Dixie Mcallister Lung Cancer
“I want people to know that,” says Dixie, who smoked heavily for more than 40 years. “I want them to know what happened to me so it will encourage them to quit and get tested because it’s so important to find this early.”
Paula Manner coordinates Swedish’s Lung Cancer Screening Program, the only site in the Northwest for an international study of whether low-radiation CT scans are an appropriate screening method for detecting lung cancer at its early stages. Paula probably saved her life, says Dixie, by persuading her to come back to Swedish for a screening when it seemed to be too much trouble now that she had retired and moved from Seattle to Roy, Washington.
It was an emphysema diagnosis in 2000 that finally led Dixie to quit her cigarette habit. About a year later, she heard on the radio that Swedish was offering reduced-cost lung screenings for people who might be at risk for developing lung cancer. Dixie called and found out she qualified for the annual tests.
After four years of scans, however, that showed her lungs were clear, Dixie was considering not going in for another one. That’s when her “angel” stepped in.
Paula Manner coordinates Swedish’s Lung Cancer Screening Program, the only site in the Northwest for an international study of whether low-radiation CT scans are an appropriate screening method for detecting lung cancer at its early stages. Paula probably saved her life, says Dixie, by persuading her to come back to Swedish for a screening when it seemed to be too much trouble now that she had retired and moved from Seattle to Roy, Washington.
But with Paula’s consistent encouragement, Dixie made the trip in early 2006 for her fifth scan and that’s when several “suspicious” spots were seen on her lungs. In March of that year she underwent surgery at Swedish, which confirmed one of the nodules was cancerous and it was removed at that time.
No chemotherapy was required and today Dixie is cancer free. She continues to have regular tests.
“I now have an awareness that I am truly blessed,” says Dixie, who credits Swedish with giving her an opportunity for living a longer life. “It felt like the people who took care of me had a calling,” says Dixie. “It was their care that made the difference for me.” Dixie says that if her story “can get one other person to get checked,” she will feel she has done a small part to help others get the care they need.
If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about the screening program, please call (206) 292-7700 or email cbuchanan@searad.com.