It’s been a little while since I’ve been on, but I wanted to drop by and let you know that I think and pray for everyone who is fighting cancer of any kind. Lung cancer hits home to me, as I watched my strong, loving father battle it for almost a year. Today as I was going through some things in my closet I pulled out my dads favorite t shirt and baseball cap. It still smells like him! Boy do I miss him. One thing that bothers me to the core is when people assume that “oh they have lung cancer cause they smoked, of course this would happen”. To me, this is so insensitive to say. Smoker or not.. NOBODY deserves lung cancer. People don’t ask for this. My father happened to smoke in his lifetime, but that shouldn’t make anyone deserving of cancer . Until your in their shoes or their loved ones shoes, people should not make assumptions, but rather support and pray for them. I know people who have lung cancer and never smoked a day in their life and I know others who have smoked everyday their entire life and have a clean bill of health. You just never know. Nobody should be stereotyped because they have smoked and now have cancer. I’m tired of hearing comments in public about this.
I’m here to say.. those who have cancer or survived cancer are the bravest and strongest people out there and I pray for each of you and I ask my dad up in heaven to help us find a cure.
Stay strong, keep fighting!
Lisa
Written by
Lisamk55
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Thank you for the lovely post. As someone who is battling lung cancer and has never smoked, I appreciate and understand what you are saying. No one deserves cancer, whatever its form, but it happens. Your dad was blessed to have you with him during this difficult time. The stigma associated with lung cancer is one of everyone's pet peeves in this community. You have expressed our sentiments perfectly.
Lisa, your frustration is very real to all of us. Stigma has no place in this picture, and we all work daily to educate, educate, educate. Anyone who has lungs can get lung cancer. That is a fact. Thank you for helping us to raise awareness, people just simply don't understand. It is the job of those of us who do know to teach those who don't. Thank you for bringing up this very important issue.
Lisa, thank you for your loving post. I find myself, my family and my friends answering the ‘did I smoke’ question frequently. A fellow LC survivor told me just the other day that her response is ‘Why? Does it matter.....’??
Now instead of being offended, I try and educate. Before I end my impromptu class I slip in...‘and no, I never smoked. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.’ We will change the stigma - one step, one newly educated person at a time. Blaming never cured anyone and I want a cure.
I’m so sorry that your Dad has passed. I hope your memories bring you joy, and I pray that your grief softens in time.
Thanks, Lisa, for your encouraging words. I am one of those non-smokers who was diagnosed with stage 4 in 2013. I am in remission and my goal is to keep living until a cure is found.
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