, I'll just fight through it. So that was the first sign in August. But it actually came back just less than a month later in September. And when that happened, I was like, OK, here it is again. Like, I'm like this mysterious chest pain.

Let me make an appointment with my primary care physician. I never really saw the doctor before that, like the yearly checkups I would always skip because I'm usually healthy. But when I finally made that appointment, I had to wait like a few weeks for it and he said, like you look great. Like what are, you know, is there any concerns that you have? And I said,

Well, I'm always tired and I have this chest pain that was happening. And sometimes I cough and he said, but you're very young, you know, and you look great. You should go home and boil some honey. Yeah. So that was the big part. And I remember just staring at him. I said, what? You know, I was like, there's something wrong. And he kind of said, you know, let's wait a few weeks, like go home and boil some honey. You're okay. And.

Aurora Lucas (04:44.752)
I'm pretty sure just like a week later, the chest pain came back and I walked myself to the emergency room. I left school early because I was a school teacher back then. And my sister was like, you should tell them about chest pain because they're going to pay attention. And I was like, this will hurt that bad. She's like, you don't have to tell them that. Just say it hurts and tell them all your symptoms. And they actually found something with my heart, which is Wolf Parkinson's White Syndrome.

which means there's an extra electrical pathway. I said, who's that? I was like, who is Wolf Parkinson's? Because it was so long. And the lady was like, I don't know, probably the man who had found this thing. And so yeah, she explained that it was an extra electrical pathway. And then she said, can we admit you? Are you okay with it? And I said, sure. And I was in the hospital for two days.

Mm hmm. Yeah.

The Patient from Hell (05:38.558)
Wait, so how did they go from a heart thing to a cancer diagnosis?

Aurora Lucas (05:44.88)
Yeah, so that's a really good question because I was like, my God, they finally figured out why I have chest pain. And my husband was like, wait, your heart's on the other side of where the chest pain is happening. I said, you're right. Like, this still doesn't make any sense. So actually, the second day that I was in the hospital, this hospital that I was in, there were residents always following the doctor. There was like five or six, seven of them, big group. And I remember them kind of just like,

piling up around my hospital bed and they said, something's been found on your CT scan. And I said, what is it? They said, well, before they even told me what it was, they were like, where were you born? Where were you raised? Have you traveled lately? And I said, well, I was born and raised in the Philippines. And they were like, maybe it's tuberculosis. They were like, have you traveled? And I was like, yeah, I travel often.

And they're like, okay, the past 10 years, where have you traveled? And I was like, you really want me to list out everything? I've traveled to over 20 countries, but I was like, that can't be. I've always had like medical stuff done and vaccines. So in my head, it just wasn't making sense yet. I remember this one resident, she like kind of held my hand and was like staring at me. And I said, okay, like she's telling me what's up, but she can't say it because she's not like my actual doctor.

So after that meeting, and then they kept staring at my hands. They would always lift it up and they would always look at my finger without explaining it. I later found out why they were doing that. So yeah, so actually the curving of your fingers could be a symptom of lung cancer.

The Patient from Hell (07:26.37)
Why would they do that?

Aurora Lucas (07:34.16)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so my fingers back then are like really like bent. I didn't notice it because I never get my nails done or like really stare at them. But I remember that was so strange. I was like, why are they just staring at my hands, you know, like without really explaining it. And back then I wasn't really asking a lot of questions. I was just like, OK, you know. Yeah, so that was the first

The Patient from Hell (07:34.498)
WHAAAAT?

Aurora Lucas (08:02.672)
ER visit where I was admitted and they were like, well, due to like insurance, we got to let you go, but you do have follow-up exams. I was like, so at first I said, okay, because I was still trusting the system. I was like, okay, I'm going to get those PET scans. They're going to figure out what's wrong. And then like hell kind of happened the next week where they were like, you can't get your PET scan because of insurance. And they were like, your PCP is not approving this PET scan.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So I've been meaning to count how many times I was in and out of the ER, but I remember going back, let's say like three weeks later, and I went back to that same ER because I didn't know what to do anymore. Like I was coughing, I could barely talk and my family was like, you need to go back. You shouldn't be waiting for people to arrange appointments, because

The Patient from Hell (08:36.77)
I'm trying to breathe right now. Please keep going.

