Hebbie

Hi Vickie, I remember very clearly what it felt like to finish treatment...and then be left alone for 3 months, feeling like a sitting duck! After being so closely monitored for so long, it's suddenly like "What? I'm supposed to monitor MYSELF??" The only thing that personally made me feel better, was to focus on nutrition/diet and exercise. It gave me a sense of control when everything else seemed pretty out of control. I could control what fuel I fed my body, and I made sure I ate the best foods possible. I also made sure I got out in the sunshine everyday and took a long walk to exercise the lungs. Since that time, I have begun traveling down a Macrobiotic Diet path and still appreciate the feeling of control I get when I know I am doing everything in my power to keep the cancer at bay....they rest is up to the big man upstairs You need to find what gives YOU a feeling of control. There is a great book out there called "Cancer -- 50 Essential Things To Do", written by Greg Anderson. I found it very helpful, he sort of shows you how to formulate a plan for moving through this journey. I would highly recommend it!

My very best friend lives in La Porte, TX, just two miles from Galviston Bay. I am just sick with worry for her. She's a single mom of two kids, who struggled and struggled after her divorce, FINALLY saving enough money to build a brand new house for her and the kids -- she moved in less than a year ago. She had to evacuate today, only taking some clothes, some photos and important papers, and her cat. She leaves knowing that she may come back to nothing. And she has no flood insurance. The events of the past few weeks are just horrifying and here we go again. To everyone out there in the path of Rita, my thoughts and prayers are with you -- please let us know how you all are!

I'll just keep on munching on my broccoli! Thanks!

Wonderful, wonderful news Carleen! It's so nice to see your smiling faces around here!!

I can't believe it! My oncology nurse nominated me for a "Hometown Hero Award" that is given through the Philadelphia 76ers Basketball Team....and they called to say I WON! What that apparently means is that I get free tickets to a game, and they are going to call me down onto the center of the floor during that game and present me with an award for my efforts to raise awareness and funding for Lung Cancer! I think it will be a WONDERFUL way to bring even further awareness to our cause!!! As terrified as I am to stand in front of 20,000 people, I think it will be an amazing thing to have them all hear about lung cancer -- if only for a moment!

Hi Mike, and welcome to our family. The ups and downs seem to come with the territory, but as the others have said, there are many things you can do to try to control the demons. For me, personally, what seemed to help was reading books -- and not just books on the disease itself, but books with an uplifting message. One of my favorites was "50 Essential Things To Do" by Greg Anderson (a lung cancer survivor as a matter of fact!) He puts you on a path to formulate a plan of action -- and a plan of action gives you a sense of control in a very out-of-control-situation. Here is a link for more info on the book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 0?v=glance As some of the others have suggested, seeing a counselor that you can talk to (someone outside the family, who doesn't just want to hear that you are doing well) can certainly help too. It's a tough road we are traveling but the further along the path you get, the more "ups" you will have, beating those "downs" back....day by day!

Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case. Numerous "stars" (more than I can count) have died of lung cancer, long before Peter Jennings. And several "stars" parents have lost the battle as well -- in recent years alone, Harrison Ford, Adam Sandler and Matt Lauer lost a parent to LC, and you don't hear much out of them.....I think it's up to US -- the "little people"!! The only thing that is ever going to bring change is a WHOLE LOTTA NOISE!!!!!!! The stars aren't doing it so we have to, and we are slowly but surely making progress. I take some comfort in the fact that three years ago, there were only one or two lung cancer walks taking place around the country. Last year, I know of at least 6 that happened. This year, according to www.lungcancerwalk.org, there are at least 10 (and I am sure there are a few not mentioned on that site). We need to just keep rattling the cage.... I wrote a "Press Release" that I submitted to USA Today (of course, they have not responded). I will post it below. If anyone is interested in submitting it to their own local papers, feel free! The Invisible Epidemic Every 30 seconds, someone, somewhere in the world, dies of lung cancer. In our country alone, approximately 473 people died of lung cancer today. While these facts are startling, equally startling is the fact that lung cancer receives 10 times less federal funding per death than breast cancer research and 30 times less federal funding per death than HIV/AIDS research. Although easily claiming the title of “Number One Cancer Killer In Our Country”, there are no pink ribbons and no outpouring of support. A lung cancer diagnoses packs a double punch. Its victims are dying and no one seems to care. But thanks to a small group of survivors and family members honoring loved ones that have succumbed to this disease, that is all about to change. A Lung Cancer Awareness movement is upon us. Where there once were none, there are now four lung cancer walks happening across our country this November, in recognition of relatively unknown “National Lung Cancer Awareness Month”. A visit to www.lungcancerwalk.org will find the four locations that have stepped out to the forefront: Pennsauken, NJ; Charlottesville, VA; Virginia Beach, VA; and Long Island, NY. Each event organized independently, born of it's own personal journey, but all coming together with one common goal -- to increase awareness and funding for the 172,000 American lives which are depending on it. The time for action is now. Because, when it comes to lung cancer, every second counts.

