>>> NOW OUR SERIES, HEALTHY
LIVING.
CELEBRATING MEN AND WOMEN WHO
HAVE MADE HEALTH A PRIORITY IN
THEIR LIVES.
JUST WHEN SANDY DeMILLE THOUGHT SHE HAD IT ALL, A LOVINGTHOUGHT
SHE HAD IT ALL, A LOVING HUSBAND, ADORING SON, HER FAIRLY
TALE STORY TOOK AN UNEXPECTED
TURN.
TURN. WATCH.
WATCH. THIS IS WHAT A NON-SMOKER LIVING
WITH LUNG CANCER LOOKS LIKE.
>> MY LIFESTYLE PRIOR TO GETTING
DIAGNOSED WITH VERY ACTIVE.
WE WOULD TRAVEL WITH OUR SON, ID PLAY TENNIS. WITH OUR SON,
ID PLAY TENNIS. WE WERE ALWAYS ON THE GO.
I FELT LIKE I WAS A HEALTHY
PERSON.
PERSON.
I WORKED OUT A LOT. I ATE REASONABLY WELL.
I DIDNT SMOKE.
SO THAT MADE IT ALL THE MORE
SHOCKING.
>> SANDY DeMILLE DISCOVERED HER
CANCER BY ACCIDENT, WHEN SHE HAD LINGERING SYMPTOMS FROM ANHE HAD
LINGERING SYMPTOMS FROM AN UNRELATED SURGERY.
UNRELATED SURGERY. >> I WAS HAVING TROUBLE CATCHING
A REALLY GOOD BREATH.
I WAS COUGHING A LOT.
>> SANDY WAS IN HER 40s WHEN A
NEW CHAPTER BEGAN.
GETTING MARRIED AND STARTING A FAMILY WITH ACCLAIMED,ARTING A
FAMILY WITH ACCLAIMED, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, NELSON
DeMILLE.
DeMILLE.
>> I WAS SURPRISED TO HAVE MET
NELSON AND TO HAVE IT DEVELOP INTO WHAT IT DID.E IT DEVELOP
INTO WHAT IT DID. IT WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED.
BUT SO NATURAL AND SO WONDERFUL.
>> THERE IS A 20-YEAR AGE
DIFFERENCE.
>> 21, BUT WHO IS COUNTING. >> WHO IS COUNTING?OUNTING.
>> WHO IS COUNTING?
>> YOU THINK OF MARRYING A HEALTHY WOMAN, 20 YEARS YOUNGER
THAN YOU, AND IM THE OLDER ONE
WHOSE LIFESTYLE COULD PROBABLY
USE SOME IMPROVEMENT.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE,
HAVING A SON, IT WAS ME WHO WAS
SUPPOSED TO GO FIRST.
NOT HER.
NOT HER. SORRY.
SORRY.
>> YOU NEVER CRY.
>> THEIR SON, JAMES, WAS AN
INSPIRATION.
>> I REALLY STROVE TO KEEP
THINGS AS NORMAL AS POSSIBLE
WHEN I WAS ON CHEMO. ITS PHYSICALLY VERY DIFFICULT.
AND TO HAVE SOMETHING TO MAKE
YOU GET UP AND WALK, IT WAS
REALLY HELPFUL, TO HAVE HIM AND
TO KNOW I HAD TO GET UP AND BE A
MOM.
MOM.
>> REMISSION IS NOT A CURE. EVERY YEAR THAT GOES BY, WERE
SAYING, GREAT.
SAYING, GREAT.
ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER YEAR.
SHES THREE YEARS NOW SINCE DIAGNOSIS. YEARS NOW SINCE
DIAGNOSIS.
>> THE DIAGNOSIS THAT HAS CHANGED THIS FAMILYS LIFE.
BUT HAS NOT BROKEN THEIR SPIRIT.
ON THIS LAST DAY OF LUNG CANCER
AWARENESS MONTH, SANDY AND
NELSON ARE WITH US NOW.
IT IS EMOTIONAL WATCHING THAT,
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
>> I TEARED UP MYSELF, YES.
>> IM PROUD TO CALL YOU FRIENDS
IN ADDITION TO GUESTS TODAY.
SANDY, I REMEMBER THIS WHEN IT HAPPENED, BUT IN YOURS WHEN IT
HAPPENED, BUT IN YOUR RECOLLECTION, THE DAY THEY TELL
YOU YOU HAVE STAGE 4, NON-SMALL
CELL LUNG CANCER, WHAT GOES
THROUGH YOUR MIND?
>> ITS SUCH A SHOCK.
ITS SUCH AN UNEXPECTED THING.
WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND?
I MEAN, ITS CRASHED, YOU KNOW.
I FEEL LIKE IT WAS SUCH A STATE
OF SHOCK.
OF SHOCK. THAT NOW I DONT REALLY
REMEMBER.
REMEMBER.
BUT I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO
BE OKAY IN A FUNNY WAY.
I REALLY HAD A STRONG FEELING I
WAS GOING TO BE OKAY.
BUT THERE WAS ALSO A FEELING OF, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I SHOULD RETURN,
YOU KNOW, MAYBE I SHOULD RETURN THOSE SHOES I JUST BOUGHT.
IM NOT GOING TO BE AROUND, YOU
KNOW.
KNOW.
YOU DONT KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOURO
HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR FUTURE HOLDS.
FUTURE HOLDS.
IT IS A LOT OF REAL WORRY.
