Never Smoked, still diagnosed: A Stage 4 Lung Cancer journey
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Meet Ruth McClellan. Diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in July 2020, Ruth’s diagnosis came after a routine checkup and an unexpected cough. Having suffered from bronchitis her entire life, she didn’t think much of the persistent cough until it wouldn’t go away.
“I had a chest x-ray, which showed a spot in my left lobe,” Ruth recalls. “Then, I had a CAT scan, which showed a mass. A PET scan showed that I had cancer in my lung and in my skeletal system.”
Ruth’s diagnosis was devastating, but it was only the beginning of her fight. In 2021, she had a brain lesion radiated, and she continues to monitor a spot where necrotic tissue is appearing, watching closely to ensure it doesn’t reoccur.
When most people hear “lung cancer,” they often assume it’s due to a heavy smoking history. But Ruth challenges that assumption.
“You know, the first thing people ask when you tell them you have lung cancer is, ‘Are you a smoker?’” she says. “The important thing for everyone to realize is that anybody with lungs can get lung cancer—and they don’t deserve it.”
Ruth’s fight became even harder during the pandemic, but support from others helped her push forward. She reached out to the GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer Research and received a “phone buddy”—someone who understood her struggle.
“I remember he called me while I was parked in the Lowe’s Foods parking lot. We spoke for hours, and he gave me my first sense of hope,” Ruth says.
That sense of connection led Ruth to Live Lung, an organization that started a lung cancer support group in Wilmington due to Ruth’s own desperate need for people to talk to.
“I’m really grateful for the help and guidance I’ve received from Live Lung,” Ruth says. “It’s given me a community I can rely on.”
Ruth’s journey also took her to a Livestrong event focused on exercise, where she realized just how much life she still had in her.
“A friend of mine asked, ‘Have you ever thought about playing pickleball?’ And I said, ‘No, but I’ll give it a shot. I love anything with a bat and a ball.’ So we went to the House of Pickleball, took a lesson—and I was hooked!”
Today, Ruth is an avid pickleball player, and it’s become a vital part of her recovery.
“I suffer from chronic fatigue every day, but when I get out on that court and see friendly faces smiling back at me, my adrenaline kicks in, and I know I’m going to have a good day. It makes my day worthwhile,” she says.
Ruth’s message to others is clear: get screened for lung cancer.
“I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for early screening and the new targeted drugs that are being developed every day,” she says. “Survivorship is being extended, and I try to maintain a positive attitude and do the best I can for myself every day.”
For those in need of support, Ruth invites anyone who needs a shoulder to lean on to join Live Lung’s local support group, which meets every first Thursday of the month.
