Thank you Colleen

@frouke @nonobaddog and @lijda. - Good morning and thank you for reaching out to me earlier. Due to my home situation, as COlleen has said I have had to step back from full-time Mentoring for right now and take care of my husband. Up until this year, he has seen me through all 25+ years of my lung cancer journey and now I owe him the same.

I won't be able to respond to each case here but the main thing that I want to say is that having a positive attitude didn't come easy or in short order. Some of it is intrinsic I think. I was one of a pair of twins and we fought over everything. I had to win and it seems in everything I do now it is true. Another thing is that there are many depressing factors about having cancer of any kind including the country's health care system. So those have to be overcome.

Having good doctors who are encouraging and a support system behind you is extremely important. I find that the main thing is persevering, plodding on day after day, and feeling crummy or discouraged. I don't think that anyone can feel positive or upbeat 100% of the time. Right now I am sitting on my bed feeling terrible from having to take prednisone because I have pneumonitis as a result of SBRT from last October. I had 2 lesions zapped from my right middle lung that was very close to my heart. It was my 3rd SBRT. I have not had any other targeted treatments. A long time ago I did have chemo and my first two cancers resulted in total lobe removals.

I do hope that you will continue to support each other as you have. I will pop in from time to time and I miss everyone. I spent a lot of time googling for answers but interactions with real people can't be replaced. I think of you all.
Merry