American Lung Association - Fighting for Air

My story starts with this past February 11th, when a chest x-ray for just a common cough exposed a mass in my lung. Several tests and 2 weeks later, it was confirmed. I had Stage 4 Lung Cancer.  My doctor said I'd had it in my body for five to seven years!  I just couldn't make sense of it -- I'd always been healthy and strong and I never smoked a day in my life. In my mind, along with most of the population, lung cancer was a smokers' disease (my Dad, who was a former smoker, lost his life to lung cancer 13 years ago). But MY lung cancer, which has spread to my adrenal gland, and the lymph nodes in my chest and abdomen, is EGFR gene mutation-positive, something completely beyond my control, completely unrelated to smoking, and results in 30,000 new diagnoses each year. Never-smokers (not to be confused with non-smokers) account for almost 20% of the people diagnosed with lung cancer each year -- that's 1 in every 5 people diagnosed! 

The news that I had inoperable and, according to the medical community, an incurable cancer (one that will kill 160,340 people this year -- more than breast, kidney, colon and prostate cancers combined!), was devastating to say the least. But I decided that I was going to be the miracle patient, and I vowed to do everything within my control to fight for my life. I did extensive research in both western medicine and holistic practices. I selected an oncologist and began treatment at Northwestern with a daily oral targeted cancer treatment drug, and at the same time volunteered to participate in an early Phase II clinical trial.  I renewed my faith.  I took steps to make my home a healthy environment and to limit my exposure to unnecessary radiation.  I've completely changed my diet, eliminating sugar, meats and dairy, and moved to a primarily plant-based diet with an occasional fish protein.  My oncologist thought all of these steps, especially my new diet, were unnecessary and possibly even harmful, but when I had my first follow up CT Scan 6 weeks later, my tumors had shrunk by 30%--70%! The best (actually, "stellar" was the word used) results my doctor had ever seen.

So, having taken every step to embrace wellness and believing that I was receiving the best medical care, I started to look at the bigger picture... and that was, how could I fight lung cancer on a larger scale? I wanted to do more than just pursue treatment for myself. I wanted to prevent this horrible disease from affecting others, too. And since the American Lung Association had always been synonymous with lung cancer for me, I signed up to lead a team in their Fight for Air Walk in September.  I had set an initial fundraising goal of $5,000, increased it several times, and ended up raising $40,000!!! Reaching out to family, friends and colleagues for support and sharing my story with them, showed me what an impact it was having on people. And when people found out that 100% of their money would go directly to lung cancer research, they wanted to help even more and sent in additional donations!  My family, friends and colleagues helped me raise thousands of dollars, too, just by telling my story to THEIR friends (most of whom I don't even know). It's not that I have a miraculous story (yet!), it's that each person we've told my story to was one LESS person falsely believing that lung cancer is just a smoker's disease and one MORE person wanting to help.

I am the (new) face of lung cancer and it is redefining who suffers from this disease... younger, healthy, strong, never-smokers... like you. The average person doesn't realize that lung cancer is the #1 cancer killer in this country. And they certainly don't know it is killing more women than breast cancer (33,000 more women this year will die from lung cancer than breast cancer!). I need lung cancer to become a cause people care about supporting. And when I say support, I mean help to erase the stigma that it's just a smoker's disease, because it's not anymore, and to help increase funding for research so that we can find the cause and early detection for all those who haven't yet been diagnosed and treatments for those who have. 

For a long time, I kept my diagnosis private to keep the normalcy in my life, but I've sacrificed all that for the sake of creating awareness.  I want everyone to know that this can happen to them.  I've sacrificed normalcy and secrecy -- I've told my story to everyone I know, been on the radio and in the local papers, featured on my company's internal website, addressed/challenged the National and Regional American Lung Association Boards of Directors & Assembly, and continue to advocate everywhere I see an opportunity -- because I know how important it is to change people's minds and hearts.

I just celebrated my 48th birthday -- the first big milestone since my diagnosis -- and I don't want it to be my last.  And I don't want this Christmas to be the last Christmas with my family.  And, I don't want to lose hope... hope that one of ALA's researchers/scientists is going to find that next drug/treatment to keep my cancer at bay without the chance of resistance, because one day I will stop responding to the drugs that I'm currently taking.  Please help lung cancer get the funding it needs and deserves by making a donation to the TEAM SUSAN Research Award, where the American Lung Association has committed to putting 100% of your money directly toward lung cancer research to find the cause, early detection, and the next drugs/treatments to help prolong my life and others with this horrible disease.

From the bottom of my heart, 'thank you' for your support,

Susan

{CHOOSE a healthy, smoke-free life!}