WHO would like to be on OPRAH?

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

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[Hebbie]

I would be willing to share my story, but it would be a different angle in my case. More or less, I would be the "example" that not ALL LC patients are smokers -- and not all LC patients are old..... breaking the mold of the stigma, so to speak.

It may not be the story you are looking for, but the offer stands!

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

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[Elaine]

I thought about this a lot, the last time someone, Gail, I think was contacting Oprah.

I think there should be someone who never smoked. Someone who quit smoking many (at least 15-20 years before DX)years ago and someone who smoked up until DX. Probably all women, since it is the Oprah show.

I don't think that by focusing only on non-smokers, that the stigma will be broken. I think that to show all three "types" with such varying histories, all facing the same thing, is the best way to break the stigma. If not, people will always point to the non-smoker as merely an aberation (sp)--a fluke--, which will still lead to the smoker being ignored, as still someone who is to be blamed.

I don't think we should duck from the smoking issue, since IT IS a factor. The smoker still needs to be able to "talk" about how hard it is to quit, how the government supports tobacco farmers and industry, how the tobacco settlement has not been used to help the people that the cig companies Purposefully, by engineering the nicotine in cig, made the addiction to their product severe and hard to break for many people.

Likewise, I think it is SO important to have someone on who quit smoking many years ago, who was lured into feeling safe, and then BANG!.

I think we should all stand together, and not separate ourselves into categories that stand alone. We all come here together to offer support to each other whether we smoked, smoke, or never smoked. To me, that is the front we should also offer to the world.

I welcome anyone else's opinion on what for some is a touchy matter.

I also think we should have a video of some kind to show those who have died, something like maybe even Rick's Tribute. This time with men, women and smokers and non-smokers and quitters.

We need NEVER forget those who have passed on before us. They are who we fight for now.

love and fortitude

elaine

[close to the edge]

I'm not sure how much I could help you

but i would volunteer

I get the "oh she was a smoker all the time"

that infuriates me and i tend to disassociate myself from these people

I also had major pain issues right from the recovery room

also being that I was diagnosed in the early stages of this beast i would do anything to bring more awareness to early diagnosis

i dont think enough is being done about that and i think the general public has no clue smoker or non what the early sighns might be

let me know if you would like my help

oh one other thing

I participated on a survey from this board that was supposed to be about post op pain managment. In my opinion it was the lameist survey for major surgery and i have no clue how it would help doctors help others in the future

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

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[Nancy B]

Cat,

I would love to help - I quit 12 years before my first diagnosis of nsclc and now it has been 16 years (sclc diagnosed May of this year). Where is this filmed? I have completed two half marathons last year to raise money for cancer support (The Wellness Community). Actually the second marathon was just for the fun of it and it made me feel good as a lung cancer survivor that I could do it. Anyway, would love to help anyway I can. Thanks for doing this.

Hugs,

Nancy B

[elnodel]

I think it's a great idea and hope you get lots of people to volunteer. Again, I think it's important to show all types, all stages and probably just women but perhaps a caregiver for a man. Also perhaps the surviving caregiver for someone who didn't make it and whose case truly shows the plight of those with lc.

I can't volunteer for any of this -- it's my husband who has it and we've had the best doctors and support from the medical establishment here -- but I want you to know that I think this is truly an important move.

Another question -- has anyone gotten in touch with the network medical gurus - the Sanjay Guptas, Emily Senays, etc., with a request about time for lc?

Perhaps if you can finagle Oprah into doing something, they too will jump on the bandwagon.

Good luck -- or being superstitious, perhaps I should invoke the stage tradition and say "break a leg"....

Ellen

Ellen

[norme]

Cat, I would be only to happy to help you with this as a caregiver. I would like to show that in over 30 years, lc research has not changed much in helping the survival rate. My mom and dad passed away in 1972 and 1973, my brother in 1998 and my husband in 2004. Why can't they find the cause. LC is the number 1 killer in the cancer fight...it does not care how old one is although my mom was 61, dad 63, brother 65 and husband 70.

