Maryann’s Story
For more than a decade, Maryann has navigated life with lung cancer while continuing to focus on the things that bring her joy—fishing, quilting, yoga, and time with her family.
Diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer in 2015 and later with leptomeningeal spread in 2025, she has faced challenges that extend beyond the physical realities of cancer itself.
One of the most difficult aspects of her journey has been confronting misconceptions about lung cancer.
"People think that I earned my cancer by smoking," she says. "But I was not a smoker."
Over the years, she has often found herself educating others about the disease and challenging assumptions that many people don't realize can be deeply hurtful.
Through it all, the support of the Be Well community has helped her navigate both the emotional and physical challenges of living with cancer.
After discovering Be Well through North County Cancer Fitness, Maryann found something she hadn't experienced elsewhere—a community where she felt accepted exactly as she was.
"The most accepting group I have ever joined," she recalls.
What stood out most was that no one focused on her diagnosis. No one defined her by her cancer. Instead, people simply wanted her to feel better and supported her wherever she was on any given day.
That flexibility continues to be one of the reasons she returns to class. Whether she is feeling strong or struggling, she knows she can adapt her practice to meet her needs and that her instructors will support her without judgment.
For Maryann, being part of Be Well means belonging to a community without being defined by it.
It means receiving support while maintaining her independence.
Most importantly, it means being seen as a whole person—not as a diagnosis.
Because, as she puts it so simply and powerfully:
"I am not my cancer. I am me."
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