Greg's story - his lung cancer journey – full version
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2026 4:37 am
I’m Greg, and I’ve beaten cancer. I’ve always been fairly fit and have worked hard all my life. I raised my three boys on my own over 16 years. Now they all have children, so I have three grandkids and one more on the way.
I smoked for nearly 41 years. It started with one or two cigarettes a day—sometimes taking one from my dad or a friend. Over time, it increased steadily until I was smoking at least 50 cigarettes every day. In the last two years of smoking, I knew each cigarette was harming me. I understood the risk every time, but I continued anyway.
My health began to decline. Every morning, I coughed so badly that I tried to hide it from others. I stopped doing many things and made excuses to avoid going out because I wasn’t well. I knew I couldn’t keep up anymore. The coughing became constant, along with spitting. At one point, I used a rag from my truck and noticed blood in it.
The situation became severe. I coughed so intensely that I passed out because I couldn’t breathe. At that moment, I believed I was going to die right there in the middle of the bush. It didn’t feel like I would just collapse—it felt final.
That experience forced me to make a decision. I knew I had damaged my body and needed to stop smoking and take action while I still could.
One night, the coughing became relentless. It started around 9:30 PM and continued until about 9:45 the next morning. It was so severe that I finally went to the doctor the following day. That was the first time I sought medical help.
I smoked for nearly 41 years. It started with one or two cigarettes a day—sometimes taking one from my dad or a friend. Over time, it increased steadily until I was smoking at least 50 cigarettes every day. In the last two years of smoking, I knew each cigarette was harming me. I understood the risk every time, but I continued anyway.
My health began to decline. Every morning, I coughed so badly that I tried to hide it from others. I stopped doing many things and made excuses to avoid going out because I wasn’t well. I knew I couldn’t keep up anymore. The coughing became constant, along with spitting. At one point, I used a rag from my truck and noticed blood in it.
The situation became severe. I coughed so intensely that I passed out because I couldn’t breathe. At that moment, I believed I was going to die right there in the middle of the bush. It didn’t feel like I would just collapse—it felt final.
That experience forced me to make a decision. I knew I had damaged my body and needed to stop smoking and take action while I still could.
One night, the coughing became relentless. It started around 9:30 PM and continued until about 9:45 the next morning. It was so severe that I finally went to the doctor the following day. That was the first time I sought medical help.