YAY!!! I am elated to report that my Mom is In Remission!!!! Yep! Her lungs show no spread of that dreaded “C” word!  This has been a long and emotional journey for my family, and it was with a huge, collective sigh of relief when we learned the news. It will still be several years of a clean bill of health before she can be declared  “cured”, but Remission”?, I’ll take it.

Thanks to all of you who have sent well-wishes, prayers, and contributions to the American Lung Association fund raiser  that I am participating in to raise money for lung disease.

Don’t think for a minute, though, that just because Mom got a break that my journey is over. No, I will continue in my fight, for all those people who suffer and may die from lung disease. Being so close to Lung Cancer makes it personal for me.

Something I noticed when I told people that Mom had lung cancer bothered me. 95% of the time, their first question was, “Did she smoke?” Or something along those lines.

“What difference does it make?” I wanted to scream! If I told you “Yes,”, would you think she deserved it? If my answer was “No,” would you feel differently? More sympathy? Well, here’s news: I smoked off and on for years following (and, actually during,) High School, as did a large percentage of my peers. Do we all deserve to get this horrible disease, then?

Albeit smoking is the #1 cause of lung cancer, the disease affects scores of people who were never smokers. In fact, 20% of women with lung cancer NEVER smoked. What if I told you that exposure to air pollution, asbestos, radon gasses, and even having a familial predisposition to it can be the cause of cancer or lung disease? We lived in a tiny Virginia town whose coke oven spewed toxic sulfur-laced emissions into the air for many years. Could that be it?  Who knows.

Air Pollution

Unfortunately, lung cancer receives fewer research dollars than any type of cancer, so it is still unclear why women, in particular, are more prone to lung cancer, even though-and this shocked me- it kills more women than ovarian, breast, and uterine cancers combined!

Many cities, including Atlanta, which has been home to me for 20 years, struggle to meet federal health-based air quality standards for ground-level ozone. On any given summer day, you will regularly hear weather announcers warn against outdoor exposure for vulnerable citizens.

So, I give thanks that Mom is healing. But I will continue to fight for air–for all of us.

Feel free to have a look at our “Team 3 Pups in a Pop-Up” Personal Page to join me in my fight.

And don’t forget to BREATHE!