Aurora Lucas (09:01.328)
what I was doing at that time was I went back to work and was trying to just live. And then I was waiting for like the people to like set up the appointments for the insurance to pass. And nothing was happening. My sister was calling my PCP's office. They weren't answering the calls or they would just, they actually hung up in the middle of sometimes my sister like trying to ask. So my family was like, why don't you go back to the ER? Try and do something there, anything.

was like, so I went back and the doctor is like, well, your insurance isn't like accepted here or whatever. She's like, this is going to be a big bill for you. And I remember just like begging her. I was like, there's something wrong and I don't know what it is. And I just stared her in the eye and she's like, okay, like, and she said, you know, there's like COVID and like there are no beds, pretty much she was saying. And I said, please like admit me. And she felt bad for me. So she's like, okay, this, I'm going to try to help you.

And so that second time, I thought they were going to figure something out. We were pretty close. my gosh, I like take it back. And they actually, that time, did a biopsy. So this is around late October coming to November. And so they did the biopsy. And I remember calling back like their office. I was like, what are the results? What are the results? What are the results? And they said,

It's inconclusive. So we got the test and they didn't take enough like samples. Yeah. So that happened. And so the window of insurance happens around November to December. My sister was like, my sister works in the like administration, healthcare field. And she said, wait, wait. She's like November, December, you could change your plan.

So we actually switched finally to PPO and she's like, okay, we're gonna go to another healthcare team. And so December 1st, I remember having like an appointment set up with a brand new PCP. And I remember going into his office and just kind of doing the word vomit. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, this has been happening the past three months. And he's like, okay, I'm gonna try to get you your tests that you need. I'm gonna flag this like red flag it because

Aurora Lucas (11:27.664)
it's urgent. And so I remember him making like those calls and he was like, well, if this is what you think it is, these are going to be your oncologists. And I was like, what? That was just an hour versus like three months of me trying to over explain everything. And yeah, from there, everything was like sped up with this new healthcare team. I was finally well, my pulmonologist appointment was December 3rd.

And I remember going in there with my aunt and he was like, well, we'll get you an appointment in like two weeks. And I remember my aunt standing up and she was like, well, if she gets a blood clot, this is on you. Because he had no sense of urgency. And so he was like, okay. And then he actually got me admitted that day. And I've, yeah, it was a lot. It was a lot. And then...

The Patient from Hell (12:16.5)
My God.

The Patient from Hell (12:20.514)
fuck.

Aurora Lucas (12:22.16)
Upon that admission, we had to wait for like a biopsy appointment. So finally, December 6, I got my lung cancer diagnosis. I remember the doctor just looking like his eye bags, he had like eye bags under his eye bags. He just looked so exhausted. He looked at me, I was like, lung cancer before he could even tell me he's like, yes. And then I said, what stage? And he said, stage 3A. And I said,

Wait, wait, I was not expecting that. Because I remember just looking at that CT scan in September. It was like tiny. And then by that time in December 6, it was three large lime-sized tumors.

The Patient from Hell (13:04.706)
How did you know it was lung cancer? Before he said that?

Aurora Lucas (13:06.224)
Yeah, I, you know, Google tells you a lot of things. And I think my body felt that there was something wrong. And I was like, okay, they're talking about this tumor.

Yeah, so I think I just had that feeling, good question. So when I had my PET scan done in November, my best friend, who's my cousin, she does like, I forgot, sonography. So I had given her the image and she cried to my sister. She's like, my God. She's like, it's all lighting up. And she also worked with breast cancer patients. So she knew.

She called my sister before telling me. So, but them being in the healthcare system, they were like, she needs all the right tests to actually get, you know, even if they knew what was going on already, they needed the actual documentation.

Yeah. Mm hmm.

