HELLO EVERYBODY, I AM NEW HERE, MY NAME IS SHELLY, I AM 33 YEARS OLD. I AM THE WIFE OF A LOVING CARING AND SUPPORTIVE HUSBAND, MONTY AND MOTHER OF 2 HEALTHY, BEAUTIFUL, LOVING, CARING, SWEET AND FUNNY CHILDREN. CHARLES WHO IS 16 AND ALEXIS WHO WILL BE 12 ON THE 30TH OF THIS MONTH. I WAS DIAGNOSED JANUARY 2007 WITH STAGE IIIA NSCLC, LARGE UNDIFFERENTIATED CELL TYPE. THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN AN AWAKENING AS WELL AS A ROLLER COASTER RIDE BUT I CANNOT COMPLAIN AND WILL NOT BECAUSE I AM STILL HERE! I HAVE BEEN READING SOME OF THE POSTS AND REPLIES AND I AM FINDING THEM VERY INTERESTING. ALOT GIVE ME HOPE AND ARE VERY INSPIRING BECAUSE WE ARE ALL AFFECTED BY THIS HORRIBLE DISEASE IN SOME WAY. ALSO THERE ARE ALOT OF THINGS THAT UPSET ME AS WELL. FOR ONE THE MORE AND MORE I WATCH TELEVISION, THE MORE I REALIZE THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON ABOUT LUNG CANCER, EVER! I SEE ALL THESE COMMERCIALS FOR BREAST CANCER AND PROSTATE CANCER AND COLORECTAL CANCER AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT LUNG CANCER EXCEPT 1 COMMERCIAL I HAVE SEEN IN THE RECENT MONTHS ABOUT SMOKING AND LUNG CANCER, I AM SURE YOU HAVE ALL SEEN IT WHERE THE BOY IS TALKING ABOUT HE AND HIS BROTHER NO LONGER HAVE A MOTHER BECAUSE SMOKING CAUSED HER LUNG CANCER AND SHE DIED. MAYBE THATS WHY THEY DON'T EMPHASIZE ON LUNG CANCER AS MUCH BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF THE WORLD IS NAIVE ENOUGH TO BELIEVE ALL LUNG CANCER PATIENTS SMOKED AND THEY PROBABLY GET WHAT THEY DESERVE. WELL, AS A PERSON WHO SMOKED SINCE I WAS A TEEN, I AM HERE TO SAY JUST BECAUSE I SMOKED DOES NOT MEAN I DESERVE TO HAVE CANCER. THERE ARE AS MANY PEOPLE WITH LUNG CANCER WHO HAVE NEVER SMOKED IN THEIR LIFE AS THERE ARE WITH LUNG CANCER WHO DID IN FACT SMOKE. THERE ARE PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SMOKED ALL THEIR LIVES AND WILL CONTINUE TO SMOKE AND WILL NEVER GET LUNG CANCER. I AM TIRED OF BEING ASKED "DID YOU SMOKE" WHEN I TELL SOMEONE NEW OF MY CONDITION. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE, REALLY. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH LC WHO HAVE NEVER SMOKED TO ME IS PROOF THAT CANCER DOES NOT CARE WHO IT ATTACKS OR WHEN. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT CANCER IS A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION THAT UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF US ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHETHER IT BE LUNG CANCER, BREAST CANCER, COLON CANCER, ETC... I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF YOU BUT IT IRRITATES ME WHEN I AM ASKED THAT SIMPLE LITTLE QUESTION. CANCER, ANY TYPE, IS LIKE HITTING A RAFFEL DRAWING THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO WIN!! IF I AM RANTING I'M SORRY BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO WAKE THE WORLD UP ABOUT LUNG CANCER, WHY ARE THERE NO WALKS FOR LUNG CANCER LIKE THERE ARE BREAST CANCER? IF THERE ARE I KNOW I HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT THEM. WHY IS LUNG CANCER NOT COVERED AND TREATED LIKE THEY TREAT AND COVER EVERY OTHER CANCER IN THE NEWS AND ON TV AND ON RADIO? THIS REALLY UPSETS ME AND MY FAMILY. LIKE I SAID NOT EVERYBODY WITH LUNG CANCER HAS SMOKED AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO DID OR DO OR WHATEVER WHO IS TO SAY THAT SMOKING IS WHAT CAUSED IT. MY ONCOLOGIST TOLD ME IN THE VERY BEGINNING THAT HE BELIEVES SMOKING DID NOT CAUSE MY CANCER. BECAUSE OF MY AGE, HE BELIEEVS IT WAS EITHER GENETIC OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT TRIGGERED IT. WELL THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO LISTEN TO ME RANT A LITTLE. I WILL BE BACK ON IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
BLESSINGS AND PRAYERS TO ALL,
SHELLY[/i]
