Taylorsville woman receives life-saving screening at Iredell Family Care Center
Special to IFN
When Diane Alberts went for her regular checkup at Iredell Family Care Center of Taylorsville, a lung cancer screening was the last thing she thought she needed.
During the appointment, Nurse Practitioner Nichole Lemley asked Alberts who her pulmonologist was after learning about her 40-year history of smoking cigarettes.
“I had never needed one,” shared Alberts. “I wasn’t sick (other than some hoarseness). Nichole told me we should go ahead and do a lung cancer screening to be on the safe side.”
Alberts received a low-dose CT screening, which revealed a mass in her lung.
“I was stunned when Nichole called me. I’m not one to dwell on things, and after a few days, I said ‘The Lord’s going to get me through this.’ ”
“I have known Diane for more than 15 years,” said Lemley. “She is a special person in my life, so when she chose me as her primary care provider, I felt honored. She came from a previous provider who did not have the capability to offer low-dose lung CT, so we felt it was necessary to move forward with assessing for any abnormalities. Thankfully we were able to complete this scan promptly and found the mass.”
Alberts was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma. It had spread to her liver at the time of diagnosis. She then learned that the hoarseness she had been experiencing was an early symptom of lung cancer.
“Had Nichole not ordered the scan, I would have never known. She’s good at what she does. If you’re a previous smoker or you’re still smoking, go get the scan,” she said.
Since learning about the mass, Alberts has completely stopped smoking. She is undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy in addition to other medications.
Her daughter, Brittany Frazier, has been a solid source of comfort and support for her throughout this process. Her church family has also lifted her up.
“If it wasn’t for my little church that keeps me prayed up, I don’t know what I’d do. Have the scan, then give it to the Lord.”
Adults ages 50 to 80 years who have a 20 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years should be regularly screened for lung cancer. Talk to your provider about low-dose CT.
About Iredell Health System
Iredell Health System includes Iredell Memorial Hospital; Iredell Davis Medical Center; Iredell Davis Behavioral Health Hospital; Iredell Mooresville; Iredell Home Health; Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center; Community and Corporate Wellness; Occupational Medicine; the Iredell Physician Network and more. Iredell Memorial Hospital is the largest nonprofit hospital in Iredell County. The comprehensive healthcare organization has 391 licensed beds; more than 2,200 employees; and has approximately 365 healthcare providers representing various specialties. Centers of excellence include Women’s and Children’s; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Surgical Services and Wellness & Prevention. The health system’s Iredell Mooresville campus is home to the area’s only 24-hour urgent care facility, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, rehabilitation services, and physician practices. The mission of Iredell Health System is to inspire wellbeing. For a comprehensive list of services and programs, visit www.iredellhealth.org.