Never Smokers & Lung Cancer

I Never smoked and was properly diagnosed & properly treated with VATS surgery that removed a 3cm tumor, my upper left lobe and a wedge in my lower left lobe, at Mayo Clinic RST by an amazing team...I am so grateful to be alive alive almost 9 years later;-)

It's a shock to hear the words, "You have lung cancer" but in 72 hours I was in life saving surgery! It was difficult to breathe & my husband stood by my bedside and said, "Breathe, Breathe, Breathe!"

I will never forget sitting in Nicotine Rehab, required by insurance...even though I neVer smoked, and hearing the shocking lung cancer statics! I also realized physicians & surgeons and their teams may feel the ugly lung cancer stigma.

Through research and also through personal experience I realized the Stigma is unfair. It made me so mad I decided to started running, 3 years after surgery. to prove there can be quality of life after lung cancer. I ran a 5k race in 50 states and I Often finished 1st in my age group!

I started running a 10k in every continent 2014. But that was interrupted when I was invited to the Kili Heart Climb this summer Aug 2016.
I think I am the only lung cancer survivor to summit Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa. There was a Mayo Clinic Research Team "watching & testing"
our every move. I love a challenge.

Honestly walking heal toe to the peak was almost as challenging as breathing was after lung cancer resection! But I made it to Uhuru Peak! This would not have been possible without so many wonderful souls! I can't wait until mountain testing results are in! Watching thecresearch teams work was amazing! Do they ever find time to sleep?

My husband & I started a foundation to create lung cancer awareness and lung health awareness so lives can be saved and research finds can be raised for lung cancer the #1 cause of death Lung Cancer killer.

We sponsor Running Lungs 10k 5k and 2k Run/Walk/Fun events to raise awareness and research dollars.

So this is your invitation to participate with us and help us create the best quality of life possible for lung cancer families and patients,

Kudus to all of my doctors and everyone at MayoClinic...including the work of everyone Rochester. I am so grateful.
Again Thank You. Let's get A lung cancer support group together and shake out a cure!
Hugs,
Linda
Oh, come join us No v4th at 4pm at Soldiers Field you can walk run or just say hi!
If you participate you will receive some nice swag!