I Beat The Odds And This Is How I Celebrate 10 Years Cancer-Free

Undergoing lifesaving procedures is a heavy experience, but for survivor Heather, she decided to embrace and celebrate the day that she had her lung removed. Read more below.

My daughter is in the 5th grade. In school, kids often get asked what their favorite holiday is. There are the usual responses: Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving. My daughter always says "Lung Leavin' Day."

She gets many strange looks and questions, understandably so. After she explains that Lung Leavin' Day is the celebration of the day I lost my lung to malignant mesothelioma, people ask even more questions. Most people would think of something like this as a bad thing - something to forget, but not our family. We've turned it into a holiday, and like any holiday, it brings people together.

The day I had my surgery to remove my lung is a day worth celebrating. Without the surgery, I was told I'd only live another 15 months. With surgery, I had the possibility of a much longer life. I became a 10‐year survivor this year in 2016, and am happy to say that I continue to thrive.

Lung Leavin' Day, Then & Now

The tradition itself was something my sister and husband came up with when I was going through my second surgical biopsy. They decided that we should call it "Lung Leavin' Day," and it became a way for us to symbolically conquer our fears each year. We take a plate and a sharpie marker, write our fears on that plate, and smash it into a bonfire in our backyard.

On February 2 nd , 2006, the one year anniversary of my surgery, I had all but forgotten about the plans, but my ever‐faithful husband came home that day with two plates and sharpies. He went to the backyard and started a bonfire. We took our plates, wrote our fears on them, and after a bit of reflection over the last year and looking forward to the future, we smashed our plates. It was an incredibly cathartic experience, and we decided that we'd throw a party the following year and share our new tradition with our loved ones.

Since then, every year on the first Saturday of February, we throw a huge celebration. It's grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years and I've been able to share the day with other cancer survivors. Not only survivors of mesothelioma, but many other cancer warriors as well. I dedicate the night to the many mesothelioma warriors past and present, so people don't forget the real reason why they are here.

The 6th year, we decided it was time to give back to the mesothelioma community that has been such an important part of our lives. To date, we've raised close to $30,000 for mesothelioma research and asbestos education. Giving back and having a real purpose behind the party has given it new life.

Hitting the 10‐year mark was a huge goal, and we pulled out all the stops for the party: a huge bonfire, confetti cannons. To me, it's better than a birthday. Our friends and family all surround us and celebrate with us; even the kids get into it, writing their fears on paper plates and throwing them in the bonfire.

Over the years, I've had people tell me how the party has impacted them. It gave one friend courage to seek help for an eating disorder, it gave another the strength to get through a very difficult divorce. I am continually amazed by what this day means to so many people.

Where I'm Going From Here

Hitting 10 years is something that seemed like a long shot when I was diagnosed. Mesothelioma survival rates are dismally low, but getting involved with the meso community showed me that it can be done. Medical treatments continue to improve and evolve, and survival rates are getting better.

10 years doesn't mark the end for me though, it is the start of a new decade of survivorship, a new decade of advocacy and activism. Asbestos is still legal and lethal in this country. Mesothelioma is still relatively an unknown cancer , and awareness for it is lacking. My goal is to educate and inspire, give hope and inform. If one person is impacted by my work and story, then I'm doing something right. Watch out world, I'm just getting started.

Have you ever had a similar experience? Share your thoughts in the comments below!