Sometimes a commercial can change your life. At least, that's the case for Bob of Jamestown. After spotting a familiar face from town on TV sharing his heart scan story, Bob was intrigued. As a former smoker, he suspected that he could be at risk for lung cancer and heart disease.

A few weeks and few conversations with his wife, Dee, later, Bob scheduled a heart and lung scan at Hendricks Regional Health. The scan discovered a mass in the lower portion of his left lung. Shortly after, he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

In the summer of 2016, Bob had surgery to remove the cancerous mass. With the dedication of his healthcare team, constant support from his wife and family, and his own commitment to a healthier future, Bob is thankful to be cancer-free.

"They operated on me, I've healed up, and I'm cancer-free right now. I lucked out."

Taking action against the past.

Last year, Hendricks Regional Health told the story of John of Jamestown and his family on television in hopes of raising awareness about heart and lung scans. A heart screening checks for coronary artery disease, which occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries. A lung screening examines the lungs to identify certain conditions such as clots or other small tissue masses. They're also vital in catching lung cancer in its earliest stage—when up to 90 percent of cases can be cured.

As an avid gardener, Bob visited John's store in town often to buy seed for his garden. So when he saw John's familiar face on television, he really connected with his story. Bob's wife had a history of heart disease like John, and both Bob and Dee were former smokers. Though he quit 16 years ago and she quit shortly after, they decided it was better to schedule the scan and know for sure.

"We saw the commercial many times and thought about it," Dee says. "We listened to John's story which was really great, and based on our own history we both finally said, 'We should really go do that.'"

A simple scan with a life-saving result.

Bob and Dee made a heart and lung scan appointment together at Hendricks Regional Health. Neither were nervous about their scans. Bob was especially easygoing about the appointment because he didn't have a family history or any symptoms or signs that anything was wrong. Both Bob and Dee were surprised by how quick and simple the scans were. After the appointment, they met with their family physicians, Drs. Neil Zlatniski and Jason Cooper of Brownsburg North Family Medicine, to find out their results.

Bob's scan discovered a mass in the lower portion of his left lung. To see if the mass was cancerous, a needle biopsy was performed, which came back negative for lung cancer. But his doctors wanted to test the mass more to be 100% certain. Shortly after, it was confirmed that Bob had lung cancer.

At that moment, Bob realized the impact and the importance of getting the heart and lung scan that spring. "I had the cancer in my lung and I didn't know it. I probably would've waited a year or two before I would've realized that I had more trouble. It might've been too late and I may have not made it."

After meeting with an oncologist, Bob had two treatment options to help fight the lung cancer: undergo chemotherapy, or have the mass surgically removed. He opted for surgery. "In June they operated on me, and I'm cancer-free right now."

Breathing easy for the future.

Bob has a lot of free time on his hands after retiring from his job at Allison Transmission. He enjoys getting out into nature as much as he can to feed the birds, garden and go fishing—"It's relaxing and you just have fun!"—and he has a soft spot for his grandkids and two dogs, a shih-tzu named Zoey and a Maltese named Sophie.

Bob also savors every moment he spends with Dee, his bride of 35 years. "We have coffee every morning and try to solve the world's problems. And we usually don't get it done," he laughs. He's thankful for the time he gets to enjoy life to the fullest, and he's grateful each day for the commercial that inspired him to take action.

"It's the best thing I've ever done. Having that scan saved my life."