My Needle Biopsy ExperienceTo be honest, I was somewhat confused about what a needle biopsy entailed. When I was diagnosed about three and a half years ago, I had biopsies done of my...reactions13comments
Hope is a Powerful ForceHope is a word I never used to associate with lung cancer because for a very long time there just wasn’t any. I have been fighting lung cancer indirectly, and...reactions2comments
Precision Medicine 101Have you heard of Precision Medicine? If you haven't, you are certainly not alone! But, it is very important for you to know it exists, what it is, and how...reactionscomments
Should Patient Advocates Attend the AACR Conference?In mid-April, I attended the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) for the second year in a row. This conference brings together over 20,000 cancer researchers...reactionscomments
Taking a Deep Breath with Lung CancerOne of the anomalies of lung cancer is that for many patients, they never experience any symptoms to clue them into their predicament. As the disease becomes more advanced, of...reactions1comment
Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2018In today's political climate, it isn't often that you hear about a bill that enjoys bipartisan support, but the Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2018...reactionscomments
What Is Okay to Say to a Cancer Patient?Announce that you have cancer and it will likely be met with an outpouring of uncensored comments, a flood of words that had not been thought through, or it will...reactions2comments
4 Years and It Got MeI have had lung cancer for 4 years and 3 months. Overall, I have been healthy. That does not include the side effects from my different treatments but I am referring to...reactionscomments
Stage 4 Lung Cancer Stats Beginning Upward ClimbMost people who hear of someone being diagnosed with lung cancer know, well, that's bad. And when they hear it is stage 4, that's even worse. That was my experience...reactions6comments
An Open Letter to CaregiversDear Caregiver, I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer back in October 2012. While I am feeling quite well most of the time now, we went through a period...reactions2comments
Bringing Friends Together Through Terminal CancerTrigger alert: cancer is a sensitive issue, but sometimes patients need to find humor in even the direst prognosis. I did not expect the reveal of my metastatic disease to...reactionscomments
I Feel the Need to Go...But I Just Can'tI don't know about you, but when I was undergoing chemotherapy, I was so constipated that I was absolutely miserable. In fact, the constipation was one of the very worst...reactionscomments
Prevention vs. Risk Reduction in Lung CancerI wrote an article recently about how I was guilty of falling into the trap of blaming an acquaintance's smoking habit for her possible lung cancer (it had not yet...reactions2comments
To Biopsy or Not to Biopsy, That is the Question!I have had four biopsies since I was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013. Why so many biopsies? Well, each one was done at a particular time in my treatment...reactions2comments
It Takes One Candle to Light a Dark RoomIt only takes one candle to light a dark room. My mom would say that to me any time I would say that my contribution to something wouldn’t make a...reactions1comment
Handwork and Art Therapy in Cancer TreatmentThere has been a lot in the news in recent years about the importance of handwork for early childhood development, and how working with the hands enhances brain function, increases...reactionscomments
What the Heck is a Lung Cancer PRO?Once I got involved with patient advocacy, it quickly became apparent that my initial lack of information about lung cancer was definitely the norm, not the exception. The good thing...reactions2comments
What Will They Say?Several days ago, I got a text message telling me that a former colleague and friend had passed away unexpectedly. I had seen her recently and she was her usual...reactionscomments
Let's Talk About Mental HealthMental health and physical health are often linked, with one impacting the other. Mental health, in particular, can be difficult to talk about with others, leaving people isolated and without...reactionscomments
Showing Gratitude to Oncology NursesNurses are such an important part of the cancer care team, and I hope we all show our gratitude to these professionals. For full disclosure, I am married to a...reactionscomments