Published: December 2, 2025
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Robin Meyer spent years caring for cancer patients — never imagining she’d one day fight the disease herself.
The 62-year-old Shepherdsville woman cared for patients in her role as a certified nursing assistant. She knew the pain, the uncertainty and the strength it took to persevere during cancer treatments, but she never thought she’d face that challenge.
“I really enjoyed my job working with the patients who had cancer,” Robin said. “You got to know their family members [and] the patients really well. You almost became one of their family.”
After decades of caring for others, Robin’s own health needed attention. The former smoker who quit more than a decade ago decided to get annual lung screenings just to be safe. That decision may have saved her life.
“I’m pretty healthy; I keep myself busy,” Robin said. “I didn’t feel any different.”
After having scans annually, one came back as abnormal.
“We had more tests done and a CT scan. That’s where they found the cancer in my lymph nodes in my lungs,” Robin said.
She was shocked by the diagnosis but was determined not to let the cancer disrupt her life.
“I didn’t let it stop me from doing the things that I wanted to do,” Robin said.
Robin began treatment, including chemotherapy. She was treated under the care of Adam D. Lye, M.D., hematologist/oncologist and thoracic medical oncologist with Norton Cancer Institute.
“The treatment wasn’t too bad,” Robin said. “Everybody at Norton Cancer Institute is awesome. They’re very pleasant to work with. It’s just unbelievable.”
Robin was able to avoid surgery, something she called a miracle.
“I was overwhelmed that they didn’t have to do surgery or go in to take out anything,” Robin said. “It was gone in the third round of chemotherapy. There was nothing there to take.”
A simple scan could be the first step toward beating the nation’s deadliest cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society.
Lung cancer can go undiagnosed until it’s in an advanced stage, because symptoms usually don’t appear until the cancer has spread. If you are over age 50 and currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years, you could be at high risk for lung cancer.
“If your doctor advises you to get a test screen, do it,” Robin said. “Catch it early. I’m glad I caught it early. I didn’t have to go through painful treatments.
“Do the treatments, get your scans done.”
Studies have shown that early diagnosis with tools like CT scans can reduce the risk of death from lung cancer by up to 20%. Submit an online request or call (502) 629-5864 for an appointment for a lung cancer screening.