Comedian Griffin Jokes About One Lung
- Kathy Griffin, 61, jokes about her one lung with Hillary Clinton, 74.
- Griffin was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and has been public about her diagnosis and cancer battle. She's a non-smoker and was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer.
- Keeping an upbeat and playful attitude through cancer and into remission can help; focus on the positive through cancer.
Griffin shares this playful banter on Instagram, writing, “Hillary got Covid, I offered her one of my remaining lungs. We are now in negotiations.”
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Griffin has been talking about her lung cancer battle and her experiences in remission as she hopes to regain full use of her voice following lung cancer surgery. She talks about how living by the ocean at her home in Malibu, with her husband, Randy Bick, 43, is restorative and healing.
One Lung & Kathy’s Survivor Journey
Kathy Griffin was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2021 and has been public about her diagnosis and cancer battle. She's a non-smoker and was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer. A stage 1 lung cancer diagnosis indicates that the cancer hasn't spread to the lymph nodes or other organs in the body.
Symptoms of lung cancer typically include:
- Sudden and unexplained weight loss
- Constant coughing that becomes painful over time
- Shortness of breath
- Changes in voice or difficulty speaking without getting winded
- Pain in the torso, mid- and upper-back, and shoulders
- Discoloration or a sudden change in color of mucus and saliva
Griffin had surgery to treat her disease. Lung cancer surgery impacts the body in various ways. It may cause fatigue, leaving the patient feeling weak and tired. There's also the risk of infection after surgery. Signs of infection after lung cancer surgery can include: shivering, feeling nauseous, swelling or redness around the surgical wound, and fluctuating temperature. Speak with your doctor if you experience any of these things.
Breathlessness is also normal after lung cancer surgery. Long-term pain can present as well. A study published by the European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery examined the risk factors of vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) following lung cancer surgery in patients. The study found that 86100% of patients reported hoarseness after surgery following RLN paralysis (a nerve injury that has the potential to occur after surgery for lung cancer). And in 45% of the patients studied, hoarseness was the only symptom of VCD after lung surgery.
What Happens When You've Been Newly Diagnosed With Lung Cancer
Keeping a Positive Attitude Through Cancer
Keeping a positive and playful attitude through cancer, as Griffin does, has shown to be beneficial. In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, one cancer expert shares anecdotal evidence of what he sees in patients who keep a positive attitude and stay grateful.
Related: Stay Positive, It Matters
The oncologist tells SurvivorNet, “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK.”
“Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow,” he says. “But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life.”
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