>> AND, YOU KNOW, NELSON, I
HEARD YOU TALK IN THE PIECE
ABOUT THINKING, ILL GO FIRST.
SHES YOUNGER.
>> SURE.
>> AND THE NEXT THOUGHT, OF
COURSE, WAS OF YAMSJAMES.
>> RIGHT.
THE FUTURE BECOMES CLOUDED.
I MEAN, I WAS OBVIOUSLY AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN SHE WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH A BIOPSY.
I REMEMBER FEELING ANGER.
WHEN YOU SAY LIFE IS NOT FAIR,
THEN YOU SAY, YES, LIFE IS NOT
FAIR.
FAIR.
I MEAN, OF ALL THE PEOPLE, THIS BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WITH A CHILD.IS
BEAUTIFUL WOMAN WITH A CHILD. >> NON-SMOKER.
>> NON-SMOKER. >> NON-SMOKER.
>> NON-SMOKER. AND NOT ONLY NON-SMOKER BUT VERY
ATHLETIC.
ATHLETIC.
SHE DID EVERYTHING RIGHT. ATE RIGHT.ERYTHING RIGHT.
ATE RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, EXERCISED.
IM THE ONE WHO, YOU KNOW, COULD
USE A LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN THAT AREA. LITTLE IMPROVEMENT IN THAT
AREA. BUT, YOU FEEL ANGRY.
YOU FEEL LIFE IS UNFAIR.
IT IS ALSO THE FUTURE.
THIS IS WHAT YOU REALLY -- AFTER
THE ANGER, YOU THINK OF THE
FUTURE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE
A CHILD.
A CHILD.
YOU NEED TO THINK, WHATS GOING
TO HAPPEN NOW?
>> I KNOW, SANDY, YOU DECIDED NOT TO TELL JAMES RIGHT AWAY.
HE WAS 6.
HE WAS 6.
>> YES.
7.
HE WAS JUST ABOUT TO TURN 8.
>> WHAT CHANGED?
BECAUSE YOU DID TELL HIM.
>> I DID TELL HIM. WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED, OF COURSE,
WE REALLY WANTED TO KNOW -- THAT
WAS THE MAIN THING, HOW TO TELL
HIM AND WHAT WE SHOULD TELL HIM.
ALL THE PROFESSIONALS SAID, TELL
HIM YOU HAVE CANCER.
BE VERY OPEN ABOUT IT AND MAKE
SURE YOU USE THE WORD "CANCER."
WELL, IT WAS THE LAST THING WE
WANTED TO DO.
WE WERE IN SUCH SHOCK.
AND HE, AT 7, WE JUST FELT LIKE
HE WAS TOO YOUNG.
WE DIDNT WANT TO PUT THAT ON
HIM.
HIM. NELSON ESPECIALLY FELT VERY
STRONGLY ABOUT NOT HAVING HIM
HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT.
SO OVER TIME THOUGH, HES OLDER,
THREE YEARS LATER.
HES MATURED.
HES MATURED. I THINK HE HAD SOME EXPOSURE TO
OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAD HAD CANCER.
ONE NIGHT, IT JUST SORT OF
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
I HAD SORT OF MADE UP MY MIND
THAT I WAS GOING TO TELL HIM IF HE ASKED.S GOING TO TELL HIM IF
HE ASKED.
IF HE SAID ANYTHING.
WE ALWAYS SAID, IF HE EVER
ASKED, WE WOULD TELL HIM.
ONE NIGHT AT THE DINNER TABLE,
NELSON WAS WORKING. HE ASKED, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU
HAVE?
HAVE?
I SAID, ITS CANCER. YOU KNOW, HE CRIED AND CAME OVER
AND GAVE ME A BIG HUG.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY HARD.
>> I KNOW THAT BRUCE STILLMAN OF
COLD SPRINGS HARBOR LABS OUT IN
LONG ISLAND, WHICH IS AN
AMAZING, AMAZING INSTITUTION.
IF YOU HAVENT LOOKED UP
ANYTHING ABOUT IT, YOU SHOULD.
HE IS YOUR MEDICAL ADVISER.
MOST PEOPLE THINK LUNG CANCER IS
A DEATH SENTENCE.
IT HASNT BEEN.
SHES IN REMISSION AND LIVING
WITH LUNG CANCER.
THE FUTURE OF STUDYING THIS KIND
OF CANCER AND CANCERS, TELL US.
>> YEAH, THERES A LOT OF
EXCITEMENT IN CANCER RESEARCH
NOW.
NOW.
THERES NEW THERAPIES.
SINCE SANDY HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED, THERES BEEN TWO NEW THERAPYIES,
WHICH SHES HAD WHICH HAVE MADE
AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE IN
PEOPLES LIVES.
PEOPLES LIVES. THIS IS BECAUSE OF RESEARCH
THATS HAPPENING.
THATS HAPPENING.
I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOT
MORE OF THAT RESEARCH.
BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WITH CANCER
IS THAT IT IS SUCH A VERY DIVERSE DISEASE.CH A VERY
DIVERSE DISEASE. EVEN LUNG CANCER, THERES HAVE
MANY DIFFERENT TYPES.
I THINK THE DEVELOPMENTS ARE
GOING ON, BUT THERES STILL A
LOT TO GO. >> YEAH.O.
>> YEAH. WELL, YOU HAVE BEEN A PROFILE OF
COURAGE AND LOVE.
THANK YOU FOR TELLING YOUR