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Choosing an oncologist is one of the most important decisions you’ll make after a lung cancer diagnosis—but most patients are never taught how to do it.

If you’re newly diagnosed, overwhelmed, or unsure where to start, this video walks through the practical, real-world steps that can help you choose the right oncologist with more confidence and less fear.

In this episode of Lung Cancer Strong, I cover:

• Why a thoracic oncologist matters in lung cancer care
• How to get referrals—and which ones actually help
• What to look for when researching doctors online
• Insurance and access questions you must ask early
• How to verify credentials and licensing
• The overlooked human factors that can make or break your care
• The most important question of all: Do they show they care?

I also share my personal experience working with multiple oncologists across different cancer centers—and why changing doctors ultimately changed the course of my treatment.

This isn’t a casual decision.
It’s a sacred one.

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🫁 About Lung Cancer Strong: Lung Cancer Strong is a docuseries-style podcast and YouTube channel that shares the deeply personal journey of host Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer patient and survivor, alongside candid conversations with others impacted by the disease. The podcast will also offer first-hand interviews with knowledgeable experts in health, science, nutrition, alternative medicine, and finance to discuss issues relating to navigating the various complexities of this disease. The series provides honest, unfiltered stories and perspectives, giving patients, caregivers, and the broader community a place to feel seen, understood, and supported with information from the patient’s perspective.

📺 Find Us and Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LungCancerStrong

📧 Want to connect or share your story? Email tina@lungcancerstrong.com
Subscribe for more real, unfiltered patient stories and practical tips.
One breath, one story, one day at a time.

Disclaimer: This podcast is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your oncologist, doctors and medical team for questions specific to your own health, diagnosis and treatment.

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When you’re diagnosed with lung cancer, the language moves fast — and no one stops to translate.

Stage. Stable. Progression. Biomarkers. Standard of care.
These words show up immediately, and misunderstanding even one of them can change how you feel, how you decide, and how much fear you carry.

In this episode of Lung Cancer Strong, I break down the lung cancer terms I wish someone had explained to me slowly and clearly when I was first diagnosed. Not from a textbook — but from lived experience.

This episode is for:

• Anyone newly diagnosed with lung cancer
• Caregivers trying to keep up with medical conversations
• Patients who want to advocate for themselves without panic
• Anyone overwhelmed by scan reports, research articles, or oncology appointments

Understanding your cancer isn’t optional.
It’s how you reduce fear, ask better questions, and make informed decisions.

Support the show

🫁 About Lung Cancer Strong: Lung Cancer Strong is a docuseries-style podcast and YouTube channel that shares the deeply personal journey of host Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer patient and survivor, alongside candid conversations with others impacted by the disease. The podcast will also offer first-hand interviews with knowledgeable experts in health, science, nutrition, alternative medicine, and finance to discuss issues relating to navigating the various complexities of this disease. The series provides honest, unfiltered stories and perspectives, giving patients, caregivers, and the broader community a place to feel seen, understood, and supported with information from the patient’s perspective.

📺 Find Us and Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LungCancerStrong

📧 Want to connect or share your story? Email tina@lungcancerstrong.com
Subscribe for more real, unfiltered patient stories and practical tips.
One breath, one story, one day at a time.

Disclaimer: This podcast is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your oncologist, doctors and medical team for questions specific to your own health, diagnosis and treatment.

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Scanxiety is a word most cancer patients don’t need explained—but few outside the cancer community truly understand. In this deeply personal episode of Lung Cancer Strong, Tina Powell shares what scanxiety feels like from the inside. Not the sanitized version. The real one. The agitation. The sleepless nights. The spiraling thoughts. The isolation. And the weight of living scan to scan.

Tina is currently undergoing scans every six weeks as part of a clinical trial, and she speaks candidly about how scanxiety has not disappeared with time—even three years into a stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. What has changed is her ability to recognize the warning signs and respond with intention instead of judgment.

This episode walks through:

• What scanxiety really is—and why it’s universal among cancer patients
• The physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms Tina experiences before scans
• Why scans are terrifying and essential
• Ten tools Tina uses (often in combination) to manage scanxiety
• How reframing scans helped her make one of the most important medical pivots of her life

This is not medical advice. It’s lived experience, shared openly for anyone who needs to feel less alone while waiting for results.

If you’re living between scans—or supporting someone who is—this episode is for you.

Support the show

🫁 About Lung Cancer Strong: Lung Cancer Strong is a docuseries-style podcast and YouTube channel that shares the deeply personal journey of host Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer patient and survivor, alongside candid conversations with others impacted by the disease. The podcast will also offer first-hand interviews with knowledgeable experts in health, science, nutrition, alternative medicine, and finance to discuss issues relating to navigating the various complexities of this disease. The series provides honest, unfiltered stories and perspectives, giving patients, caregivers, and the broader community a place to feel seen, understood, and supported with information from the patient’s perspective.