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes!!! I did have a wonderful day -- a wonderful weekend, actually! Dinner at a charming little place in Chinatown (that actually caters to macrobiotics!). The owner is a sweet man who brought out a tray of candle-lit cupcakes (that I don't eat...) and he actually gave me a beautiful silk scarf as a gift! He said "You could have celebrated your birthday anywhere, but you chose to celebrate with us!" How nice is that?? (And Ginny -- last year we did the expensive dinner thing at Buddakan in Center City -- this year I wanted something a little more laid back!) I celebrated with my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, neice, husband, son and best friend. On my actual birthday, my husband, son and I went to a Phillies Game and spent a beautiful afternoon outdoors. Can't think of a better way to kick of my 36th year!

To answer your specific question above, I am copying a portion of an interview with a Doctor that ran in The Houston Chronicle last year: ..."If it wasn't for lung cancer in women, (the rates would) really be on the decline," said Osborne, who estimates that 95 percent of lung cancers are related to smoking. "We're investing a lot of resources in trying to diagnose early ... when in fact all you've got to do is stop smoking and you won't get it."... I pretty much think that said it all....

Wow...things I have done that I never thought I would do....there are so many! After I was diagnosed, I thought that was it...life over. Since then I: 1) Celebrated my 35th birthday with my close family at a ridiculously fancy (and expensive) Philadelphia Restaurant and toasted the fact that I had made it to 35 -- now, I will Celebrate my 36th with them again tomorrow night -- at a cheaper place this time 2) Planned a lung cancer benefit in my town. The magnitude of what my husband and I were able to accomplish still doesn't hit me most of the time. But when I really think about it -- we raised $32,000 and had 350 people attend. 350! Having no clue what we were doing, we were able to create a place for 350 people to come and celebrate/honor their loved ones! I love that! 3) Shared my story with two major newspaper publications -- and give a speech at our benefit. I have a tremendous fear of public speaking. That speech was a HUGE accomplishment that I thought I would NEVER do! This disease has caused me to step outside of my comfort zone and do what needs to be done to make a change. It has also opened my eyes to the beauty of things around me....to listen to the sound of the birds chirping at 6 a.m....to tell my son I love him every chance I get...to not sweat the small stuff...and to stop being a work-o-holic!

I am so saddened by this news, it just breaks my heart. I pray for God's comfort to surround Beth and her family at this time.

I just saw the most BRILLIANT idea posted on a site through Women Against Lung Cancer - - it gives step-by-step directions on how to make an eluminated lung cancer ribbon that you can put on your door! How cool would it be to have a large lung cancer ribbon hanging from your front door, glowing with white lights, for the entire month of November??? Check this out! http://www.lungcanceraware.org/events.htm

I just returned home from my very first Macrobiotic Covered Dish Dinner! I had to drive over an hour to get there, but it was well worth it! About 25 people attended and I was thrilled to finally meet some like-minded people who could relate to exactly why I was doing Macrobiotics in the first place!! I also had the priviledge to meet Janet Vitt, who used macrobiotics to recover from her stage IV lung cancer 10 years ago. She is a wonderful woman, full of energy, and she gave me some great advice. She is very inspiring! A lot of people at the dinner are also cancer patients, focused on healing, and I connected with a breast cancer patient -- we are going to have lunch soon. FINALLY.....I AM NOT ALONE IN MY MACRO QUEST!!

I must admit that I have NEVER heard of anything like that and it sounds a little freaky!! However...there was a guy who attended my monthly lung cancer suport group at The Wellness Community a few months back who had gone through a series of electromagnetic treatments and his small-cell LC seemed to be stabalizing.....

