I lost my mom to lung cancer in June of 2012. I became a Social Media Ambassador for LUNGevity to help raise awareness and funding for research. Below, you can find a link to an application to become a Social Media Ambassador, as well. LUNGevity is currently searching for more people to help bring awareness to this awful disease.
One in 14 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetimes. It is also the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with over 1.8 million new cases each year. Lung cancer can affect anyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or smoking history.
**With all of that being said, this doesn't have to be a place JUST for Lung Cancer awareness. If anyone would like to post their stories of how they have been touched by a disease, let's welcome it here. If anyone else supports different causes and would like to link to those, this is a great place to do so! And, if anyone is going through difficult times because of something like this and would like someone to talk to, please feel free to post here or message me directly! I know that it can help a ton to just be able to vent to someone. <3
Yeah, there was an incident at the beginning of this year where I needed surgery because it came back. But luckily this time we caught it early!
So I am moving forward feeling good. Chemo was awful. This picture was on my 6 month. I was feeling great spiritually and mentally. Also was starting to put weight back on. I finished Chemo after 8 months.
I'm doing to donate too Jade! Both of my grandparents died exactly a year a part from COPD. Lung diseases are so nasty and terrible (as well as all diseases). Besides COPD taking my family members, Dementia also took my wonderful uncle away from me.
It makes me think of all the great memories I've had with them. They will always be with me and I can cherish that.
Terribly sorry for your loss Jade! I love ya!
deletedover 9 years
So sorry for your loss.. Stan will definitely donate
Oh wow! That was very touching, Rutab. Grandmas are always good for cookies. Haha. It's great that you can still remember her vividly. I'm sure she's smiling upon you ever second of the day. :) Thanks so much for sharing!
That really was heartbreaking. I hope you and your family are doing better. Really is good of you to share and make a thread like this.
deletedover 9 years
Jade that is a heartbreaking story. Your mother sounded lovely.
My grandma died from lung cancer, and her husband, my grandpa, died from oral cancer. The thing I remember most was how the only thing we'd do when we saw her was play endless games of Uno. I still remember being little and asking why she couldn't play Uno with me anynote. One time, one of my smallest cousins, Colin, went up to her a few days before her death and says "I really love you Grandma" and after not being able to speak for days she musters out "Someone get him a cookie..." because she alwayd got him a cookie whenever he came to see her. To top it all off, moments before her death she looked to the ceiling and shielded her eyes as if she was looking at a bright light and said "Herb I'm coming, I'm coming!" Herb was her late brother.
In December of 2011 (2 whole years later!), things took a turn for the worst. She started having seizures when she'd stand up or walk around. I was home from school (actually the only one in the house at the time, too) when she had her first one. They gradually started getting worse. Eventually her brain started to go, as well. She would think that things on the TV were happening in real life and couldn't remember things we had just gotten done talking about. Eventually it got to the point where we had to have her sister (she's a nurse from Ohio) come live with us to help take care of her. I was supposed to start my last semester in college that January, but how could I just leave my Mother like this? Luckily, my professor (I had all three of my classes with him that semester) allowed me to take the classes online so that I could stay at home with my Mom. I got a job working overnight so that I could be up with her at night on days that I had off and to give my aunt and dad a break. Eventually she became completely bedridden and couldn't even feed herself. It was all very, very heartbreaking. And then one morning in June, I came home from work and went to talk to her. I remember her telling me she loved me and I said it back. Shortly after, she started showing multiple signs that it was her time to go and at age 51, lung cancer took her life right in front of my eyes.
I'm glad that I've been able to cope decently since then. I still have occasional emotional breakdowns, haha. The only way I know how to make the best of the situation is to try to inform others and by being there for people that need someone to lean on if ever in a similar situation. Truly I hope this helps others! <3
So, since I stated that I'd like people to share their stories, if comfortable... I guess I could go into a little more detail about mine.
My mom and I were extremely close. I was away at college (only 2 hours away, so not terribly far) in 2009 when I got the call that she had been diagnosed. By the time we caught it, she was already stage 4 and it had spread to her brain and her bones. I remember before that Christmas, my dad saying "I'd like to make this a really great Christmas for her, because it may be her last. The Dr. told me she only had 6 months to a year to live." My heart sank further than I thought possible. My mom didn't know this "deadline," which I think was a good thing in the long run. I'm not sure her hope and strength would have been as strong, had she asked the Dr. herself. She started treatment and started doing really well. It actually looked really promising at one point and we were sure we were going to put this thing into remission. She fought for longer than that 1 year the Dr. gave her.
I updated the original post. Although I originally created this thread to bring forth awareness for lung cancer and in hopes of finding some others to potentially help spread the word, I'd also like this to be a place for others to talk about their experiences with ANY disease or illness. Hopefully it can help something in some way! :D
You truly are an idiot. This is a thread meant for support, awareness, and kindness. You evidently have ignored the entire purpose behind this. Use your head.
And is kindness such a bad thing? As I said, I'm not religious. I pray to let people know they are in my thoughts, change comes from a group of people with the same ideologies, spreading them worldwide.
Leave it be, you are seriously baiting people in a thread about lung cancer? This individual's mother died, and all you can talk about is the irrationality behind positive thinking? Gain some perspective, grow up, and pull your head out of your .
deletedover 9 years
@OP I'm glad you're trying to make a difference, keep spreading the word. You're doing good work.
deletedover 9 years
What's the point of warnings and detections to let people know natural disasters are going to happen? Why can't everyone just think POSITIVELY ...
