What a Difference Some Air MakesOur bodies can be funny things. They appear to have simple needs, yet they can react in amazingly complex ways when they do not receive those needs, or get them...reactionscomments
Just How Important is it to Have a Connection with Your Doctor?I recently saw someone ask how important it is to have a connection with their surgeon. It got me to thinking about it. My thoughts were a little different than those...reactions2comments
Learning to Come to Terms With My Lung CancerThe cancer is going to do what the cancer is going to do. I can not control how it will respond to treatment. I can control my reaction to it...reactions2comments
Challenging Your Own Self-CareWhen I walked into my office this afternoon and noticed the pair of hand weights collecting dust next to my desk, something clicked. I have been dropping the ball on...reactionscomments
Screening Versus Cessation: An Either-Or FallacyI just came across an article in MedPage Today with the following headline: “Lung Cancer Screening or Smoking Cessation: Which is the Better Bet?” A subtitle stated, “Two lung cancer...reactionscomments
The Availability and Logistics of Participating in Clinical TrialsA year ago, my medical oncologist walked into the office and informed me that he was pulling me out of the trial that I had been in for four years...reactions2comments
My Body Is An Impetuous ChildI always thought that if I treated my body right, it would, in turn, respectfully return the favor. For the most part, I have eaten well-balanced meals and put in...reactionscomments
Being Sympathetic to the Lung Cancer PatientGoing through lung cancer treatment is no picnic. The patient may feel ill, suffer from mood swings, and be generally disagreeable. It is not uncommon for patients to be angry...reactions2comments
Memories of MaeHi, my name is Yolanda. I’m the daughter of Eartha “Mae” Lawson... Funny as I write this I feel guilty stating my mother’s full name, as she couldn’t stand the...reactions2comments
Saved By The Scan?Have you seen the commercial from the American Lung Association and Lung Force? If you have, were you offended? Well, you should have been because all you need to get...reactionscomments
I've Got Joy, Down in My Heart!I just read a draft of a blog post I wrote awhile back and the old children's song we used to sing in church came to my mind, "There's joy, joy...reactions1comment
Another Open WoundI finished off my third bottle of spray wash on my last load of T-shirts and sheets. While they were finishing in the drier, I stood over my bathroom sink...reactionscomments
Treating the Many Shades of RashOver the course of nearly four years, I have learned to cope with a variety of skin conditions brought on by various treatments for my lung cancer. The rashes that...reactionscomments
This Heat and HumidityI don't even live near the ocean. I live in Northeast Ohio one-quarter of a mile from the shores of Lake Erie and I cannot stand this humidity. How do...reactions3comments
Everyone Needs a BreakAbout a year after diagnosis, I sought out ways to get involved in the lung cancer community. First, it was locally by gathering a team of supporters and participating in...reactions2comments
Call to Action for All Advocates!Lung Cancer Alliance recently brought hundreds of lung cancer patient advocates together to share our stories with our representatives and request increased lung cancer research funding and support for the...reactionscomments
Dare We Say the "C" Word at the Same Time as Lung Cancer?When I was diagnosed with lung cancer, the chances that a late-stage lung cancer patient would live five years was merely 4%. In fact, the American Lung Association, even today...reactionscomments
Fear and the Reality Check -- Part TwoAs discussed in the first part of this article, as a Stage IV lung cancer patient, it is difficult to escape the looming shadow of death, the constant reminders of...reactionscomments
Fear and the Reality CheckI don't want to die and I don't necessarily want to think about dying. But as a Stage IV lung cancer patient, the thoughts are inevitable, even after years of...reactionscomments
Cutting My Own HairI wasn't supposed to lose my hair. Not with this treatment, anyway. Maybe when I was on chemotherapy and everybody expected me to end up bald, but I showed them...reactions7comments
