Never Been NED, but There's Still TomorrowDo you ever think back to your childhood? About the things you learned, the conversations you were a part of, the ones you overheard from adults? Not just the fun...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Anxiety... An Unwelcome VisitorI recently saw a study that found that lung cancer patients who do not have anxiety or depression live longer than those who do. I was surprised to find this...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Interviews, Surveys, & Patient ResearchAs a new lung cancer patient, you will soon discover many Facebook groups or pages with other survivors. Along the way, sometimes another member may post an opportunity for an...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Relationships, Dating, and Stage 4 Lung CancerI cannot begin to describe how aggravating this part of surviving is. After all, who wants to have a serious relationship with someone with cancer? Who wants to listen to...Reactions0reactionsComments5 comments
Get Off Your Duff and Get Moving!There are a few articles hitting the news lately about how too much sitting contributes to a number of cancers. The reason for this spate of news is a talk...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Being an Empowered PatientLung cancer patients should be empowered to have a voice in selecting the oncologist or surgeon to lead their healthcare team. I spoke with an old friend today that just...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Let’s Talk About Clinical Trial WashoutsA friend of mine — a fellow EGFR lung cancer survivor — passed away this week. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence in the lung cancer community, but there...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
Pets, Responsibilities, and the Lung Cancer PatientWhen I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, I was quickly asked by more than a few people if I would be getting rid of my cats. They are...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
5 Reasons to Share Your Personal StoryLong, long ago, in my previous life before cancer, I was a newspaper journalist. I worked as a reporter then an editor as daily newspapers for approximately 10 years before...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Awareness From Breasts to LungsBreast cancer awareness was a groundbreaking movement in the 80s and 90s that, frankly, saved a lot of lives and laid the foundation for making early detection the norm in...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Have You Considered Getting a Fake Vein for Chemo?Yesterday during my treatment I met a lady who was worried about getting “stuck” so that she could get her chemotherapy. The time before when she was there, they didn’t...Reactions0reactionsComments8 comments
Cancer Lessons: Empathy and CompassionI don’t even know how to describe some of the feelings I have been having lately. I find myself oscillating between extreme gratefulness and extreme frustration. Our family has been touched by...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
You’re Lucky You Get to Travel So Much!I’ve been fortunate enough to do a lot of traveling in the over four years since I’ve been diagnosed with lung cancer. Not right after my diagnosis — I wore...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Perspective: Not Enough or Making Progress or Both?Perspective is an interesting thing. I just got home from the 2018 Lung Cancer Leadership Conference sponsored by Lung Cancer Research Foundation. This kind of meeting is always a blessing...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Working Together to Defeat Lung CancerWhat if we could give governors a roadmap to help defeat lung cancer in their state? The American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE “State of Lung Cancer” 2018 report looked at...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
The Importance of Looking UpThere is a simple story I often retell from one school-day afternoon in my teens. Autumn was perhaps my favorite time of the year and the maples and oaks that...Reactions0reactionsComments1 comments
You Look Great!Although I am a “healthy” lung cancer survivor, many of my lung cancer friends who may appear to be healthy are anything but. What does health or sickness look like?...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments
If This Doesn't Make You See Red, What Will?Last year, Cure magazine published an article entitled, The American Lung Association Seeks to End Stigma, that, obviously, deals with the very real lung cancer stigma. We, as lung cancer survivors...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
What Are All Those Scans, Anyway?Most of us are familiar with the X-ray and Ultrasound, but there are more imaging scan options that many patients will receive as part of the diagnostic and observational process...Reactions0reactionsComments0 comments
Decisions, DecisionsFirst let me start by saying how grateful I am to have options. Although I wish the best option would just slap me in the face and say “Pick me!”...Reactions0reactionsComments2 comments