[Hebbie]

Oprah is filmed in Chicago -- if we can get this thing going, just say the word and I am on the next plane!

Let me know what I can do to assist in getting this going!

I WILL gently suggest that we don't immediately approach her staff with a "negative" vibe (doctors don't care and everyone blames us), but more of a "informative", "we need to get the word out there" "silent epidemic" issue that Oprah would be compelled to feel passionate about and want to share with her audience.

Once we get the go ahead for sharing our story, then we could get into those issues that are so important.....but we need to reel her in by appealing to her kindness and compassionate side!

I also agree with Elaine that all facets of this disease should be focused on - smoker, ex smoker and non-smoker -- male, female, old, young, caregiver........there are so many sides and so many stories and they all deserve being heard.

This is a disease that does not discriminate and should no longer be discriminated AGAINST!

[Elaine]

Cat

Stigmas are very strong forces, and I do think that if we intend to do our best to break this one, then some analysis of the best way to do that needs to be done. On the board, we have sort of brought up that we need to break the stigma, but we haven't really had a deep discussion on how best to do that.

One way would be to highlight non-smokers, but I personally don't think that is the answer--being that the stigma is so strong. With AIDS that is the first thing that was tried--highlighting young hemophiliacs (sp)--Ryan White and others. So an argument COULD be made that we need to do the same thing as a starting point--highlighting non-smokers. I personally don't think that will work,-- the reason being is that the hemophiliac situation was unique in that a HIGH percentage of hemophiliacs did get AIDS before the blood supply was monitored for HIV. Non-smoking women, on the other hand, are at a very low risk of getting lc. So it is not comparing oranges to oranges, in this scenario.

So again, I think that my point is that a brainstorming needs to be done on the ways to best approach the matter of the stigma.

Oh, and remember its a one hour show--about 42 minutes really with commercials so...... Ideally a whole week in Novemember would be what is needed, but that's not going to happen so I think paring down the MESSAGE needs to be a main consideration.

I also think that the OPRAH magazine would be a better starting place. You can do a lot more in print-- and what's in print often leads to TV air time--not just on her show but others.

I don't watch TV much, but is there some show on LIFETIME that would be suitable?

just some more thoughts I am mulling around.

elaien

[Hebbie]

Just a suggestion.....

Perhaps approaching the Oprah show with a mention of WALC (Women Against Lung Cancer) and go after the angle that it is a female epidemic? Maybe even get the backing of WALC before talking to the Oprah staff? (I have been in contact with them regarding my walk and they may be open to this concept?)

I am certainly not trying to discount the hundreds of thousands of men with LC, but Oprah is, after all, a female driven show, with female issues so discussing the epidemic among women may be the "hook" needed.

Elaine -- I like your thoughts, I'm not familiar with a lot of the Lifetime shows (only the movies ) but I am sure there are one or two health related shows on that network.

[Lisa O]

I would be will to speak to the issue as a mother of young children as well. I do think it affects men too though and older age groups as much as any. I guess the point is that lung cancer does not have any SINGLE face.

[Elaine]

Lisa

I know there are so many faces of lung cancer and so many invisible faces. One thing to remember , is that no matter how we can get the message out--through what faces-- if money comes in, then ALL the faces will be helped.

Hebbie--

Sheesh, maybe one of the stories could be a Lifetime movie!

Also, I think you have a good idea about the epidemic or also maybe that women smokers and non-smolers are at twice the risk of males. I know in my house my husband smokes at least twice what I did, (though I started smoking at a younger age, I think) but he is 6 years older than me. I think the double risk is a sub point to make under the very real fact that for women it IS an epidemic.

elaine

[Hebbie]

Lisa -- I hear you loud and clear on the issues that come along with being the mother of young children. This disease puts such an added stress on you when you know you have little ones counting on you.....and trying not to let YOUR stress become THEIR stress is it's own challenge.

(I obviously did not do a good job in that department since we are in family counseling right now due to the fact that my 7 year old has been acting out and cries at the drop of a hat.... )

[Fall54]

I found this today and thought it was appropriate

Daily Quotes

"Never believe that a few caring people can't change the world. For, indeed, that's all who ever have."

