Trish Vanderploeg

Welcome to my CaringBridge site.  In early January 2015, doctors found a mass in my left lung and many smaller spots throughout both lungs. After several subsequent medical tests and biopsies, on Jan. 20th, I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. It's non-small cell lung cancer, adenocarcinoma. There is a small lesion in my brain as well, which hasn't been confirmed cancer, but is highly likely. I've never been a smoker, and I'm fit and healthy otherwise, so this came as quite a shock. As you may know, I am a 3 time breast cancer survivor, the last time being in 2007, but we never expected this.  This new cancer is a new primary and is totally unrelated to my breast cancer.  My biopsy samples were immediately sent to Mayo Clinic where they've been tested and retested to determine if I am a candidate for a new-ish targeted therapy.  So far, they haven't found me a match, and my oncologist felt we could not wait any longer to begin treatment, so I began chemotherapy on Feb. 10, 2015. My "cocktail" includes Alimta and Carboplatin.  My positive thoughts are flowing, and I intend to keep that up. I feel God has this in His hands.  I don't understand the path He is taking me and my family down, but I'm trying to trust the journey.