"They Make You Feel So Good. I'll Never Forget It."

Before ever being diagnosed with lung cancer, Lorraine Darr fought this familiar battle before. In fact, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer on two separate occasions. She won each time.

"My breast cancer diagnoses affected me in many ways," said Lorraine. "First, you can't believe it. Then you're in shock and feel sorry for yourself. Then, you straighten-up and you have to put your big girl pants on and do whatever has to be done," said Lorraine.

For five years, Lorraine was cancer-free, only mentioning the "C" word in the past tense. Then came some chest pains one morning, which Lorraine never had before. A visit to the emergency room followed as did a chest X-ray. It wasn't a heart attack. It would turn out to be the "C" word again.

"The doctor said it wasn't a heart attack. They found a nodule," said Lorraine. Dr. Bobby Shah, St. Luke's pulmonologist, then came in and recommended surgery to make sure it wasn't cancer.

"I like Dr. Shah an awful lot," said Lorraine. "He has a very good bedside manner and my kids liked him too. He tells you how it is."

It turned out that it was indeed cancer. Her recovery from a cancer diagnosis would begin for a third time.

"The recovery was amazing," said Lorraine. "You hurt and they bring you down and take care of you. They just make you feel so good and they're so attentive ‒ no matter what you ask for. It was so comforting. I'll never forget it."

Every six months, Dr. Shah scheduled CT Scans to make sure the cancer hadn't spread or come back. She has one more left before she's cleared as being cancer-free. For Lorraine, that milestone brings her life into even greater focus.

"It is amazing, like God wants me to do something," said Lorraine. "I feel lucky to be alive. I'm a mother of five, I have seven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and thank God every day because I had two sisters die of cancer."

With cancer almost behind her for a third time, Lorraine is doing what she wants to do.

"I enjoy taking off to Tampa and visiting my family. But, really just enjoy life," said Lorraine.