Shout From The Top of Your Lungs

Happy Friday everyone!  Things here have been a bit difficult.  I think Karley is suffering from a bit of depression.  She doesn't want to leave my side.  I think she senses my sadness lately.

But, yesterday I visited my psychiatrist and had my medicines changed.  I took the first new pill yesterday and could already tell a difference in my mood.  I know a lot of people believe that we shouldn't have to take antidepressants, etc., but living like this is hard.  If you can do it, you are much stronger than me.

I was named a Healthline Top 10 Lung Cancer Blog for the 3rd year in a row.  It's such an honor to be placed in the same category as the great advocates and bloggers listed here Healthline Top 10 Lung Cancer Blogs of 2017.  If you need some inspiration, advice, we all offer a different perspective.  I focus on my faith, but I'm not perfect.  I'm real.  So, if you want to know how I am or how I feel about this, I totally let my emotions out through my blog.  Some of the others are way smarter than me and constantly update new treatments and tell stories of the hardcore advocacy.  I go to those people when I need help.  I write my blog in order to help not only me get my emotions out, but to also let others with any kind of cancer feel they aren't alone.  Both physically and mentally.

Some more good news, look out for me to fly across the country thanks to Bonnie J. Addario to participate in their Living Room on July 18th.  I'm super excited to for this opportunity to be able to advocate more for Lung Cancer.

I love our lung cancer advocacy groups and I feel that if you really want to make a difference, you take every opportunity to get out there and show the world what lung cancer really looks like.   This will pave the way for more funding for research to help us survive!  So, ANY opportunity I get, I take.  I've worked with LUNGevity, Bonnie J. Addario, Free to Breathe, Lung Force, Team Draft, Lungcancer.net, etc. and they are all fantastic organizations that do so much work in the form of advocating for lung cancer by not only sharing information but also sharing our stories, as real people that need help.

I was recently told a statement was posted on social media speaking about how non-profits can't compete with "for-profits"  I'm not sure.  I wasn't aware this is a competition.  This is my life and I'm telling my story to whoever will listen.  What I do know is, my medical bills are going to send me into bankruptcy.  Therefore, I do get paid to write articles for lungcancer.net.  This does in no way make me an advocate for myself.  It is the same types of stories I write for all of the organizations.  In fact, I haven't even invoiced them yet.  Because once again, it is an opportunity for publicity for Lung Cancer.   I am advocating for lung cancer, not myself.  And non-profits, well the people that run them get paid pretty well.  As cancer patients, we need money as well.  It doesn't mean we are going to solely work for only "for profits".  In fact, lung cancer advocacy should not be a competition.  We all have a common goal.  The "For Profit" that pay us for articles have no problem promoting the non profits.  This is not a competition.  This is our lives.  This is our hand that we were dealt, we have to learn to play the game.   Gain exposure, increase funding, increase research, save our lives.  I'm sorry if you don't agree with me, but I didn't get voted "most outspoken" in school for nothing.  I am open minded.  And maybe I'm missing something, but I say the more we get the word out, the longer we live.

Ok, well, that's it for today.  I got my lazy butt out of the house yesterday and hung out with some old friends.  I had a blast!  I'm blessed to still be able to do this.  Slowly coming out of the funk!

Thank you for all your continuous prayers and please continue to pray for all of those suffering from this awful disease.  Cancer is cancer.  And it sucks.  But cancer cannot and will not take away my relationship with God, no matter how bad it gets.