- Margaret Mead

[Fay A.]

I know that others have approached the Oprah Winfrey Show as far back as 5 years ago, and they were always told that the issue of Lung Cancer and it's stigma were not in keeping with the kinds of programming that they were interested in promoting. (The title of Ms. Winfrey's magazine is "Oxygen", folks.)

Perhaps now that other news programs are beginning to (slowly) evaluate Lung Cancer in a more factual and balanced manner things will change.

I occasionally look at the members list. I noticed that one of our recent members has what appears to be the name of Montel Williams. Wonder if it's the Montel Williams?

[TAnn]

Cat,

I would love to do the show. I am a never smoker, young (42) sorta and kept being told, you are young and a non smoker, you are just fine!

I think that angle needs to be addressed also. That the medical community ignores the fact that lung cancer can be a possibility in non smokers, especially women. Mine was diagnosed at stage IIIB/IV.

Count me in!

TAnn

[Rachel]

As a former smoker, who grew up in a smoke filled environment, who back in the 70's worked in restaurants & smoke filled bars, then worked on tugboats with diesel fumes. I would like to tell my story. I stopped smoking when I received my DX. Prior to that I had dropped down to like 3 cigs a day. Who can actually pinpoint what caused my cancer? I do believe that we all go through the same stigma when DX'd. The ? is always..."Did you smoke"??? Are breast cancer patients asked if they smoke? I never asked or thought about that when again 1 of my many friends was diagnosed with B cancer. I did however before DX assume that someone with lung cancer had to be a smoker. I have changed my way of thinking!

I would like to hear more on the TV, Radio, Newspapers about research & treatment for LC and would be more than willing to share my story.

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

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[Lisa O]

(I obviously did not do a good job in that department since we are in family counseling right now due to the fact that my 7 year old has been acting out and cries at the drop of a hat.... )

Hebbie,

My 8 year old has been crying a lot and having separation anxiety too. She doesn't act out but I am sure worried about the separation anxiety.

I do want to be careful also about not contributing to the stigma against smokers who get lung cancer. We just lost two young fathers who were once smokers and they certainly didn't deserve this disease. I agree that we should make it clear that lung cancer can hit all of us - young or old, smokers or nonsmokers .... but the fact that smoking may not have caused my lung cancer or yours doesn't mean that we deserve a cure more or less than any other lung cancer patient.

The disease sucks for all of us. I don't mean this to be argumentative but I want to make sure that in our efforts to rid our disease of the stigma, we don't actually divide ourselves and stigmatize or blame some lung cancer patients even more - the implication being that "some of us" don't deserve lung cancer. I am not saying that this is your message - I am cautioning that we have to be careful about how we broadcast our real message.

[Guest bean_si (Not Active)]

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[Snowflake]

Logically, if anyone should be blamed, it should be the tobacco companies.

I disagree. Smoking has always been a "choice" - consequences be damned, it was a choice. So tobacco companies made an addictive product, how are they any different than, say, Coca-Cola with it's caffeine-laced product? There are caffeine withdrawals...

Blame for the act of smoking goes to the smoker, blame for cancer should not.

(And yes, I'm wearing my asbestos underwear today, fire away!)

[cathyr]

I would love to be on the show if possible. My husband died of lung cancer 4 1/2 years ago and now I'm stage 4. We both quit smoking 5-6 years before diagnosis. I HATE the stigma. Nobody deserves lung cancer. One would not think of asking somebody with breast cancer if they ate too much fat in their diet or somebody with prostate cancer if they exercised, but lung cancer victims are victimized twice!

I'd sure love to get that point across. Consider me in if possible.

Thanks,

CathyR

[mhutch1366]

Okay,

I was a smoker, I got lung cancer --

BUT IT WASN'T SMOKER's CANCER--

it was some rare wierd tumor!!

Life does not make sense. Period.

Just my two cents.

XOXOXOXOX

MaryAnn

The rest of you ladies, GO FOR IT!