📺 Find Us and Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LungCancerStrong

📧 Want to connect or share your story? Email tina@lungcancerstrong.com
Subscribe for more real, unfiltered patient stories and practical tips.
One breath, one story, one day at a time.

Disclaimer: This podcast is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your oncologist, doctors and medical team for questions specific to your own health, diagnosis and treatment.

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Three years ago, I was diagnosed with lung cancer.
I didn’t know what the next three months would hold — let alone three years.

In this episode of Lung Cancer Strong, I’m sharing the most important things I’ve learned in three years of living with stage 4 lung cancer — not as medical advice, but as lived experience from the patient perspective.

These are the things I wish someone had told me at the beginning:

· What really matters (and what doesn’t)

· How to protect your mindset

· How to advocate for yourself

· Where to find real, credible information

· Why long-term survival is possible

If you’re newly diagnosed, supporting someone you love, or have been living with lung cancer for years — this episode is for you.

Helpful Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• PubMed (NIH Biomedical Research Database)
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• ClinicalTrials.gov
  https://clinicaltrials.gov
• https://go2.org
• https://www.lungevity.org
• https://www.whiteribbonproject.org
• https://www.lung.org
• https://egfrcancer.org
• https://alkpositive.org
• https://exon20group.org
• https://younglungcancer.org
• https://www.iaslc.org
• https://upstage.cancer.gov
• https://thepatientstory.com
• https://nutritionfacts.org/audio
• https://www.joelosteen.com/podcast
• Radical Remission – Kelly A. Turner, PhD
• Radical Hope – Kelly A. Turner, PhD
• Becoming Supernatural – Dr. Joe Dispenza
• Will to Live – Paul Seyfirth
• Living with Terminal Cancer – William E. Schuette
• Cured – Jeffrey Rediger, MD, MDiv

Support the show

🫁 About Lung Cancer Strong: Lung Cancer Strong is a docuseries-style podcast and YouTube channel that shares the deeply personal journey of host Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer patient and survivor, alongside candid conversations with others impacted by the disease. The podcast will also offer first-hand interviews with knowledgeable experts in health, science, nutrition, alternative medicine, and finance to discuss issues relating to navigating the various complexities of this disease. The series provides honest, unfiltered stories and perspectives, giving patients, caregivers, and the broader community a place to feel seen, understood, and supported with information from the patient’s perspective.

📺 Find Us and Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LungCancerStrong

📧 Want to connect or share your story? Email tina@lungcancerstrong.com
Subscribe for more real, unfiltered patient stories and practical tips.
One breath, one story, one day at a time.

Disclaimer: This podcast is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your oncologist, doctors and medical team for questions specific to your own health, diagnosis and treatment.

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If you’ve had a CT scan, a PET scan, and now they’re recommending a bronchoscopy—this video is for you.You’re probably feeling very nervous, anxious, and even scared. I know. I’ve been there myself.

Hi I’m Tina Powell, Stage 4 cancer survivor, thriver, patient, and your host for lung cancer strong. Since being diagnosed nearly three years ago, I’ve had a 2 bronchoscopies, which is the focus of today’s YouTube video. I’ve also had nearly 30 rounds of chemo, 33 rounds of radiation to my chest, and 3 rounds of cyberknife and 1 round of stereotactic radiosurgery to the brain. It’s why I started this YouTube channel 56 days ago. To share my experiences and to tell you guys what to expect. But please remember today’s video on bronchoscopies is not medical advice, but me sharing and documenting my own personal journey in hopes that it helps you.

Support the show

🫁 About Lung Cancer Strong: Lung Cancer Strong is a docuseries-style podcast and YouTube channel that shares the deeply personal journey of host Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer patient and survivor, alongside candid conversations with others impacted by the disease. The podcast will also offer first-hand interviews with knowledgeable experts in health, science, nutrition, alternative medicine, and finance to discuss issues relating to navigating the various complexities of this disease. The series provides honest, unfiltered stories and perspectives, giving patients, caregivers, and the broader community a place to feel seen, understood, and supported with information from the patient’s perspective.

📺 Find Us and Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LungCancerStrong

📧 Want to connect or share your story? Email tina@lungcancerstrong.com
Subscribe for more real, unfiltered patient stories and practical tips.
One breath, one story, one day at a time.

Disclaimer: This podcast is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your oncologist, doctors and medical team for questions specific to your own health, diagnosis and treatment.

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Are you or someone you care about facing a PET scan soon? Feeling nervous, uncertain, or just wishing someone would finally explain the process from the patient’s perspective? You're in the right place. In this episode of Lung Cancer Strong, Tina Powell—stage 4 lung cancer survivor and thriver—walks you step by step through everything you need to know about PET scans. From what a PET scan actually is, how to prepare the day before, what happens on scan day, and crucial tips for managing results, Tina shares her honest experiences and practical advice to help you approach your appointment with greater confidence and clarity.

