Aaron+W

Josiah Kelly is a lung cancer survivor. He lives with his wife in Alberquerque.

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I am Oskar Blechner. When I was just twenty-eight years old, I fled Germany and boarded a ship from Hamburg to Havana: the SS St. Louis. My girlfriend, Elise, was already making a new life in America, and I wished to join her as soon as time would allow. As the ship approached Cuba, we were told by the marshals that the Cuban government had deemed our visas invalid, which meant that we could not stay there. After about two weeks of waiting on the ship with a couple of close friends, the ship was headed back to Europe, as it had no other place to go. With this news, I wrote Elise, and we agreed to end our relationship due to the terrible circumstances. When the ship arrived in Europe, I was granted refuge in Great Britain. Luckily, it was one of the countries that were not under Nazi control; however, life was not as easy as I thought it would be. I was classified as a foreigner, and I barely had any money. I sold some of my valuables to sustain myself until I had found a job of manufacturing belts. Shortly after, I was fortunate to receive temporary shelter with the Verat family. The eldest daughter of the family, Gwen, was skilled with languages, particularly French and German. She was called up to eavesdrop on German radio to warn the Allied military of upcoming air attacks. I fell in love with Gwen, and we married in 1942.

I was scared because I did not want die, but I knew I would be somewhere better if I had. Looking back, I was glad that I went through this experience. It made me appreciate life and family a lot more. They were in tears when I was diagnosed. Throughout the treatment, they were very supportive and caring for me. Overall, I think it strengthened my faith in God and made me appreciate life a lot more. I was 45 years old when I was diagnosed, and 46 after I was done with chemo. I was thinking of all the things I would do with my family before I died if the cancer was terminal. Luckily, it was an early stage of cancer and I got it removed. I was so relieved that I could spend more time with my friends and family. Most of the time, I was doing bronchial exercises to increase my lung activity. Other than that, I mostly just slept in the beds. None. I was determined to heal, and I was positive that I would. I trusted God to do what he planned for me. The support from my family and friends gave me the hope to make it through the treatment. I love them so much. I believe that I was lucky to have discovered the cancer so early. Otherwise, it may have been terminal. It was also a wonder that the surgery had gone flawlessly. Six weeks of radiation and eight months of chemotherapy. Radiation treatment and chemotherapy mostly. I had to do many tests and exercises for my recovery. Stay strong, and keep your faith in God. They were great. I couldn’t have made it through without their positive attitudes and helpfulness. It gave me a greater outlook on life and the true meaning of happiness.
 * How did you feel when you were diagnosed with cancer? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">How was your family affected by this? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">How did cancer affect you mentally and emotionally? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">How old were you when you were diagnosed? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What was on your mind when you first found out? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What kind of activities did you do during your time in the hospital? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What kind of history does your family have with cancer? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What was your attitude during treatment? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What motivated you to stay positive? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Do you consider yourself lucky? Why? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">How long were you in treatment? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What kinds of treatment did you go through? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">What advice would you give to other cancer patients? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">How did you doctors treat you? **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">How did this experience change you? **

script:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">I am Josiah Kelly. My wife, Nellie, and I are both teachers at Gallup High School in Albuquerque. I had no idea that I had lung cancer until a trip to the Cancer Treatment Center of America in March 1993. The doctor diagnosed me and scheduled a bronchial test to confirm it. My whole family, including my daughter and son, flew in just before I took the test. It confirmed my lung cancer. We quickly found a lung surgeon who felt confident he could operate and remove the cancer. The tumor was found to be 10 centimeters wide and attached to a heart sac. I endured the surgery, and in the afternoon I was already drinking coffee at a coffee shop. It was truly a miracle. Though the surgery had gone flawlessly, the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes in my blood. I was to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatment. I did six weeks of radiation treatment first. I experienced minor tiredness, and it wasn’t bad at all. Then I began my eight months of chemo. Through this time, I experienced tiredness and hair loss, but I had plenty of support from friends and family. Today, I am completely cancer free, thanks to God, my friends and family, and all the staff at the CTCA hospital.