Betsy Lewis, a 75-year-old resident of Houston, Texas, faced the harsh realities of cancer with a distinct blend of fierce independence and humor. A divorced woman known for her sarcasm and strength, she spent nearly a decade navigating the complexities of breast cancer and later lung cancer. While her journey was one of indomitable spirit, determination, and strength, those qualities were overshadowed by the impact treatment had on every aspect of her life.
Almost a decade ago, Betsy Lewis was living the American breast cancer survivor’s dream. She endured five years of grueling treatment, including a drug that made her feel bone weary. Even with the physical devastation that it brought her, during her illness, Janet’s attitude was very practical and business-like. In her younger days, Betsy would have won the endearing title of “Big Momma”, an indication of her exuberant spirit. As she learned to live with lung cancer after surviving breast cancer, she often thought about the approaching end of her life. This had been a reality she’d shepherded others into during their last weeks and months.
In the spring after her lung cancer diagnosis, Betsy was hospitalized from bacterial pneumonia. The ordeal solidified her view that patients should have control over treatment choices. She enrolled in a clinical trial for pembrolizumab, an experimental new drug. This immunotherapy drug was approved for use in advanced lung cancer in 2016 under landmark conditions. The treatment added years to her life past what most thought imaginable without intervention. It also introduced its own set of complications.
Betsy suffered with a debilitating rash and unbearable pruritus from immune dermatitis. This reaction was a known side effect of the drug, which made her sleep erratic. Rickhaia called her experience on pembrolizumab “almost torture”—let that sink in. It gave her five more vibrant and engaged years on this earth.
“I don’t know how long I can keep doing this.” – Betsy Lewis
With the ups and downs of her health, Betsy faced the facts about her condition. And so she opened up to her doctor about the physical constraints that started to take over her everyday life. She illustrated what it was like no longer being able to work and having to rest on the couch by midday. Behind this admission were all the practical realities she had to consider in balancing the pros and cons to remaining on treatment.
Betsy’s decision-making process was characterized by her formidable capacity to read the room.
“I am very good at weighing pluses and minuses, but my pluses and minuses can be very different than someone else’s.” – Betsy Lewis
She understood that many patients would appreciate the chance to prolong their lives, even if just temporarily. What she vehemently opposed was going through treatment like that, which had no hope of success and only resulted in substantial pain.
“If you’re going to extend somebody’s life by a week and a half or six months, and those six months are going to be hell, I’m not going to sign up for them.” – Betsy Lewis
Betsy’s attitude towards life and death expressed a profound wisdom about her own life and what she wanted. What she didn’t want was for her life to turn into just an extended period of suffering and a war against the inevitable.
“Good, because I’m never going to do any chemotherapy.” – Betsy Lewis
During her travels, she held on tight to precious reminders of home and family. Among them was a Star of David necklace, a diamond that had once belonged to her paternal grandmother. This work was both an invocation of her origins and a memorial to the power she had drawn from them.
“I don’t ever want to be kept alive. I don’t ever want my life to be one day of suffering and fighting after another. I don’t want that.” – Betsy Lewis
Betsy’s story brings an emotional, personal element to her fight against illness. It illustrates her profound grasp of what it means to be empowered to make her own medical decisions. At 75, even as she faced devastating chronic disease, she did not let anyone else dictate the choices she made in her life. Her point of view is a rich and poignant reminder of the unfolding tragedy of healthcare where individual agency is rendered invisible.
Betsy Lewis’s legacy is one of strength—interspersed with a deep humor and a sharp clarity. She met the challenges of her cancer journey with immense courage. Her example taught those around her to understand that if death is unavoidable, how we choose to face it is almost equally important.
“Well, everybody is making their pilgrimages. You don’t have to lift a finger, or you can just sit in your house and people can come, and then when it’s time for them to go, they can go home.” – Betsy Lewis
Betsy Lewis’s legacy is one of strength intertwined with humor and clarity. She navigated her cancer journey with an unwavering spirit, reminding those around her that while death is inevitable, how one chooses to face it can be equally significant.