It started with a dull ache in my right shoulder. At first, I chalked it up to bad posture or sleeping funny. Then came a strange popping sound when I rotated it. Within weeks, the pain crept into my shoulder blade and neck, persistent and disruptive—especially at night.
After a few months later in October 2023, with no relief and worsening sleep, I visited a chiropractor. That is when the well-meaning theories began. “It’s probably stress.” “Sounds like a rotator cuff issue.” “It’s likely nothing serious.” But, deep down, I knew something was wrong. My instincts were screaming.
Still, the path to answers was long and winding.
My chiropractor eventually referred me to an orthopedic doctor. X-rays showed nothing abnormal, so I was sent to physical therapy. But, instead of improving, the pain intensified—spreading into my mid-back and becoming unbearable at night.
I finally insisted on seeing a neurologist. I remember telling him: “Something is really wrong.” He agreed to order both an X-ray and an MRI. That MRI changed everything.
There it was—a mass in my right lung.
A chest CT followed. I held my breath through every scan, clinging to hope. But the results confirmed our fears: the mass was consistent with lung cancer. A biopsy soon after revealed the full picture—Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, the second-most common form in America, already spread to my bones, adrenal gland, and lymph nodes from neck to abdomen.
I’ll never forget the words: “You have incurable Stage IV cancer. We can’t cure it—only try to manage symptoms and slow the spread.”
The diagnosis shattered my world—but it also lit a fire in me to fight for my life and my family.
All I could think about was my children, Dominic, then 6, and Olivia, 4, growing up without their mom; my husband, Marco, then 37, facing this alone. I was devastated—but I also knew I had to fight.
Treatment was grueling. My cancer had invaded my bones, causing excruciating pain. My right lung was 50 percent filled with fluid. I underwent a pleurodesis to drain it—a painful procedure with a slow, difficult recovery.
Surgery was off the table—the cancer had spread too far. But genetic testing revealed I had a protein located on the surface of cells that helps them grow called epidermal growth factor receptor mutation. This meant I could start targeted therapy—a daily pill that homes in on cancer cells called Osimertinib.
Within weeks, the transformation was astounding. After six to eight weeks, scans showed remarkable improvement. I was cleared to start chemotherapy. It wasn’t easy. My blood counts plummeted. There were setbacks. But just before my final round, a PET scan delivered the miracle I’d been praying for: I was cancer-free.
I’ll never forget ringing the bell. I didn’t know at first that it symbolized the end of treatment. In my mind, it meant something bigger—health, wholeness, life.
Every night before bed, I visualized myself at that bell, my husband and children beside me, clapping and cheering. That moment came true on December 27, 2024.
Today, I feel stronger than ever—physically and emotionally. I listen to my body, I rest, and I protect my peace. I’ve learned the power of boundaries and the importance of prioritizing my health.
Emotionally, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Every day feels like a gift. I’m not just surviving—I’m thriving. I’ve found purpose in sharing my story on Instagram @savagelatinalungs, in lifting others who are walking a similar path.
Cancer changed everything. But it also gave me clarity, strength, and a voice I didn’t know I had.
Reyna Savage is a 35-year-old director in Project Management, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The post It All Started With Shoulder Pain, Then Came My Shocking Diagnosis appeared first on Newsweek.