Aurora Lucas (14:11.984)
Yeah, and even some things, I think I look back at that time, I was like, so many doctors were in denial. This was actually lung cancer. One of them even said, I'm going to pray that this is not lung cancer. I was like, sir, like, that's good. But like, I need I need this test. I need you to help me. I need you to push this forward. Yeah. He's like, I am so sure this is not lung cancer. And I remember my husband was like, yeah, it's not lung cancer.

they were like if you think it that's what's gonna happen. Yeah.

The Patient from Hell (14:48.578)
The thing you, I don't normally get stumped on this podcast. I feel a little stumped because one, there's a lot of correlations. Like I definitely have, I don't think I've had as much of a long drawn out process.

Aurora Lucas (14:49.936)
This is...

Aurora Lucas (14:54.768)
Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (15:01.488)
Easy.

Aurora Lucas (15:05.68)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (15:07.906)
but I distinctly remember being told about cancer not by the healthcare system.

Aurora Lucas (15:13.328)
Mmm.

The Patient from Hell (15:14.69)
Who I knew before we showed up.

Aurora Lucas (15:18.16)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (15:20.29)
And it's weird, like someone was asking me recently, like, you know, the doctor calls you and like most likely it's an in -person face appointment. And I was like, no, no, the odds are Dr. Google is telling you. That's the odds. The odds are Dr. Google is telling you before we're even seen by the oncologist these days, right? So today, the odds are Dr. Google tells you that you have cancer.

Aurora Lucas (15:30.352)
Mmm.

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (15:39.984)
Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (15:43.664)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And odds are, if you're connected, I think, with your body, your instincts are already screaming that something's wrong. Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (15:56.738)
So December 6th, stage 3A.

Aurora Lucas (16:00.656)
Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (16:02.21)
What happens after that?

Aurora Lucas (16:05.328)
So the oncologist came and she talked to me and she said, well, now we got to do scans for your whole body just to make sure it hasn't spread anywhere else. So they did, I remember them doing the brain scan and then she sat me down. She's like, there's something in your brain, but it's not, it's benign. Like they were just kind of saying it was benign. I said, okay.

And then they did like, and then she said, there's something I wanted to bring up with you. Have you thought about having kids? And I stared at her. I was like, I've been thinking about that the past three months, you know, cause we're, you were newly married. I was like, but I didn't know how to ask because I'm trying to live. And she said, well, like you could think about it. If you want to do fertility treatments, we're going to have to delay your treatment plan.

And I said, what do you mean by delay? And she's like, well, harvesting your eggs, you have to do like medication and injections and appointments. And I said, how long would it be delayed? And she said, maybe three, four weeks. It's really up to you. It's your decision. End of the day. And I remember just like crying. She's like, I'm going to give you a moment. And then that's when I like cried like a little, I was like, and my husband had to like hold me.

Yeah. And actually, yeah, I told him, I was like, well, we're going to do that because we want kids. I was like, I don't want to live if I don't have kids. Like that was kind of my mindset back then. And he said, OK. And finally, we decided to like tell our families what was going on and like update them. And I actually had to like kind of fight my family about that fertility decision because they were like, go, go, go, go, go. Like this is going to spread so fast.

And I said, no, like, that's not what I want. I don't want to rush everything. I was like, I want to go on like with fertility. And I remember they were like pretty like mad, but they weren't telling me. They were telling my dad and my sister. And my dad and my sister were just trying to like protect me from everything that was going on. So yeah, they still came to visit. And I think they tried their best not to like say anything about that. They were just like bringing flowers and stuff.

Aurora Lucas (18:27.184)
So then next came like the fertility treatments. It was about three weeks and

they were able to harvest like 16 eggs. And actually during that time, I learned about second opinions. Yeah, I learned about second opinions. Some people had told me, hey, like you're at a great place. Your oncologist is great, but that's not normal. Like you being 28. In my head, I'm like, I know people who have like breast cancer and stuff. And they're like, no, you have lung cancer. And I said,

okay. And then they were telling me, they're like, just, you know, look around. So then I decided to go for a second opinion. I heard of like a great doctor in Chicago. And then came the conversation with my oncologist. I was like, I'm going to go for a second opinion. She's like, why? Yeah, what's like the reason? And then that guilt. I was like, holy

Yeah, the guilt was just like, well, I was like, well, I understand that my story is unique. I had to explain to her. It was like breaking up. Like, that's what it felt like. Because, yeah.

