Theres defiantly a stigma that goes along with lung cancer. I cant tell you the amount of times I have told someone and the first question they have asked is if I was a smoker. It doesn’t matter who I have told, I once had a hospital employee ask me!!!
Lung cancer is becoming more and more frequent-more young adults are being diagnosed. Statistically I was more likely to die of lung cancer than breast cancer. Yet lung cancer is the lowest funded cancer!
There’s a lot I don’t understand since I was diagnosed. How is it that as a non smoker I am not considered to be at risk? I have lungs so therefor I can get lung cancer! How is it that I never smoked a minute in my life yet I am diagnosed with lung cancer? (Yes I still get incredibly angry when I see people smoking! Regardless of what they are smoking. I get it everyone can make their own decisions. What hurts and frustrates me the most is when I see people who know my story. ok I’ll get off my soapbox now!).
What I do know and understand is that I am on this journey for a reason. I have met people that I never would have had the chance to meet. I am finding my tribe and village! I am able to use my voice to educate, and eventually I would like to advocate to have things changed! I know it has slowed me down to appreciate everything around me. I know that I will fight this to the very end. I will use my voice to advocate until the very end. My kids wont have a doubt that I gave it my all!
Back to end the stigma-remember if you have lungs you can get lung cancer. And most of the people I have met never smoked.
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