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Where are my allies


Nick C

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I know you are all here...but I need allies where I am physically. At work, in my town, in Connecticut.

I have my lungevity water bottle with me at work, I always do. One of the folks here (a higher up person) sees it, misreads it, then realizes it says LUNGevity. "Oh what's that about?"

I get to tell him.

"Oh so these are a bunch of former smokers?"

Ugh

Me: "No, not at all really."

""My father died of lung cancer, but he smoked...Pall Malls...so..."

Me: "So he didn't do anything illegal you know? He didn't deserve Lung cancer"

"Yeah well...it was really awful actually. He was 57."

Me: "I'm really sorry. My mom was 56. All the more reason to do something about it right? You know it isn't like the environment is getting any better. We're all subject to this disease."

"Well I'm all for getting rid of pollution..."

I GIVE UP!

Why is it the family members of those who we've lost to this disease don't GIVE A ____. Drives me crazy!

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Seems like all of us at 50 or so with LC smoked, right? When we were young, smoking was ok. well, ok, it was never a "good" thing. All my aunts and uncles smoked. My grandfather smoked a pipe and cigars. All the cool movie stars and tv show people smoked. All the commercials were tobacco, all the sports were sponsered by tobacco.

Maybe we are in a generation gap here. Not maybe at all. I quit smoking long before I was diagnosed and now I can't stand to be anywhere near it. I can't even beleive I had that nasty habit. I know all of you feel the same way. Noone can smoke on any hospital campus anymore. I've seen patients walk across the street to the bus stop and smoke. Actually saw a guy wheeling his chemo pole and pump over there. I think I saw it all when I watched a lady smoking through her trach hole.

I always get the "Oh, you must have been a smoker" question. I'm not responding to this conversation anymore.

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I feel that I spend way too much time trying to educate people that both smokers and NON smokers can get lung cancer. Both drinkers and NON drinkers can get liver cancer. Both idiots and NON idiots can get brain cancer.

Let us move on, let us raise the funds to research a cure for this insidious disease.

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I agree with Ginny. My response to the smoking challenge is this: "Do you smoke?" The person usually says "No". Theh I say "60% of all new lung cancers are in non-smokers or those that quit 20 or more years ago."

Then walk away.

We have a lot of people here at Lungevity that never smoked or quit a very long time ago. No one deserves cancer.

MI Judy

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"Seems like all of us at 50 or so with LC smoked, right?"

Sorry Alan, but no, a lot of us 50 somethings never smoked and still got lung cancer. I know we are not supposed to differentiate on cause, but I'm a bit offended that you made that statement. I've learned all it takes to get to get lung cancer is lungs, and some crazy cells.

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"Both idiots and NON idiots can get brain cancer."

Love this!!!

Katie, I like the

"Anyone with lungs can get lung cancer.

435 people die everyday of lung cancer.

The question should be- Do you care?"

I will have to use this.

And I know westport happened (I wish I could have been there). I guess my frustration is not with US...those who are invloved. I know there are people in CT. It's those who I have encountered in my everyday life who have the same link to the disease as I do, but they just don't care. I just don't get it.

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I agree with the face punching.

I don't get it either. The people who have loved ones who died from it and still shrug their shoulders and go, "Well they smoked!" HELLO?! I honestly don't even think it's an issue of ignorant vs. non-ignorant in those cases so much as I can't understand how someone could possibly care so little. I'm sure they did care and that they did grieve, but how can you have that attitude after being face to face with this disease? How can you possibly look at your Mom or Dad and think they got what was coming to them? My Mom was not a perfect woman smoker or otherwise, but I LOVED her and saw past all those flaws. I CAN'T be callous about what happened to her because it gutted me and I can't compartmentalize it and say that it just happened because she smoked because it just plain doesn't make sense and even if it did she's my MOM.

Anyway. I'm with you. I don't get people. The more hard situations and heart-breaking scenarios I live through the more I'm startled that the way that I care and the way that I think really aren't like the way other people care and think.

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Oh, I'm usually good with picking up (and laying down) sarcasm. Missed that. Okay, move along, no fight, nothing to see here. Well, we are punching people in the face...that would be pretty fun right now.

Years ago, I had to restrain myself from punching parking meters. I knew I would lose. But I was tempted. If only I knew everything I know now, then. The world would have been much safer for parking meters.

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