The Patient from Hell (19:48.386)
You end up breaking up? But you just went for a second opinion – you did end up breaking up.

Aurora Lucas (19:50.992)
Yes, yes, I did end up going after the second opinion. That was after they actually made the radiation plans already. They were ready. Like it was just a few days from me actually doing the chemo. I was like, I'm sorry. Everything was like ready to go. But I'm like, okay, there's this like three day window. And then I went to go see this other lung cancer specialist. And I was like, they understand everything that's going on.

And then instead of like the six rounds of chemo, he was like, no, you only need two. And then I think by that time I was always like ready to fight. I was like, what do you mean two? And then he's like, well, I've been working with like lung cancer patients for 40 years. And I understand like your body doesn't have to be so harmed by chemotherapy. I've seen people have great results with just two and let's try that out first. And the way he was explaining it, I was like, that makes so much sense.

So I stayed with the second opinion team.

The Patient from Hell (20:51.458)
Aurora, when did you do biomarking?

Aurora Lucas (20:52.4)
Mm-hmm.

That was, yeah, with my first oncologist. The biomarker testing. Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (20:58.69)
Okay, so did you wait before doing the treatment plan?

Aurora Lucas (21:04.424)
Yes, that was actually, I think around those days with December 6th of when I was diagnosed. But it was all so rushed. They were like biomarker testing, mutation. And I was like, what are they talking about? I think my brain was just so overwhelmed. And when they actually said the word mutation, I was like, what do you mean mutation? Like something's.

You know, I think of like the Hulk or some cartoon character. I was like, is like the cancer going to turn into something else? Am I going to become this weird thing? And they were like, no, it's just to figure out the best treatment plan for you. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

The Patient from Hell (21:45.41)
I remember the health analogy.

Aurora Lucas (21:49.296)
Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (21:51.65)
How did you, when did you go from like thinking it's a bad thing to thinking it's a good thing?

Aurora Lucas (21:52.24)
Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (21:57.776)
the biomarker, right when they explained it, but that happened after, after I was already kind of like on the edge. I wish they had said like, we're going to do this testing to figure out your, your treatment plan. And it's called biomarker testing. Like that would have made sense instead of we're going to try to figure out your mutation. Cause I was like ninja, you know, I was thinking of like the ninja mutant turtles. I think that's what they're called. Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (22:28.752)
Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (22:30.498)
Interesting. Okay, all right. So second opinion doc, you break up with the first doc. So real. So real. That is so real. Okay. You switch care and you go from many cycles of chemo to two cycles of chemo. Did you get target... Wait, can you remind me? Did you have a... Did you have targeted therapy? I can't remember.

Aurora Lucas (22:35.632)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah. Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (22:44.337)
Okay.

Aurora Lucas (22:49.552)
Yeah, so I did two rounds of chemo at the same time of 30 days of radiation. And then actually, yeah, what's interesting is I was supposed to have surgery because I was irrespectable because the cancer had already wrapped around the lymph nodes. And so they were preparing my body for surgery, but the chemo and radiation worked so well,

when they were explaining targeted therapy, I was like, why can't I just go straight to targeted therapy? So I'm actually that patient who didn't do the surgery. I just did chemo, radiation, and now I'm on targeted therapy. No. Mm-mm.

The Patient from Hell (23:30.946)
so they didn't give you target?

The Patient from Hell (23:37.186)
even though you have a mutation?

Aurora Lucas (23:37.328)
Yeah.

Right? I wonder that too. Yeah. No. Mm-mm.

The Patient from Hell (23:46.626)
And you, and did you ask? Because the thing that struck me in your introduction, by the way, is I think you said two things that really hit a chord with me. You said back then I didn't ask a lot of questions and back then I was still trusting the system.

