Lung Cancer Patient Chooses Mon Health, Finds High-Quality Care

Rita Lewellyn

Rita Lewellyn didn't think twice about the state of her health when she was grocery shopping back in August 2019. After an incident that sent her to the Emergency Room at Mon Health Medical Center, it was revealed that Rita had lung cancer. It was then that she decided to trust Dr. Ihtishaam Qazi and the Mon Health Cancer Center Team for her treatment and care. 

Rita was participating in her weekly shopping trip when she abruptly coughed up blood in the pharmacy. After her scary experience, the pharmacy staff advised she go to the ER immediately. 

"I called my daughter to meet me at the ER. I was thinking, no big hurry, it's probably not a big deal," Rita said. "I got an X-ray and they told me I have lung cancer."

Rita was diagnosed with Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. She was a smoker for 40 years but had quit nearly nine years prior to her diagnosis. After discovering the cancer in her lungs, it was also discovered that Rita had three cancerous spots in her brain. She received treatment for these spots before the Mon Health Cancer Center Team began treating her lung cancer. 

"I have been seeing Dr. Qazi since that ER visit. I started my first chemo treatment in November 2019, and he's been wonderful," said Rita. "All of the staff at Mon Health are amazing, I have never met one that isn't. They all work so hard, and I don't know how the nurses do it, they're as nice as can be." 

Dr. Ihtishaam Qazi, who is Board-Certified in Internal Medicine and Medical Oncology, got Rita through her chemotherapy treatments before starting her on infusions, which she now receives every three weeks. 

"I have a full PET scan next week to get an update on how everything is, and I'm hoping it is under control now. Thanks to Dr. Qazi and his chemo treatments, I feel good," she said. 

Rita was born and raised in Morgantown and worked in several office settings as well as in coal mines for nearly 16 years before retiring. She has a daughter and son-in-law that share three grandchildren who she adores and enjoys spending time with. 

"Dr. Qazi is fantastic. He even gave me his cell phone number and told me to call if I ever had an emergency in the middle of the night, how many doctors would do that? He goes out of his way for his patients. I don't know how I lucked out and got such a great doctor."

To learn more about the Mon Health Cancer Center, visit MonHealth.com/Cancer or call 304-598-6578. To learn more about lung cancer screenings at Mon Health, visit MonHealth.com/LungCancer.