After being diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, math teacher Kelli Griebenow is starting the new school year healthy and ready to teach.

“I am blessed that I feel well enough at this time to be back in the classroom doing what I love to do,” Griebenow said.

Although Griebenow never smoked, she grew up with two smoking parents. She was constantly in a smoky house and a smoky car. Years later, Griebenow got a cough that lasted for months and did not go away. After taking asthma medication and having recurring dreams of having lung cancer, she finally asked her doctor for a chest x-ray. The cancer discovered is not curable, but it is treatable.

“I take two chemotherapy pills twice a day and will continue to take this medication as long as it continues to keep the cancer from growing and spreading,” Griebenow said.

Griebenow deals with side effects from the medication on a daily basis, including fatigue. The most recent CT scan shows no signs of cancer at this time.

“I look forward to an uneventful year where my health is concerned,” Griebenow said.