Faith, loved ones and top-notch care helped Tammy beat lung cancer
Life can be unjust, and it seems especially cruel when two people from the same family suffer from the same disease. That’s what happened to Tammy. “My older brother died of lung cancer. He was a smoker. I never smoked a day in my life, so hearing I had lung cancer was a bit of a shock,” she said. But from the moment she found out, Tammy chose to stay positive. “You have to declare ‘I’m going to be okay.’ You have to push forward and just keep pushing,” she said.
Tammy’s cancer diagnosis came out of the blue. She had diabetes, and her daughter, a registered nurse, was concerned. At her urging, Tammy sought treatment at UT Medical Center’s Regional Health Center-Sevierville. “Dr. Michael Hodgson checked me over good at the time. He said you have a urinary tract infection and gave me antibiotics,” she said. But the UTI got worse, so Tammy was referred to Dr. Ryan Pickens, a urologist.
That’s when a test revealed a potential issue with Tammy’s lung. “They were scanning my kidneys and happened to scan high enough to catch the nodules,” she said. With no symptoms and no difficulty breathing, it was the first time she’d been made aware that there might be a problem. Lung nodules are common, but a biopsy can determine if they’re cancerous. Not long after her biopsy, Tammy received a phone call. “As soon as I heard the doctor’s voice, I knew. I had lung cancer,” she said. “I have faith. I just knew it was going to be OK, and I told the doctor that I wanted the surgery.”
Tammy was placed under the care of Dr. Sean Jordan, a thoracic oncologist and surgeon here at UT Medical Center. “Dr. Jordan was just awesome. From the first time I consulted with him, he put me at ease. He was confident. He was like ‘I’ve got this,’” she said. Just two weeks after receiving her results, Tammy was in surgery. With her family, friends and church praying for her, “I had faith that God would take care of me,” she said. During Tammy’s operation, Dr. Jordan and his team removed the top lobe of her left lung. “Surgery was kind of a breeze. Soon after I got to the recovery room, I had physical therapy.” And after a couple of nights in the hospital, she went home. “I had excellent care and a great support system,” she said.
After Tammy recovered, life went on, and that included going back to work and taking care of her husband. “At the time I was going through all of this, he was in bad health,” she said. “I didn’t have time to be sick.” In her early 60s, Tammy knew she needed to set priorities. “Having cancer does make you think about your future, especially at my age. One thing on my bucket list was to hike to Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains,” she said. And with the company of her sister, nephew and a couple of co-workers, she accomplished that feat, just three months after her surgery.
But once you’ve had cancer, it becomes a lifelong concern. “I tested positive for EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) which means I had the gene for cancer to reoccur,” she said. For a year, Tammy was prescribed Tagrisso, an oral medication that can slow or stop cancer from coming back. Tammy also continued regular appointments with her medical team. “Dr. Jordan kept scanning and checking my progress and looking for recurrence,” she said. She was fine until life threw her another series of curve balls. “In August 2023, I lost my husband. Fast forward to Fall 2024, and I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer,” she said. As her cancer returned, so did her optimism. “Again, I wasn't worried because of my faith,” she said. “I was anxious to have the left side of my thyroid removed, and I am once again cancer free.”
Tammy’s medical team recently determined that her check-ins can be yearly. “I’m just so blessed. Everything has worked out,” she said. She’s once again fully engaged with her family. “I go to the grandkids’ sporting events. They’re my heart and my determination to keep going.”
Still, Tammy’s emotions are mixed. “My brother fought for two years before he passed,” she said. “It was a hard couple of years with chemo, radiation and all that. Why was mine so easy? I don’t want to take it for granted. I pray that everybody can have such a good experience if they have to go through this.”