By GAGE WILSON
For Glasgow News 1
One day at a time. For Carolyn Sue Carroll, that phrase took on a new weight in 2018, when she was diagnosed with cancer.
A smoker for more than 42 years, Carroll had long dealt with respiratory issues. “I always struggled with bronchitis,” she said. But after a routine visit with her family doctor, Alison Campbell, she agreed to undergo a new screening test. It was a decision that changed everything.
“They did the test on a Friday afternoon, and Saturday morning she called me,” Carroll recalled. “And told me I had cancer.” Her voice trembled as the memory surfaced.
Carroll was quickly referred to a pulmonologist. “He did a CT scan on me and a PET scan,” she said. “They found three spots on my lungs, which they biopsied — and they all came back cancer.”
What followed were weeks of treatment. “They got together to figure out what needed to be done,” she said. “They gave me chemo and radiation.” Carroll endured 40 rounds of radiation and six rounds of chemotherapy. By that fall, she was told her cancer was in remission.
But her fight wasn’t over. Carroll began immunotherapy, a treatment that helps the immune system recognize and attack cancer. While the immune system is designed to detect threats like abnormal cells, cancer can sometimes evade or suppress it. Immunotherapy boosts the immune response and removes the natural “brakes” that can hold it back.
Carroll’s treatment continued until July 2022, when it ended following a separate battle with bone cancer in her hip.
While grateful to be in remission, Carroll admits the trauma still lingers. “I guess my biggest fear — was that it would come back,” she said, pausing to steady herself. “I just keep hoping they got it, and that it won’t come back.”
She finds strength in the people who stood by her. Smiling at her husband of 16 years, Claude Carroll, she said, “If I didn’t have him, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
She also spoke with deep appreciation for the medical staff, especially Dr. Campbell. “How many doctors would come up and check on you while you were taking your chemo?” Carroll said. “She’d come there, hug and kiss me, and just make me feel good.”
Today, Carroll urges others to take their health seriously. “If they even think they’ve got something going on, they need to have it checked out,” she said.
And for those facing a cancer diagnosis, she offers a simple piece of advice:
“Don’t take things for granted. Just live every day — and take it one day at a time.”
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CARE Power Hour is an event to celebrate cancer survivors, their families, caregivers, providers, and friends. The lavender ribbon is a general symbol of awareness for all cancers. It serves as a unifying symbol, promoting empathy and support for anyone affected by cancer regardless of the specific type. Proceeds from CARE Power Hour directly benefit Community Medical Care’s Breaking Barriers to Care Program, which provides assistance to cancer patients for the most common barriers to care such as transportation and supplemental nutrition. Purchase tickets to the event here.
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