When I first heard the name Rainie Wells, I was watching a video of her and Westside Mike steppin’ in one of his classes. She was dancing in flip flops and made it through every turn and move flawlessly. Although we never met in person, I came across the story of Rainie Wells and her adenocarcinoma and cause from a post from Tykman Ali in my news feed. I admire how transparent Rainie is about her fight to teach others and expose her facts to others – strangers even – in her fight against adenocarcinoma. Learn more and see how you can help and support her at this time as she is seeking financial help to take care of herself during five weeks of no income and for her recovery after surgery this week.
Rainie Wells is from West Virginia and has been steppin’ since 2009. She first encountered steppin’ at a First Friday’s event, at Geoffrey’s in Oakland, CA. A group of people was dancing on the stage. “What I saw was so beautiful. The dance was grown and classy. Come to find out, the people that I was watching were Damone and people from his class.” Rainie has been to Chicago and she considers Chicago the mecca of steppin’. “Chicago is the real deal. When I watch the folks from Chicago dance it never ceases to amaze me. The flow, watching them “dance”, how they respond to the song being played; how they dance to that song, how they express themself in that song, it’s beautiful to watch.”
(1) Tell us what is Adenocarcinoma.
Adenocarcinoma is the type of cancer that I’ve been diagnosed with. It is most prevalent with lung cancer.
(2) How has this affected your day to day dealing with this condition?
Dealing with this condition is more mental than physical. I have no physical symptoms of this condition. My lungs are excellent. I only know that I have cancer because the biopsy and the imaging said so. It took me a minute to wrap my mind around this. I cried and cried. Talked to the Lord. I talked to friends and people who are cancer survivors. If you know me, you know I’m only going to talk about something for so long, then it’s time to make a decision and move on. I had enough information to make a clear conscious decision. Hence the surgery.
(3) Your lobectomy is scheduled for March 26. Why did you choose to go through with the procedure?
I chose to move forward with the lobectomy because I spoke to two thoracic surgeons and that was the conclusion from both doctors. I didn’t like hearing this. The doctor cannot perform a wedge, where he would actually snip my lung to remove the tumor because the position of the tumor is too deep. If the tumor was more towards the edge of my lung, the wedge may have been an option for me. With it being as deep into the lung that it is, the lobectomy is the best method. Plus, the doctor said that removing the lobe would remove cancer.
According to the biopsy, it doesn’t look like cancer has spread. It has neither gone into my lymph nodes nor are there indications that it’s in my brain. Chemo or radiation does not get rid of this cancer. They shrink it. I’m told that if cancer comes back after chemo or radiation, it comes back more aggressively. The lobectomy is the best procedure to make sure all the cancer is removed. Essentially, I’m giving up a lobe, to save my life.
(4) I know there has been mention that individuals with respiratory problems are susceptible in these times, does this adenocarcinoma increase your vulnerability to the coronavirus?
I don’t know if the adenocarcinoma increases my vulnerability to the coronavirus. However, as a layperson, I would believe those who do have respiratory issues have reason to be concerned with their vulnerability to a virus affecting their lungs. Those who are asthmatic have enough concerns with their breathing, on a daily basis, not to pull the coronavirus into the equation.
(5) Why are you being so transparent about this part of your life’s journey?
If my story, my journey can help someone else, then so be it. This journey originally started with me having a bad cough in October 2019. I could barely speak the whole month of October. I had this deep, man voice when I would attempt to elevate my voice. That’s when I began to cough. I took Mucinex for two weeks before going to the doctor. Nothing was helping me. Anything that caused me to exhort my lungs, sent me into a coughing frenzy. After taking the Mucinex for two weeks, with no relief, I went to the doctor and I was told that I had bronchitis. I was given antibiotics for five days, an asthma inhaler, allergy pills, which I was instructed to take for 90 days and not to miss a pill. I took the antibiotics as instructed; however, the cough did not subside.
I told the doctor, the following week I was still coughing. At that point, they suggested I get a chest x-ray. My point at this juncture is I could have stopped at “bronchitis”. I could have reasoned within myself that this would go away in time. To give it time; however, I know my body and I knew this cough wasn’t normal. I went back to the doctor about the cough and here we are. Again, I could have stopped at bronchitis; however, it was the cough that got me to the doctor. And it turns out, it was the cough that saved me from this being totally misdiagnosed. The thoracic doctor, in Virginia, said that someone upstairs was looking out for me because no one comes to him at the point I did. I agree. He said, that by the time people get to him, it’s too late.
(6) Are you scared?
I’m not scared because I know what I have to do. I’m looking forward to being on the road of recovery, to getting back to normal life.
(7) How are you preparing for five weeks of recovery?
I’ll be traveling from the DMV to Houston, Texas, where the surgery will be performed, at MD Anderson. I will be recovering in Conroe, Texas. The doctor said that my total recovery will be approximately three (3) months. In which, I’m being given 6-8 weeks leave from work. The doctor expressed that I have three (3) weeks to expand my lower left lobe to fill in space from the upper left lobe being removed. He said that the body will naturally fill the space with fluid.
My job is to expand the lower left lung, to prevent fluid from filling in space. Fluid is not good. I’m attempting to take only three weeks off from work because regretfully there is no “emergency” money saved for the time period that I will be absent from work and I must get back to work as soon as I can. Even when I go back to work, it will be another two weeks before I will see a paycheck; causing me to be without income for a total of five weeks.
(8) What are you doing now to stay positive?
I do my best to maintain a stress-free environment. I try to stay calm. Relax. Plan ahead. Talk with friends. Pray to the Lord, ask for guidance, direction and cast my cares upon HIM.
(9) How can steppers offer their support?
I’ve realized that there is no way I can save the funds to support myself during my recovery period and not jeopardize my health any further. Time is of the essence for the surgery. I’m seeking the financial support of others to assist me through my recovery period from the surgery. I have accounts at Paypal, Venmo, and Zelle. I can be located by my email: wellslorraine@comcast.net or cell: 510-816-1379. Every bit helps and is greatly appreciated.
Visit her support page also to donate.
