We have a choice about how to react to the heartaches of life. We can wallow in the dark places. Or we can, as Christine Lucas has, place the hummingbird feeder in the sunniest part of the garden, find a comfortable chair and enjoy the gift of being human.
After losing two partners to cancer, Christine was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2018. From then on, her life involved a few medical centers, a hysterectomy and many treatments. In 2021, her cancer returned. The experience has sapped Christine of her energy, but not her joy for life.
Prior to learning that her cancer returned in 2021, Christine decided to “refer herself” to Hoag. She moved all of her care to Hoag, a hospital that matches her optimism and compassion. At Hoag, she found all her gynecologic oncology needs under one roof. She found clinical trials that are helping to extend her good days and a team of doctors that support women’s health. An internet search led Christine to gynecologic oncologist Lisa Abaid, M.D., whose approach immediately put Christine at ease.
“I love her because she’s really direct,” Christine said. “She’s compassionate, and I feel really comfortable. She spent a lot of time with me and my wife when she diagnosed the recurrence and said it was aggressive.”
Christine remembers the diagnosis well.
“We got a call with the results, and it was a shock because of how aggressive it was. There is no cure,” she said. “Dr. Abaid talked about surgery, we went through all the options. It was scary but she spent a lot of time with us, answered all the questions. We felt cared for.”
Christine opted for chemotherapy, which she received through skilled and loving infusion nurses at Hoag Hospital Newport Beach and Hoag Hospital Irvine, not far from her Mission Viejo home.
“I would tell anyone in my situation to come to Hoag. They will get the best care, physically and emotionally. They will be heard, their concerns would be heard,” she said. “With Hoag I have been so blessed. I wish everyone had the level of care that I’m getting.”
Part of that care includes follow ups to try to stay ahead of the cancer. In February 2024, a PET CT scan detected issues with the lymph nodes on her lungs. The cancer had spread, and Christine was referred to Tiffany Beck, M.D., a Hoag gynecologic oncologist on Dr. Abaid’s team who is involved in a clinical trial to test a drug in people who have cancer like Christine’s.
“I did the intake with Dr. Beck. She’s awesome. She is attentive. Compassion heals. That’s number one for me,” said Christine, a retired former nurse. “Medicine is a science and an art. They don’t have the cure yet. Being able to do more than survive, but to live and enjoy another day is a gift. This trial has given me many days, each day is a gift.”
If Christine’s tumors grow a certain amount or if her cancer mutates, she will no longer be eligible for the trial. If that happens, her doctors have explained that she still has options. And Christine is determined to do everything she can to fight against her aggressive cancer.
She credits her faith for her strength. She takes comfort in knowing that she has the support of her friends, her wife and her church. And she is deeply grateful for her medical team at Hoag.
“Am I going to be cured? I don’t think so. Not this side of heaven. So what I’m using this time to do is enjoy life,” Christine said. “I am doing well. My biggest thing now is fatigue, but I told my doctors, ‘I can live like this. I am able to do the things that I enjoy, gardening, watching birds. I am grateful for that. I feel blessed.”