Aurora Lucas (23:54.0)
Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (24:01.296)
Yeah, I didn't ask. I think the first time I asked was really like the surgery. I was like, why is this necessary? If you guys know so many like stage four patients where the cancer is like kind of disappearing, like they presented it as a miracle drug. I think I did wonder back then I was like, why didn't I do that first? But I wasn't like asking because I was like, they're lung cancer specialists at like a research hospital.

The Patient from Hell (24:29.026)
Would you have asked today?

Aurora Lucas (24:29.3)
I think if that was me today, yeah, I think I'd at least come with like the Manta planner or my journal because I learned that you need a piece of notebook to look like you know what you're talking about because at first I wasn't bringing anything now I'm like I have my notebook, I'm ready.

Aurora Lucas (24:53.04)
Now I'm more comfortable with like asking and I think they know too that I do advocacy stuff. So they're, I think they're more ready if I'm, you know, yeah.

The Patient from Hell (25:02.306)
Yeah. What got you to being more comfortable? What got you to becoming more comfortable? Like what changed?

Aurora Lucas (25:06.32)
What was that?

Aurora Lucas (25:11.328)
What changed was, I think that moment about surgery, that was one of the first few times I actually like really spoke up. Because I was like, I'm not doing that. Because it was to the point where I had to already talk to like my surgeon, and they were planning everything. I was like, here we go. You know, I have to speak up again, just like the second opinion thing. And it worked. So every time I saw like me speaking up actually changes things

to how I wanted it, it gave me more confidence.

Because there were always those moments where they're like, any questions? And I just stare at them and I say, no. But then there was really all these thoughts going on in my mind. Yeah. Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (25:54.786)
Interesting. And where are you today? So you're on targeted therapy today.

Aurora Lucas (26:03.792)
Mm-hmm. I'm on targeted therapy today. Yep.

The Patient from Hell (26:07.298)
Aurora, can I ask you a difficult question?

Aurora Lucas (26:10.288)
Go ahead.

The Patient from Hell (26:11.682)
If you do not answer it, you can be like, Samira, we're going to skip this question. We're going to move on. How do you grapple with the uncertainty of the future? And how long do you think you're going to be able to do that?

Aurora Lucas (26:13.776)
Mm-hmm. Sure. Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (26:22.832)
Mmm.

It's a really good question. So that person, I think it was almost two years ago before I went on targeted therapy. My question was like, how do you know this isn't gonna come back? I started asking that question to my doctor and they were like, well, this drug and like the statistics, it's really good. And they were like, it's like a cancer police. And I think that wasn't enough for me. I was like medication, you know, like, I was like, this is gonna come back. So.

One thing with social media, there was one account I followed, the cancer patient, and I think I just like laugh it off. Yeah, I'm just like, one time I reposted it, I was like, I think this is too dark for my family. Because I'm always like, you know, trying to comfort them about my diagnosis as a young person. But it was really when I attended the Hope Summit last year, that I met people who have already

experienced the worst, which is reoccurrence. And they kind of explained like, it can happen anytime. They're like, I'm not gonna lie to you that reoccurrence is not a thing that don't think about it, you know, they said, well, when that happens, you'll know exactly what to do. You know what questions to ask, you'll be more prepared. And if things work out, research has already advanced at that time. And so when they told me that I was like,

The Patient from Hell (27:26.562)
Hmm.

Aurora Lucas (27:53.2)
Like, you're right, it's not gonna be like how I was in September, like not knowing anything. They were like, you know, you're more prepared the next time around.

Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (28:07.906)
How do you handle your family?

Aurora Lucas (28:10.864)
That's a really good question. I think I have my own world with advocacy. Even now when I'm like, I was scrolling on Facebook and this girl had recurrence and they're like, don't say those things. So I kind of, I journal a lot actually. This is my fourth journal of the year. You see how thick? Yeah, I'm on day like 450 of journaling, but a part of that's like, okay, so.

The Patient from Hell (28:32.674)
Hello.

