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MsC1210

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Thank you so much. I wish I had found the strength to post here sooner as I am certain it would have been very helpful at the onset as well as throughout the horrible ordeal we went through.

I know I have said this in many of my replies already but the out pouring of support and warmth and just plain goodness has been amazing. Thank you!

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Chris I am so sorry that you have lost such a young and precious friend. People don't know that thousands die from lung cancer who never smoked and many more who quit years ago. You are a great friend to hold your friend in your heart and continue the battle to find a cure. Welcome.

Donna G

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Hello Donna and thank you for the welcome and kind words.

I have been reading and researching so many sites and one of the things I see repeatedly is the argument I guess you could call it, about smokers and non smokers and lung cancer. I am a reformed smoker, I quit a year ago this past November for various reasons. At that point we had no idea that lung cancer was going to play a role in our lives, much less take Brad at such a young age. I am just floored at the lack of early detection testing and the lack of basic knowledge. I cannot begin to tell you how many people reacted to this news by saying OH!! I never knew he smoked!! I think this is one of the major issues that needs to be promoted and brought to the front in this war.. NOBODY IS IMMUNE TO LUNG CANCER! It honestly does not matter if you are a smoker or not, it can and does strike both groups.

My hope is that through sites such as this one, and all of us working together in some way, the necessary steps will be taken to make the public as well as the healthcare systems more aware that we just HAVE to do more and NOW..

Sorry to have gone off on a tirade there.. I do that from time to time, lol.. :?

Thanks again for your kindness, it means so much!

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Hi Chris,

So sorry you had to find us but so happy you have. We certainly can use all the supporters we can get.

As you know LC does not discrimate, it can hit a person at any time. This is the number one killer of men and women. And it always seemed to be hushed up because it is on you if you smoke.

Well I think the public is starting to find out that this does not just affect smokers. Dana Reeves is a good example of that.

I really feel bad for the non-smokers as they would have not have a reason to get chest x-ray or CT scan. So since the syptoms of LC shows up when there is a sign usually it is a late stage and it has metstasized by that point.

This article appeared in our local paper that has an extremely large distribution.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/p ... COLUMNISTS

One of our members Hebbie (Heather) is a non smoker, she has been doing remarkably well. She has been interviewed a number of times and heads a walk here in South Jersey and has raised over 45,000.00 a year towards research. She is remarkable. She is going to be featured in the Readers Digest in July with a circulation of 20 Million people! Hopefully, since there distribution is tremendous that this will open up some eyes.

Thank you for your support and my deepest condolences goes out to you on the passing of Brad. He seems to have been a remakable person. You made a promise to him and here you are. Anything we can do just let us know.

Maryanne :wink:

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Chris,

So sorry for the loss of your friend,

but glad you are now posting and keeping

your promise to fight.

So young and already gone, it is a sickness

that has no bond all ages, all states of health

and near or far from us.

Tell us what we can do to support or help you,

I'm from Canada, where your friend lived, we

have sometines a good health system and very

often it stinks. I find that we are much behind

in the treatments and have no choice than taking

what is offered, not many second opinion to have

and very hard to even find a first doctor to look

after you and not much chance of changing doctor

either, all that goes by the province you live in.

As they say the list is very long and you have to

wait your turn.

Welcome

Jackie

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Maryanne,

Thanks so much for you reply. I had read this article you mention as a friend of mine happened to have come across it and sent it on to me. I have printed it out this time and shall add it to the stacks and stacks of articles I have here.

Brad was a remarkable person, as some would say he was the total package, smart, funny, handsome and just so full of life and had such a passion for living. I think that only made it harder to accept his fate for me, but I am, slowly, coming to grips with it and am determined to do whatever I can as an individual to help get the message across to everyone that we just HAVE to find the cure and soon.

Again, thanks so much for taking the time to reply to me..

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Hello Jackie and thank you so much for your message.

I never understood the Canadian healthcare system before this exeperience and am still learning now. I had hoped to be able to get Brad to go for a second, third even fourth opinion about his diagnosis but his main doctor was pretty much cold to that suggestion. Down here, that is the common practice for most people and it is encouraged. I was baffled at his doctors attitude. I did so much research, spent countless hours online reading every single thing I could find, trying to find ANYTHING that might help. I wanted so much for him to go to BC and talk with the university doctors there about the mistletoe therapy that was showing so much promise but his doctor told him that he would prefer he not travel...He did go to Calgary and consult with a specialist there but of course it was already such an advanced case that it was just too late. It was only about 2 and a half weeks later that he lost his fight.

Anyway, I apologize for rambling on.. I so appreciate everyones responses and hearing from someone else in Canada who can understand the frustrations I have regarding treatments and healthcare there is very much appreciated.

Take care and please keep in touch....

