R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What it Means to Me

In 2016, I listened to a podcast about genetics and cancer featuring oncologist Dr. Theo Ross. During the interview Dr. Ross mentioned that if you don’t smoke, you reduce your risk of getting lung cancer by 95-99%. It was a…

The Unnecessary Cruelty of Clinical Trials

Since I’ve been holding steady on my treatment, I haven’t needed access to a clinical trial yet. However, clinical trials may become essential to my survival, and I’m already concerned about getting into them when I need help the most….

The Most Romantic Gift I Ever Received

I’ve written about several people who have supported and moved me in the last four years. But, there’s been one glaring omission: my husband Eric. I’ve been paralyzed. How to begin to capture that love? It’s so big and complex…

Why I Was Grateful to Give Away One of My Most Treasured Possessions (a Happy New Year Blessing)

In 2014, I met fellow LC survivor Rene Hicks. My condition was new and quite perilous at the time. Rene, though, had received her diagnosis and treatment over a decade prior and had been stable ever since.      …

Lung Cancer Awareness Month -- #433aday is a National Emergency

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. To mark the occasion, I posted a life lost to LC every single day of the month on both my public and my personal Facebook pages. For those of you who don’t follow me…

The ROS1der Story (my talk at the 2017 IASLC World Lung Cancer Conference in Japan)

This year I was honored to be invited to speak at the 18th IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer in Japan. This is a huge annual conference, with about 7,000 attendees, which takes place in a different location every year. My talk…

Update # 13 -- Straddling Two Worlds

I had a PET scan and brain MRI this past week and everything came back clear. No signs of metastases anywhere. I give credit to my anxious pre-scan nightmares, which are obviously super helpful, plus Samantha’s expert prayer skilz (to…

Make a Wish - Lisa Style

Eric and I are huge Survivor fans. We’ve loyally tuned in to every single episode of all 34 seasons since it debuted in May of 2000. It’s a fun and seemingly harmless escape. I say “seemingly harmless” because last year,…

Pathology Lab Field Trip: A Visit with One of the “Hidden Heroes” (Part Two of Two)

Recently, I visited Dr. Charles Lombard, the Medical Director of Pathology at El Camino Hospital, where I was able to see slides of my biopsied cancer cells and tour the lab (see my discussion and pics in my blog Field Trip…

Field Trip to the Pathology Lab! (Part One of Two)

I have a strange idea of what constitutes a fun time these days. I get excited to attend conferences about lung cancer. I’ve been known to look forward to quality time with a friend in an infusion lab. Recently, I…