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
My Hope for My Children and GrandchildrenAs lung cancer patients, we stare down death every day. Whether it is our own mortality or losing our cancer friends we make along the way of our journey. We face...reactions2comments
Why Am I Suddenly So Tired? Oh, Yeah, That RashMany people do not realize the importance of our skin, or the prominent role it plays in maintaining our overall health. As the body's largest organ, it deserves a little...reactionscomments
Colonoscopy and OpdivoLast month I told you all about my CT scan showing that I had colitis. This is a known side effect from Opdivo. So....next stop is a Gastroenterologist and scheduling a colonoscopy. I...reactionscomments
How to Save a LifeHealth Union (LungCancer.net) brought their writers to their headquarters in Philadelphia. In one of the workshops, we were encouraged to write about a pleasant memory or experience. After writing mine...reactionscomments
3-D Printing and the Future of Lung MedicineMost of the news on lung cancer research tends to focus on potential new drugs or procedures. We read a lot about advances in immunotherapy as the potential cure-all for...reactionscomments
If You Toss Enough Seeds, Maybe One Will Land on Fertile GroundI am dumbfounded right now. I just finished writing a blog post that is highly critical of my Representative in Congress. I now have to retract what I wrote (it...reactionscomments
Staying Positive is a Goal, Not a ConstantWhen you come to these forums to read what others have to say about dealing with lung cancer on a day in and day out basis, you mostly find truth...reactions10comments
Are Advertisements Offering Too Much False Hope?You know, I'm just not sure what I think about all of the advertisements that we are constantly bombarded by on television, in magazines, on social media... Everywhere, it seems...reactionscomments
Cancer InvincibilityI have been meaning to schedule my annual mammogram. It’s also time for a colonoscopy. This morning I put both of those tasks on my calendar to do today. Surprisingly...reactions2comments
Using Medication To Quit SmokingChantix - it is a medication that either scares you to death or is a life-saver. Chantix is a medication used to help people quit smoking. According to their website, Chantix works by binding...reactionscomments
It's About the JourneyI remember the days following my diagnosis as if they were yesterday. I was told I might not have very many more days here on earth, so I decided I...reactionscomments
Balancing Parenting with Cancer TreatmentBeing a cancer patient does not counteract parental duties, though I often wish it would. Many times I have had to drag my child along with me when I was...reactionscomments
Progress in Federal Funding for Lung CancerAt the end of June, a bipartisan amendment was passed to restore the budget for the Department of Defense (DOD) Lung Cancer Research Program to $20 million for 2019. What...reactionscomments
Deciding on Radiation Treatments"Your tumor is growing. I am sorry, but I am pulling you out of your clinical trial," my oncologist said. And, with that, my world came crashing down all around...reactionscomments