Aurora Lucas (28:39.728)
I think of the worst. I'm like, if something happens, I leave behind something with my family. But also like, I'm able to brain dump things. Yeah. And I'm, you know, dreaming of like traveling. I'm like, well, you never know what happens, lung cancer or cancer or no cancer, right? So like, just I think trying to make time for like travels as well.

The Patient from Hell (29:06.498)
How has life changed for you with the cancer diagnosis?

Aurora Lucas (29:10.96)
Hmm. So I'll tell you what a nurse told me. She's like, well, she's like, the only people you could surround yourself with now is healthy relationships. And at that time I was teaching in a school and like, I would tell you my day to day, I would go to that school and I love my students, but be stressed out by administration. Go home, do more paperwork, take a break.

go to sleep, wake up at 4 a to do more paperwork. So it was just like the grind. And I was also in school, so I felt like I was just like running like a hamster on a wheel. But ever since the nurse told me like, you need healthy relationships. So I started really like evaluating how people talk to me and treated me. I never went back to that job. And I work remote now.

That's a big thing. We actually moved out of state but came back. So that was another big jump. But I think for me, life has changed. My purpose now is hoping that no other patients go through what I did. So I try to talk about it a lot via social media.

The Patient from Hell (30:29.41)
How are you getting through your day though?

Aurora Lucas (30:35.088)
My day.

The Patient from Hell (30:36.162)
Mm hmm. Because it's helping other people. And I am with you. I share that. I think, I think like, I think we're like, we're on very similar paths, right? Like, different diagnoses, but like, I think very similar in terms of like, chapter two, three, four of life is about giving back to this community and making sure that we go through the same things we went through. So I think we're very similar in that way. So like that takes up.

Aurora Lucas (30:37.968)
Every day.

Aurora Lucas (30:41.954)
Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (30:45.712)
Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (30:56.144)
Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (31:01.008)
Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (31:03.618)
vast majority of space, but that's also just that like, Sunday? This was hard!

Aurora Lucas (31:06.928)
Mm-hmm.

Yeah, like it is, it does get heavy. Like today it's rainy outside, so my mood's reflecting that. Yeah, and I think it's...

Aurora Lucas (31:24.048)
finding the balance of like, okay, let's do everything now because you never know how short life is. And then when that's over, it's like, shit, I'm still here. I'm still only 31 and I'm still trying to build this life. But there's yeah, that moment where you're like, holy crap, like there's still so much time, but at the same time, there's not a lot of time. Yeah.

The Patient from Hell (31:46.962)
my god, I feel you. I feel you on that one and it's not even funny. I fully just thought -

Aurora Lucas (31:47.664)
Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (31:53.264)
Right. Right. And when somebody brings, mm-hmm. Yeah, and when people bring up retirement, I'm like, what's that?

The Patient from Hell (32:04.098)
So, here's a question for you. How long, how much in the future can you look? you're fine. How much in the future can you look?

Aurora Lucas (32:06.96)
Mm-hmm. I'm sorry. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Not past 50. So my mom passed away at 57. Yeah, my dad's still here. He's actually upstairs. But when I saw my mom go through that at such a young age, I was like, she was like that immigrant mom, just working so hard and got so sick. So I think I learned my lesson of like, you're so like dispensable by all these companies, you know, you work so hard and get money, but then you spend that money.

So I think I've had that outlook of like, yes, you need to like live life. But yeah, I think honestly, when I visualize things, it's like 50s. And I don't know what happens after.

The Patient from Hell (32:51.426)
Hey, you're doing better. All right, at least you got to 50. I don't think I can see past 40. And it's wild, right? Because I had early stage breast cancer. So the statistics are actually, I don't have a rational reason to not see beyond 40. But my brain just doesn't get there. And that too has been progression. So I got diagnosed 2020.

Aurora Lucas (32:56.272)
Right. How about you?

Mmmmm

Aurora Lucas (33:10.448)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (33:19.6)
Mmm.

