Early screening has Ricardo Hernandez back on the road to recovery from lung cancer
Most days, you’ll find 78-years-young Ricardo Hernandez, aka “Mr. Ricardo,” greeting the students on his Rockingham County school bus with their special handshake or shuttling the residents of Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) to regional outings.
“You’ve got to have patience and pick your battles! We have a good relationship because the students know I respect them, ”Hernandez shares about his school bus route.
He also enjoys doing what he calls “fun homework” to find and share unique facts of interest about the outings he drives VMRC residents to and from.
Hernandez has always been a man of action. From his days as a young boy helping his father in construction to his years of service in the Army and owning his land surveyor business, he has embraced life with vigor and determination.
“I was brought up that you can’t just sit down and watch the clouds go by!” laughs Hernandez.
Finding lung cancer early with a low-dose screening
As a former smoker for 40 years and a current chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) patient, physician Dr. John Witman with Rockingham Family Physicians recommended Hernandez get a low-dose CT lung screening (LDCT). The goal of annual low-dose CT lung screening is to detect lung cancer in high-risk patients at an early stage when it's more likely to be cured. The scan is quick, noninvasive and delivers a significantly lower radiation dose than a regular CT scan.
LDCT screenings can save lives by finding lung cancer well before symptoms may signal a problem. Often, when an individual presents with lung cancer signs and symptoms, the cancer is too advanced for curative treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
Though he had no symptoms, a mass was discovered on Hernandez’s lung during his LDCT. Shortly after, he found himself on the operating table at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, Va. Cardiothoracic surgeon Yuriy Zhukov, MD, with Sentara Cardiothoracic Surgery Specialists, removed a mass in the upper right lobe of his lung. The subsequent pathology reports brought a wave of relief. Zhukov let him know after surgery that the biopsy confirmed cancer, but the margins taken during surgery were clear.
The road to recovery
Hernandez spent about a week in Sentara RMH Medical Center as part of his recovery.
“The hospital, the facilities, the surgeons, the nurses are all so kind. I’m telling you, I can’t say enough good things about the care I got there,” Hernandez says.
Hernandez says team members at Sentara RMH motivated him with care and kindness. “They encouraged me – they would say, ‘Let’s go for a walk, take one step and another step.’ And that helps so much because these people you don’t even know are helping you. That goes a long way,” he shares.
When he got home, Sentara Homecare continued to monitor and assist with his recovery. Hernandez is gaining strength daily and working his way back up to his usual mile walks every other day.
He credits looking forward and having faith in himself and God for getting him through the diagnosis and recovery. “The word cancer can feel like the end of the world. But I’m a fighter. I look forward and try to adapt,” says Hernandez.
With no further treatment needed for now, Hernandez is eager to return to the routines of his normally active days. He will be monitored every six months for the first two years and then once a year afterward.
He encourages other cancer patients like himself to take on one step at a time. In addition to continuing his role as bus and shuttle driver, Hernandez hopes to travel.
“I always like going to new places – it’s a hobby of mine,” he adds.
Learn more about low-dose CT lung screening
This lung cancer screening covers the entire chest and provides a more detailed look than a standard chest X-ray. Screenings are non-invasive and painless, typically taking less than 30 seconds. Most insurances cover it as a preventive measure. A physician’s order is required.
Who should be screened?
- Age 50 - 80
- Have at least a 20 pack-a-year or more smoking history
- Smoke now or have stopped in the last 15 years
Ask your primary care provider or pulmonologist if you are a candidate. Find a Sentara Imaging Location in your region.