Listening to the Small Voice Within
I’ve always been a runner, so when my back started to hurt in early 2024 and wouldn’t quit, I naturally assumed I was continuing to overdo it on my runs. I began slower, shorter runs and worked to stretch and ice better. After a few months, my pain concentrated in my right hip, directly to the right of my spine. Like many active adults, I went through the standard list of fixes: primary care, physical therapy, and chiropractic care. In mid-2024, a lumbar spine MRI indicated a herniated disc at L5-S1. I continued with recommended interventions, even receiving steroid injections in several locations, but nothing helped to provide me with significant pain relief. A small voice inside me kept saying this felt like far more than a slipped disc with how excruciating my back and hip pain was.
By late 2024, my body began giving me warning signs that were impossible to ignore. I discovered a lump in my breast, I had intense bloating/pressure in my stomach, and I noticed a light yellow tinge in my skin. I began to have episodes of lightheadedness and shortness of breath. I chalked it up to not eating/drinking enough or high stress/anxiety. I was often lethargic and had been losing weight without trying.
In January 2025, I went back to my primary care doctor to discuss my consistently high level of pain and other symptoms I was experiencing. He ordered lab work and called me that evening to tell me I was severely anemic. He referred me to a blood cancer center as he suspected a blood disorder from my labs. He had ordered a CT scan and mammogram; however, I could not get into those appointments for weeks.
In the weeks of waiting, my lymph nodes became noticeably swollen. My lightheadedness and shortness of breath became so extreme that I was terrified I would faint just walking across my apartment. I stopped going out for errands altogether. I would pull a chair up to the open refrigerator to sit and unpack my groceries. Additionally, I developed headaches behind my eyes and at the base of my skull whenever I changed positions, such as moving from sitting to lying down. I was throwing up frequently, and I wondered if I could be pregnant. Multiple tests confirmed a negative pregnancy.
A Devastating Diagnosis and an Unexpected Battle
In late January 2025, after a couple of weeks of being in the “waiting”, I could not keep anything down for an entire day – not water, crackers, or electrolytes. After calling my mom, who lives in my home state of Iowa, she encouraged me to seek emergency help at a nearby hospital. I was nervous about getting to the closest hospital alone with my lightheadedness and shortness of breath episodes. After finally arriving, the ER team sent me for scans. When the doctor walked back in, she said the word I was scared to hear: Cancer.
The disease had already metastasized significantly. I was transferred to a larger hospital in Colorado Springs with a dedicated oncology floor. I had a breast biopsy to test for cancer origin as my cancer had metastasized to several organs. My family came from Iowa to be with me, and I decided to transfer my care back home.
Once in Iowa, I required emergency attention again. After establishing care with my preferred medical oncology provider while admitted, my metastases were confirmed as of lung origin from a second biopsy (liver), as suspected in Colorado – stage 4 lung cancer. My metastases at diagnosis were to my breast, liver, lymph nodes, pelvis (ovarian masses), bones, and brain. Although my diagnosis and metastases explained my symptoms, I felt devastated and had fear for the magnitude of what I was facing.
Navigating Initial Treatment and Disease Progression
Initially, my oncologist ordered a liquid biopsy (blood sample) for genomic testing to identify potential actionable biomarkers and guide a more personalized treatment plan. The pathology results came back indicating no actionable mutation. I continued with standard-of-care chemotherapy (2 types) along with immunotherapy. My treatment plan was to endure an initial 6 rounds of chemo right away, as my cancer was very aggressive.
Chemo was very harsh on my body. I had horrible reactions after my chemo treatments and was often hospitalized, including a 3-day stay in the ICU surviving septic shock. I finished chemo in July 2025. Completing chemotherapy was an emotional milestone, but because I remained on maintenance immunotherapy indefinitely at the time, the traditional word “survivor” felt complex and hard to wrap my head around. I felt that it was worth it if the chemo worked.
My August 2025 scans showed shrinkage in multiple organs; my whole-brain radiation from February 2025 was also very successful. I was excited to feel a little better, and started participating in fun activities again. By November 2025, follow-up scans brought discouraging news. I had widespread progression of my metastatic lung cancer. Facing progression was daunting. I started another aggressive type of chemotherapy, got sick, and was hospitalized again. By Thanksgiving 2025, I had spent 40 days total in the hospital.
The Power of Biomarker Re-Testing: Discovering ALK-Positive Lung Cancer
In early December 2025, I decided to pause treatment to give my body a well-deserved break. I did not take this decision lightly; I knew what it could mean for me. Due to my undesired scan results, my oncologist sent a second, new sample for biomarker testing. The pathology report revealed a crucial change in my life living with stage 4 lung cancer: my ALK alteration.
That second genomic test opened an entirely new door to treatment. I started targeted therapy for ALK+ lung cancer in mid-December. Since starting my targeted therapy oral pill, I have not been hospitalized except for a 1-night surgery stay. I am living better; more active, more social, and more intentional. I am truly living, advocating, and thriving because of research for advancements in biomarker testing and lung cancer treatments.
“I’m here because I trusted that inner voice that said keep going. One more test, one more question, one more ‘are you sure?’ led me to the treatment that’s keeping me alive today.”
Breaking the Stigma and Finding My Purpose on Social Media
When I was first diagnosed at age 30, I noticed how few young adults were publicly sharing their journeys with lung cancer. To process my own emotions and avoid repeatedly re-explaining medical updates to friends and family, I created videos to illustrate my journey as a young woman with stage 4 lung cancer (@C_Cirks on TikTok and Instagram).
Sharing my reality online quickly evolved into a therapeutic outlet and a powerful platform for advocacy. I realized I could use my voice to educate others, dispel the pervasive myth that lung cancer is exclusively an “old person’s or smoker’s disease,” and create an authentic space for fellow patients. By sharing my story online, I can make a real difference in the lung cancer community by educating, raising awareness, and advocating for policy changes and increased partnership in care – what a powerful, purposeful gift that is.
“Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer. My goals are to reduce the stigma, educate others, and be a voice for our community. With sharing my experience online I can help others understand lung cancer better, recognize symptoms, detect earlier, self-advocate, and cultivate connections with the lung cancer community.”
Doctors as Partners: My Message of Hope
If my experience can teach other patients anything, it is that self-advocacy is not optional in healthcare—it is essential. Speak up about your symptoms. Speak up about your side effects. Speak up about how you feel about treatment. Request comprehensive biomarker testing, and if disease progression occurs, ask about re-testing or other treatment options that might be available to you. Your care team providers are partners in your journey. You deserve a care team that genuinely listens.
I share my story so that every patient knows they have a voice and the right to use it. If my journey helps even one person ask the right question sooner, every scar, every scan, and every sleepless night will have been worth it.
I’m using my lungs to advocate
As a member of LCFA’s Speakers Bureau, I’m advocating for research and raising awareness through the media, embodying hope and action.
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