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Hi Chris, Welcome

Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend at such a young age. It seems like your friend was very heath conscience. It re-enforces my believe that this disease will strike anyone, not just smokers. I wish that people in power that are funding research would realize this also. I really admire you for the promise you made that you would never give up fighting and looking for a cure.

We need all the help we can get. God Bless you.

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Hello Roger

Yes Brad was very close to fanatical about his health and body. I have never met anyone quite like him before and most likely never will again.

My promise to him is something I feel very strongly about and my goal at this point in time is to make as many people aware of the fact that lung cancer does not discriminate. It is not a smokers disease, it is a disease that can and does strike anyone from any walk of life and/or back ground.

I am so impressed with the people I have met here, the strength and determination and the positive attitudes and outlooks are so wonderful..

Again, thank you for taking the time to reply to my post,

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Hi Chris,

I'm so sorry you lost your dear friend, Brad. I also recently lost my best friend, Rick, to lung cancer, so I understand your pain and your commitment to do everything you can to stop this terrible disease. All of us here understand. Lung cancer seems to affect the people touched by it in a way that others can't really relate to.

Take care, and remember you're not alone.

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Hello Sher,

Thank you so much for your reply and please accept my heartfelt condolences on your loss. Please keep in touch and let me know if there is anything at all I can do to help you at this most difficult time.

My thoughts and prayers are with you...

Hugs,

Chris

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Hi Chris:

I am so sorry for the loss of your dear Brad. You are right on that LC is so horribly misunderstood and underfunded in research. I found it interesting that, not only do "non-smokers" get it, but that only about 10% of the smoking population get it (wish I had that reference I found not long ago at hand....been doing my fair share of research lately, as I can, on this as well) -- all I ever heard was that 87% of LC is due to smoking.....well, something is up if that other statistic is at all correct (always got to thoroughly question "facts" though). I ran across a mention of a similar really low "smokers stat" in here, so I cross-checked it independently -- it checked out on other independent sources.....I just plain don't know what to make of that yet.

If nothing else, I'll put my money on the odds that someone (well, more than just one) from this group will make the difference in blowing this wide open for more funding and an ultimate "cure".

Bless you for coming forward with your story,

Linda

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Linda,

I know exactly what you are saying about the stats and facts. Brad was in Canada so much of my personal research was done via Canadian sources and if you think what you have uncovered has been confusing, let me assure you, it is not much better north of the border! I actually just read on one independent report that one in two Canadians will have some type of cancer in their lifetime!!! I pray that those stats are grossly incorrect!!!!

Please keep in touch.. I so appreciate knowing that I am not alone...

Hugs,

Chris

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Chris:

Oh, I could just shed tears with laughter.....I am trained and have an undergrad degree in statistics (continued it in grad work too, just wasn't my grad degree): I sooooo know what you mean on the confusion.......studies can make anything look the way they want it to and that's what hurts the public. Study design and the methods used determine soooooo much about the outcome. It's soooo possible to have "garbage in, garbage out," it's scary. Just takes time to go through the background of what lead to the results the public has bought into to find out if it really is valid. Many, many things people have assumed is accurate really isn't -- that's why we have ended up with a rather neurotic public that has been told one thing is healthy and then later, it's no......this is healthy......no, this is.....

Hate to say that, but it's true.

Linda

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Linda,

I think a lot of the stats and studies that are readily available to the general public cause more harm than good in so many cases.. When Brad first told me about the diganosis, I began reading every single thing I could find in order to educate myself. I thought some days that my mind was going to implode to be honest and I had days that I walked away feeling as if I knew less than before I had began!

My line of thinking right now is that there has to be an accurate answer, a CURE somewhere and it needs to be found YESTERDAY. Smokers or non smokers, nobody deserves to have to go through this, either as a cancer victim or those of us left behind with broken hearts and shattered lives.

Hey I think you can get to my email addy via here? I would love to connect with you and compare more notes if you'd like. Please feel free to cpntact me. I am pretty clueless about how all of this site works lol

Hugs,

Chris

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Hi Roger.. I think I sent you a private message back.. If someone can tell me how to access my private messages I will be very grateful. I have looked in my mail and the inbox is empty. I am not sure how all the features of this site work just yet.

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You do access your private messages by clicking on "my mail" (upper right corner not too far under where your logon name is) or clicking on "mailbox" under Message Board option on the left, blue side of the screen. I am no expert on the PM thing yet either so beware my advice, but it's worked so far for me. The inbox comes up, but you can get to messages you have kept by clicking on the "save box" (light grey box upper center on the screen)....I'll PM you, try to send a response...... I also get notices in my e-mail of when a new PM has arrived for me here (I think that's an option that got chosen somewhere/sometime....not sure where though)

Linda

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