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Why I'm "Here"

I did not choose to be on this Lung Cancer Patient/Advocacy Road; it chose me. Had my late mother not been diagnosed with late stage inoperable lung cancer, I can say with a fair amount of certainty, I would not be on this road. We never considered the possibility of lung cancer because we did not know the facts. Lung Cancer is Not Just for Smokers.
I became an advocate because I did not want one other family to face the shock that our family did. NO ONE IS IMMUNE from a lung cancer diagnosis. My goal is to empower people with information in order to give them a fighting chance. My goal is to reframe the issue of lung cancer in order to address the social stigma currently associated with the disease. My goal is to support increased lung cancer research to find the cure.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Chess Player in a Checker World

David Plouffe said it well: Barack Obama is a chess player in a room where most are playing checkers. Even though I never mastered the game of chess, I totally understand and relate to what Mr. Plouffe said.
How long have I been saying that those of us who identify ourselves as lung cancer advocates perpetuate the stigma associated with the disease by talking about smoking. There were those who thought then and still think now that I'm simply nuts to say that.
When a "professional" at the recent international lung cancer study meeting said the same thing, some fellow advocates did have an AHA moment - I reach out to those who get it and for those who still are not there yet, I'll just keep repeating myself.
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