Barbara R. lives in Northern Virginia, where she enjoys decorating her eclectic apartment, going on long walks, and diving into all things creative. A born-again Christian and cancer survivor, she finds strength in her faith and healing through storytelling. Under the pen name James Rose King, she writes noir-inspired mysteries, emotional dramas, and reflective pieces that explore the darker corners of life with a redemptive lens. Her growing collection of eBooks includes everything from crime fiction to children’s stories.
At the end of 2022, Barbara R. was feeling better than she had in years. She had just quit smoking after 35 years and was embracing a new chapter in her life rooted in faith, self-care, and personal growth.
“I had just become a born-again Christian,” she said. “I told myself, ‘You can’t be reading the Bible with a cigarette in your hand.’ I was ready to make a change. So, I quit smoking and just decided to take my health more seriously overall.”
Those changes likely saved her life.
Looking to be proactive about her health, Barbara read online that she qualified for lung cancer screening based on her smoking history. “I wasn’t having any issues or symptoms at all,” she recalled. “But I thought, why not? I’ll just go get the scan.”
Three days later, on July 17, 2023, coincidentally her first day at a new job, Barbara got a call. The scan had picked up a suspicious nodule in her lung.
From healthy to stage 3 (III) lung cancer
Barbara’s doctors moved quickly. A biopsy, PET scan, and other follow-up tests confirmed a diagnosis of stage 3A (IIIA) non-small cell lung cancer, driven by an EGFR mutation.
“The doctor asked me if I needed time to decide what to do. I said, ‘What’s there to think about?’ I was ready to get after it.”
Her surgeon believed he could remove the tumor in her lung completely. On September 20 of that year, Barbara had a successful upper lobectomy (surgery to remove the upper lobe of a lung). “Through it all, I still had no symptoms.”
After surgery, Barbara underwent 4 months of chemotherapy followed by Tagrisso (osimertinib), a targeted therapy for EGFR lung cancer. “The chemo hit my stomach hard, but I didn’t care. Every time I threw up, I thanked God because I was still here.”
Saved by screening
Today, Barbara still takes her targeted therapy every night and sees her oncologist monthly. Her scans continue to show no evidence of disease. “I thank God every day. Every second of every day. I know that I am living for a bigger purpose now, and I know that He and my doctors are the reason for that.”
It’s also not lost on Barbara that lung cancer screening saved her life. “My doctors told me that my lung cancer was probably not caused by smoking since I have the EGFR mutation,” she says, “but because I had a smoking history, I was eligible for the screening that found the cancer. I know that not everyone is so lucky, and I know I was almost unlucky too. I can’t waste what I’ve been given now.”
A voice for the next generation
Barbara didn’t stop there. She soon left her new job because she felt called to do more, especially for communities like the one where she grew up.
“I was raised in the Bronx. That environment shaped me. Cigarette ads were everywhere. I started smoking at 16 because I thought it was cool. Now, I want to fight back against that messaging.”
Barbara has begun writing articles, blog posts, and even noir fiction under a pen name. But her deepest passion is advocacy. She wants to share her story with young people, especially those in underserved communities, to help them understand their worth and the power of their choices.
“They need to hear, ‘You matter. You can take care of yourself. You’re not stuck.’ I was bitter for years and carrying so much childhood trauma and anger. But faith pulled me out. It helped me forgive, and now it’s helping me to survive and to thrive. They need to understand that their lives have value too.”
Advice to the newly diagnosed: “break down, then get up”
Barbara knows how overwhelming a lung cancer diagnosis can be—especially for those who feel blindsided. Her advice is simple: “Take 24 hours. Cry, scream, break down if you need to. But the next day, you’ve got to get up. You’ve got to fight.”
She also believes in listening to your gut. “If something doesn’t feel right, if your doctor isn’t listening, go find someone who will. Your life depends on it.”
Gratitude and grace
Now 54, Barbara is embracing the future with energy and purpose. She continues to write, to volunteer, and to tell her story to anyone who will listen.
“I used to smoke 2 packs a day. I thought I’d never quit. But when I finally made the decision, that was it. No cravings. No looking back.”
Barbara knows she got lucky. But she also knows she’s here for a reason. “If one person reads my story and says, ‘I’m going to quit smoking’ or ‘I’m going to get screened,’ then I’ve done my job,” she says. “Then I can rest wonderfully.”
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