I started really focusing on mine last August and we ended up raising $32,000 by November 6th. You can absolutely do it! PM me with your e-mail and I will send you a link that Renee (who posted above) gave me when I started. She called it her "walk primer". It gives a step by step on how to get started! GO FOR IT!

I think it's a GREAT price and will defintely be ordering several! Thanks for all of your hard work!

I met a young girl (21 years old) with Crohn's disease when I attended The Kushi Macrobiotic Institute back in May. They apparently have great sucess in treating/controlling Crohn's with a Macrobiotic diet. They put her in touch with a woman named Virginia Harper who was able to cure/control her Crohn's through macrobiotics. She has written a book about it -- here is the link: http://www.mental-health-matters.com/bo ... 1575668319 Don't know if this will help you or not, but figured it was worth mentioning!

SAVE THE DATE! The 2nd Annual South Jersey Lung Cancer Walk/Run & Rally Saturday, November 5, 2005 Event begins at 9:00am ~ Rain or Shine Cooper River Park, Pennsauken NJ FOR DETAILS AND TO REGISTER ONLINE PLEASE VISIT: www.lungcancerwalk.org We look forward to seeing you in November! Heather and Brad Saler - bsaler@comcast.net

My personal favorite "feel good movie" lately has been "Something's Got To Give" with Diane Keaton and Jack Nickelson. My boss laughs at me and says I am too young to enjoy that movie so much, but I watch it every single time it is on cable. It's just such a great romantic story. But my all-time favorite feel good movies are most definetely "Gone With The Wind" and "The Wizard Of Oz". They don't make them like they used to.... As far as a movie to laugh at? Well...I'm embarressed to say that I caught "Hot Chick" (Rob Schneider) on cable the other day and laughed so hard I almost hyperventalated. Other movies when you need a good laugh: Office Space Wayne's World ("Heather Be Thy Name") Austin Powers (any of them!) American Pie (any of them!)

I wasn't. I grew up in a non-smoking house, with never-smoking parents. I had no friends who smoked in high school and the only smoker I ever dated, was a brief relationship I had about 2 years prior to diagnoses. No smoking history in my background...however -- my best friend throughout my 20's was a "social smoker", who only smoked when she drank. We used to go to weekly happy hours and I'd sit at the bar for hours with a cloud of smoke lingering overhead. Enough second hand smoke to cause lung cancer? Who knows. My cancer could have been caused by a million contributing factors (second hand smoke, diet, intense stress, acrylic nail fumes from a 2-year salon stint, etc.). Bottom line is, I may never know what caused my lung cancer, and I don't dwell on it.