The Patient from Hell (33:20.962)
I can't see past three weeks. 2021 is like, okay, I'll write a couple months. 2022 is like, okay, like three, four, six months, seven months, okay. 2023 was like one year. And I was like, huh, I can see out one year. Like that's pretty, like I was like, my God, mind blown, one year out, yes, score. Today I'm like, what, two years, three years, five years, six years, like, eh.

Aurora Lucas (33:23.12)
Mmm.

Aurora Lucas (33:37.008)
Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (33:44.016)
Mm-hmm.

The Patient from Hell (33:45.378)
And visualization past that is super hard. I just, I can't do it yet. So man, kudos to you. Good job.

Aurora Lucas (33:48.944)
Yeah. Yeah.

Aurora Lucas (33:57.104)
Yeah. Mm-hmm. And I, so I was raised in the Philippines. And I think when my family thinks about retirement, they're like, I want to go home. I'm like, I'm 31. I'm ready to go home. That's my mindset. I'm like, I'm ready to be around like the mangoes and all of those things. It's like what my family thinks they'll achieve at like 60 or 70 is like when they rest. And I'm like, I'm ready to rest. I'm like, I'm ready to chill out.

The Patient from Hell (34:26.018)
Why don't you? Why not go back?

Aurora Lucas (34:28.944)
Yeah, that's the other question. My husband's actually, he can't go back or he can't re-enter this country. So there's that. Yeah. Yeah. We have that other dynamic in our marriage. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. And immigration doesn't care if you're sick. That's the other thing. Yep.

The Patient from Hell (34:44.738)
feel you. Immigration is real.

The Patient from Hell (34:58.946)
I There are a lot of corporate codes on this one, I will tell you that much.

Aurora Lucas (35:01.936)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

The Patient from Hell (35:04.77)
Okay, so here's my like wrap up question for you. Someone got diagnosed today. Okay, and lung cancer, AYA, you can take your time. What are the three things you might tell them to do?

Aurora Lucas (35:07.92)
Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (35:15.312)
Mm-hmm.

Aurora Lucas (35:21.816)
Hmm, do not search on Google because it's gonna feel like a death sentence. You'll see like I saw the statistics and I was like that's gonna scare the shit out of you and your family and your friends. I would say actually go on TikTok and look for survivors there. That's the other thing I would tell them. Yeah. And the other thing would be go on Facebook and join –

either search lung cancer or if you already know your biomarker, go search those groups. You'll be surrounded by people that know exactly what you're going through. Number three is like speak up. Bring that notebook or that planner to your appointments and look like you know what you're talking about. Because if you just look lost or tired, it's easy that they'll overlook who you are and you're just another number, another patient.

Yep.

The Patient from Hell (36:21.666)
Thank you for sharing that.

Aurora Lucas (36:23.44)
Thank you.

The Patient from Hell (36:24.802)
I cannot explain how happy I am that you are finally a guest on this podcast.

Aurora Lucas (36:29.2)
Thank you so much for having me. And I'm learning. Yeah.

The Patient from Hell (36:32.514)
I forgot one thing.

I forgot one thing, you did something this weekend. So let's talk about it.

Aurora Lucas (36:37.232)
Yeah, I did. I recorded my first podcast via Substack. Yeah, so you know, I don't have a name still. That's the thing. It's just kind of like a Substack blog, but I will figure out the name soon. But that's the other part about resting is like, really believing I'm a creative and

The Patient from Hell (36:42.946)
Yeah! Alright! What's it called?

The Patient from Hell (36:51.842)
No, I didn't.

Aurora Lucas (37:03.632)
diving into that instead of just doing work related things. I'm like, let me do creative things that supposedly we don't have time to do, but we really do.

The Patient from Hell (37:14.498)
I love it. All right. We're going to link to your Substack blog? Newsletter. You maybe give us a link because we can link.

Aurora Lucas (37:15.728)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

I will or search Aurora Lucas Substack. It should pop up. Yeah. Thank you, Samira.

The Patient from Hell (37:27.426)
Okay, a lot of good stuff. Thank you. Really appreciate it. Thank you.