“I was afraid that I might die, but I was also frightened that I might not sing again…”
Music has the power to transform situations and people. It evokes memories that were made when we first heard our favorite tunes or motivates us while we create and accomplish new goals.
Millicent Wilson, a 62-year-old mother of two and a grandmother of five can relate to how transformative music really is. With her favorite song being "At Last" by Miss Etta James, this dynamic vocalist knows the power of a great song.
She was also reminded how much it meant to her the day she was diagnosed with lung cancer and thought she may never be able to sing again.
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While watching tv one night, Milli saw a woman in a PSA climbing up a mountain of cigarette butts.
Intrigued by the visuals, Milli listened closely to the message about the lung cancer risks that were being shared with her in the PSA and began to think about her mother and brother who were both previously diagnosed with lung cancer and succumbed to the disease.
She knew this PSA was for her and that the low-dose CT scan referenced in the commercial was something she wanted to have done.
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A low-dose CT scan is a special kind of X-ray that takes multiple pictures as you lie on a table that slides in and out of a machine. A computer then combines these images into a detailed picture of your lungs.
A study on early detection of lung cancer found that the low-dose CT cancer screening test can reduce mortality for those at high risk, in fact, survival rates are more than four times higher when lung cancer is detected early. However, currently, only 4.2% of those eligible for the scan are having it done.
“I never thought that lung cancer was something that could happen to me; even though I smoked for more than 40 years and I had family that died from it...I was in denial.”
After seeing the PSA, Milli took action by requesting a low-dose CT scan with her primary doctor. Her scan was done in March of 2018 and in April she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
Milli had no symptoms and no idea this was happening inside of her body. She was diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer and immediately began working with her doctors to create a treatment plan.
A couple of years ago, the doctors removed a six-centimeter mass from her right lung, about the size of a make-up compact. Milli recalls, “Not only did Saved By The Scan save my life, it gave me a new voice.”
Today Milli celebrates AND sings, “I am a lung cancer THRIVER!” Milli is truly a living example of how screening can save lives.
If you're a current or former smoker and over the age of 55, you could be at high risk for lung cancer. To see if you’re eligible for a low-dose CT scan, visit SavedByTheScan.org.
Bryana Holcomb is the Editor of BlackDoctor.org and graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Gender and Women's Studies, an MBA in Management Strategy, and Life Coaching and Nutrition certifications. Connect with Bryana on Instagram, @BryDelicia.