Stumbled upon an inspirational article! http://www.palmbeachpost.com/accent/con ... _0816.html 'I survived stage 4 lung cancer' By Joanie Willis Special to The Palm Beach Post Tuesday, August 16, 2005 If you know Lisa Pierot, then it is likely that you know me. We're two peas in a pod. I'm her best friend, her soul mate, her partner in crime, her advocate. And she is mine. The past few weeks have been really tough because Lisa got the news that her cancer, which she has fought for more than 10 years, is now in her liver. I just hate it — and now this: Peter Jennings is dead from lung cancer, and Dana Reeve has been diagnosed with it at the ripe old age of 44. I could say, "Isn't that funny? That's how old I was when I got lung cancer, 44." But it's not funny, not funny at all. I guess I could even say, "How could it happen to them, so famous and wealthy?" But I know better. Cancer can happen to anyone — the young, the rich, anyone. My cancer story is a long and torturous one. But whose isn't? "You have cancer" was the most surreal moment in my life. My doctors stood around my hospital bed after performing a biopsy and informed me that I had stage 4 lung cancer. The cancer had spread to my mediastinum area (the membrane that protects the heart), and they would not be able to operate. I knew nothing about lung cancer, operations or metastasis. Why would I? What I did know was what their expressions told me: My circumstances were grim. It struck me like a thunderbolt. I had lung cancer, and it might just kill me. A haze of disbelief If you have heard those words, then you know how they impact your world. For me, there was a heavy sensation of fear and terror, a sense of doom and sadness that was laced with a haze of disbelief. This was a betrayal of my body, a threatening situation I couldn't walk away from. I remember that fear even today, 11 years later. That first week left me feeling unconnected and outside myself. Light conversations were exchanged for life-and-death discussions, and the joy I once took for granted was long forgotten. I went through the normal drill — the bone scans, CT scans, MRIs, X-rays and blood tests. I tried like everyone does to digest the extensive amount of information I was receiving from the doctors and nurses. In truth, all I ever heard in those first days was my own heart pounding and phrases like, "It's a difficult case" and "We will do what we can." I was tattooed, zapped with radiation, injected with chemo, lost my hair, lost my health, lost my peace — and lost the expectation that I would be around to see my two precious sons, Andy, 12, and Mark, 10, grow up. The nights were the worst for me. I had learned that I had about a 4 percent chance of surviving, and without fail, I would awaken each night in a drenching sweat, heart pounding, alone, feeling terrible despair. I would sneak down to my boys' room and stand at the foot of their beds, watching them sleep, contemplating their lives and all that I would miss. This was the worst of it for me. The thought of not being there to watch them play sports, graduate, get married and have my grandchildren brought me physical pain. I could feel my heart break; I was devastated, sick and sometimes beyond tears. I don't remember the precise moment when my inner will to live manifested itself, but it did, and for that I'm eternally grateful. I do remember the day I stood in my bedroom, all alone, and started repeating the word "NO" over and over again. No to feeling helpless, no to despair, no to depression, no to giving up, no to being a victim of this lousy disease. I still felt sapped of emotional energy and physical strength, and incapable of the most important fight of my life. I decided to make decisions. My first was to face the situation head on, get the facts no matter how horrific, trust my own instincts, and act quickly. I liked my team of doctors and told them to hit me with everything they had. They did. I received 36 radiation treatments, all the while doing chemo — three six-hour days of chemo, 21 days off and another round. I was so sick. But I embraced those beams of radiation with the thought that they were burning the outside of the tumors. I would whisper, "Get it, get it, get it, GONE!" during the treatment. I also made a choice to believe that the chemotherapy drugs were invading deep into the tumors and destroying them within. I fought the doubt that attracted me like a tangible enemy. "No," I would say. "No." Weakness and fatigue Experiencing all-consuming weakness and fatigue from treatments, I determined to make use of my "down time." I read every book I could on cancer, radiation, boosting the immune system, chemotherapy, vitamins, herbs, nutrition, exercise and spiritual matters. I even read about death. There were no support groups for lung cancer. I wasn't sure if it was because of the stigma lung cancer carries, or if it was because there weren't that many survivors, but I knew I'd have to go it alone. I concluded that regardless of how many herbs and vitamins I had to take, how much juicing I had to do, no matter how much I had to alter my life, I was willing to do it. I read, I researched, and I learned. Not to mention that I prayed, a lot. Not just for me but for my friends. For 16 years, I had worked in a small, close-knit restaurant on Captiva Island that had become my home away from home. We were family — loving, supporting and socializing with one another in and out of work. Our job was so much fun, our bosses so great, the employees so close, the money so good that we were the envy of the whole service industry in our town. No one ever quit. We really loved one another. For years, the wisecrack in the community was that someone "had to die" for a position to open up at our restaurant. Then, someone did die. Janie Mullins, 44, was our first co-worker to be diagnosed with cancer. A few months later, I was diagnosed. Then Dee Stewart, 37, and then Jan Sutherland, 34. Everyone was in shock, everyone. Try to imagine the grief our little community experienced as six more women, all younger than I, were diagnosed within ja few months. There were 13 women diagnosed in town in a little more than a year. We did chemo together, talked on the phone, tried to share knowledge, tried to survive. I can't fully describe the support we received from our community. It was a huge, heartfelt effort, and nearly everyone was involved in caring for us all. I experienced grief and heartache as my friends lost their fights. Eleven of the 13 women lost their battles with cancer. The two survivors: Lisa Pierot and me. I had more CT scans, MRIs, bone scans and blood tests than I care to recall, and I went into a remission. The doctors couldn't tell me why, but I wasn't asking too many questions. I just took the good news and ran with it. The days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months, and I turned into an advocate for teaching newly diagnosed patients how to become proactive. Encouraged other patients I became a crusader of sorts — networking resources, encouraging everyone to fight through any means possible, and always, always collecting information in the hopes that some clinical trial or vitamin or new treatment would cross my path and save us all. I wrote a book called The Cancer Patient's Workbook, a guide for the newly diagnosed, but just as it hit the market, I became ill again and was not able to do book tours or promote it as I wanted. It was during one of the routine CT scans that I was given the news that my cancer had come back. This time, my doctors were not too enthusiastic about fighting it with a vengeance. But I was. So, I did more chemo, went out to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and had the right upper lobe of my lung removed, and came back home again for still more chemo. That was six years ago this month. I still have the blood tests, the CT scans, the cancer issues to deal with. I was diagnosed with melanoma this March. I'm at high risk for colon cancer and get colonoscopies every six months. But I keep on keeping on. Life is precious. I wish I could talk to Dana Reeve to encourage her. I would say: "I know what it is like to think you might die. I have visited that doorstep hundreds of times. I know what it is like to feel sick and want to give up. I have been there, too. The thing is, you are an individual. Your cancer cells are unique to you, and you will respond to treatment uniquely, as well. So don't look at statistics; look for any kind of trial treatment instead. Sleep a lot, do your own research, and if it makes sense, try it, whatever 'it' is. Drink so much carrot, beet, cabbage and broccoli sprout juice that you turn orange from beta carotine. "Don't rely on your doctors for everything. Get an advocate who can ask questions and keep things straight when you can't think for yourself. Drink green tea. Stay away from secondhand smoke. Take ginger baths. Don't worry about the small stuff. Spend as much time as you can with loved ones. Watch funny movies. Keep track of your CEA cancer counts. Consider getting a second opinion at M.D. Anderson or Sloan Kettering. Don't give up. Just say 'no.' NO!" That's what I would tell her.