You'll learn:

• What "PET" really stands for and why it matters in cancer care
• How the scan works, and what you’ll feel (spoiler: it’s not painful!)
• What foods and habits to avoid before your scan
• Why your blood sugar matters—and how it can affect your appointment
• What happens during the “relaxation” period and inside the donut-shaped machine
• The importance of getting your scan on CD and sharing results thoughtfully
• How to protect your emotional boundaries when receiving and sharing news

Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or just looking to understand what this pivotal scan means in a cancer journey, Tina’s
warmth and honesty will help you feel a little more grounded and a lot less
alone.

Support the show

🫁 About Lung Cancer Strong: Lung Cancer Strong is a docuseries-style podcast and YouTube channel that shares the deeply personal journey of host Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer patient and survivor, alongside candid conversations with others impacted by the disease. The podcast will also offer first-hand interviews with knowledgeable experts in health, science, nutrition, alternative medicine, and finance to discuss issues relating to navigating the various complexities of this disease. The series provides honest, unfiltered stories and perspectives, giving patients, caregivers, and the broader community a place to feel seen, understood, and supported with information from the patient’s perspective.

📺 Find Us and Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LungCancerStrong

📧 Want to connect or share your story? Email tina@lungcancerstrong.com
Subscribe for more real, unfiltered patient stories and practical tips.
One breath, one story, one day at a time.

Disclaimer: This podcast is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your oncologist, doctors and medical team for questions specific to your own health, diagnosis and treatment.

Send us a text

In this raw, practical episode, Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer survivor, shares her experience with 27 rounds of chemotherapy. She breaks down the process, covering common chemotherapy side effects and offering practical chemo tips she wished she'd known. This patient-focused episode is packed with honest, actionable information to help you navigate your cancer journey and learn how to survive chemo.

Discover strategies like the “nausea combo” (Zofran, Compazine, Olanzapine), steroid tapers, bamboo sheets, Epsom salt baths, meditation, acupuncture, and more. Every tip is grounded in lived experience and compassion, designed to help you find comfort and hope—one breath, one story, one day at a time.

Support the show

🫁 About Lung Cancer Strong: Lung Cancer Strong is a docuseries-style podcast and YouTube channel that shares the deeply personal journey of host Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer patient and survivor, alongside candid conversations with others impacted by the disease. The podcast will also offer first-hand interviews with knowledgeable experts in health, science, nutrition, alternative medicine, and finance to discuss issues relating to navigating the various complexities of this disease. The series provides honest, unfiltered stories and perspectives, giving patients, caregivers, and the broader community a place to feel seen, understood, and supported with information from the patient’s perspective.

📺 Find Us and Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LungCancerStrong

📧 Want to connect or share your story? Email tina@lungcancerstrong.com
Subscribe for more real, unfiltered patient stories and practical tips.
One breath, one story, one day at a time.

Disclaimer: This podcast is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your oncologist, doctors and medical team for questions specific to your own health, diagnosis and treatment.

Send us a text

Newly diagnosed with lung cancer—or supporting someone who is—and facing chemotherapy? This raw, practical episode is for you. Host Tina Powell, stage 4 lung cancer survivor, thriver, and patient advocate, breaks down her own experience with 27 rounds of chemotherapy—demystifying the process, side effects, and survival tips she wishes she’d heard before sitting in the infusion chair.

In plain language, Tina Powell walks listeners through what chemotherapy is, how it's delivered, and the 12 most common side effects (including nausea, hair loss, fatigue, chemo brain, and more) with zero sugar-coating and deep compassion. This patient-focused episode is packed with the honest, actionable information Tina Powell searched for—and couldn’t find—when she was first diagnosed.

You’ll learn:
• What chemotherapy really is and how it works
• How oncologists decide if you’re ready for a chemo round (labs and tests)
• IV, port, or pills? The main ways chemo is given
• The 12 most common side effects in plain English, including nausea, hair loss, fatigue, chemo brain, and neuropathy
• How to talk to your oncologist about side effects and get the support you need
• Why it’s normal to feel overwhelmed—and how to give yourself grace on this journey

Support the show

🫁 About Lung Cancer Strong: Lung Cancer Strong is a docuseries-style podcast and YouTube channel that shares the deeply personal journey of host Tina Powell, a stage 4 lung cancer patient and survivor, alongside candid conversations with others impacted by the disease. The podcast will also offer first-hand interviews with knowledgeable experts in health, science, nutrition, alternative medicine, and finance to discuss issues relating to navigating the various complexities of this disease. The series provides honest, unfiltered stories and perspectives, giving patients, caregivers, and the broader community a place to feel seen, understood, and supported with information from the patient’s perspective.

📺 Find Us and Subscribe on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LungCancerStrong

📧 Want to connect or share your story? Email tina@lungcancerstrong.com
Subscribe for more real, unfiltered patient stories and practical tips.
One breath, one story, one day at a time.

Disclaimer: This podcast is strictly for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your oncologist, doctors and medical team for questions specific to your own health, diagnosis and treatment.