Two Plus Two Does Not Always Equal Four

When you talk about having lung cancer or being diagnosed with lung cancer, the story is not always the same. The perception that there’s only one way to be inflicted is a myth, and too many times the myth can outshine the facts. Two plus two does not automatically equal four in the case of being diagnosed with lung cancer.

The cough among other signs

Usually the signs of possible complications form from the flu, pneumonia, and lung disease (or COPD). You will hear many people claim symptoms that are similar. The symptoms of lung cancer can range from any of the following:¹

• A cough
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Chest pain when breathing (more so pneumonia)
• Shortness of breath (more so pneumonia and COPD)
• Wheezing (more so COPD)
• Mucus produced cough

How do I know if I have lung cancer?

So how do you know if you have lung cancer? The easy fix is to always check with your doctor. I know all too many times, even in my mother’s case, we think that all of these symptoms wrap up into a cold; a simple common cold that can be managed with some rest and lemon and tea, and that’s just not the case. Some of these symptoms are not a walk in the park and should not be taken lightly.

There are a number of lung diseases

The results are not always the same when it comes to lung disease. The reference in itself means different things for different people. Lung disease can fall into many unfortunate categories and look different for many. Some of these lung diseases include lung cancer, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), emphysema, cystic fibrosis, chronic fibrosis, asthma, and pneumonia to name a few.

Each of these determinants may have different scenarios but the common denominator is that they all in some form or another fall within the disease of the lung. I recall my mother meeting a fellow patient at her clinic who had been diagnosed with emphysema; clearly, her treatment was different than what my mother had to endure. The similarities of how these conditions are treated while combatting to treat the lungs are the same goal.

The stigma persists regardless of the disease

Though the symptoms mentioned can be relatively similar, one factor for sure holds the same position and that is the stigmatization that comes with this particular topic. Somewhere down the line lung cancer and/or lung disease gets labeled as a smoking disease, even without knowing the history of the individual.

You could have had asthma as a child yet the fact of this being a breathing and lung capacity disease, for many falls on deaf ears. You will still have some individuals that relate to the capacity of limited breathing to smoking. It’s unfortunate that the stigma can hold so strong, when clearly some of those affected by lung cancer have never been smokers, so what can be accounted for that?

Again two plus two does not always equal four, so spread the word and make noise so people know the faces of lung cancer vary and should not be taken lightly. This message must be blow-horned everywhere!

The time to fight is now, with integrity, grace, hope, and a smile...when you feel like it