Gail, I think what you are trying to do is great! I know I am a never-smoker, and I don't want to tread on any smoker's toes, but I do understand your point -- why are known carcinogens still allowed to be purchased over the counter? I also understand that this about more than that -- it's about the right for ALL (including children) to breath clean air. Everyone finds their own "niche" -- a cause that feels right in their hearts to pursue. It appears that you have found yours! (Mine is increasing funding for LC research). Although your agenda may not be met with agreement from everyone, I applaud you for taking a stand and taking action!

I recieved this from LUNGevity and wanted to pass this along to everyone: Dear Friends-- Fantastic news. Due to the perseverance of the LUNGevity Founders and all of your support throughout the years, LUNGevity is receiving national recognition for its tremendous accomplishments -- we are in this weeks edition of Newsweek. Below is a link to the story. Please email this story to all of your contacts -- a reminder to them of your support of our important mission. Then, go out and buy (or encourage all of your friends to buy) this weeks edition of Newsweek. Let's show the media how much we care about the coverage of lung cancer issues...and make sure everyone is aware of LUNGevity and its important mission -- to find a cure for lung cancer. Finally, the 2005 LUNGevity Link newsletter is in the mail. Your contacts should begin receiving it this week. Please make sure that they have received it and are reading it. Encourage them to pass it along to everyone who they know who might be interested in finding a cure for lung cancer. Please call or email us if you need additional copies of the newsletter to share with your family, neighbors, or colleagues. Thank you for all of your support. Together, we WILL find a cure for lung cancer. Joel Massel The Deadliest Cancer Lung cancer kills more Americans than any other type of malignancy-and some of the victims never smoked. But despite grim statistics there is some good news: fresh research offers hope for earlier diagnosis and more-effective treatments. http://g.msn.com/0MN2ET7/2?http://www.m ... lThis&CE=1 _____________________________

I am bumping this post up. I am absolutely EMBARRESSED by the fact that NJ is still not a smoke free workplace state. With all the recent press lung cancer is getting, now is the time to write a letter (through the link listed above) and ensure that your state becomes smoke free (which includes restaurants and bars). Everyone deserves the right to eat dinner, or serve dinner, in a smoke free environment.

I too would love to give you some insight. Last year, (with lots of help from Renee who posted above) I planned the first walk in the NJ area and we had about 350 people attend and raised $32,000 for LUNGevity Foundation, to go directly to lung cancer research. We are in the midst of planning the 2nd walk, to take place this November 5th (during Lung Cancer Awareness Month). Yes, November can be a little cold, but we lucked out and had absolutely beautiful sunny weather that day -- and it seemed so much more meaningful to do it during LCAM. If you go to www.lungcancerwalk.org it list all the LC walks that are taking place around the country -- with contact information for each -- that might be a good place for you to start! Feel free to PM me and I will help in any way that I can!