Since writing about unexpectedly being diagnosed with lung cancer during Covid in The New York Times,many folks have reached out. I appreciate the support and compassion and I'm ready to pay it forward.
I'm doing very well, though I sometimes carpe a little too much diem. You read about that in this essay in The Washington Post.
One of the issues I hope to make an impact on is bridging healthcare inequities. Here's an essay on tackling cancer while battling insurance companies in the WaPo.
It's been tremendously rewarding to be sharing the lived experience as a patient advocate. In 2022, I spoke in the opening plenary at the World Lung Cancer Conference in Vienna, at the Women Against Lung Cancer Conference in Rome, and the Multi-Omnics Conference in Brisbane. Recently, I hosted benefits for the Lung Cancer Research Foundation, Lung Cancer Foundation of America, and spoke at the global meet up for Akoya Biosciences.
I've been astonished by the dedication, kindness, and brilliance of the wonderful humans that make up the global community of researchers, scientists, industry,clinicians, patient advocates,and NGOs, that are changing the landscape of diagnositcs, treatment, outcomes, and survivorship.
Annabelle Gurwitch was the keynote speaker at Multi-omics 2022 in Brisbane, Australia. Annabelle gave a captivating and moving reflection of health and disease, peppered with doses of comedic relief. She's truly a blessed orator, she energized and inspired our group of scientists and researchers. - Arutha Kulasinghe, conference co-chair, Multi-Omics 2022
Here are some resouces if you're in treatment or someone in your life has just received a life changing diagnosis of any kind:
If your health challenges have impacted your finances: check out this site that aggregates resources:myhealthcarefinances.com
Lung Cancer research is woefully underfunded and also not on folks' radar and that's one of the reasons that survival rates are lower than other cancers. Forgive the Brady Bunch reference but we're the Jan of cancers, I hope that we'll one day be the Marcia of cancers!
here are two great organizations that fund research:
Lung Cancer Foundation of America
Lung Cancer Research Foundation
If, like me, you've tested positive for the EGRF mutation,find our community on the private facebook page. I can't say enough great things about EGFR Resisters founded by Ivy Elkins and Jill Feldman.
If you're in treatment or supporting someone with any variety of lung cancer, you might look to the Go2foundation.
You can also see my interview on Good Morning America.
Disclosures: Being a spokesperson for LCFA and LCRF are unpaid positions, but I am hoping to be lavishly rewarded by getting to enjoy more years on the planet.