Puzzling Challenges
We have a friend that’s super into very challenging wood puzzles. I got curious about her hobby a couple years ago and she sent me a few to try. They were some of her more entry-level puzzles, but I still…
What I Bought for Black Friday
It took me almost a year after the diagnosis to buy anything for myself that wasn’t related to my medical care. In late 2014, finally feeling well enough to enjoy strolling around our local town, I vividly remember wandering into…
The Sometimes Optimist
I always sigh when fellow LC patients say “it’s been a rough stretch,” like it’s some kind of aberration when our community loses someone special (or a few someone specials in a row). Death is such a constant in the…
The Latest News about the ROS1 Cancer Model Project (Spoiler: it’s Good!)
I am excited to share the latest news about the ROS1 Cancer Model Project. First, a refresher on the project: The Problem – ROS1+ cancer occurs in many types of cancers, but it is rare. This makes it difficult for…
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…
